Cebu Pacific Airways Gears Up for Four Brand-New Aircraft

The Philippines’ largest budget carrier, Cebu Pacific (PSE:CEB) will take delivery of four more brand-new aircraft in the last four months of the year. Three CEB A320 aircraft are scheduled to be delivered from September to October, while another aircraft is scheduled to arrive in December.

“We are very excited to accept delivery of more brand-new planes, since these will be used to add flight frequencies and destinations for the benefit of the traveling public.

It also affirms CEB’s continued commitment to give even more people the chance to travel by air, and to boost tourism and trade in all its destinations,” said CEB VP for Marketing and Distribution Candice Iyog.

CEB is scheduled to add flights from Manila to Davao (7 to 8 times daily), Tacloban (4 to 5 times daily), Boracay (13 to 14 times daily), Dumaguete (2 to 3 times daily), Naga (3 to 4 times daily) and Cagayan de Oro (6 to 7 times daily), among others.

“We will also launch a new destination, Tawi-Tawi, on October 14, with the start of our Zamboanga to Tawi-Tawi flights. A Cagayan de Oro-Iloilo route will also be inaugurated on the same day. Both these routes will definitely increase access to these key trade and tourism centers in the country,” Iyog added.

The airline also announced earlier that it has ordered 30 new Airbus A321neo and 7 A320 aircraft. The order at list price is valued at approximately USD3.8 billion, the largest single aircraft order ever made by a Philippine carrier.

The A321neos will be a first of its type to operate in the Philippines, being a larger and longer-haul version of the familiar Airbus A320.

The said orders for A320 and A321neo aircraft will be delivered between 2015 and 2021.

These are on top of firm orders for 18 Airbus A320 aircraft to be delivered from the 2nd half of 2011 until 2014.

It is also scheduled to take delivery of 2 Airbus A320 aircraft on operating lease agreements in 2012.

CEB currently operates 10 Airbus A319, 15 Airbus A320 and 8 ATR-72 500 aircraft.

By the end of 2011, CEB will be operating a fleet of 37 aircraft – with an average age of less than 3.5 years – one of the most modern aircraft fleets in the world.

Cebu Air Inc. (PSE: CEB)

Cebu Air Inc. is the largest carrier in the Philippine air transportation industry, offering its low-cost services to more destinations and routes with higher flight frequency within the Philippines than any other airline.