BUDGET CARRIER Cebu Pacific, operated by Cebu Air, Inc. is expected to announce its supplier for the airline’s $12-billion aircraft order by June, the company’s top official said on Wednesday.
“[We have] not yet selected. We will make the announcement, I think, in the next couple of months. Maybe by June,” Lance Y. Gokongwei, chairman of Cebu Air, said on the sidelines of the BusinessWorldEconomic Forum 2024.
The budget carrier is planning to order more than 100 narrow-body aircraft from Boeing or Airbus valued at roughly $12 billion based on current list of prices, Cebu Pacific said.
The airline company is nearing the completion of its aircraft order, which is expected to boost its overall fleet amid its plan to increase flight frequencies to serve the growing demand for air travel.
“We are close to the finish line for [our aircraft order]. We have not put a date yet, but we are still close to the timetable,” Alex B. Reyes, chief strategy officer of Cebu Pacific, said separately on the sidelines of an aviation forum.
Mr. Reyes, however, did not say if the company is leaning towards Airbus or Boeing for its planned aircraft order.
Cebu Pacific currently operates a fleet of 73 Airbus and ATR aircraft, which it earlier said will double with its planned order of more aircraft this year.
Last year, Cebu Air said it would lower its fleet growth rate for 2024 as engine maker Pratt & Whitney (P&W) inspects A320/321 NEO aircraft engines worldwide following suspected issues.
Currently, between 10 to 20 aircraft of Cebu Pacific are parked because of the ongoing issue with global engine maker P&W.
To date, Cebu Pacific flies to 35 domestic and 24 international destinations in Asia, Australia, and the Middle East. — Ashley Erika O. Jose
