Cebu Pacific confirmed it is formally launching a campaign to order more than 100 narrowbody aircraft, which will allow the carrier to meet its ambitious fleet growth goals.
The carrier said it will issue a request for proposals (RFP) to Airbus and Boeing for 100-150 aircraft. Representatives of both manufacturers have held preliminary meetings about the RFP with Cebu at its Manila headquarters, and their proposals are to be submitted by the end of the year.
The Cebu Pacific Group—which also includes regional carrier Cebgo—currently has an operational fleet of 73 aircraft. This mainly comprises 51 Airbus narrowbodies, and the airline is in the process of transitioning its narrowbody fleet to A320neos and A321neos.
Cebu still has 22 A321neos and seven A320neos remaining to be delivered from previous orders, in addition to 11 A330neos and two ATR 72-600s.
The airline plans to use its existing orders to grow its fleet to 76 aircraft by the end of 2023, and to 91 by the end of 2024. Cebu is also seeking additional capacity to further augment its fleet next year.
In the longer term, the new orders under discussion will allow Cebu to double its fleet size by 2035.
This reflects the carrier’s confidence in market growth opportunities in the Philippines and the Asia-Pacific region, Cebu said. Airport development plans in Manila and elsewhere in the country will also support demand growth.
“The Philippines has great potential ... with consistently high economic growth aligned with a large and young population,” Cebu CEO Michael Szucs said. Beyond that, there are two billion people within four hr. flight time of Manila.
