Cebu Pacific goes for twenty more A320 aircraft

Cebu Pacific, the Philippines’ low fare leader, has signed a contract for the purchase of ten more A320 aircraft, with options on five aircraft and purchase rights on a further five aircraft. The airline placed an initial order for 12 A320 Family aircraft in September 2004, with the last one of these aircraft delivered earlier this month. Since the delivery of the first A320 in May 2005, Cebu Pacific has totally replaced its fleet of DC-9 and Boeing 757 aircraft. The new A320 aircraft will be used to further expand Cebu Pacific’s network that currently extends to 26 domestic and 10 international destinations.

More than 5,000 A320 Family aircraft have been ordered by customers worldwide, over 1,200 of which are from customers in Asia-Pacific. The A320 Family has proved to be extremely popular with both full-service and low-cost airlines across the region, with more than 600 aircraft currently in service with 39 operators in the region. It also has a widespread reputation for high dispatch reliability even on short hops, with wide aisles facilitating quick turnarounds for efficient operations.

“Our partnership with Airbus has been a key component in our domestic expansion and in intensifying our foray into the international arena. Our fleet of Airbus aircraft has helped in enabling us to offer the lowest fares in the market. Because of the aircraft’s high performance, aircraft utilization is maximized, thereby increasing operational efficiency”, said Cebu Pacific President and CEO Lance Y. Gokongwei.

“The A320 Family has proven to be an outstandingly popular choice with both start-up and established low-cost carriers all around the world and I am delighted that Cebu Pacific’s experience of low operating costs and high passenger appeal over the past two years has resulted in this further vote of confidence in the aircraft”, said Airbus Chief Operating Officer - Customers, John Leahy.

The A320 Family’s unique operational commonality allows pilots and maintenance crews to work across the Family range and delivers valuable savings in training and operational efficiency. Designed to optimise revenue through cabin adaptability and passenger comfort, the A320 Family feature the most modern and complete fly-by-wire technology available on any single-aisle aircraft in its category.

With around 1600 sales in the last two years alone, the A320 Family is also the fastest-selling jet airliner of all time. The Airbus A320 Family has been ordered by, or is in service with, more than 200 customers and operators worldwide. More than 3,000 A320 family aircraft have already been delivered and have completed 30 million flight cycles and 50 million flight hours.