Philippine carrier Cebu Pacific will take delivery of the first of 14 Airbus A320 family aircraft next week and is already looking to acquire more of the type to support expansion of international services.
Cebu says its first Airbus aircraft, a new A320 leased from CIT, will be used from 1 June on services from Manila to Hong Kong and the southern Philippine city of Davao.
A second CIT A320 will arrive next month and the first of 12 A319s will be delivered in September, but chief operating officer Danilo Mojica reveals the carrier is interested in more A320s.
"Possibly we'll lease more A320s and we're also looking at converting the tail end of our A319 order to A320s," says Mojica.It is too late for Cebu to convert the first eight A319s into A320s, but Mojica is looking at converting two or three of the last four aircraft on order. In three to five months the carrier will also decide on whether to lease additional aircraft beyond the 14 it has committed to, with a preference for the larger A320. The A319, however, will also be considered if no A320s are available.
Cebu will use the A319s to replace its current domestic fleet of 12 McDonnell Douglas DC-9s, while the A320s will supplement its fleet of Boeing 757s in its fast-growing international network. Cebu plans to return one of its three 757s when it comes off lease in the third quarter, but it has been unable to get out of lease commitments on the other two, which do not expire until late 2008 and early 2009.
Last month, Cebu signed an agreement with SIA Engineering to establish a local joint venture line maintenance company – Aviation Partnership. Cebu Pacific holds 49% stake in the venture with the remainder owned by SIA Engineering.
BRENDAN SOBIE/SINGAPORE
Source: Flight International
