Philippine low-cost carrier Cebu Pacific has agreed to order up to 20 more Airbus A320s directly from the manufacturer.Spokeswoman Candice Iyog says from Manila that the deal comprises 10 A320s on firm order and 10 options. Deliveries of the firm-ordered aircraft will take place between 2010 and 2012, she says.
Iyog adds that the options are broken down into two batches of five, and if all 10 are exercised they will be delivered between 2011 and 2013. The second batch of five options will be available to the carrier only if it firms up the first five options.
She is not immediately able to confirm whether an engine choice has been made. Cebu Pacific’s existing A320-family aircraft are powered by CFM International CFM56 engines.
The order announcement comes days after the carrier completed a re-fleeting that has seen it replacing its McDonnell Douglas DC-9s and Boeing 757s with four A320s and 10 A319s, 12 of which it owns.
Since it took delivery of its first Airbus narrowbody in May 2005 Cebu Pacific has aggressively expanded its operations and now serves 20 domestic destinations as well as Bangkok, Hong Kong Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. Last year it carried 3.46 million passengers, or 57% more than in 2005.
Source: FlightGlobal.com
