Philippine carrier Cebu Pacific is negotiating to lease a fourth Boeing 757-200-passenger aircraft so it can launch services in the third quarter linking Manila with the Chinese cities of Beijing and Shanghai.
Cebu Pacific is speaking to lessors CIT, Itochu and Mitsui, says Peggy Vera, vice-president corporate planning and external affairs.
"I believe they are talking about a three-year lease but if we can get a good price we could tie it up for longer. Leasing companies generally don't want to commit to low prices for periods longer than three years," says Vera.
Delivery
Cebu Pacific wants to take delivery of the aircraft in the April-June period in time to launch services sometime around August to Beijing and Shanghai, she says.
Flights are likely to be operated on a Manila-Shanghai-Beijing routing three or four times per week, says Vera. She adds that under the current air services agreement Philippine carriers are entitled to 5,000 seats a week to China but at present only two-fifths of the allocation is used.
Philippine Airlines operates seven weekly flights between Manila and Shanghai and four weekly flights on the Manila-Xiamen route, using Airbus A320s and Boeing 737s.
Cebu Pacific has never operated scheduled passenger services to Beijing or Shanghai but it has operated on the Manila-Guangzhou route.
Source: Flight Daily News
