On Monday, Airbus confirmed the finalization of an order for 16 A330neos by Philippine carrier Cebu Pacific. The A330neos are a higher capacity version of the A330-900 and can seat up to 460 in a single-class configuration.
The widebody portion of Cebu Pacific’s previously announced Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Airbus was firmed up today in the announcement that they have selected 16 high capacity Airbus A330neos. As part of the MoU, Cebu Pacific (CEB) also plans on ordering 10 A321XLRs and 5 A320neos. The new widebody aircraft ordered today will be arranged in a single-class configuration accommodating up to 460 passengers and will be operated on trunk routes in the Philippines and Asia. The aircraft will also serve on longer routes to Australia and the Middle East. In today’s announcement, Cebu Pacific’s President and CEO, Lance Gokongwei stated,
“The A330neo is integral to our fleet modernization program. With this purchase, we aim to reduce our fuel emission and build a sustainable operation. This will also give us the lowest cost per seat, at the same time enabling CEB to increase seat capacity and maximize valuable airport slots in Manila and other Asian megacities.”
The A330neo has an extended range of 8,000 nautical miles and incorporates a new wing and Rolls Royce Trent 7000 engines, reducing fuel burn by up to 25% compared to previous generation/competing models. In the announcement, Airbus Chief Commercial Officer, Christian Scherer said,
“Cebu Pacific is a pace-setter and surely one of the most respected and well managed airlines in the low-cost sector. The new order is another important endorsement for the value-based proposition that the A330neo brings to highly competitive markets. The increased capacity version of the aircraft developed for Cebu Pacific will help achieve even greater efficiencies for high density regional and long-range routes.”
Cebu Pacific operates a fleet of 52 Airbus A320 Family and 8 A330 aircraft along with 20 ATR 72-500/600’s. The company will take delivery of 31 A321neos, 5 A320neos, and four ATR 72-600s between 2019-2022, keeping their fleet one of the youngest in the world.
Source(s) Airbus, Cebu Pacific