Cebu Pacific Inc. (CEB) is expected to take delivery of three more aircraft in the second half of the year.
In a statement, CEB said it intends to use sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) for the delivery of three more aircraft later this year.
This month, CEB received its fourth aircraft delivery for 2022 — a brand-new Airbus A320NEO that used SAF on its delivery flight from Hamburg, Germany, to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila.
“We are happy to welcome another aircraft that used sustainable aviation fuel on its delivery flight from Hamburg. This is a testament to how committed we are to our sustainable journey, which involves moving forward with our fleet modernization plans,” said Alex Reyes, CEB chief strategy officer.
The airline became the first low-cost carrier in Southeast Asia to incorporate the use of SAF into its operations when it took delivery of its third A330NEO last May.
SAF is a drop-in fuel which means it is a completely interchangeable replacement for fossil fuels. The use of SAF results in up to 80 percent reduction in carbon emissions across the SAF lifecycle.
SAF does not require any adaptations to the aircraft or engines and does not have any negative impact on performance or maintenance.
CEB said its sustainability goal is in line with global aviation’s commitment to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050. The airline has made various investments that enable it to become fuel-efficient in its operations to keep fares affordable for the passengers.
CEB said this is also in line with its three major pillars on its sustainable journey: fleet modernization which aims, among others, to have an all-Neo fleet by 2027; resource optimization that includes pushing for fuel efficiency best practices; and utilizing SAF by launching green routes by 2025 and using SAF for its entire network by 2030.
To date, CEB said it will have 53 aircraft deliveries from 2022 to 2027. The additional aircraft will support the airline group’s plans to increase frequency on current routes and to add new city pairs and destinations.
As of March 31, CEB operates 75 aircraft which comprises of 22 Airbus A320 CEO, seven Airbus A321 CEO, six Airbus A320 NEO, 10 Airbus A321 NEO, six Airbus A330 CEO, two A330 NEO, eight ATR 72-500 and 14 ATR 72-600 aircraft.
The average aircraft age of the airline group’s fleet is approximately 5.9 years as of March 31. – Myla Iglesias
