Cebu Pac says $4-B refleeting program on track

MANILA, Philippines - Listed budget airline Cebu Air Inc. (Cebu Pacific) is on track with its $4 billion fleet renewal program amid the delay in the processing of its petition for the lifting of a ban preventing the low cost carrier from entering the European airspace.

Alex Reyes, general manager for the Long  Haul Division of Cebu Pacific of Cebu Pacific, said the delivery of 49 aircraft between this year and 2021 is on track despite the delay in the evaluation by the European Union of its application to mount flights to European countries.

“There is no change, delivery as scheduled,” Reyes said in a text message.

Cebu Pacific is in the middle of a $4 billion refleeting program involving the acquisition of 49 Airbus aircraft as it gears up for long-haul flights to the United States and Europe.

The listed airline is scheduled to take delivery of 15 more brand-new Airbus A320, 30 A321neo, and four A330 aircraft between 2013 and 2021.

The low cost carrier has a fleet of 47 aircraft consisting of 27 Airbus A320, 10 A319, two Airbus A330 and eight ATR-72 500 aircraft.

Cebu Pacific’s bid to fly to Europe got derailed after as the Aquino administration is now focusing on the relief and rebuilding efforts in areas ravaged by Super Typhoon Yolanda last Nov. 8.

 John Andrews, deputy director general of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), earlier said the petition of Cebu Pacific before the EU for the lifting of a ban allowing the airline to fly to Europe would have to wait until next year.

Andrews said Cebu Pacific is likely to make a presentation to the EU in January as the government is focusing of reviving and rebuilding the provinces ravaged by the typhoon last Nov. 8.

However, the EU usually conducts review on the aviation safety compliance of airlines every March and November.

Cebu Pacific president and chief executive officer Lance Gokongwei earlier said the budget airline would seek the green light from the EU to fly to the European airspace in November.

Gokongwei believes that Cebu Pacific operates a safe airline despite the incident involving two of its aircraft in the Davao International Airport and the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) last June.

Since the incident, he added that the airline has complied with the recommendations of the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) particularly on the training of its pilots as well as the review of its flight operating system by experts from Airbus.