Cebu Pacific (CEB) said Tuesday it signed a memorandum of understanding with Pratt and Whitney (P&W) to secure engines for 15 new narrow body jets to support its growth plans in the region.
The airline unit of the Gokongwei Group said the 15 narrow body jets for the A320/A321 family of aircraft were a part of the order made in 2019, which included 16 A330 NEO aircraft.
“We appreciate Cebu Pacific’s continued confidence in Pratt & Whitney since they initially selected the GTF engine in 2012,” said Rick Deurloo, president of commercial engines at Pratt & Whitney.
“With deliveries for this most recent order starting in 2025, the GTF engine will provide even more fuel and carbon emissions savings,” he said.
Pratt & Whitney, a world leader in the design, manufacture and service of aircraft engines and auxiliary power units, will also provide CEB with Geared Turbofan (GTF) engine maintenance through an EngineWise comprehensive service agreement.
The budget airline earlier said the issues with P&W engines grounded a number of its aircraft, resulting in muted growth outlook this year.
The MOU between the two companies will strengthen the airline’s operational resilience as it explores opportunities to strengthen its position in regional markets in Southeast Asia, China and Japan, while demand for air travel continues to grow after the pandemic.
“This aims to finalize our current order book and help secure our growth up to 2027. In doing so, it also clears the way for us to now focus on the longer term growth through our major fleet request for proposals (RFP) that are currently underway,” said Cebu Pacific chief executive Mike Szucs.
CEB is reviewing proposals from suppliers after it issued in October 2023 the RFP to both Airbus and Boeing for 100 to 150 narrow-body jets, which represent the largest ever commitment of any airline in the Philippine aviation industry.
