Cebu Air sets ‘green’ refleeting

Budget airline Cebu Pacific expects to add three more aircraft to its fleet this year after recently receiving its eighth Airbus A320neo (new engine option).

The Gokongwei-led carrier, in a recent statement, said the newest Airbus had been flown in using sustainable aviation fuel, which allows 80-percent reduction in carbon emissions.

“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,” Cebu Pacific chief strategy officer Alex Reyes said.

According to Airbus website, A320neo is a single-aisle cabin with a maximum capacity of 180 passengers.

This delivery came a few months after receiving its 10th A321neo from the same German facility in April. This Airbus model consumes 20 percent less fuel and has nearly 50-percent reduction in noise footprint compared with older models.

In May, Cebu Pacific also received its third A330neo.

The budget airline is operating over 70 aircraft now. As of end-March, it served 62 domestic and 16 international destinations, but it has been increasing capacity since then.

For example, it has relaunched a direct flight from Cebu via Mactan Cebu International Airport Terminal 2 to Singapore and Seoul, South Korea. It is also set to increase weekly flights for Cebu-Iloilo route to nine times and Cebu-Tacloban route to 16 times next month.

Cebu Pacific aims to deploy an all-neo fleet by 2027. INQ