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The international aircraft leasing company Avolon has confirmed the placement of five Airbus A320neo to be delivered in 2019 with Cebu Air, the Philippine based carrier operating as Cebu Pacific (CEB). Avolon will then have eight aircraft on lease to Cebu Air – five A320neo and three A330 aircraft.

Simon Hanson, Head of Asia Pacific at Avolon, commented: “We are delighted to confirm the placement of five A320neo aircraft Cebu Air, one of Asia Pacific’s leading low-cost carriers. These aircraft will help open new route possibilities for Cebu Pacific, affording them the ability to carry more passengers and further expand their customer base.”

CEB already operates a highly modern fleet of 66 aircraft comprised of 48 Airbus and 18 ATR aircraft and is keen to further modernize its fleet by incorporating the A320neo which will also provide greater operational efficiencies and unit cost improvements.

Alexander Lao, Vice President for Commercial Planning of Cebu Air, noted: “We see expansion opportunities in new markets, as well as pent-up demand in areas where we currently operate. The introduction of the new generation, fuel-efficient A320neo aircraft to the Philippine market will help us to further strengthen our position in the Philippines. It will also allow us to further pursue expansion of our international route network. From this year until 2022, we are adding an average of nine new aircraft per year to our fleet.”

CEB was formed in 1996 and is the largest carrier in the Philippine industry, offering low-cost services to 37 Philippine and 26 international destinations in Asia, Australia, the Middle East and the USA. Cebu Air is striving to be the most successful low-cost carrier in the world.

Airbus’ A320neo (new engine option) is one of many upgrades to the A320 product line. The baseline A320neo jetliner has a choice of two new-generation engines (the PurePower PW1100G-JM from Pratt and Whitney and the LEAP-1A from CFM International) and features large, fuel-saving wingtip devices known as Sharklets.