New mega order for Airbus. Philippine low-cost airline Cebu Pacific, which is also the country’s largest carrier, has signed a memorandum of understanding to purchase up to 152 aircraft for US$24 billion (€22.3 billion) based on list prices. This is the largest aircraft order in the history of Philippine aviation.
The contract concluded with the European aircraft manufacturer covers a firm order for 102 A321neo aircraft, with purchase rights for 50 additional aircraft from the A320neo range. “This order aims to provide Cebu Pacific with maximum flexibility to adapt its fleet growth to market conditions, with the ability to switch between the A321neo and the A320neo”said Michael Szucs, the Philippine company’s general manager. Pratt & Whitney GTF engines will power future aircraft, the purchase agreement for which is expected to be finalized in the third quarter of 2024.
A device notably ordered by low cost companies
This new contract illustrates the dynamism of the Airbus A321neo range, the first copy of which was delivered in December 2023 leaving the Toulouse factory (Haute-Garonne), on behalf of the Turkish low-cost company Pegasus Airlines.
The positioning of the A321neo to meet the needs of low-cost airlines was also illustrated in the summer of 2023, when Hungarian Wiz Air committed to acquiring 75 additional A321neos. In December 2023, Irish aircraft leasing company Avolon announced its intention to order 100 A321neosfor an amount of 12.95 billion dollars (12.02 billion euros). Another promising market, since lessors now control half of the world’s aircraft fleet, compared to 15% in 1990.
The industrial site of Toulouse, equipped with a new final assembly line presented in February 2024, should enable the aircraft manufacturer to deliver 75 A320s per month in 2026, compared to an average of 55 aircraft per month in 2022. Airbus also has three other assembly hubs for A320 family aircraft, in Germany, the United States and China.
Selected for you
