They were indeed the only airline in the Philippines that continued to receive brand new aircraft in the middle of the covid-19 pandemic. Today, Cebu Pacific continues to operate all its brand new aircraft and park their older ones. So just how many aircraft did Cebu Pacific take in from the beginning of the lockdowns as a result of the pandemic?
None of the other airlines in the Philippines took in a single brand new aircraft from March 2020 to the present except Cebu Pacific. From March 2020 to today, Cebu Pacific took delivery of 4 brand new aircraft as of this writing.
These includes:
- Airbus A321neo (RP-C4123) delivered last June 2020
- Airbus A321neo (RP-C4124) delivered last November 2020
- Airbus A321neo (RP-C4125) delivered last March 2021
- Airbus A321neo (RP-C4126) delivered last May 2021
Cebu Pacific currently operates a total of 9 A321neos out of the 32 ordered. They also have a pending order for 10 A321XLR and 5 A320neos. All these aircraft are on the active fleet.
What else is Cebu Pacific expecting this year?
If there is one aircraft Cebu Pacific is expecting to take in this year, that would be their very first Airbus A330-900neo. RP-C3900 has been spotted a lot of times in Toulouse, France. The new aircraft is undergoing taxi tests and should be having its very first flight soon. While it is said that Cebu Pacific will receive its first A330neo this year, rumors have it that they are supposed to receive a total of three. All these aircraft were supposed to go to AirAsia X but as of today, AirAsia’s long haul subsidiary still has to undergo its restructuring.
Hence, what was supposedly bound for AirAsia X is now ending up in Cebu Pacific’s hands.
While times are indeed hard these days, we are very excited for Cebu Pacific as they continue to spread their wings amidst these hard times.