Cebu Pacific has finalised a deal with Airbus for 16 A330-900neo aircraft, worth $4.8 billion at list prices.
The agreement follows a memorandum of understanding signed at the 2019 Paris Airshow, which you can see here:
Scheduled to be delivered between 2021 and 2024, the aircraft will operate on routes in the Philippines, Asia, Australia and the Middle East; they will replace their existing fleet of A330-300s, with expansion in mind.
Cebu Pacific will configure their A330neos in a single-class, high-density layout with a total seat count of 460 seats – five percent more than their A330-300s with 436 seats.
“The A330neo is integral to our fleet modernisation program. With this purchase, we aim to reduce our fuel emission and build a more sustainable operation. This will also give us the lowest cost per seat, at the same time enabling CEB to increase seat capacity and maximize valuable airport slots in Manila and other Asian megacities.”
Lance Gokongwei, Cebu Pacific President and CEO
Before the Paris Airshow announcement, Reuters was first to announce that Cebu Pacific had a competition open between the Airbus A330neo and Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner.
The A330neo decision likely came from already operating an all-Airbus fleet consisting of A320ceo’s, A320neo’s and eight A330-300’s.
Featuring a new extended composite wing, aerodynamic refinements and new Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 engines, the Airbus A330neo offers a 25 percent reduction in fuel consumption to older generation competing aircraft.
Airbus’ September 2019 Orders and Deliveries spreadsheet shows that the company has orders for 260 A330neo Family aircraft, with ten being for the smaller A330-800.