Tandag, Philippines, loses last scheduled route by Cebgo

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Philippines’ Cebu Pacific Air holds course for all-neo fleet

Cebu Pacific Air (5J, Manila Ninoy Aquino Int'l) still plans to transition to an all-neo Airbus fleet by 2027, the only exception being the Philippine low-cost carrier’s ATR72 freighters, Mark Cezar, its new chief finance officer, said in an interview with the “People” section of its parent JG Summit Holdings’ website.

Cebu Pacific Air’s fleet plans have not changed despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, he added, and by 2027 it should have a fleet of around 90 to 100 aircraft. When the global health crisis hit, the carrier was in the midst of a major re-fleeting programme, a course it has now resumed, though timelines have been adjusted.

“In terms of maintaining a very modern and cost-efficient fleet, that's still central to our business model. We still plan to transition to an all-Airbus neo fleet by 2027,” said Cezar, who joined the airline in 2007 and was its director for network planning for five years.

The one exception to this modern jet fleet will be regional unit Cebgo’s ATR72 turboprop...

Filipino airlines seek stay of fee hike over fuel bills

Philippine airlines are seeking a reduction or stay in government-imposed charges to help mitigate the effects of rising fuel prices on their operations.

This is according to Bonifacio Sam, Chairman of the Air Carriers Association of the Philippines (ACAP), which represents the local airline industry, including PAL Express, Cebgo, Cebu Pacific Air, Philippine Airlines, and Philippines AirAsia.

Addressing a special sitting of a Fuel Crisis Ad Hoc Committee in the Filipino House of Representatives on March 7, Sam said Mean of Platts Singapore (MOPS) oil prices had increased from USD79 per barrel in December 2021 to USD124 per barrel by March 4, 2022. (MOPS is the average of a set of Singapore-based oil product price assessments published by Platts, a global energy, petrochemicals, metals, and agriculture information provider and a division of S&P Global.)

He noted that in 2018, the Philippines Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB), in consultation with the local aviation industry, had developed a formula to determine the fuel surcharges that airlines may impose on passenger fares to cushion the...

Philippines' Cebu Pacific Air takes first A330neo

Cebu Pacific Air (5J, Manila Ninoy Aquino Int'l) has taken delivery of its first of sixteen A330-900s, configured in the world's densest single-class layout for up to 459 passengers.

RP-C3900 (msn 2001) was positioned from Toulouse Blagnac directly to Manila Ninoy Aquino Int'l on November 27-28, 2021. The aircraft is owned by Avolon and will be deployed on regional trunk routes, increasing the airline's capacity rather than expanding its network. Cebu Pacific will lease another seven A330s from the same lessor.

Cebu Pacific's existing widebody fleet comprises six A330-300s. It also operates twenty-three A320-200s, five A320-200Ns, seven A321-200s, and nine A321-200NXs. It has a further sixteen A320-200Ns, twelve A321-200NXs, and ten A321-200NY(XLR)s on order from Airbus and has vowed to operate an all-neo fleet, in both the narrow- and widebody segments, by the end of 2027.

Regional unit Cebgo (DG, Manila Ninoy Aquino Int'l) operates six ATR72-500s, two ATR72-500(F)s, and thirteen ATR72-600s, the ch-aviation fleets advanced module...

Editorial Comment: The ownership details of the A330neo have been updated. - 30.11.2021 - 17:30 UTC