Cebu Air, Inc., Pratt & Whitney Inked a Memorandum of Understanding to Power More Aircraft

Cebu Pacific inked a memorandum of understanding with Pratt & Whitney (P&W) to deliver engines for 15 narrowbody planes for the A320/A321 family of aircraft, bolstering the Philippines' largest carrier's operational resilience and capacity.

The 15 narrowbody planes were part of a 2019 purchase that also included 16 A330 NEO aircraft, and the narrowbody engines had yet to be picked. P&W and CEB officials marked the milestone with a signing ceremony at the Singapore Airshow. Pratt & Whitney, a global leader in the design, production, and service of aircraft engines and auxiliary power units, will also offer CEB with Geared Turbofan (GTF) engine maintenance under the EngineWise® Comprehensive Service Agreement.

“We appreciate Cebu Pacific’s continued confidence in Pratt & Whitney since they initially selected the GTF engine in 2012,” said Rick Deurloo, President of Commercial Engines at Pratt & Whitney. “With deliveries for this most recent order starting in 2025, the GTF engine will provide even more fuel and carbon emissions savings.

The memorandum of understanding will improve CEB's operational resilience as it seeks possibilities to strengthen its position in regional markets such as Southeast Asia, China, and Japan, where demand for air travel has increased since the pandemic.

“This aims to finalize our current order book and help secure our growth up to 2027. In doing so, it also clears the way for us to now focus on the longer term growth through our major fleet Request for Proposals (RFP) that are currently underway,” said Mike Szucs, Cebu Pacific Chief Executive Officer. 

Cebu Pacific is currently reviewing proposals from suppliers after issuing a request for proposal (RFP) to both Airbus and Boeing in October 2023 for 100 to 150 narrowbody jets, the greatest commitment of any airline to the Philippine aviation industry.

Cebu Pacific (CEB) entered the aviation industry in March 1996, pioneering the "low fare, great value" concept and flying more than 200 million passengers since then.

CEB has the largest domestic network in the Philippines, with 35 domestic destinations. It now provides flights to 23 overseas locations in Asia, Australia, and the Middle East.​

Pratt & Whitney is an American aerospace manufacturer with a global service network. It is a subsidiary of the RTX Corporation. Pratt & Whitney aircraft engines are widely employed in both commercial and military aviation.​