Cebu Pacific Plans Grounding of 20 A320neo Aircraft Over Pratt & Whitney Engine Issues

Cebu Pacific Air, the Philippines-based low-cost carrier, is set to ground ten A320neo Family aircraft in January 2024 for mandatory inspections of Pratt & Whitney PW1100G engines. The airline anticipates the number of grounded aircraft to increase to as many as 20 throughout the course of 2024, raising operational challenges.

To mitigate the impact of the groundings, Cebu Pacific is in discussions with Bulgaria Air for a wet-lease contract. CEO Michael Szucs confirmed that the carrier is exploring the option of wet-leasing two aircraft from Bulgaria Air between January and April 2024.

The current fleet of Cebu Pacific comprises fifteen A320-200Ns and twelve A321-200NX, along with additional A320-200s, A321-200s, and A330-900s. The airline faces challenges due to Pratt & Whitney engine issues, prompting the consideration of second-hand A320-200s as an interim solution.

Despite the impending groundings, Cebu Pacific remains optimistic about exceeding pre-pandemic capacity by the end of 2023 and aims for further growth of 5-8% in total seat capacity in 2024. The domestic network has already surpassed 2019 levels, while international services are operating at 93% of pre-COVID capacity.

In anticipation of resolving the fleet challenges, Cebu Pacific has issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) for 100-150 new narrowbody aircraft. The airline expects responses from manufacturers by the end of the year, signaling a strategic move to enhance its fleet and address operational constraints. Stay tuned for updates on Cebu Pacific’s efforts to navigate through these challenges and explore future fleet expansion opportunities.