Cebu Pacific said Wednesday it is expanding its capacity to meet the increasing demand for domestic air travel.
The airline unit of the Gokongwei Group said in a statement the A320ceo aircraft it acquired under its damp lease agreement with Bulgaria Air started operating on Jan. 14, boosting its capacity.
The two 180-seater aircraft are set to fly twice daily between Manila and Cebu and four times daily between Manila and Davao from January to March 2024.
“We welcome these two aircraft from Bulgaria Air into our fleet, which is just one of the various measures we are undertaking to strengthen our operational resiliency,” said Cebu Pacific president and chief commercial officer Xander Lao.
“These additions will ensure that Cebu Pacific will continue to provide convenient, reliable, and affordable air travel to every Juan,” he said.
Bulgaria Air, the national carrier of the Republic of Bulgaria, has many years of experience in damp lease of aircraft, having partnered with airlines all over the world. Also known as ACMI, damp leasing is an agreement between two airlines, where the lessor provides an aircraft, crew, maintenance and insurance (ACMI) to the lessee.
Cebu Pacific said that aside from these two aircraft, it would also operate a record number of 76 aircraft in its commercial fleet at the start of the year, allowing for the widest domestic coverage and more affordable airfares.
The airline has been increasing its fleet through this year, accepting delivery of 19 aircraft in 2023 and further raising its fleet size to 92 by end-2024.
Cebu Pacific flies to 35 domestic and 25 international destinations spread across Asia, Australia and the Middle East.