Cebu Pacific Newsroom

CEBU PACIFIC AIR taps SIA firm for maintenance of its new Airbus fleet

SINGAPORE, (04 January 2005)—Cebu Pacific (CEB) is putting up a joint venture with SIA Engineering Company Limited (SIAEC), a unit of Singapore Airlines, for the maintenance of CEB's new fleet of Airbus aircraft and the support of its existing fleet of DC9's and B757's.

The two companies signed a memorandum of understanding last December 17, 2004, and are expected to finalize the details of the project early this year. The joint venture will provide line maintenance, technical ramp handling services and light maintenance checks at 13 airports that CEB operates in.

CEB has bought 12 brand-new A319s for delivery from September 2005 to early 2007 and is leasing two A320s, which are due by the second quarter of this year. The new CEB fleet will be the youngest in the Philippines and one of the youngest in the region.

The joint venture will be SIAEC's third line maintenance joint venture outside Singapore, besides Pan Asia Pacific Aviation Services in Hong Kong and PT Jas Aero Engineering Services in Indonesia.

CEB is the second largest airline in the Philippines, operating domestic flights to and from 13 cities in the country and international flights from Manila and Cebu currently to Hong Kong and Seoul.

William Tan, Chief Executive Officer of SIAEC, said: “Our first foray into the Philippines will give us an opportunity to offer our experience and expertise in aircraft certifications through this partnership with Cebu Pacific. Besides line maintenance, the joint venture will also offer light maintenance, such as ‘A' checks to airline customers in various airports in the Philippines.”

CEB president and CEO Lance Gokongwei said: “We are in the midst of renewing our fleet of 15 DC-9s and B757s with new-generation A320 family. SIAEC's comprehensive experience in handling these aircrafts will add further value to the joint venture by offering a high level of technical service and dispatch reliability to its customers.”