Cebu Pacific orders engines for 15 jets from Pratt & Whitney

Despite causing disruptions in its operations in 2023 due to global supply chain issues, budget carrier Cebu pacific still decided to order engines for 15 of its narrow-body jets from pratt & Whitney.

pratt & Whitney will supply Geared turbofan (GTF) engines for the carrier’s 2019 order of A320/ A321 jets from Airbus. its agreement with pratt & Whitney also encompasses comprehensive engine maintenance through pratt & Whitney’s enginewise service.

“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,” Cebu pacific CEO Mike szucs said, referring to the airline’s plan of acquiring between 100 and 150 jets either from Airbus or Boeing.

in 2023, carriers around the world, including Cebu pacific, grappled with issues on spare parts delivery from pratt & Whitney. they were forced to reduce their capacities and some had to downsize their workforce.

this also required Cebu pacific to sign a damp lease agreement with Bulgaria Air to augment its current capacity, as some of its planes are still grounded due to the pratt & Whitney issue.

earlier Cebu pacific president Xander Lao said the carrier is optimistic that the “pratt & Whitney issues will ultimately resolve themselves…over time.”

“Unfortunately, there are some powdered metal issues that we see today. But clearly, that one will also disappear. We have gotten assurances from pratt & Whitney that those issues are being looked into and it will be resolved over time,” he said in an interview in January.

For his part, pratt & Whitney president of Commercial engines Rick Deurloo expressed appreciation for “Cebu pacific’s continued confidence in pratt & Whitney since they initially selected the GTF engine in 2012.”

“With deliveries for this most recent order starting in 2025, the GTF engine will provide even more fuel and carbon emissions savings.”