Cebu-themed A330neo and branded cabin experience on display at the trade event, and updates on Typhoon Odette disaster relief
Cebu Pacific (CEB) participates in the Singapore Airshow as the only Philippine carrier in the prestigious trade event to showcase its newest Airbus 330neo aircraft, bolstering its status as the greenest airline in Asia.
This is the first time that Airbus has chosen a carrier from the Philippines to be featured in the Singapore Airshow. CEB’s A33neo was displayed during the four-day event, which is Asia’s most influential airshow held every two years for high-level government and military delegations as well as senior corporate executives from leading international aerospace companies.
“It is important for us to offer value service to our passengers and do it in a sustainable manner. The A330neo is a testament to our commitment to environmental and social sustainability, in line with our target of operating an all-Neo fleet by 2027,” says Mike Szucs, chief executive adviser at CEB.
The A330neo’s 459-seat availability allows more travelers to be carried in a single flight, resulting in the lowest carbon footprint per passenger per kilometer. This enables CEB to operate as the greenest airline in Asia, on top of ensuring comfort over long distances through its ergonomically designed lightweight Recaro seats.
The A330neo is among the most silent wide-body cabins flying today in commercial aviation. It also uses 25 percent less fuel than previous generation aircraft, able to consume as little as 1.4 liters per seat per 100 kilometers. This means less fuel burned and less carbon emission, supporting the airline’s commitment to providing low fares for its passengers.
“It is our honor to be the first-ever Philippine carrier chosen by Airbus to display the A330neo,” says Mike. “And we take pride in being able to move forward with our fleet modernization plan amid the global pandemic.”
To date, the airline has received two out of its 16 A330neo aircraft orders, currently being used to fly to key Philippine hubs such as Davao and General Santos.
“We are so proud to see our aircraft flying in the beautiful colors of Cebu Pacific and look forward to working together on our shared goal to ensure a sustainable future for our industry,” says Anand Stanley, president of Airbus Asia-Pacific.
CEB looks forward to ramping up its network, both domestic and international, in preparation for the anticipated travel demand following the easing of travel restrictions in and out of the Philippines. It boasts of one of the youngest fleets in the world, with an average fleet age of 5.8 years. Its 74-strong fleet includes two dedicated ATR freighters.
Meanwhile, CEB worked hand-in-hand with government agencies, non-profit organizations, and regular citizens in extending help and uplifting lives in the wake of the destruction brought by Typhoon Odette in Visayas and Mindanao just a week before Christmas 2021. With its large, nationwide coverage of flights and personnel who are rooted in the company value of service excellence, it was able to quickly mobilize relief to affected areas.
The country’s preferred cargo carrier with the widest domestic network partnered with the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation (PDRF) and the Office of Civil Defense to provide special humanitarian flights for 32 medical personnel from Jose B. Lingad Memorial General Hospital, Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial Hospital, and Sanitarium. Also in the cargo were assorted medicines and medical equipment from the Department of Health (DOH) to the CARAGA Region via Siargao. This was part of an urgent medical mission to Odette-impacted communities who were suffering from a stomach flu outbreak due to the lack of potable water in these areas.
Butch Meily, president of PDRF, was thankful for the airline’s help in bringing medical aid to those communities. “Cebu Pacific’s assistance has been crucial in getting the PDRF team, healthcare professionals, medicine, and relief goods to areas where they were desperately needed,” he says.
The A330neo’s 459-seat availability allows more travelers to be carried in a single flight, resulting in the lowest carbon footprint per passenger per kilometer.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), likewise, tapped the logistical support of CEB to expedite the delivery of relief items. Around 1,340 family food packs were transported by the airline to Caticlan, Cebu, and Palawan from Dec. 22 to 30 last year. The cargo also included 30,000 pieces of Disaster Assistance Family Access Card (DAFAC) forms that helped the DSWD ensure all families hit by Typhoon Odette are given appropriate assistance through a monitoring system.
“With the extent of damage caused by Typhoon Odette in transportation, electricity, and communication lines, the generosity and support of Cebu Pacific to the DSWD’s relief operations greatly helped in the expeditious delivery of the much-needed assistance to our affected kababayans (countrymen),” says DSWD Secretary Rolando Joselito Bautista.
One of the challenges in the disaster-stricken areas was to prevent a surge of COVID-19 in their evacuation centers. To help monitor the number of COVID cases in Eastern Visayas, the World Health Organization (WHO) Philippines dispatched 2,000 rapid antigen test kits to the region, tapping CEB as its logistics partner to transport the test kits to Tacloban City.
CEB was also supportive of private initiatives such as the distribution of Waves for Water filtration systems by travel vlogger Kyle Jennerman and Northern Mindanao Mountaineering Society to the coastal barangays Bayanihan, as well as San Antonio in the Municipality of Libjo in Dinagat islands. The airline was able to fly out the filtration buckets from Manila to provide safe drinking water for the communities.
Animal welfare was another major concern during the recent calamity, and Cebu Pacific helped PeTA Asia care for the affected people and pets by carrying three shipments of 350 kilograms of animal and human food, including rice, canned goods, water filters, vet meds, solar panel, tarps, and drinking water for the Bohol Animal Rescue and Kindness (BARK) Center in Bohol and the Island Rescue Organization in Cebu.
Massive rebuilding efforts are still being conducted in many of the typhoon-affected areas. Damage to agriculture and infrastructure has been reported in several areas of Mimaropa, Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, Davao Region, Soccsksargen, Caraga, and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
With the renowned resilience of the Filipinos, affected communities are rising up against the challenges, and CEB is committed to continuing its support for these initiatives.
Humanitarian requests may be sent to [email protected]. | cebupacificair.com.