History of Cebu Pacific in Timeline

Cebu Pacific is a Philippine low-cost airline founded in 1988 and based in Pasay, Metro Manila. As the first low-cost carrier in Asia, it is now the largest airline in the Philippines by fleet size. Cebu Pacific operates scheduled flights to domestic and international destinations from five bases, including its main hub in Manila.

September 2004: Cebu Pacific signs purchase agreement with Airbus

In September 2004, Cebu Pacific signed a purchase agreement with Airbus to acquire twelve A319s and lease two A320s, replacing its existing Boeing 757-200 and McDonnell Douglas DC-9 aircraft.

May 2005: Cebu Pacific takes delivery of its first A320-200

In May 2005, Cebu Pacific took delivery of its first A320-200 aircraft.

March 2006: Cebu Pacific phases out its 757s

In March 2006, Cebu Pacific phased out its Boeing 757-200 aircraft.

July 26, 2006: Cebu Pacific retires its last DC-9

On July 26, 2006, Cebu Pacific retired its last McDonnell Douglas DC-9 aircraft.

2007: Cebu Pacific orders ATR 72-500 turboprop aircraft

In 2007, Cebu Pacific ordered six ATR 72-500 turboprop aircraft for its regional domestic flights.

2007: Cebu Pacific orders Airbus A330-300s

In 2007, Cebu Pacific ordered six Airbus A330-300s for long-haul Middle Eastern routes and high-density regional flights.

2010: Cebu Pacific raises total orders to twenty-two A320s

By 2010, Cebu Pacific had raised its total orders of A320s to twenty-two.

June 2011: Cebu Pacific orders 30 Airbus A321neos

In June 2011, Cebu Pacific ordered 30 Airbus A321neo aircraft, including nine leased.

June 15, 2013: Cebu Pacific receives its first A330-300

On June 15, 2013, Cebu Pacific received its first Airbus A330-300 aircraft.

2013: Cebu Pacific criticized for lack of coordination after runway excursion incident

In 2013, Cebu Pacific was criticized for its lack of coordination in the aftermath of the runway excursion incident at Francisco Bangoy International Airport.

December 2014: Cebu Pacific fined for flight cancellations and delays during peak season

During the December 2014 Christmas peak season, Cebu Pacific faced numerous flight cancellations and delays, resulting in a ₱52 million fine for the airline.

2015: ATR 72-500 turboprop aircraft transferred to Cebgo

By 2015, Cebu Pacific's ATR 72-500 turboprop aircraft were transferred to its regional subsidiary, Cebgo.

2016: Cebu Pacific orders two more A330s

In 2016, Cebu Pacific ordered two more Airbus A330s to complement its fleet for new long-haul routes.

June 7, 2017: Cebu Pacific orders seven A321-200s

On June 7, 2017, Cebu Pacific ordered seven Airbus A321-200 aircraft.

2017: Cebu Pacific's on-time performance data

In 2017, Cebu Pacific's on-time performance was 57.6 percent.

January 2018: Cebu Pacific named as one of the world's least punctual airlines

In January 2018, Cebu Pacific was listed as one of the world's least punctual airlines, with an on-time performance of 57.6 percent in 2017.

March 22, 2018: Cebu Pacific takes delivery of its first A321ceo

On March 22, 2018, Cebu Pacific took delivery of its first Airbus A321ceo aircraft.

July 2018: Cebu Pacific leases Airbus A320neos from Avolon

In July 2018, Cebu Pacific leased five Airbus A320neo aircraft from Avolon.

January 20, 2019: Cebu Pacific takes delivery of its first A321neo

On January 20, 2019, Cebu Pacific took delivery of its first Airbus A321neo aircraft.

June 2019: First Airbus A320neo delivered to Cebu Pacific

In June 2019, the first of five leased Airbus A320neo aircraft from Avolon was delivered to Cebu Pacific.

June 18, 2019: Cebu Pacific orders Airbus aircraft at Paris Air Show

On June 18, 2019, Cebu Pacific ordered 31 Airbus aircraft, including five A320neos, sixteen A330-900s, and ten A321XLRs, at the Paris Air Show, in a deal worth US$6.8 billion.

November 28, 2021: Cebu Pacific takes delivery of its first A330neo

On November 28, 2021, Cebu Pacific took delivery of its first Airbus A330neo aircraft.

September 28, 2022: Cebu Pacific uses sustainable aviation fuel on commercial flight

On September 28, 2022, Cebu Pacific used sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) on a commercial passenger flight from Singapore to Manila, utilizing an Airbus A321neo aircraft.

November 3, 2022: Cebu Pacific receives Asia Environmental Sustainability Airline/Airline Group of the Year award

On November 3, 2022, Cebu Pacific was awarded the Asia Environmental Sustainability Airline/Airline Group of the Year award from the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA) for its green initiatives within the aviation industry.

March 2023: Cebu Pacific criticized for system glitches during voucher sale

During the "Super Pass" voucher sale in March 2023, Cebu Pacific faced criticism due to system glitches that caused transaction errors and additional charges.

April 23, 2023: Senator Nancy Binay files resolution for inquiry on Cebu Pacific

On April 23, 2023, Senator Nancy Binay filed a resolution for a full inquiry into passenger complaints against Cebu Pacific.

June 30, 2023: Cebu Pacific takes delivery of first China-assembled Airbus plane

On June 30, 2023, Cebu Pacific took delivery of its first Airbus A320neo aircraft assembled in China, leased from Clover Aviation Capital.

October 2023: Cebu Pacific sends requests for proposals to Airbus and Boeing

In October 2023, Cebu Pacific sent requests for proposals to Airbus and Boeing for an order of 100 to 150 aircraft.

October 19, 2023: Cebu Pacific signs agreement with Neste

On October 19, 2023, Cebu Pacific signed another five-year agreement with Neste, a producer of sustainable aviation fuel.

February 15, 2024: Cebu Pacific earns Gold rating in 2023 CAPA-Envest Global Airline Sustainability Benchmarking Report

On February 15, 2024, Cebu Pacific was awarded a Gold rating in the 2023 CAPA-Envest Global Airline Sustainability Benchmarking Report, related to the integration of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).

May 2024: Cebu Pacific damp-leases two A320-200s from Bulgaria Air

From January to May 2024, Cebu Pacific damp-leased two A320-200s from Bulgaria Air to offset the grounding of its A320neo family aircraft.

July 2, 2024: Cebu Pacific signs MoU with Airbus to purchase A320neo family aircraft

On July 2, 2024, Cebu Pacific signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Airbus to purchase up to 152 A320neo family aircraft, worth US$24 billion. The airline eventually placed 70 firm orders for the A321neo on October 2, leaving the remaining 82 as options.

July 16, 2024: Expanded Bangkok operations

On July 16, 2024, Cebu Pacific expanded its Bangkok operations by launching thrice-weekly flights to Don Mueang International Airport to complement its twice-daily Suvarnabhumi flights.

October 7, 2024: Cebu Pacific acquired AirSWIFT

On October 7, 2024 Cebu Pacific announced the acquisition of AirSWIFT for PHP 1.75 billion, approved by ALI Capital Corp and Cebu Pacific's board of directors. Following the acquisition, there are no changes in the flight schedule and services of AirSWIFT .

October 2024: Cebu Pacific criticized for baggage delays at NAIA Terminal 3

In October 2024, Cebu Pacific received criticism for its mishandling of baggage delays caused by technical problems with the baggage handling system at Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3.