Cebu Pacific (PSE:CEB), the Philippines’ largest National flag carrier, has chosen the Rolls-Royce Trent 700 engines to power up to eight leased Airbus A330-300 aircraft that the carrier will use to launch long haul operations in the second half of 2013. 

Rolls Royce, the global power systems company, will also provide long-term TotalCare® service support for the Trent 700 engines.

Based on eight aircraft, the order will have a value of $280M to Rolls-Royce.

“The A330s will enable Cebu Pacific to launch long-haul operations to regions where large Filipino populations reside, such as the Middle East, parts of Europe, Oceania and the United States.

The fleet’s Trent 700s and TotalCare® service support will be important strategic enablers of Cebu Pacific’s expansion to these markets,” said Lance Gokongwei, CEB CEO and President, as he announced the selection today at the Singapore Airshow.

The Airbus A330 has a range of up to 11 hours, longer than CEB’s fleet mainstay, the A320. The aircraft is one of the most commonly used wide-body aircraft in operation today, given its highly reliable operating statistics.

Nick Devall, Rolls-Royce Chief Commercial Officer – Civil Aerospace, said: “We are delighted Cebu Pacific is to become a new Trent operator and TotalCare® customer.

We look forward to supporting the airline in the next phase of its growth.”

The Trent 700, the only engine specifically designed for the A330, is the market leader for the aircraft, with more than 1,400 of the engines in service or on order.

It has won more than 75 per cent of new orders over the last three years. More than 90 per cent of Trent engine operators have selected TotalCare® support.

“I would like to specifically acknowledge Royal Aero, our power plant consultants, who worked closely with our evaluation team in selecting the Trent.

The combined operational efficiency of the A330 and the Trent 700 will allow us to drive long haul fares 35% lower than those offered by other airlines, and as much as 80% lower when CEB offers promo fares.

This aircraft type is very well suited to the kind of network we want to build and the routes we will launch,” added Gokongwei, CEB President and CEO.

CEB operates the most extensive network in the Philippines with 19 international destinations and 33 domestic destinations.

CEB’s international destinations are  Bangkok (Thailand), Beijing (China), Brunei, Busan (Korea), Guangzhou, Hanoi (Vietnam), Ho Chi Minh, Hong Kong, Incheon (Seoul, Korea), Jakarta (Indonesia), Kota Kinabalu, Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), Macau, Osaka (Japan), Shanghai, Siem Reap, Singapore, Taipei and Xiamen. The budget airline operates flights from its hubs in Manila, Clark, Cebu and Davao.

Cebu Air Inc. is the largest carrier in the Philippine air transportation industry, offering its low-cost services to more destinations and routes with higher flight frequency within the Philippines than any other airline.

CEB currently operates 10 Airbus A319, 20 Airbus A320 and 8 ATR-72 500 aircraft. Its fleet of 38 aircraft – with an average age of 3.6 years – is one of the youngest aircraft fleets in Asia.