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Cebu Pacific and Saudi Arabian low-cost carrier flyadeal are exploring joint initiatives, including on maintenance and engineering support
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The first phase under an MOU involves a wet-lease arrangement where flyadeal will utilize two of Cebu Pacific’s A320 aircraft for the summer peak season and Cebu Pacific wet-leasing flyadeal’s A320s during the winter period in Southeast Asia
Cebu Pacific and Saudi Arabian low-cost carrier flyadeal are exploring joint commercial initiatives, including on maintenance and engineering support.
The first phase under a memorandum of understanding signed on May 28 will see flyadeal utilize two of Cebu Pacific’s Airbus A320 aircraft on a wet-lease arrangement for the summer peak flying season in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Cebu Pacific said in a statement.
Reciprocally, Cebu Pacific is looking into wet-leasing flyadeal A320s during the busy winter period in Southeast Asia at the end of the year.
Talks between the two airlines began earlier this year following a visit by a flyadeal delegation to Manila to learn more about Cebu Pacific’s A330-900neo operations.
flyadeal recently announced plans to venture into the long-haul market with an order for 10 Airbus A330 widebodies to be deployed between Saudi Arabia and the Philippines, and across Southeast Asia from 2027.
“Today’s agreement is momentous as it marks flyadeal’s first ever strategic airline partnership,” flyadeal chief executive officer Steven Greenway said.
“It was clear and obvious that flyadeal could learn a lot from Cebu Pacific’s experience of low-cost long-haul operations given we will be inducting the same A330-900neos into our fleet in just two years’ time. There are great benefits in sharing technical knowledge, training, and best practice in preparation for our A330 induction and, of course, we are both A320 operators.
“This was the starting point for wide-ranging commercial discussions covering a broad range of areas including more immediate needs of wet-leasing aircraft for flyadeal’s busy upcoming summer season. A win, win situation all round to bring in Cebu Pacific aircraft during our peak period and vice versa for Mike [Szucs] and his team to explore taking our aircraft for their winter peak later this year,” added Greenway.
Szucs, Cebu Pacific CEO, explained: “With Cebu Pacific’s growing fleet, we seek to maximize the potential of our increased capacity through all months of the year. The utilization of our capacity by other carriers during our lean season is a way of achieving that.”
Szucs said the partnership with flyadeal highlights Cebu Pacific’s growing capability to support international carriers through wet leasing and broader operational collaboration.
“It diversifies our revenue streams and further expands Cebu Pacific’s presence beyond the Asia Pacific region,” he said.
Greenway and Szucs said their respective teams will meet frequently to map out the joint commercial plans over the next few months.
