Zest Airways to receive two A320's

Has July and November as delivery dates

June 22, 2010

Manila - Philippine low cost carrier Zest Airways will take delivery of two new Airbus A320 this year to be powered by International Aero Engine (IAE) V2500.

The ordered aircraft which will be the fourth and the fifth A320 for the airline will join the fleet in July and October respectively. The aircraft was originally scheduled for delivery in November last year but its holding company Asiawide Airways decided to defer its acceptance this year due to funding concerns.

Zest Air currently operates a fleet of six brand new aircraft, with three Airbus 320 and three Xian MA60.

Zest Air vice president for communications Butch Rodriguez said the new aircraft will be used primarily for domestic expansion. The second one will have its international debut in November when it flies to Singapore and Shanghai. Meanwhile, it will start flying from Cebu to Seoul in July 22. It already flies regularly to Seoul from Kalibo.

“Currently we are promoting Cebu to Seoul. Hopefully, we are going to launch our Singapore flights on a winter schedule,” Rodriguez said.

“We already have traffic rights to Shanghai but our launch was delayed because of non-availability of aircraft,” he said.

The carrier recently stopped its Clark-Hong Kong service two months after it was launched in November 2009 because of poor loads.