Cebu Pacific-SIA Engineering MRO venture's first 'D-check' in June

Cebu Pacific and SIA Engineering's maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) joint venture in the Philippines will perform its first 'D-check' in June.

The joint venture's first hangar at Manila's Clark airport will perform the heavy check on a Cebu PacificAirbus A320 aircraft, says the low-cost airline's president and CEO Lance Y. Gokongwei.

Eight 'C-checks' have been performed on Cebu Pacific aircraft since the hangar for narrowbody jets started operations in August 2009, he adds.

The checks were carried out on A319s and A320s.

Twelve 'C-checks' and two 'D-checks' for Cebu Pacific aircraft are planned this year, says an SIA Engineering spokesman.

The two partners have agreed to construct three hangars under the joint venture, although there is space at Clark for more in the future.

Clark airport's president and CEO Victor Jose I. Luciano has said that a second hangar will be constructed in mid-2010.

However, SIA Engineering's spokesman says there is no firm timeline yet for the construction of the second hangar.

The next two hangars will cater to widebody aircraft like the Boeing 747, he adds.