Cebu Pacific wins sustainability lease deal award

Cebu Pacific (PSE: CEB) clinched the Sustainability Aviation Lease Deal of the Year at the 2025 Airline Economics Sustainability Deals Awards in London.

The award recognized CEB’s sustainability-linked Japanese Operating Lease with Call Option (JOLCO), which financed the delivery of a brand-new Airbus A321neo in December 2024.

The Airline Economics Sustainability Awards honor companies and individuals in finance and leasing that drive meaningful progress in decarbonizing the aviation industry.

Cebu Pacific chief executive officer Mike Szucs personally received the award during the ceremony at the Natural History Museum on Cromwell Road in London.

CEB is the only low-cost carrier in Southeast Asia able to secure this type of financing—a structure often reserved for a select group of global airlines.

“Sustainability is integral to how we grow as an airline.

By linking our financing to sustainability goals, we show that strategy and responsibility can work together.

It strengthens the business, allows us to invest in modern fuel-efficient aircraft, and creates value for our customers,” said Mark Cezar, CEB chief financial officer.

Under the deal, CEB committed to measurable targets to reduce the carbon emission intensity of its fleet, and meeting these goals would entitle the airline to financial incentives.

The A321neo acquired through the JOLCO financing is part of CEB’s long-term strategy to transition to an all-NEO fleet, an important step in its commitment to decarbonize operations.

NEOs are 20 percent more fuel-efficient than older-generation aircraft, significantly reducing carbon emissions per flight.