Cebu Air
Cebu Air Inc. airplanes are parked at Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 in Manila, Philippines. Image Credit: Bloomberg

Manila: Philippine carrier Cebu Pacific said Tuesday it will buy up to 152 Airbus planes worth $24 billion in a deal it described as the "largest aircraft order" in the country's aviation history.

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"The order is designed to provide Cebu Pacific with maximum flexibility to adapt fleet growth to market conditions, with the ability to switch between the A321neo and A320neo," Cebu Pacific chief executive Michael Szucs said in a statement.

The order confirms an earlier Bloomberg News report on the carrier's purchase plans.

Cebu had previously said it was looking at both Airbus as well as Boeing Co. planes for its next major order, however the US planemaker failed to win over the largest airline in the Philippines.

Cebu has a fleet of about 85 Airbus and some smaller ATR turboprop aircraft, and an existing order book of more than 30 planes from the European manufacturer.