MANILA, Philippines — Cebu Pacific Air (CEB) signed operating lease agreements with CIT Aerospace, a unit of America’s CIT Group Inc. (CIT), on four new Airbus A330-300 aircraft for its long-haul flights starting next year.

The airline will start long-haul flights to Australia, India, the Middle East and parts of Europe and the US in the 3rd quarter of 2013.

CIT Aerospace owns or finances a fleet of 300 commercial aircraft and caters to clients ranging from operators of commercial and business aircraft to manufacturers and suppliers in the aerospace and defense industries as well as financial institutions.

Its parent firm, New York-based CIT Group Inc., is a 104-year-old bank holding company with more than $60 billion in finance and leasing asset.

Operating in more than 50 countries across 30 industries, CIT is a leader in aerospace, equipment and rail leasing, small business and middle market lending, vendor financing and factoring. It is a member of the S&P 500 and Fortune 500.

CEB’s four leased Airbus A330-300 aircraft will allow the airline to serve new markets beyond the range of its current fleet of Airbus A320 aircraft.

CIT Aerospace will deliver the leased planes, powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 772B engines, from 2013 to 2014.

“With the introduction of wide-body aircraft into our fleet, we can offer our trademark low fares to an even wider market,” Alex Reyes, CEB General Manager for the Long-Haul Division, pointed out.

Since its inception in 1996, the airline has flown over 60 million passengers. It also posted a good track record in stimulating short-haul travel of passengers around Asia, with a 14% system-wide passenger growth in 2011.

To date, CEB serves 19 international destinations: Bangkok, Beijing, Brunei, Busan, Guangzhou, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh, Hong Kong, Incheon (Seoul), Jakarta, Kota Kinabalu, Kuala Lumpur, Macau, Osaka, Shanghai, Siem Reap, Singapore, Taipei and Xiamen.

It also operates the most extensive network in the Philippines with 33 domestic destinations and hubs in Manila, Cebu, Clark and Davao.

CEB is the largest carrier in the Philippine air transportation industry, offering low-cost services to more destinations and routes with higher flight frequency within the Philippines than any other airline.