Airbus and Philippine Airlines (PAL) have completed a purchasing agreement for the acquisition of nine A350-1000 long range aircraft.
The agreement was signed during the Paris Air Show by Captain Stanley K. Ng, President and Chief Operating Officer of Philippine Airlines, and Christian Scherer, Airbus Chief Commercial Officer and Head of International, in the presence of Lucio C Tan III, President & Chief Operating Officer, PAL Holdings Inc.
The A350-1000 has been selected under the Philippine carrier’s Ultra Long Haul Fleet project and will fly on non-stop services from Manila to North America, including to the East Coast of the US and Canada. The new aircraft will join two A350-900s already in service at the airline.
PAL’s A350-1000 fleet will be able to accommodate 380 passengers in a three class layout, with separate cabins for Business Class, Premium Economy and Economy Class.
Captain Stanley K. Ng, President and Chief Operating Officer of Philippine Airlines, said: “This order will see PAL operating one of the youngest and most modern widebody fleets in Asia. We selected the A350-1000 to give PAL the power to match capacity closely to predicted demand on both the very longest routes to the North American East Coast but also on our prime trunk routes to the West Coast and potentially to Europe as well. At the same time the aircraft will use significantly less fuel than older aircraft of a similar size, which also brings an important reduction in carbon emissions.”
Lucio C. Tan III, President & Chief Operating Officer, PAL Holdings Inc. said: “At Philippine Airlines we are committed to offering our passengers the best possible travel experience. These state-of-the-art aircraft will enable us to give them the convenience of nonstop flights on long range routes in a comfortable passenger cabin where our cabin crew can do what they do best – extend gracious service and world-class Filipino hospitality. The A350-1000 is our “Mission Aircraft” to connect the world and boost the Philippine economy and society.”
Christian Scherer, Airbus Chief Commercial Officer and Head of International said: “This order is another strong endorsement of the A350 as the world’s long range leader. In terms of non-stop flying capability, efficiency and passenger comfort it is proven to be best in class. It also brings significant reduction in emissions and an immediate contribution to industry sustainability goals. And in the larger widebody category, the A350-1000 has set a standard of its own, with the lowest operating costs and emissions for intercontinental service. We thank Philippine Airlines for its ongoing confidence in Airbus and look forward to working with the airline as the A350 becomes the flagship of its widebody fleet.”
The A350 is the world’s most modern and efficient widebody aircraft and has set new standards for intercontinental travel. It offers the longest range capability of any commercial airliner in production today and is capable of flying 9,700 nautical miles or 18,000 kilometres non-stop.
At the end of May 2023, the A350 Family had won 967 firm orders from 54 customers worldwide, with 535 aircraft currently in the fleets of 40 operators, flying primarily on long haul routes.
Philippine Airlines operates various Airbus types on its full service network. In addition to the A350 on long-haul intercontinental routes, PAL flies A330-300s on services to the Middle East, Australia and various points in Asia. The Philippine flag carrier also operates a fleet of A320 and A321 single aisle aircraft on its extensive domestic and regional network out of hubs in Manila and Cebu.
