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Tag: PAL

  • Philippine Airlines suspends all UK flights

    Philippine Airlines suspends all UK flights

    Philippine Airlines has suspended flights to and from London till the end of February 2021 as Britain battles a new coronavirus strain, said a report.

    The airline said it supports all measures that seek to curb any potential increase in Covid-19 cases during the holiday season and beyond.

    Passengers already in transit and those who arrived in the Philippines from the UK before December 24 will be allowed to enter the country, but they must undergo stricter quarantine and testing protocols, the report cited Presidential spokesman Harry Roque as saying.

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  • PAL, Cebu Pacific hope to resume regular operations soon

    PAL, Cebu Pacific hope to resume regular operations soon

    Philippine Airlines (PAL) is hoping it can resume international and domestic operations in limited capacity flights on May 16.

    “We are preparing and identifying routes for possible bookings, but we still need the go-signal from the government to operate our commercial flights,” said PAL spokesperson Cielo Villaluna. “We have complete sets of masks, gloves, goggles, and personal protective equipment (PPE) which our crew will wear during and every flight for the protection of everyone on board.”

    On the other hand, Cebu Pacific Corporate Communication Director Charo Lagamon said they have been coordinating with the Department of Tourism (DOT) and other organizations to mount sweeper and repatriation flights.

    “We have finalized sweeper flights with the DOT, starting May 1, between Manila and key domestic destinations to fly stranded passengers,” Lagamon said.

    Cebu Pacific continues to operate all-cargo flights to keep vital goods moving across the country during the enhanced community quarantine.

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  • Philippine airlines are losing Chinese tourists amid coronavirus outbreak

    Philippine airlines are losing Chinese tourists amid coronavirus outbreak

    When Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte pursued closer foreign relations with China, he helped attract planeloads of Chinese tourists to the Southeast Asian nation. Now, the coronavirus outbreak is reversing the trend, much to the chagrin of airline companies.

    Budget carrier Cebu Pacific has put its expansion plans into the Chinese market on hold after the Covid-19 disease triggered the biggest health scare in the region since the Sars (severe acute respiratory syndrome) outbreak in 2003. Cebu Pacific and Philippine Airlines have both canceled all China-related flights until the end of March, and both stocks have taken a beating along the way.

    The country has reported three infection cases, and recorded the first death outside China on February 2. After that, Duterte imposed a sweeping ban on travels to and from mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau to protect the country in one of the most drastic reactions by regional governments. Approvals for visas on arrival have also been tightened.

    “Traveller volumes on China-Philippines routes have fallen,” said Jose Enrique Perez De Tagle, vice-president of corporate communications at PAL Holdings, which owns Philippine Airlines. Mainland Chinese account for about 10 percent of its global passengers, he added.

    Global travel restrictions on Chinese travelers as airlines cut flights to mainland
    15 Feb 2020

    Since Duterte won the presidential election in June 2016, the combative president has embraced closer ties with Beijing despite territorial disputes in the South China Sea. He has also distanced the country from the US, including a decision last week to end the Visiting Forces Agreement, a 21-year pact that allowed US troops to be based in the country for bilateral exercises.

    Mainland Chinese tourists have since become the nation’s second-largest source of tourist arrivals in the Philippines, according to government data. They made up more than one-fifth of the 7.5 million arrivals in the first 11 months of last year, versus 9.1 percent in 2013.

    The Philippines received 1.26 million Chinese tourists in 2018 versus 491,000 in 2015, according to Colliers, citing government data. They spent US$1,130 per person on average, boosting the retail and tourism sectors. In January to November last year, arrivals jumped 40 percent year-on-year, faster than the national average of 10-15 percent, Colliers said.

    Ending Philippines-US military pact will affect South China Sea disputes: analysts
    16 Feb 2020

    The coronavirus outbreak has claimed more than 1,800 lives and infected more than 71,000 people worldwide, mostly in mainland China.

    Before the outbreak, which originated in Wuhan, local carriers were emboldened by the surge in Chinese visitors to consider adding more routes in China to take advantage of the growth.

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  • Cebu Pacific Expands Horizons to Australia

    Cebu Pacific Expands Horizons to Australia

    Australian cities such as Perth and Cairns, as well as destinations in Japan and India, are on the radar for Philippines budget carrier Cebu Pacific as it expands its fleet of Airbus A321neos. Cebu, which already flies direct to Sydney and Melbourne from Manila, is stepping up its re-fleeting program and took delivery of the first of 32 A321neos at the end of January.

    It expects at least five more of the longer-range, fuel-efficient planes during 2019 to support its expansion plans.

    Cebu is known for packing seats into its bigger Airbus A330s and has followed that strategy with the smaller plane.

    The budget carrier has opted for the Airbus Cabin Flex fuselage modifications to give the A321neo 236 ergonomically-designed Recaro seats, slightly below the 244-seat Airbus maximum.

    It expects and Pratt & Whitney  GTF-powered planes to achieve a 20 percent savings in fuel costs as well as other advantages such as a significantly reduced noise footprint and lower maintenance requirements.

    The January delivery brought the total size of its fleet to 72 aircraft, including 43 Airbus A320s and A321s, eight A330s and 20 ATR turboprops.

    While the airline also has mid- and long-term plans for widebody aircraft, its primary focus is currently on the neos.  It is looking to grow its fleet to 83 aircraft in 2022, with 27 of those neos.

    “This year, we’re taking in 12 new aircraft, (the) bulk of it will be the A321neo,’’ Cebu vice president Lance Gokongwei told AirlineRatings.

    “We are continuously studying new routes and destinations, especially with the A321neo that has Northern Japan, India, and other cities in Australia like Perth and Cairns within its capabilities, but plans are not concrete for now.

    “While the A321neo will give us the capability to possibly service a direct route from the Philippines to Perth, we will make announcements on new routes and destinations in due time.”

    Cebu is the Philippines’ biggest carrier by passengers carried and claims a roughly 50 percent market share in terms of domestic travel and cargo.

    Competitor Philippine Airlines (PAL) is also expanding and received a boost in January when Japan’s All Nippon Airways announced it would invest $US95 million to a 9.5 percent stake in the Filipino carrier. PAL is already using the A321neo to service Brisbane.

    However, Cebu is unfazed by the deal and Gokongwei says it is good for the Philippines aviation industry.

    Gokongwei said the two had been partners for many years, including on code-sharing flights, and the investment was something Cebu had factored into its strategy.

    The low-cost carrier was also looking at tapping opportunities in Japan after establishing an office there in 2018.

    “As for the Philippines, we firmly believe that despite the massive growth in Philippine aviation over the past 20 years, there is still much room for expansion,” Gokongwei said.

    “Less than 50 percent of the Philippine population have traveled via air, as compared with Malaysia or Singapore.

    “People here are used to taking the bus and the boat–whereas air travel can be exponentially convenient and not as expensive as it used to be.”

    The airline executive sais there was still “much room”’ to develop Clark International Airport, the former US air base, as a secondary domestic hub.

    “There is also strong demand for inbound flights from North Asia into Cebu, which we have turned into our beach hub as we fly to key island destinations from there, ‘ he added.

    A key to Cebu’s low-cost model is the ability to offer fares that are up to 40 percent lower than those of its competitors, partly through its investment in new and more efficient aircraft and technology.

    But it isn’t all smooth sailing: net income for the airline’s first nine months of 2018 fell 36 percent to 2.78 billion pesos as it grappled with higher fuel costs and a weakening currency.

    “Despite challenges brought on by volatile fuel prices and the foreign exchange of the Philippine Peso, Cebu Pacific has managed to keep sound fundamentals,’’ Gokongwei said.

    “Revenues have been growing by 12 percent annually for the past eight years and we have maintained healthy operating margins.”

  • PAL readies nonstop flights to New York, India

    PAL readies nonstop flights to New York, India

     Philippine Airlines (PAL) will mount nonstop flights to New York and India as well as boost its operations in Davao, Cebu, and Clark in Pampanga, as the flag carrier expects the arrival of 21 new planes by 2019.

    PAL, the country’s only 4-star airline, will have 15 new aircraft within the year, and another 6 planes in 2019, to mount more long-haul flights.

    “We are no longer just a Manila-centric airline,” PAL president and chief operating office Jaime Bautista said in a statement.

    New routes and increased flight frequencies will be introduced, as the flag carrier is set to receive 5 additional Next-Generation Bombardier Q400s and 6 new Airbus A321neos starting in May, along with 4 Airbus A350-900 trans-oceanic aircraft starting in June. 

    “Our new aircraft and our new hubs are a winning combination that will help expand our market reach both domestically and worldwide. This is imperative for a global airline, and we must sustain and build on our hard-won 4-star rating,” Bautista said.

    He added that introducing new routes to India is the airline’s response to the call of Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo for a direct link to the country – a potentially rich source of future tourists for the Philippines.

    PAL’s expansion in 2018 also includes the following new routes:

    • Manila to New York (John F. Kennedy Airport), nonstop flights beginning October 28
    • Manila to New Delhi and Mumbai (Bombay) in India, nonstop flights by last quarter of 2018
    • Manila to Sapporo (Chitose) in Japan’s northernmost island of Hokkaido, by last quarter of 2018
    • Davao to Siargao, 4 flights per week since March 25

    Bautista said PAL also plans to add more flights between Cebu and Siargao, Davao and Tagbilaran, Davao and Clark, Cebu and Bangkok, Cagayan de Oro and Clark, Cebu and Busuanga, Clark and Busuanga, as well as Cebu and Clark.

    The airline will also add frequencies from Manila going to Dumaguete, Cagayan de Oro, Iloilo, Cebu, Puerto Princesa, and Bacolod, starting in April or May. 

    100 planes by 2020

    PAL is also planning to launch international routes directly from the Davao International Airport to Bangkok or a point in Japan.

    The flag carrier flies to 16 domestic and 7 international destinations from Cebu, 14 domestic and one international from Clark, 6 domestic from Davao, as well as one international from Tagbilaran.

    “Comprehensive marketing and sales studies are ongoing for the introduction of new destinations in Europe and the US mainland, including Chicago and Seattle,” PAL said.

    Aircraft expected to join the PAL fleet in 2019 include two more Next-Generation Q400s, two A350s, and two more A321neos.

    “Our current fleet of 85 aircraft is already the largest in the Philippines,” Bautista said.

    “We are aiming for 100 aircraft by 2020, which places us in the category of a major carrier. But we are not merely adding more planes, we are constantly upgrading the cabins, seats, amenities, inflight entertainment, and technology,” he added.

    The airline’s fleet upgrade will continue until 2024, as it aims to become a 5-star airline. PAL is the country’s first and only 4-star airline, joining the ranks of 42 other carriers, like British Airways, Emirates, KLM, and Japan Airlines. 

  • Fast-Growing Philippine Airlines Emerging as Regional Power

    Fast-Growing Philippine Airlines Emerging as Regional Power

    Once debt-ridden, Philippine Airlines (PAL) has emerged as one of the fastest growing carriers in its region.

    On June 8 it launched a daily Manila-Kuala Lumpur flight using Airbus A321 aircraft after a lapse of four years. Despite the presence of Malaysia Airlines, AirAsia, Cebu Pacific and AirAsia Philippines with seven daily services on the route, PAL is confident of making an impression. Last month PAL also introduced a daily Tagbilaran-Incheon service, making it the sixth Filipino city to connect with South Korea, joining Manila, Cebu, Clark, Kalibo and Puerto Princesa.

    PAL has begun reconfiguring its fleet of 15 Airbus A330-300s from an all-economy-class layout that seats 414 passengers to a three-class, business, premium economy and economy class arrangement designed to seat 309.

    PAL placed the first reconfigured aircraft on international routes last month, starting with Dubai and Honolulu. This month it inducts more on its Melbourne and Doha routes, followed by Sydney and Riyadh in August, Singapore, Kuwait and Jeddah in September, Tokyo Haneda in October, Tokyo Narita in November and Osaka in December.

    Now serving eight destinations in China, its biggest market, the airline hopes to penetrate the country still further, adding to Beijing, Shanghai, Jinjiang, Macau, Xiamen, Guangzhou, Chengdu and Hong Kong.

    PAL plans to deploy two Boeing 777-300ERs leased from Intrepid Aviation on a long-term basis starting in December on the London route, replacing its Airbus A340-300.

    Six Airbus A350-900s it ordered will arrive on a staggered basis starting mid-2018. PAL expects to decide either late this year or early next year on the possibility of launching flights to Frankfurt and Rome with the delivery of the aircraft.

    Domestically, PAL recently boosted operations at Clark International Airport (CIA) as part of its plans to develop its third hub. On June 22 it launched three-times-weekly  flights to Bacolod and a daily service to Tagbilaran. Four-times-weekly service to Cagayan de Oro started the following day. The carrier currently operates to Caticlan, Busuanga, Cebu, Davao and Puerto Princesa from Clark.

    Incheon remains the only international route operated by PAL from CIA, the former U.S. military base located some 43 nautical miles outside Manila. Manila and Cebu account for PAL’s other two hubs.

    The carrier currently operates a fleet of 81 aircraft consisting of 777-300ERs, A340-300s, A330-300s, A321s and A320s.

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  • PAL suspends Cebu-Los Angeles service

    PAL suspends Cebu-Los Angeles service

    THE Philippine Airlines (PAL) announced Monday, that it will “temporarily suspend” its Cebu-Los Angeles service effective May 30. In its advisory, the airline company said “the suspension of the Cebu-Los Angeles service is being carried out as PAL rationalizes capacity on the route.”

    “PAL is seeking the kind understanding of affected passengers as the airline implements these operational adjustments,” it said. PAL said passengers with tickets of the Cebu-Los Angeles flights dated May 30 and onwards may re-route and/or rebook their flights to Cebu-Manila-Los Angeles flights.

    Those with Los Angeles-Cebu flights may re-route and/or rebok their flights to Los Angeles-Manila-Cebu. The company added that it can also refund the cost of tickets of those affected passengers. “Affected passengers are advised to avail themselves of any of these options within 30 days from original flight dates, with rebooking/refunding charges waived,” PAL said. It said it will “communicate with affected passengers via email notification and call-out.”

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  • PAL, Cebu Pacific announces flight cancellations

    PAL, Cebu Pacific announces flight cancellations

    THE Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific have announced the cancellation of flights due to the maintenance shutdown of the Tagaytay radar from March 6 to March 11. The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) issued a notice to airmen enforcing a temporary shutdown of the Tagaytay radar for maintenance and upgrade.

    The Department of Transportation (DOTr), through CAAP, urged the affected airlines to prepare for the scheduled maintenance which is expected to result in flight deductions.

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  • Inflight Sales Group secures five-year Philippine Airlines contract

    Inflight Sales Group secures five-year Philippine Airlines contract

    Inflight Sales Group (ISG) has been awarded a five-year contract by Philippine Airlines (PAL) following the airline’s recent inflight retail concessionaire tender. PAL chairman Lucio C Tan Senior took part in the official contract signing with ISG Group managing director Tony Detter at a ceremony held at the airline’s headquarters in Manila.

    The new agreement, which further builds on ISG and PAL’s existing strategic partnership — which began when PAL first outsourced its supply and marketing in 2011 — will take effect on April 1 2017. In addition to the services ISG already provides, it will also take over management of most elements of the operation from the airline, expanding its Philippine based team. It will also launch a new inflight retail tablet-based POS solution onboard.

    ISG’s Detter said: “It is a very exciting development for us to extend our relationship with PAL. ISG is extremely pleased about working with the airline more closely to build on the success we have had together over the last five years. We have a strong partnership, and our new model will offer greater synergies and a better-quality service to PAL’s passengers.”

    He added: “The Philippines is a market where we have seen positive sales growth over the past year and one where we believe we can leverage our success further. We will offer stronger and more creative, visible promotions, and some great deals for our customers.  While the inflight sector has seen a decline according to industry benchmarks, we have seen success with our strategy here and other markets.”

    Philippine Airlines Merchandising & Retail Duty Free Programme manager Kitinka Icalina-Bravo commented: “We are eager to start working with the ISG team to build on our success.  PAL is committed to supporting further growth by expanding our efforts with the cabin crew, offering them additional training, recognition and enhanced incentives.  Our company recognises our sales force is key to delivering a service that is high quality and genuinely warm and from the heart.  My background working within the crew community allows me to understand the challenges they face and advocate for the tools they need to be successful.”

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  • Philippines airline PAL announces new direct Doha-Manila service

    Philippines airline PAL announces new direct Doha-Manila service

    Starting March 26, Philippine Airline (PAL) will launch its first direct flight from Manila to Doha. The service will operate four times a week, on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday on the A330.

    PR684 will leave Manila at 1:30pm and arrive in Doha at 6pm local time. And PR685 will depart Doha at 8pm and arrive in Manila at 10am.

    Tickets range from QR885 to QR2,745 in economy, and include WiFi and meal service. A business class option could be rolled out this summer.

    The moves come a year after the carrier introduced its first service to Doha, though that route currently first stops in Abu Dhabi.

    PAL will continue to fly that service Doha on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. The non-stop service will make Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport one of the few destinations connected directly to Doha by three airlines.

    It also heats up competition on the route, as Qatar Airways also flies to Manila direct. So does low-cost carrier Cebu Pacific Air, which launched its service to Doha in 2015.

    Growing community

    Qatar is home to a large Filipino population, which now numbers over 200,000 people.

    That’s the third largest expat group in the country, behind the local Indian and Nepali communities.

  • Philippine Airlines expands operations at Clark

    Philippine Airlines expands operations at Clark

    Philippine Airlines is ramping up its operations at Clark International Airport, north of Manila. The national carrier is aiming to ease pressure at Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport by launching new services connecting Clark with Cebu, Davao and Puerto Princesa. Clark is located approximately 80km from the Philippine capital.

    Having launched flights between Clark and Boracay in late 2016, PAL will launch four weekly Clark-Cebu flights and three weekly Clark-Davao services on 30 January 2017. Then on 26 March PAL will start offering three weekly flights between Clark and Puerto Princesa, on the island of Palawan.

    “We aim to cater to the flight needs of northern Metro Manila, central and northern Luzon residents. Now, they will be able to experience the convenience of easy travel from their homes to the Clark Airport. Travellers from abroad and domestic outlying stations may fly to Clark and journey on to popular travel spots in the Luzon area,” stated PAL’s president & chief operating officer, Jaime Bautista.

    PAL will continue to serve Cebu, Davao and Puerto Princesa from Manila’s main airport.

  • Philippine Airlines innovates in-flight retail

    Philippine Airlines innovates in-flight retail

    It used to be that some 20,000 feet above the ground, you browse a catalogue of duty-free merchandize to take home, chose some pretty standard stuff – cosmetics for the ladies, wine for the gentlemen, some cute airplane replicas for the kids, and maybe local goodies for the parents – and you have an instant take-home gift, paid for in cash and delivered to your seat with a smile by the friendly, in-flight crew.

    screenshot-2016-10-28-10-58-03

    Not anymore. In-flight retail has seen some highly innovative transformations in recent years – from offering huge discounts on luxury items to selling cars, bikes and even tractors inflight to home delivery to using the rewards cards for purchases.

    The Philippine Airlines recently embarked on its own transformation journey and re-imagine the retail experience in-flight and on the ground, starting off with turning the PAL Boutique, it’s in-flight catalogue, into a 24×7 online shopping site.

    With the newly launched website, shoppers can choose from a variety of products – from clothing and apparel, to electronics, travel essentials, beauty items and food. The site allows everyone to shop in the PAL Boutique store, not just those in the skies. It also features lifestyle merchandise such as hotel deals, car rentals, tours and recreation packages.

    Some of the items on sale at the online store are Sport 75, Heart 75, Southern shirts, Honeycomb polo shirts and hoodies as well as purse and tote bags by Team Manila. Press canvas wallets, heavy canvas Tote & Jotter notebooks, also by Team Manila, are likewise available.

    City Weekend, City Satchel, City Tourist, City Reach & City Envelope bag all by Fino, Amenity Kit by Bath Origins and Travel Wallet by Jacinto & Lirio as well as luggage tags and key chains are part of the product selection. Completing the line-up for travel aficionados is the myPALRoam, the global mobile hotspot that provides mobile data anywhere in the world.

    Collectible items include the Boeing 777 die-cast model, PAL bears by Natalya Lagdameo, PAL 75 anniversary fans and the PAL coffee table book. Chef Tony’s Butter Icing, Kesong Puti at Kondensada, Royal Peanut Butter and Tablea Tsokolate popcorns are also available for gourmet food lovers.

    The online shopping site is also linked to Mabuhay Miles, the company’s in-house rewards card and loyalty program. Every time a user shops at the online store, he or she earns corresponding rewards points. A 100-peso purchase ($2.07) at the PAL Online Boutique is equivalent to one mile.

    The online portal currently accepts Visa and Mastercard payments, but the online Boutique will soon accept Mabuhay Miles as payment.

    Marketplace solution

    PAL’s digital store is powered by the Voyager E-Commerce Marketplace (VEM) Solution, a cloud-hosted software-as-a-service (SAAS) platform with features catering to the needs of enterprises that want to bring their transactions online.

    The VEM Solution is a platform developed by Voyager Innovations, the digital innovations company of the PLDT Group and Smart Communications, the country’s biggest telecommunications company.

    Voyager Innovations VP for Digital Commerce Mitch Padua said VEM enables mid- to large-sized operators to build, manage and run world-class multi-merchant marketplaces. It provides platform that allows companies to easily sell online.

    “PAL Online Boutique is the product of a successful collaboration between PAL and Voyager Innovations. With just one click, a shopper can choose from premiere exclusive and co-branded items. If you are on the go, this online store is your shopping haven,” PAL Ancillary Business Unit VP Kevin Hartigan-Go said in a media statement during the launch of the service a few months back.

    Padua said the platform provides PAL an end-to-end solution – from the mobile app so that customers can view flight schedules, check in and purchase tickets to order management and customer care for their in-flight catalogue and online store to payment acceptance, which was provided by Voyager’s own payments company, PayMaya.

    “Airlines are the most progressive in terms of e-commerce,” he said at a recent media roundtable. “I think everyone buys tickets online. It makes sense for them (PAL) to not just sell tickets online but other things as well because they have a huge amount of traffic.”

    Citing a recent Google-Temasek study that within Southeast Asia, $88 billion is forecast on B2C transactions by 2025, Padua is optimistic there is a big opportunity for Philippine merchants, including online boutiques stores like PAL’s. “We are seeing about a billion dollars (in B2C transactions) now for the Philippines,” he said, adding that another study conducted by Visa hows nearly 9 out of 10  Filipinos connected to the Internet actually do online shopping.

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  • PAL, Air Asia cancel 300 flights for Apec

    PAL, Air Asia cancel 300 flights for Apec

    The country’s flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) and Air Asia Philippines cancelled nearly 300 domestic and international flights in anticipation of disruptions in runway operations on the week of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) Summit.

    In an advisory, PAL announced it was grounding 115 domestic and 96 international flights from Nov. 15 to 20 “to give way to the arrival and departure of Apec leaders.”

    The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) had announced periods of temporary runway closure at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport as part of the protocol for the arrival and departure of world leaders.

    Heads of state are expected to arrive on Nov. 16 and 17 for the summit which will be held on the 18th and 19th. They are expected to leave Manila on Nov. 19 and 20.

    “PAL assures affected passengers that the airline will reschedule their flights with rebooking and penalty charges waived,” the advisory said.

    Likewise, passengers with confirmed flights on Nov. 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 or 20 have the option to rebook within 30 days from their original schedule “for as long as the new schedule falls within the ticket validity period.”  They can also refund the full  ticket cost.

    PAL said that it may cancel more flights depending on the flight movements of the heads of state attending the summit.

    Meanwhile, Air Asia cancelled 74 domestic and 10 international flights from Nov. 17 to 20, also to give way to the arrival of heads of state.

    The airline gave passengers on the cancelled flights the option to rebook within 30 days of the date of their original flight schedule or get a refund.  Affected flyers may also avail of a credit shell within 90 days of the cancelled flight.

    A credit shell, according to Air Asia, is “a credit account where monies paid towards a booking  are stored.” The number issued, which is practically the booking number, in a credit shell account that may be used by passengers to transfer flights.

  • PAL adds seats to Manila-New York flights

    PAL adds seats to Manila-New York flights

    Philippine Airlines (PAL) is increasing seat capacity for its Manila-New York flights by shifting to a bigger aircraft this month.

    PAL said, starting October 26, it will shift to the Boeing B777-300 for long-haul operations between the two cities.

    The B777 is a 370-seater (42 business/328 economy) state-of-the-art and fuel-efficient aircraft. PAL is current using the 254-seater Airbus A340s for its Manila-New York flights.

    “Using the B777 to the US Mainland enables us to achieve our goal of operating our long haul flights efficiently and economically. With this shift, passengers on the route will experience PAL’s trademark Filipino service in the comfort of the modern B777,” PAL president and chief operating officer Jaime Bautista said.

    PAL currently utilizes B777s for its San Francisco, Los Angeles, Vancouver and Toronto operations as well as select regional and international routes.

    The national flag carrier said it is taking delivery of two additional B777 units, slated to arrive in October and December 2016, respectively.

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