PAL Nears Halfway Mark in A350-1000 Deliveries, Bolstering Long-Haul Capacity

MANILA, Philipines — Flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) is nearing the halfway mark in taking delivery of its initial order of nine Airbus A350-1000 aircraft, having received its fourth jet as it builds capacity, particularly for transpacific long-haul routes. PAL’s newest A350-1000, registered as RP-C3513, arrived at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) at 7:22 p.m. on Wednesday, completing its delivery flight from Airbus’ facility in Toulouse, France. READ: PAL expands long-haul fleet with new Airbus A350-1000 It becomes the latest addition to the Lucio Tan-led carrier’s wide-body fleet serving key destinations in the United States and Canada. It also reinforces PAL’s position as the only Southeast Asian carrier operating the A350-1000. “The latest addition further strengthens the flag carrier’s long-haul fleet and reinforces its commitment to providing customers with a world-class travel experience,” the airline said in a statement. The delivery comes as PAL deploys more of its long-haul network using the A350-1000, which now serves nonstop flights to San Francisco, New York, and Toronto. The airline also briefly deployed the aircraft on limited domestic flights to Davao in July. READ: PAL’s third A350-1000 flying to San Francisco by August Tagged by PAL as a “game-changer” for its long-haul strategy, the A350-1000 can accommodate 382 passengers across economy, premium economy and business class cabins. Powered by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 engines, the aircraft has a range of up to 16,100 kilometers, allowing PAL to deploy it on some of its longest nonstop routes. READ: PAL’s third A350-1000 flying to San Francisco by August Before completing deliveries from its initial A350-1000 order placed in 2023, PAL signed another agreement with Airbus in July for nine more wide-body aircraft, along with purchase rights for five additional jets. PAL expects to receive the second batch of nine A350-1000s between 2034 and 2036. If the airline exercises all purchase options, it could eventually grow its A350-1000 fleet to as many as 23 aircraft. PAL is also awaiting delivery of 15 Boeing 787-10 Dreamliners under a separate order placed in July ahead of the Airbus follow-on deal. The carrier likewise holds purchase rights for five additional 787-10s. PAL, the country’s only full-service carrier, will add new fleet members to increase its capacity. It operates nonstop flights from Manila and Cebu to 29 Philippine destinations and 40 destinations in Asia, North America, Australia, and the Middle East. In the first half, the airline swung to a net loss of $25.1 million, mainly due to the Middle East crisis and its impact on jet fuel prices. Its fuel expenses surged 48.2 percent to $674.5 million during the period. /pai