Philippine Airlines (PAL) acqured two new Boeing 777-300ER units from Seattle, Washington this December to serve air travelers going to and from London and the United States.
“Two shiny new Boeing 777-300ER, fresh out of Boeing’s manufacturing plant in Seattle, Washington, undergo a series of tests and inspections prior to delivery to Philippine Airlines,” said Ma. Cielo Villaluna, PAL External Communications Group head and spokesperson. “They are scheduled to arrive (in) Manila on December 16 and 19. The spacious and luxurious 777—fitted with state-of-the-art inflight entertainment system —is expected to delight passengers on PAL’s long-haul flights.”
The acquisition is in line with PAL’s goal to be the country’s full-service five star airline in five years and part of that plan was to purchase two more Boeing B777-300ER units to fly to London and the United States.
“The Boeing aircraft will serve the Manila-London route, a move designed to primarily enhance the total passenger travel experience and in-flight service deliver. While we already have eight triple 7s serving the West Coast, the incoming units will also augment other trans-pacific flights,” said Jaime Bautista, PAL president and chief operating officer. “The Boeing 777 is our flagship for long-haul operations. With its range and operational capability, the flag carrier will be at par with other full service carriers along the route. We will also increase capacity as the aircraft will have a 370-seating capacity on a two-class configuration (42 on business and 328 on economy) as compared to the 254-seating capacity of the A340.”
The purchase of the carrier’s 9th and 10th B777s is also based on a long-term lease agreement with Intrepid Aviation of Seattle.
During the 2016 delivery of PAL’s 7th and 8th B777, Intrepid president and chief commercial officer Doug Winter said: “Intrepid and Philippine Airlines have enjoyed a strong partnership dating back to 2013. The Philippines is currently one of the fastest growing economies in Asia and the airline has been enjoying a strong, profitable growth trajectory over the past few years.”
PAL said these flagship initiatives such as fleet modernization includes the acquisition of six brand new Airbus A350s for delivery starting mid-2018 and the reconfiguration of 8 mono-class Airbus A330s to tri-class layout by mid July.
PAL has 63 aircraft on its fleet namely ten Airbus A320; A321, twenty-four A330; fifteen A340; and eight units of B777.
The Boeing777-300ER is the world’s largest long-range twin-engine jetliner, powered by the largest and most powerful commercial jet engine.
The B777-300ER provides exceptional fuel economy, efficiency, reliability and high levels of cabin comfort for its passengers, combined with unmatched levels of payload and range.
Boeing Corporation is one of the world’s leading aircraft manufacturers, “Boeing and Philippine Airlines have been strong partners for decades and it is a special occasion today as we deliver their 10th 777-300ER,” said Dinesh Keskar, Senior Vice President, Asia Pacific & India Sales for Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “The 777 continues to outperform by all measures, providing exceptional value to our airline and leasing customers. There is no better testament to this than Philippine Airlines’ confidence in its new 777-300 by putting it directly into service with its flight from Vancouver to Manila.”
PAL is the Philippines’ flag carrier representing the best of the Philippines to the world.
Philippine Airlines aims to become a five-star airline with service innovations, route network expansion and fleet modernization as its flagship initiatives, guided by its brand philosophy – “Heart of the Filipino”.
PAL President and CEO Bautista said: “The country’s national flag carrier aims to continue its legacy of service to the nation and the rest of the world, leveraging on the strengths of the brand. We take pride in the fact that PAL is the only Filipino legacy carrier offering the distinct brand of service marked by heartfelt warmth and hospitality. We take pride in the over-all safety and service competence of the team.”
Bautista added: “Our goal is to make PAL the airline of choice in all the markets we serve, one that exceeds passenger expectation. We want PAL to be a source of pride for Filipinos.”
