In order to buy nine A350-1000 aircraft, Philippine Airlines (PAL) and Airbus have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
The new aircraft will join two A350-900s already in service at the airline and presently operating to locations in North America, Asia and Australia. As with the A350-900, the PAL A350-1000s will be outfitted in a premium layout with distinct Business Class, Premium Economy and Economy Class cabins.
The A350-1000’s range, according to Captain Stanley K. Ng, President and Chief Operating Officer of Philippine Airlines, will allow the company to fly nonstop transpacific and transpolar routes in both directions throughout the year. These will include some of the longest commercial flights in the world, such as those linking the Philippines with New York and Toronto. With an expanded A350 fleet, PAL will have the ability to once again provide a direct link from the Philippines to Europe.
“The A350-1000 combines greater range capability with the higher capacity we need to serve future demand. It’s the perfect aircraft to enable PAL to meet its expansion plans in a sustainable way, while offering passengers the highest levels of onboard comfort. We are committed to offering our passengers the best possible travel experience, and these state-of-the-art aircraft will enable us to do just that as we carry out our mission to connect the world, and grow trade and tourism.”
Christian Scherer, Airbus Chief Commercial Officer, said: “Flying passengers farther and in greater comfort, the A350 brings a step-change in fuel efficiency and an immediate significant contribution to reduced emissions. These are the attributes that have made the A350 the choice of leading airlines worldwide. We look forward to working closely with our long-standing customer Philippine Airlines as it moves forward with its long haul fleet modernisation programme.”
The A350 has raised the bar for intercontinental travel as the most advanced and effective widebody aircraft in the world. It offers the longest range capability of any commercial airliner in production today and is capable of flying 8,700 nautical miles or 16,100 kilometres non-stop.
One of the most successful wide-body aircraft ever, the A350 Family had received 928 firm orders from 54 customers by the end of April 2023. Some 530 aircraft are currently in the fleets of 40 airlines, flying primarily on long haul routes.
Philippine Airlines runs a full service network using a variety of Airbus models. 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.
