Philippine Airlines (PAL) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Airbus for the purchase of nine A350-1000s. Under the Philippine carrier’s Ultra-Long- Haul-Fleet project, the A350-1000 will be operated on non-stop services from Manila to North America, including to the East Coast of the U.S. and Canada.
The new aircraft will join two A350-900s already in service with the airline and currently flying to destinations in North America, Asia and Australia. As with the A350-900, the PAL A350-1000s will be configured in a premium layout with separate business-class, premium-economy and economy-class cabins.
Captain Stanley K. Ng, President and Chief Operating Officer of Philippine Airlines, said that the range of the A350-1000 would enable the airline to fly non-stop transpacific and transpolar routes in both directions all 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.
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.
