Philippine Airlines (PAL) aims to become a five-star airline in five years’ time with service innovations, route network expansion, and fleet modernization as its flagship initiatives.
PAL president and chief operating officer Jaime Bautista said achieving the status “is not easy but we think we can do that in five years.”
The airline, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary, currently has a three-star rating from UK-based airline and airport consultancy and ranking firm Skytrax.
However, Bautista said congestion at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport is the biggest constraint to its growth and the carrier is thus considering Clark International Airport as its next hub.
As part of its route expansion to Europe, the flag carrier is assessing four new destinations—Paris, Amsterdam, Hamburg, and Rome.
“When the new, long-range A350-900s arrive, we will be capable (of mounting) more non-stop flights to Europe,” Bautista said. At present, PAL only flies to one European destination, London.
For its U.S. network expansion, PAL has begun nonstop flights thrice a week between Cebu and Los Angeles. The new service is seen to boost the presence in the U.S. of PAL, augmenting its current American routes of Manila to Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Honolulu, and Guam.
The airline will also launch five weekly flights from Manila to Doha, Qatar starting March 28 as part of an ongoing Middle East route expansion. PAL destinations in the Middle East include Riyadh, Dubai, Dammam, Jeddah, Kuwait and Abu Dhabi.
To further increase its presence in the Oceania Region, the flag carrier will open twice weekly flights to Saipan in the Northern Marianas Islands on June 15.
To improve connectivity across various routes, the airline will open daily services between Taipei and Kansai on June 25 (daily flights) and Abu Dhabi and Doha on March 28 (five weekly flights). Last January, the airline opened four weekly connections between Dubai and Kuwait, as well as three weekly connections between Dubai and Jeddah.
Due to increased demand on certain routes, PAL will also hike its weekly frequencies to Riyadh from six to seven flights (starting March 27); to Darwin and Brisbane from three to four (March 28); to Canton from four to five (May 1); to London from five to six (June 4) and from six to seven (June 28); to Taipei from seven to 11 (June 25); to Kansai from seven to 14 (June 25); and to Peking from four to eight (July 1).
PAL’s route network covers 43 international and 30 domestic destinations.
Aside from route expansion, the flag carrier is adding six Airbus A350-900s to its fleet, bringing to 75 its total number of aircraft.
“Choosing the A350 is anchored on our operational requirements for our new routes. This will definitely strengthen our long-range fleet,” Bautista said.
He added: “Once delivery begins in 2018, the aircraft can be deployed on our North American destinations: Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York in the US; and Toronto and Vancouver in Canada. The acquisition will enable us to mount additional non-stop service on our premium long-haul services.”
Meanwhile, PAL is scheduled to take delivery of five A321s and two B777s in 2016, and is slated to receive two A321s in 2017. PAL’s current fleet includes B777s, A340s, A330s, A321s, and A320s.
To further enhance the passenger experience, the airline is introducing myPAL e-Suite—an in-flight entertainment system with upgraded content.
Other innovations include myPAL player—the free in-flight entertainment app that allows passengers to stream movies, music, and TV shows on their personal mobile device; myPAL Wifi, which allows passengers to surf the internet in flight; and myPAL Mobile, which allows passengers to use the roaming service in flight to call and text using their mobile data plan.
To improve PAL’s in-flight cuisine, some of the country’s top chefs—chefs Jess Sincioco, Fernando Aracama, Wataru Hikawa, Ben Lam, Bruce Lim, Yoon Yun Sun—are working closely with PAL Corporate Chef Noel Ramos to come up with new entrees representing Filipino and Continental dishes.
Along with the announcement of its plan, the airline also unveiled its new brand philosophy, “Heart of the Filipino,” with PAL asserting its role as the nation’s flag carrier, representing the best of the Philippines to the world.
