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Philippine Airlines has finalized an order for nine Airbus A350-1000 long-range aircraft
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PAL and Airbus signed the purchase agreement on the sidelines of the Paris Air Show on June 20
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The flag carrier selected the A350-1000 for its ultra-long-haul fleet project to fly non-stop services from Manila to North America, including the US East Coast and Canada
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The new aircraft will join two A350-900s already in service at the airline
Philippine Airlines (PAL) has finalized an order for nine A350-1000 aircraft for use on its non-stop services from Manila to North America, including to the US East Coast and Canada.
The agreement was signed on the sidelines of the Paris Air Show on June 20, the country’s flag carrier said in a statement.
The purchase price was not disclosed.
PAL earlier said the first of the nine A350-1000s will be delivered by the fourth quarter of 2025, to be followed by further deliveries until 2027.
The purchase agreement follows the signing of a memorandum of understanding between PAL and with French aircraft maker Airbus in May for the acquisition of nine A350-1000s.
The A350-1000, the latest and largest version of the A350 family of long-range jetliners, has been selected under PAL’s ultra-long-haul fleet project. The new aircraft will join two A350-900s already in service at the airline.
PAL’s A350-1000 aircraft will be able to accommodate 380 passengers in a three-class layout, with separate cabins for business class, premium economy and economy class.
“This order will see PAL operating one of the youngest and most modern widebody fleets in Asia,” PAL president and chief operating officer Stanley K. Ng said.
Ng said the airline chose the A350-1000 “to give PAL the power to match capacity closely to predicted demand on both the … longest routes to the North American East Coast but also on our prime trunk routes to the West Coast and potentially to Europe as well.”
“At the same time, the aircraft will use significantly less fuel than older aircraft of a similar size, which also brings [about] an important reduction in carbon emissions,” Ng added.
Christian Scherer, Airbus chief commercial officer and head of international, said: “This order is another strong endorsement of the A350 as the world’s long-range leader. In terms of non-stop flying capability, efficiency and passenger comfort, it is proven to be best in class.
“It also brings significant reduction in emissions and an immediate contribution to industry sustainability goals. And in the larger widebody category, the A350-1000 has set a standard of its own, with the lowest operating costs and emissions for intercontinental service.”
The A350 is the world’s most modern and efficient widebody aircraft and has set new standards for intercontinental travel. It offers the longest-range capability of any commercial airliner in production today and is capable of flying 9,700 nautical miles or 18,000 kilometers non-stop.
