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The flag provider of the Philippines, Philippine Airways, has an vital function in connecting folks to its nation whereas additionally offering vital air providers between the varied islands of the Philippine Archipelago. At this time, we study its fleet of 75 plane, the place they’re flying, and the way this fleet is way smaller than it was once.
The Philippine Airways fleet at a look
A fast overview of the Philippine Airways fleet exhibits us the next varieties and portions:
- 11x De Havilland Canada DHC-8-400
- 13x Airbus A320-200
- 22x Airbus A321-200
- 8x Airbus A321neo
- 9x Airbus A330-300
- 2x Airbus A350-900
- 11x Boeing 777-300ER
These figures additionally embody plane working beneath the provider’s regional subsidiary, PAL Categorical. This division is answerable for working a few of the provider’s Airbus A320s and A321s, in addition to all of the DHC Sprint 8s.
Moreover, anybody who’s accustomed to the historic operations of the airline will see that the provider’s bigger jets are absent. The provider as soon as flew huge jets just like the Airbus A340-300 and Boeing 747-400. Sadly, for giant jet-lovers, the airline retired the previous in 2018 and the latter in 2014.
The airline’s fleet measurement over time. Picture: AeroTransport Information Financial institution (ATDB.aero)
Island-hopping turboprops
In the case of the 11 De Havilland Canada Sprint 8-400s, these PAL Categorical-operated turboprops join smaller airports with larger locations like Manila and Cebu. With a mean age of six years, these birds aren’t too previous. And if we dig deeper, we will see {that a} single Sprint 8-400 is severely impacting the fleet’s common age, because the plane registered RP-C3036 is about twenty-two and a half years previous. This plane is at present parked, whereas the opposite 10 jets are listed as operational. The youngest of those turboprops are rather less than three years of age.
Excluding RP-C3036, which has 76 seats, all different Sprint 8-400s are fitted with a single class format of 86 financial system seats.
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Quick and medium-range narrowbody jets
For barely higher-capacity operations and providers that require extra vary than the Sprint 8s are able to, Philippine Airways depends on its A320 and A321 narrowbodies.
The A320 fleet is principally operated by PAL Categorical, which suggests these jets fly primarily home providers throughout the Philippines. In the meantime, the longer fuselage and longer-range A321s function a mixture of home and worldwide routes.
In the case of worldwide service, the A321s serve cities within the area resembling:
- Bangkok
- Guam
- Kuala Lumpur
- Phnom Penh
- Singapore
Nonetheless, each the A321-200s and A321neos are additionally tasked with some longer-range providers, together with flights to:
- Brisbane
- Busan
- Hong Kong
- Nagoya
- Osaka
- Port Moresby
- Seoul
- Tokyo (Haneda and Narita)
In the case of age, the A320-200s are the oldest, with a mean of 13 years. The A321-200s are a bit youthful, with a mean of about eight years. In the meantime, the next-generation A321neos common slightly below 4 years of age.
The A321neo is the latest kind within the Philippine Airways fleet. Picture: Airbus
The Airbus A330-300
Naturally, Philippine Airways’ assortment of widebody plane serves the airline’s longest routes. In accordance with present FlightRadar24.com information, the provider’s locations within the Center East (Dammam, Doha, Dubai, and Riyadh) are served by a few of its 9 Airbus A330-300s. This fleet has a mean age of simply over eight and a half years and is configured with three lessons – enterprise, premium financial system, and financial system.
The Airbus A330 can be deployed on a collection of slightly attention-grabbing transpacific providers. The primary is the airline’s Manila to Los Angeles service through Honolulu, which at present has flight numbers PR100/101 and PR113. The second is a Manila to Los Angeles service through Seoul, which operates as PR112. Digging a bit deeper, it seems to be like PR112/113 sees an A330 fly from Manila to Seoul, then from Seoul to Los Angeles, then from Los Angeles to Manila through Honolulu. It is fairly an attention-grabbing mixture of stopovers, with Los Angeles to Seoul being provided as its personal bookable fifth-freedom service.
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A shrunken A350 fleet?
Configured with 30 seats in enterprise, 24 in premium financial system, and 241 seats in financial system, the A350-900s flying for Philippine Airways are noticeably extra premium-heavy than the A330s. This is smart, contemplating the truth that the kind is the provider’s latest and most trendy widebody plane. Whereas the airline now has simply two A350s, this wasn’t at all times the case.
Certainly, anybody who has adopted the Philippine Airways fleet over time will discover that the provider as soon as had six Airbus A350-900s. Contemplating the truth that it is a new and environment friendly kind, a discount on this explicit fleet is extra on the uncommon facet – with LATAM and South African Airways being two different examples of carriers which have given up their A350s.
Within the case of Philippine Airways, the discount of the A350 fleet by 4 jets was carried out because of the airline making its approach by way of the chapter course of. This was accomplished within the hopes of simplifying its operations and decreasing expenditures. The 4 jets went to German airline Lufthansa, with that airline now working 21 A350-900s.
In 2021, we reported that the airline additionally had plans to cut back its Boeing 777 fleet. Curiously, nonetheless, it seems that the airline held on to those widebodies, with all 10 nonetheless listed as a part of the provider’s fleet. On the identical time, three of the ten 777s are at present listed as parked.
Regardless of the smaller fleet, it seems to be like the choice to restructure and quit the A350s has paid off. Certainly, the previous August noticed Philippine Airways submit what it known as “document earnings.” The airline declared $1.1 billion in revenues for the primary six months of 2022, which it says is a 258% enchancment from the identical interval in 2021.
The Airbus A350-900 is the airline’s flagship widebody. Picture: Airbus
The Boeing 777-300ER
Configured with simply two lessons, the Boeing 777-300ERs flying for Philippine Airways have 42 seats in enterprise class and 328 within the financial system cabin. These high-capacity widebodies common simply over eight and a half years and fly a few of the airline’s longest routes together with the A350s. Providers embody:
- New York
- San Francisco
- Toronto
- and Vancouver
Curiously, in 2019, the airline was in discussions with Boeing to amass two new Boeing 777X plane. The US planemaker was reported to be pushing the 777X as a substitute for 2 of the provider’s older 777-300ER plane. Since we reported on that plan in 2019, nothing has actually developed additional. The most definitely cause for this lack of change are the occasions of 2020 and the destructive monetary influence it had on the provider. The airline’s oldest 777s are about 13 years previous. Whereas they’re nowhere close to manufacturing unit recent, the 2 jets at this age may most likely function reliably for at the very least a number of extra years – particularly if well-maintained. This may work effectively for the provider, as Boeing remains to be a number of extra years away from the 777X coming into business passenger service. However do you suppose Philippine Airways ought to ultimately replace its 777-300ER fleet to the 777-9? Or ought to it modernize with Airbus A350s as a substitute?
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Technical stops and longer flights
With Philippine Airways rising from the chapter course of at the beginning of 2022 or finish of 2021, the airline ought to have had very favorable circumstances for turning a revenue. Whereas easing border restrictions and pent-up journey demand have helped tremendously, the airline would face a brand new headwind because of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
On April 1st of this yr, Philippine Airways introduced that it could be taking the precautionary measure of avoiding Russian airspace because of considerations associated to the continued Russia-Ukraine battle. The results of this circumvention of airspace ends in a one-hour refueling cease and an general longer routing and journey time over the Pacific. The jets departing New York JFK and Toronto Pearson each visit Vancouver Worldwide Airport to “high up” earlier than the lengthy flight throughout the Pacific. The provider used to fly a fifth freedom service between Vancouver and New York, however this was discontinued in 2018.
Flying east out of Manila, the provider’s PR126 and PR118 providers proceed to function nonstop, from Manila to New York JFK, and nonstop from Manila to Toronto respectively. Attributable to prevailing winds, flights on this route needn’t make a refueling cease with a purpose to keep away from Russian airspace. Philippines media outlet Journal Information notes that the airline “seeks the understanding of passengers for this crucial step, as security and operational integrity stay the cornerstone of PAL operations.” The airline says that it’ll revert to nonstop JFK-MNL and Toronto-MNL providers as quickly as operational points are resolved.
The airline’s Manila to JFK service ranks because the eighth longest route on the planet this October, with a distance of 8,520 miles (13,712 km) and a block time of 16 hours and quarter-hour.
Flying westward, plane departing Toronto and New York should refuel in Vancouver to keep away from Russian airspace. Picture: GCMap.com
So there may be your deep dive into the fleet of Philippine Airways. The provider’s present checklist of long-haul, transcontinental locations is way smaller than different flag carriers, however its very clear that the airline shines in the case of home and regional connectivity, utilizing its fleets of Sprint 8 turboprops and A320 household plane.
Have you ever flown with Philippine Airways earlier than? Share your experiences by leaving a remark.
Sources: Planespotters.web, Aviation Updates, FlightRadar24.com, Journal Information
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