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Philippine Airlines fleet

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For the fleet of PAL Express, see PAL Express § Fleet.

Philippine Airlines is composed of wide-body and narrow-body aircraft from five families (including PAL Express fleet): Airbus A320ceo family, Airbus A321neo, Airbus A330, Airbus A350, and Boeing 777.

Current fleet

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As of September 2024, Philippine Airlines operates the following aircraft:[1][2][3]

Philippine Airlines fleet
Aircraft In service Orders Passengers Notes Refs
J W Y+ Y Total
Airbus A321-200 18 — 12 — 18 169 199 To be retrofitted with in-flight entertainment. [4][5][6][7]
Airbus A321neo 8 13 12 — — 156 168 [8]
183 195 Aircraft in Airbus Cabin Flex (ACF) configuration.
Deliveries postponed indefinitely. 		[9][10][7]
Airbus A330-300 11 — 18 24 — 267 309 [11][12]
— 33 312 363 [13][14]
308 359 [15]
Airbus A350-900 2 — 30 24 — 241 295 [16]
Airbus A350-1000 — 9 42 24 — 314 380 Order with 3 options.
Deliveries start in November 2025.
 [17][18][19]
Boeing 777-300ER 10 — 42 — — 328 370 [20]
26 367 393 Former Garuda Indonesia aircraft retaining their original configuration.
 [21][22]
Total 49 22


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Fleet development

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Airbus A321

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On August 28, 2012, Philippine Airlines ordered 44 Airbus A321s, splitting it between 34 A321ceo and ten A321neo (new engine option) aircraft.[23] Orders for the A321ceo were later reduced to 24. These are utilized for short-haul and medium-haul flights that serve Southeast and East Asia such as Hong Kong, Singapore, Bangkok, and Kuala Lumpur, as well as major domestic destinations including Cebu and Davao. The first A321, equipped with IAE V2500 engines, was delivered on August 7, 2013.[24]

The A321neo were originally scheduled for delivery starting November 2017; however, PAL postponed it to January 2018, and again to May, due to problems with the Pratt & Whitney PW1100G engines.[25] PAL received its first A321neo on June 1, 2018,[26] while the other five A321neos were delivered until December 2018. The remaining fifteen A321neos in the SR variant, on the other hand, will be delivered in the following years.[27] However, PAL only received two A321neo SRs in 2019 as the airline revises its re-fleeting plan.[28]

In August 2021, PAL postponed future deliveries of its A321neo planes to 2026 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its subsequent filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.[9] In September 2024, it further delayed A321neo deliveries indefinitely, opting to instead retrofit its A321ceo aircraft with in-flight entertainment from mid-2025 to 2027.[7]

The first six long-range Airbus A321neos, capable of eight-hour flights, primarily serve the airline's select medium and long-haul routes such as Brisbane, Perth, Port Moresby, and formerly, Sapporo.[29] The SR variants, meanwhile, serve short-haul regional routes in Southeast Asia and other neighboring countries.[27]

Airbus A330

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Philippine Airlines introduced their first Airbus A330-300 on July 30, 1997, with the delivery of the first aircraft, F-OHZM. It later acquired eight Airbus A330-300s as a replacement for their aging Airbus A300B4 fleet. These are primarily deployed in Asia and Oceania routes, as well as flights to Honolulu and Guam,[30] and domestic destinations such as General Santos, Cebu and Davao.

On August 28, 2012, Philippine Airlines ordered 10 new Airbus Airbus A330-300s,[23] but the airline later expanded its orders to 20 on October 1. The airline received its first A330-300 High Gross Variant (HGW)[24] in September 2013. The newer A330s use a pair of Rolls-Royce Trent 700 engines, unlike the older General Electric CF6 engines that powered the earlier A330 fleet. The original fleet of eight A330s were transferred to PAL Express[31] until these were retired on August 31, 2014.[32]

On May 17, 2024, Philippine Airlines signed an agreement with Wamos Air to wet lease two Airbus A330-200s for use on flights to Sydney and Melbourne. These aircraft started operating on June 1, and the agreement was to take effect until October 31.[33] PAL has since extended the lease period to January 2025.[34]

Airbus A350

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On April 29, 2016, Philippine Airlines finalized its firm order of six Airbus A350-900s.[35] The contract firms up a memorandum of understanding announced during the 2016 Singapore Airshow on February 17.[36] It replaced the aging Airbus A340-300s that served North American and Asian destinations.[37]

On July 14, 2018, PAL received its first A350-900.[38] On February 14, 2019, PAL took delivery of their fifth A350 with the iconic Love Bus decal to mark the 40th anniversary of their partnership with Airbus.[39]

The A350-900s, which have a three-class configuration (business, premium economy, and economy), are primarily deployed in the airline's long-haul flights to cities such as New York, Seattle, Toronto, and Vancouver. The A350s are also used in regional Asian flights during peak seasons or when there is high demand in destinations such as Seoul, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Sydney, Singapore, and Tokyo. PAL's A350s have a maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) of 278 tonnes, enabling non-stop Manila-New York flights without payload limitations in either direction, a 7,404-nautical-mile (13,712 km; 8,520 mi) flight which began on October 29, 2018.[40]

On February 15, 2018, Jaime Bautista, then-president of the airline, expressed interested in the larger A350-1000.[41] Five years later, on June 20, 2023, PAL ordered nine A350-1000s with an additional three purchase rights. Deliveries will start from the fourth quarter of 2025 until 2027.[17]

Boeing 777

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On March 12, 2007, Philippine Airlines finalized the purchase agreement with Boeing covering the firm order of two Boeing 777-300ERs. It ordered two more three months later.[42] These are primarily used for long-haul flights to Los Angeles, San Francisco, Vancouver and Toronto. It was also used for service to London and New York City, but was later replaced by the A350-900. They are sometimes deployed in Asian and Australian routes as well if the demand needs it.[43]

In 2009, the airline leased two Boeing 777-300ER to replace the former flagship Boeing 747-400 from GECAS.[44] The first Boeing 777 was delivered to PAL on November 19, 2009.[45] The airline currently has 10 777s in its fleet.[46]

In June 2019, Philippine Airlines planned to acquire the next-generation Boeing 777X to gradually replace their aging Boeing 777 fleet.[47]

Historical fleet

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Historical fleet of Philippine Airlines
Boeing 737-300
Boeing 747-200B
Airbus A300B4
BAC One-Eleven 500
Airbus A340-200
NAMC YS-11
Hawker Siddeley HS 748
Aircraft Total Year Introduced Year Retired Replacement Notes Refs
Airbus A300B4 13 1979 2001 Airbus A330-300 [48]
Airbus A319-100 4 2006 2014 Airbus A320-200
Airbus A321-200
Airbus A320-200 15 1995 2019 Airbus A321-200 Transferred to PAL Express.
Airbus A340-200 4 1996 1999 Airbus A340-300 Leased from AFS. [49][50][37]
Airbus A340-300 4 1996 1997 None Leased from Gulf Air.
4 1997 2014 Boeing 777-300ER
6 2013 2018 Airbus A350-900 Leased from AFS. Ex-Iberia aircraft.
Last A340-300 operator in Asia.
Armstrong Whitworth Argosy C.MK 1 1 1976 1981 None [51]
BAC One-Eleven 400 4 1966 1971 BAC One-Eleven 500
BAC One-Eleven 500 13 1971 1992 Boeing 737 Classic
Beech Model 18 2 1941 Un­known Douglas DC-3
Boeing 707 1 1960 Un­known Douglas DC-8
Boeing 727-100 2 1981 1984 Boeing 737 Classic
Boeing 727-200 2 1979 1981 Boeing 727-100
Boeing 737-300 15 1989 2008 Airbus A320-200 EI-BZG was destroyed by a fuel tank explosion. [52]
Boeing 737-400 3 2000 2007 Airbus A320-200
Boeing 747-200B 9 1979 2001 Boeing 747-400 First four aircraft (N741PR through N744PR) were configured with 14 "Skybed" berths on upper deck until the 1990s. [53][54][55]
Boeing 747-200M 4 1988 1997 EI-BWF was damaged by an explosive as part of a test run for Bojinka plot.
Boeing 747-400 4 1993 2014 Boeing 777-300ER RP-C7471 carried 1992-1998 Philippine president Fidel Valdez Ramos on its delivery flight.
Boeing 747-400M 1 1996 2014 Originally the second 747-400M of Kuwait Airways (registration 9K-ADF), which was cancelled by the intended airline in favor of Boeing 777's.
de Havilland Canada DHC-3 Otter 6 1955 Un­known Un­known Was primarily used for rural services in Mindanao (in-line with former president Magsaysay's policy) due to its STOL capabilities. Several were lost due to accidents. [56][57]
Convair CV-340 Un­known 1950s 1960s Un­known
Douglas DC-3 14 1946 1978 Un­known
Douglas DC-4 41 1946 Un­known Douglas DC-3
Douglas DC-6 2 1946 Un­known Douglas DC-8
Douglas DC-6B 1 1952 Un­known Douglas DC-8
Douglas DC-8 14 1962 1979 Airbus A300
Fokker F27 Friendship 18 1960 1967 Hawker Siddeley HS 748
Fokker 50 11 1988 1999 Airbus A320-200
Hawker Siddeley HS 748 21 1967 1989 Un­known [58]
McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30 6 1974 1996 Boeing 747-200B,
McDonnell Douglas MD-11 		PH-DTC, PH-DTI, and PH-DTK were leased from KLM from 1974 to 1984. [59]
McDonnell Douglas MD-11CF 2 1996 1998 Airbus A340-300
Boeing 747-400 		Leased from World Airways. [60]
McDonnell Douglas MD-11ER 2
NAMC YS-11 12 1972 1985 Un­known Ex-Filipinas Orient Airways aircraft. [61]
Short 360-300 8 1987 1999 Fokker 50 One crashed near to Iligan Airport. [62]
Scottish Aviation Twin Pioneer Un­known Un­known Un­known Un­known
Vickers Viscount 4 1959 Un­known NAMC YS-11A-600

Fleet maintenance

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Aircraft of Philippine Airlines parked next to the maintenance hangars of Lufthansa Technik Philippines

The entire Philippine Airlines fleet of Airbus and Boeing jets were formerly maintained in-house at the PAL Technical Center, which consisted of two hangars. The hangars contained an engine overhaul shop, two engine test cells, and test shops. The responsibility of maintaining the fleet, as well as all the facilities, was subsequently transferred in 2000 to Lufthansa Technik Philippines (LTP), a joint venture of Hamburg-based Lufthansa Technik AG, a leading maintenance provider in aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul, and MacroAsia Corporation, one of the Philippines' leading providers of aviation support services and catering for foreign airlines, owned by Lucio Tan, the majority owner of PAL.[63] LTP currently maintains an eight-bay hangar and workshops occupying 110,000 square meters (1,200,000 sq ft) at Ninoy Aquino International Airport.[63][64]

Currently all A320 including all A321 aircraft that are already delivered and those to be delivered are being maintained by Lufthansa. PAL Express is the budget arm of PAL and has overtaken PAL in 2012 in domestic seats second only to Cebu Pacific (5J).[65]

On May 18, 2018, Philippine Airlines signed a deal with Lufthansa Technik Philippines to maintain its new Airbus jets for 12 years. The deal, which took effect on May 31, is estimated to be worth P13.6 billion ($260 million) during its lifespan.[66]

References

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  1. ^ "PAL Fleet". Philippine Airlines. Retrieved October 7, 2022.
  2. ^ "Orders and deliveries". Airbus. June 16, 2021. Archived from the original on August 20, 2023. Retrieved November 28, 2021.
  3. ^ "Philippine Airlines Fleet Details and History". Planespotters.net. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
  4. ^ "Airbus A321CEO (199-seater International)". Philippine Airlines. Retrieved October 20, 2024.
  5. ^ "PAL Unveils Domestic COMFORT CLASS". Philippine Airlines. Retrieved October 7, 2022.
  6. ^ "Airbus A321CEO (199-seater Domestic)". Philippine Airlines. Retrieved October 20, 2024.
  7. ^ a b c "Philippine Airlines Eyeing 2025 For Next Fleet Decision". Aviation Week. September 24, 2024. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
  8. ^ "Airbus A321NEO Long-range". Philippine Airlines. Retrieved October 20, 2024.
  9. ^ a b Balinbin, Arjay L. (August 24, 2021). "PAL returns 2 planes, postpones new deliveries". BusinessWorld. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
  10. ^ "Airbus A321NEO (195-seater)". Philippine Airlines. Retrieved October 20, 2024.
  11. ^ Camus, Miguel R. (February 19, 2022). "PAL reduces business seats, ditches premium economy". Inquirer. Retrieved February 19, 2022.
  12. ^ "Airbus A330-300 (309-seater tri-class)". Philippine Airlines. Retrieved October 20, 2024.
  13. ^ "Airbus A330-300 (363-Seater Domestic)". Philippine Airlines. Retrieved October 20, 2024.
  14. ^ "Airbus A330-300 (363-seater International)". Philippine Airlines. Retrieved October 20, 2024.
  15. ^ "Airbus A330-300 (359-seater)". Philippine Airlines. Retrieved October 20, 2024.
  16. ^ "Airbus A350-900 (295-seater Tri-Class)". Philippine Airlines. Retrieved October 20, 2024.
  17. ^ a b "Philippine Airlines finalises order for nine A350-1000s". Airbus (Press release). June 20, 2023.
  18. ^ "Philippine Airlines selects A350-1000 for future long haul fleet". www.philippineairlines.com. Archived from the original on May 11, 2023. Retrieved May 10, 2023.
  19. ^ Kaminski-Morrow, David (June 20, 2023). "Philippine Airlines to fit 10-abreast seating on A350-1000s". FlightGlobal. Retrieved March 13, 2024.
  20. ^ "B777-300ER (370-seater)". Philippine Airlines. Retrieved October 20, 2024.
  21. ^ Liu, Jim. "Philippine Airlines Schedules 393-seater Boeing 777 Vancouver Flights in NS24". AeroRoutes. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
  22. ^ "B777-300ER (393-seater)". Philippine Airlines. Retrieved October 20, 2024.
  23. ^ a b Visconti, Katherine (August 28, 2012). "PAL orders 54 Airbus aircraft worth $7B". Rappler. Archived from the original on August 30, 2012. Retrieved January 12, 2013.
  24. ^ a b Wilson, Darryl (August 2013). "Philippine Airlines Accepts Delivery of First A321". Philippine Flight Network. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
  25. ^ Delavin, Imee Charlee C. (June 16, 2017). "PAL defers delivery of A321NEO planes". BusinessWorld. Archived from the original on June 15, 2017. Retrieved May 24, 2018.
  26. ^ Lumawag, Reuel John F. (June 3, 2018). "PAL receives first A321neo". Sunstar. Retrieved August 30, 2021.
  27. ^ a b Valdez, Denise A. (September 2, 2019). "Philippine Airlines' A321neo SR to be used for regional flights". BusinessWorld. Retrieved October 30, 2019.
  28. ^ "Philippine Airlines to take delivery 6 aircraft in 2019". www.philstar.com. Retrieved April 9, 2019.
  29. ^ "PAL sustains 4-Star rating with major projects". Philippine Airlines. Archived from the original on May 23, 2018. Retrieved May 24, 2018.
  30. ^ "Philippine Airlines adds A330 Guam service in W18". Routes. Archived from the original on September 28, 2018. Retrieved September 28, 2018.
  31. ^ Wilson, Darryl (September 2013). "Philippine Airlines Accepts Delivery of First New A330 Long Haul Aircraft". Philippine Flight Network. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
  32. ^ "Philippine Airlines Permanently Retires Classic Airbus A330 Fleet". Philippine Flight Network. September 2014. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
  33. ^ Yalao, Khriscielle E. (May 17, 2024). "PAL, European charter airline ink lease deal". Manila Bulletin. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
  34. ^ Liu, Jim (September 5, 2024). "Philippine Airlines Extends Wamos Air A330 Service into early-2025". AeroRoutes. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
  35. ^ "PAL finalizes purchase of 6 Airbus fleet". The Philippine Star. April 29, 2016. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
  36. ^ Lucas, Daxim L. (February 18, 2016). "PAL orders six Airbus A350s in $1.8-B deal". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
  37. ^ a b "A340 fleet: last Asian operator, Philippine Airlines, bows out". CAPA - Centre for Aviation. Archived from the original on March 13, 2024. Retrieved October 10, 2018.
  38. ^ "PICTURES: Philippine Airlines receives first A350-900". Flightglobal.com. July 14, 2018. Retrieved July 14, 2018.
  39. ^ "PAL's 5th A350: 'The Love Bus'". Philippine Airlines. Archived from the original on April 21, 2019. Retrieved January 27, 2019.
  40. ^ "PAL inaugurates non-stop New York to Manila flights". usa.inquirer.net. Retrieved November 12, 2018.
  41. ^ Dela Paz, Chrisee (February 15, 2018). "PAL eyes Airbus A350-1000 as plane marks 1st touchdown in Manila". Rappler. Archived from the original on March 13, 2024. Retrieved August 10, 2021.
  42. ^ "Philippine Airlines orders more Boeing 777-300ERs". Centre for Aviation. June 7, 2007. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
  43. ^ "Philippine Airlines launches B777". Buying Business Travel. Archived from the original on October 2, 2017. Retrieved October 2, 2017.
  44. ^ "Boeing delivers first 777 to PAL". Australian Aviation. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
  45. ^ "PAL takes delivery of RP's first Boeing 777". The Philippine Star. November 20, 2009. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
  46. ^ "Philippine Airlines receives 10th Boeing 777-300ER from Aviation PLC". Travel Daily Media. December 19, 2017. Retrieved May 7, 2018.
  47. ^ Mercurio, Richmond (June 6, 2019). "PAL eyes new Boeing aircraft". The Philippine Star. Retrieved March 13, 2024.
  48. ^ "Philippine Airlines Fleet of A300 (History) | Airfleets aviation". www.airfleets.net. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  49. ^ "Philippine Airlines Fleet of A340 (History) | Airfleets aviation". www.airfleets.net. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  50. ^ "Philippine Airlines A340 (RP-C3438)".
  51. ^ "Will Philippine Airlines ever bring back the PAL Freighter?". AIRTRAVELLER PH. May 10, 2021. Retrieved October 20, 2021.
  52. ^ "Philippine Airlines Fleet of B737 (History) | Airfleets aviation". www.airfleets.net. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  53. ^ The Flight Detective (March 12, 2022). "Wait, what?! Philippine Airlines had actual beds upstairs on the Boeing 747?". TravelUpdate.
  54. ^ "Philippine Airlines Fleet of B747 (History) | Airfleets aviation". www.airfleets.net. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  55. ^ "Philippine Airlines lays off 150 crew, ends 3 plane leases". Philippine Daily Inquirer. December 29, 2001. p. 30.
  56. ^ "THE PHILIPPINE AIRLINES DE HAVILLAND DHC-3 OTTER". Facebook. Mond Aviation Shop. November 1, 2021.
  57. ^ goriob2010 (September 12, 2013). "1955 0706 PAL DHC-3 Otter Mindanao Rural Service". Flickr. Philippine Herald.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  58. ^ Philippine Airlines HS 748 airframe list on rzjets
  59. ^ "Philippine Airlines Fleet of DC10 (History) | Airfleets aviation". www.airfleets.net. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  60. ^ "Philippine Airlines Fleet of MD11 (History) | Airfleets aviation". www.airfleets.net. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  61. ^ Philippine Airlines NAMC YS-11 airframe list on rzjets
  62. ^ Philippine Airlines SD3-60 airframe list on rzjets
  63. ^ a b "Key Facts - Lufthansa Technik Philippines". www.lht-philippines.com. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  64. ^ "Facility - Lufthansa Technik Philippines". www.lht-philippines.com. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  65. ^ Lufthansa Technik Philippines, archived from the original on June 22, 2008, retrieved April 22, 2008
  66. ^ "Philippine Airlines taps Lufthansa Technik for Airbus maintenance". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved May 24, 2018.
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