Information about Philippine Airlines

Philippine Airlines
IATA PR	ICAO PAL	Callsign PHILIPPINE
Founded		1941
Hubs		Ninoy Aquino International Airport Mactan-Cebu International Airport
Frequent flyer program		Mabuhay Miles
Member lounge		Mabuhay Lounges
Fleet size		36 (+ 15 orders, 2 leases)
Destinations		42
Parent company		Philippine Airlines (PAL) Holdings Inc.
Company slogan		It's about experience
Headquarters		Makati City, Philippines
Key people		Lucio C. Tan (Chairman and CEO) Mariano C. Tanenglian (Vice-Chairman) Jaime J. Bautista (President and COO) Gabriel C. Singson (Chairman Emeritus)
Website: [1]

Philippine Airlines, also known historically as Philippine Air Lines (PAL), is the national airline of the Philippines.^[1] It is the first commercial airline in Asia and the oldest of those currently in operation. Its parent company is Philippine Airlines Holdings Inc. (formerly Baguio Gold) with corporate headquarters in Makati City. The airline flies to twenty domestic airports and thirty foreign cities in three continents.^[2] Its primary hub is Manila's Ninoy Aquino International Airport between the city of Pasay and the city of Parañaque with a secondary hub at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport. It has been awarded a 3-star rating by Skytrax.^[3]

Corporate Information

Philippine Airlines, Inc. was ranked 13th Largest Corporation in the Philippines in Revenue and 21st biggest in Assets in the Philippines' Top 500 Largest Corporations of 2005. As of January 2005, PAL employs a total of 7,322 regular employees, included in the total are 450 pilots and 1300 cabin crew.^[4] In 2006, the airline ranked 61st in the world in terms of revenue passenger kilometers (RPKs), with over 16 million flown for 21 million available seat kilometers, an average load factor of 76 percent.^[5] During the last fiscal year that ended on March 31, 2007, Philippine Airlines reported a net income of US$140.3 million, the largest profit in its 66-year history. In 2006, the airline reported profits of US$28.7 Million, the first time since 1993 that the airline had a surplus exceeding US$20 million, when it booked US$40.5 million. In 2007, the airline announced that it plans to move out of a receivership program it entered in 1998 by October 2007. And on October 4, 2007, The airline finally exits receivership as approved by Philippines' Securities and Exchange Commission. The exit of receivership opens doors for lower financing costs, improved financing terms and better access to capital markets. PAL is forecasting net profit to reach $32.32 million for the fiscal year to March 2008, $26.28 million for fiscal 2009 and $47.41 million in 2010.

Major Facilities and Services

PAL Center
The PAL Center Building is the corporate headquarters of PAL located at Legazpi Village, Makati City. On February 21 2007 it was announced that Lucio Tan's property subsidiary Eton Properties Philippines Inc. would redevelop the PAL Center into Eton Greenbelt Residences, a luxury high-rise condominium tower. Administrative, backroom operations as well as ticketing and front-line services would be transferred to various buildings in Makati and at the PNB Building in D. Macapagal Avenue and as well as the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3.^[6]

PAL Aviation School
Located at Clark Field, Pampanga, the aviation school of PAL provides flight training for its own operations and as well as for other airlines, the Philippine government and individual students. It currently operates 5 Cessna 172Rs and a Piper Seminole for student pilots' training with complete training facilities including simulators for B737-300 and turboprop aircraft. The school has graduated more than 5,000 students for PAL and other customers.

PAL Cargo and Airport Services
Based in NAIA-Terminal 2 and PAL International Cargo Terminal Complex, PAL's Airport Services offers ground handling for seven International Airlines calling at Manila, while Philippine Airlines Cargo processes and ships an average of 200 tons of Manila publications and 2 tons of mail daily throughout the country and 368 tons of cargo abroad daily.

PAL Data Center
Located at Nichols, Pasay City, the Data Center is the headquarters of the airline's Information Systems Department, Communications Engineering and IT hub. The Data Center is the core center of the Philippine Airlines' network, which has one of the most extensive computer systems and radio communications networks in the Philippines.

PAL Flight Simulator
Located at the Maintenance Base Complex, Nichols, Pasay City, the B737-300 simulator can duplicate all flight conditions complete with sound and visual system capability for day, dusk and night.

PAL Inflight Center
Established in 1979, the Inflight Center is the site of fully equipped in-flight kitchens and catering center of Philippine Airlines which also offer catering services for four International Airlines calling at Manila (China Airlines, Japan Airlines, Korean Air and Northwest Airlines), with an uplift of 6,500 meals daily.

PAL Learning Center
It is the center for corporate integrated training center for flight deck crew, cabin crew, catering, technical, ticketing and ground personnel. The center is located at Padre Faura Street, Manila.

History

1940s-1950s

Philippine Airlines was founded on February 26, 1941, making it Asia's oldest carrier still operating under its current name. The airline was started by a group of businessmen led by Andres Soriano, hailed as one of the Philippines' leading industrialists at the time, who served as the General Manager, and former Senator Ramon Fernandez as Chairman and President. Government investment in September of the same year paved the way for its nationalization.

The airline’s first flight took place on March 15, 1941 with a single Beech Model 18 NPC-54 aircraft, which started its daily services between Manila (from Nielson Field) and Baguio.^[7] On July 22, the airline acquired the franchise of the Philippine Aerial Taxi Company. PAL services were interrupted during World War II, which lasted in the Philippines from 1942 to 1945. Upon the outbreak of the Pacific war on December 8 1941, the two Model 18s and their pilots were pressed into military service. They were used to evacuate American fighter pilots to Australia until one was shot down over Mindanao and the other was destroyed on the ground in an air raid on Surabaya, Indonesia.

On February 14 1946, PAL resumed operations after a five-year hiatus with services to 15 domestic points with five Douglas DC-3s and a payroll of 108 names. Philippine Airlines returned to its original home, the Nielsen Airport in Makati. The airport, heavily damaged during the war, was refurbished and modernized by PAL at a hefty cost of over PHP1 million. Nielsen soon became the premier airport in the country and was designated by the Philippine government as the official port of entry for all international flights. It had two runways of 7,000 feet (2,133 meters) and 4,000 feet (1,219 meters) length. The airport's first passenger terminal was a temporary one built around huts and later upgraded to a concrete structure. Nielsen Airport was operated by Manila International Air Terminal, Inc., a wholly owned PAL subsidiary.

On July 31 of the same year, PAL the first Asian airline to cross the Pacific Ocean, when a chartered DC-4 ferried 40 American servicemen to Oakland, California from Makati City with stops in Guam, Wake Island, Johnston Atoll and Honolulu.<ref name="MilestonePAL" /> A regular service between Manila and San Francisco was started in December the same year.<ref name="MilestonePAL" /> It was during this time that the airline was designated as the country’s flag carrier.^[8]

A year later saw PAL head to Europe with the acquisition of more Douglas DC-4's.<ref name="MilestonePAL" /> By 1948 PAL had absorbed the only other scheduled airlines, Far Eastern Air Transport and Commercial Air lines.^[9] Following the government's decision to make Nichols Field in Pasay City, the site of a former U.S. Air Force base, the new Manila International Airport (MIA), PAL was required to move its base of operations and passenger terminal there from Nielsen Airport. The transfer was accomplished over a five-month period from January 31 to June 28, 1948. PAL invested an additional PHP600,000 in ground installations and improvements to Nichols Field. The airport's international runway and associated taxiway were built in 1953.

In 1951, PAL leased a DC-3 named Kinsei to Japan Airlines, which led to the founding of the country's own national airline. In 1954, the Philippine government suspended all long-haul international flights, only to resume five years later, when the government decided that it was a matter of national policy. In three years, PAL started services to Hong Kong, Bangkok, and Taipei using Convair 340s that would later be replaced by the Vickers Viscount 784, which bought the airline into the turboprop age.

1960s-1980s

In the 1960s, PAL entered the jet age, initially with a lone Boeing 707, that was later replaced with Douglas DC-8 aircraft leased from KLM. The aircraft were used for long-haul international flights to Europe and the United States. The DC-3 remained the mainstay of the domestic services as it expanded to a total of 72 points as airports were improved or opened, but most of the airline's rural air service was later stopped in May 1964. In May 1966, PAL started its first domestic turbojet services to the Cebu, Bacolod, and Davao using the BAC1-11. PAL was privatized in May 1966, when the Philippine government relinquished its share of PAL after Benigno Toda, Jr., the PAL board chairman from 1962, acquired a majority stake in the airline.<ref name="MilestonePAL" />

When President Ferdinand Marcos declared Martial Law, he implemented a one-airline policy. PAL was the lone surviving airline, absorbing Air Manila and Filipinas Orient Airways. On March 10, 1973 PAL was designated as the national flag carrier again.^[9] PAL continued expansion with the arrival of its first Douglas DC-10 in July 1974. Three years later, the Philippine government re-nationalized PAL, with the Government Service Insurance System holding a majority of PAL shares. In 1979, the Boeing 727 trijet, the Boeing 747-200, and the Airbus A300B4, dubbed the "Love Bus", joined the PAL fleet.<ref name="MilestonePAL" />

Between the years 1979-1981, as part of a comprehensive modernization program, PAL built a series of mammoth aviation-related facilities around the periphery of the MIA. These included:

• The PAL Technical Center (PTC) at the Balagbag area, consisting of two hangars under one roof, an engine overhaul shop, two engine test cells and test shops. The PTC's total area of 291,472 square meters is equivalent to a fair-sized subdivision.
• The PAL Inflight Center along MIA Road contains a fully equipped inflight kitchen capable of producing 9,000 meals daily.
• The PAL Data Center along Domestic Road is the core of the most extensive computer system and the largest communications network in the Philippines.
• The PAL Aviation School at the Maintenance Base Complex has complete flight deck and cabin-crew training facilities, including simulators for B737-300 and turboprop aircraft.

On April 2 1982, a PAL Boeing 747 arriving from San Francisco via Honolulu became the first aircraft to dock at the new international terminal in Parañaque. The new PHP800 million terminal, located some two kilometers from the old terminal, had 17 air-bridges and a capacity of 4.3 million passengers annually. PAL's facilities at the new MIA covered more than 1 million square feet and catered not only to the national flag carrier but also to many foreign airlines calling at Manila. PAL would later strengthen its cargo-handling capability by building a dedicated cargo terminal building adjacent to the MIA passenger terminal and installing cargo-refrigeration equipment in 1983. The new facilities, which catered mainly to international cargo services, enabled PAL to become a fully equipped cargo handler.

Following the "EDSA Revolution" in February 1986, Dante G. Santos became PAL president. He launched a massive modernization of the domestic fleet with the acquisition of the Shorts SD360 "Sunriser" in May 1987, the Fokker 50 in August 1988 and the Boeing 737-300 jet in August 1989.<ref name="MilestonePAL" />

In 1988, as the Manila domestic passenger terminal outgrew its capacity and ramp aircraft parking space became more scarce, PAL leased the hangar of the Philippine Aerospace Development Corp. and converted it into the PAL Domestic Terminal 2. The terminal, which opened in October 1988, served exclusively passengers of the airline's widebody Airbus A300 services. These were the flights bound for Cebu and Davao (General Santos and Puerto Princesa were added later on). At the same time, PAL also expanded and improved the Manila domestic terminal. The opening of the new facility cleared out the old terminal and provided greater convenience to passengers.

1990s

PAL was privatized again in January 1992, when the government sold a 67% share of PAL to a holding company called PR Holdings. However, a conflict as to who would lead PAL led to a compromise in 1993, when former Education Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez was elected PAL president by the airline's board of directors. The BAC 1-11s were retired in May 1992, following completion of the deliveries of B737s, and the Shorts SD360s in September. In November 1993, PAL acquired its first Boeing 747-400. The new aircraft arrived at Subic Bay International Airport and was carrying then-President Fidel V. Ramos, who was headed home from the United States after an official visit.<ref name="MilestonePAL" /> The 200-ton aircraft, the world's largest and most popular long-range aircraft continues to be the mainstay of PAL's Trans-Pacific services and its flagship aircraft. A new service between Manila and Osaka, launched in 1994, brought to 34 the number of points in PAL's international route network.

In 1995, The PAL Domestic Terminal 2 was given a new look. A number of facilities were added or improved, including a renovated Mabuhay Lounge, an exclusive check-in counter for Mabuhay Class passengers, an Express Counter, refreshment bar, a medical clinic, an expansive waiting lounge and two baggage carousels in the arrival section. The PAL facilities at the Manila domestic terminal and the NAIA were also renovated. The total cost for the domestic terminal (1 and 2) renovations reached PHP33.15 million while the NAIA enhancements totaled PHP125 million.

In January 1995, Lucio C. Tan, the majority shareholder of PR Holdings, became the new chairman and CEO of the airline.<ref name="MilestonePAL" /> The delivery of the carrier's fourth B747-400 in April 1996 signaled the start of an ambitious US$4 billion modernization and re-fleeting program that aimed to make PAL one of Asia's best airlines within three years. The centerpiece of the program was the acquisition of 36-state-of-the-art aircraft from manufacturers Airbus Industries and Boeing Co. from 1996 to 1999. The re-fleeting sought to give PAL the distinction of having the youngest fleet in Asia and allow the expansion of its domestic and international route network. The 36-Aircraft Orders of PAL Re-fleeting Program of 1996 comprised of eight (8) Boeing 747-400, four (4) Airbus 340-300, eight (8) Airbus 330-300 and twelve (12) Airbus 320-200.

In 1997, PAL was relaunched as "Asia's sunniest" airline to cap its new marketing and advertising thrust. The modernization reached its peak in the year 1997 with the introduction of the three new Airbus aircraft - the A340 series 300, and series 200, A330-300 and A320-200, the first in the world to operate the full range of new-generation Airbus aircraft.^[10] These new aircraft will be used for the all-jet operation of the international, regional and domestic routes service. Aside from the acquisition of new aircraft, the airline also started a route to the Newark Liberty Airport in New Jersey via Vancouver, among others. But, this made the airline financially disabled, as it acquired too many types and number of aircraft and matched them to unprofitable routes. The refleeting program was about halfway through when the full impact of the Asian financial crisis struck the airline industry early in 1998. By 31 March, the end of the fiscal year, PAL had reported its largest annual loss of PHP8.08 billion.

The airline's financial difficulties were compounded by a series of labor disputes that began when the pilots' union staged a three-week strike in June 1998. This was followed by a strike by the ground personnel union on 22 July. This ended four days later with the signing of a deal between the union and management. But PAL's financial troubles continued to take their toll and on June 19 1998, the company filed for receivership with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which then appointed a committee to oversee the rehabilitation of the flag carrier. Services to Europe, under the helm of General Manager Heinz van Opstal, were dismissed and many European offices were soon forced to close down. The airline downsized its operations as the Asian financial crisis dragged the region's once-vibrant economies into recession in 1998. The fleet was reduced from 53 to 22 aircraft, many domestic and international routes were discontinued, and the work force was reduced. Another dispute between the airline’s owners and the employee’s union shut the airline’s operations on September 23 1998^[11]. Cathay Pacific temporarily took over the operations of both domestic and international routes left by PAL^[12]. Cathay Pacific also showed interest in acquiring 40 percent stake of PAL during this period but no agreement was reached^[13]. After an agreement, reported to be facilitated by then-President Joseph Estrada, PAL flew once again on October 7 1998 with services to 15 domestic points out of Manila. On October 29, the flag carrier resumed international services with a flight to Los Angeles and San Francisco with other international services being restored three weeks later.^[9] Asian services resumed on November 11 with flights to Tokyo and Hong Kong. PAL gradually expanded its network over the next two months, restoring services to Taipei, Singapore, Fukuoka, Osaka (via Cebu), Dhahran, Riyadh and Seoul. With the aviation industry still in the doldrums, PAL continued to search for a strategic partner but in the end, it submitted a "stand alone" rehabilitation plan to the SEC on December 7, 1998. The plan provides a sound basis for the airline to undertake a recovery on its own while keeping the door open to the entry of a strategic partner in the future. PAL presented the new proposed rehabilitation plan to its major creditors during a two-week marathon meeting that started on February 15 in Washington D.C. and ended on March 1 in Hong Kong.

In 1999, PAL submitted its amended rehabilitation plan to the Securities and Exchange Commission that comprised a revised business plan and a revised financial restructuring plan. The plan also required the infusion of US$200 million in new equity, with 40% to 60% coming from financial investors and translating to no less than 90% ownership of PAL.

In the same year, With the unprecedented boom in air travel, the NAIA and the two domestic terminals soon became inadequate to serve the millions of travelers using them. Even the constant improvements to these facilities were not enough. This impelled the government to build the Centennial Terminal 2 of the NAIA at the site of the old MIA. On August 9, 1999, PAL became the first airline to use the PHP5.3 billion terminal by moving selected domestic flights there. Full domestic operations began on August 10, while international services followed soon after, thus consolidating PAL's flight operations in one terminal for the first time.

2000s

In 2000, PAL finally returned to profitability, making some PHP44.2 million in its first year of rehabilitation, breaking some six years of heavy losses. On September 1, 2000, PAL formally handed over its ownership of its maintenance and engineering division to German-led joint venture Lufthansa Technik Philippines (LTP), the world's largest provider of aircraft maintenance services in accordance with the provisions of its rehabilitation plan, which mandates the disposal of the airline's non-core assets.<ref name="MilestonePAL" /> In August of the same year, PAL opened an e-mail booking facility. In 2001, PAL continued to gain a net profit of PHP419 million in its second year of rehabilitation. In this year alone, PAL restored services to Sydney, Busan, Taipei , Jakarta, Vancouver, Ho Chi Minh City, and Bangkok, while launching new services to Shanghai and Melbourne. A year later, PAL restored services to Tagbilaran and Guam.

PAL's Mabuhay Miles frequent flyer program was launched in 2002, combining PAL's former frequent flyer programs, PALSmiles, Mabuhay Club, and the Flying Sportsman (now SportsPlus) all into one. The PAL RHUSH (Rapid Handling of Urgent Shipments) Cargo service was also re-launched during the same year. An online arrival and departure facility and a new booking system were launched in 2003. In December, PAL also acquired a fifth Boeing 747-400.

In 2004, PAL launched services to Las Vegas to mark its 63rd year of service. PAL also returned to Laoag and started services to Macau on an agreement with Air Macau. The airline also saw a return to Europe with the return of the airline to Paris and Amsterdam^[14] on agreements with Air France and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines. The service to Paris, however, was inevitably cut, due to the merger between Air France and KLM. PAL also continued an overhaul of its fleet with the arrival of two new Airbus A320s and continued modernizing its ticketing systems with the launch of electronic ticketing. For the first time in history, the airline flew President-elect Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Vice-President-elect Noli de Castro to their inauguration in Cebu City. Arroyo rode a chartered PAL Airbus A330-300, while de Castro was aboard a separate Airbus A320, should something happen to the President's aircraft.

In March 2005, PAL started services to Nagoya and restored scheduled flights to Beijing after a 15-year hiatus. In response to rival Cebu Pacific's increasing domestic market share, mainly due to its massive re-fleeting program^[15] and the its own aging Boeing 737 fleet, PAL signed an agreement for the purchase and lease of up to 18 brand-new Airbus A319s and A320s from Airbus and GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS) on December 6, 2005.

The first of brand-new GECAS-leased Airbus 319s was delivered and inaugurated by PAL and Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in October 20, 2007. It is the first aircraft in the airline's history to offer AVOD-capable inflight entertainment. In November, the airline was recognized by the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA) for its strategic contribution to the aviation industry through a significant transformation by successfully restructuring its operations through innovative cost-cutting measures resulting in operating profits by awarding it the Airline Turnaround of the Year 2006 at 4th Annual CAPA Aviation Awards for Excellence.^[16] On December 6, the airline signed a deal with Boeing in Honolulu for the purchase of 2 Boeing 777-300ER to be delivered in 2009, with an option to purchase 2 more planes in 2011. PAL also signed a separate order with GECAS to lease another 2 Boeing 777-300ER for Delivery in 2010.^[17][18]

On February 2007, PAL became the country's only airline to be meet the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA). IOSA is the first global standard for airline operational safety auditing.^[19]

On June 27, 2007, PAL announced its interest in opening a new hub in Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) by committing a US$50 million investment on airport infrastructure and planning on operating from the DMIA to Korea, Japan and China. The future PAL terminal in DMIA will be ready to accommodate the Airbus A380. Construction starts around some time in January 2008.^[20]

On July, 2007, PAL announced that they have purchased 2 new aircraft from Air Philippines, The 2 Dash 8-300 aircraft will be placed on routes to Caticlan's Godofredo P. Ramos Airport, the primary entry point to Boracay Island.^[20]

On October 4, 2007, State regulator Securities and Exchange Commission of the Philippines on Thursday ordered the release of flag carrier Philippine Airlines from receivership. This move came nine years after coming within a day of being liquidated amid mounting bills due to the Asian financial crisis of 1997. Moments after PAL’s formal exit from the rehabilitation, Bautista announced plans to attract foreign investments for PAL, announcing an International "Road Show" to tour PAL around Asia, Europe and North America. ^[21]

Destinations

Further information: Philippine Airlines destinations

Internationally, Philippine Airlines mainly flies within the Asia-Pacific region with destinations in the United States and Canada often heavily marketed. PAL flies daily to over 24 international destinations including Manila. PAL also has an extensive domestic network offering multiple flights a day between Manila and selected Philippine cities.

Historically, PAL used to fly to destinations such as New York, Europe and the Middle East, however due to financial difficulties and high fuel prices, PAL was forced to relinquish services to these areas (although PAL maintains some code-share agreements with carriers to continue services to these places). After rehabilitation, PAL flew to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia but had to suspend flights to the city due to an oversupply of seats, intense competition by Arab carriers and high fuel prices.^[22] In the future, PAL has expressed interest in increasing its frequencies to Canada and China and introducing flights to India, Europe, Cambodia, Nepal, Myanmar, New Zealand, Seattle, San Diego and New York City.^[23][24] On July 27, 2007, the airline signed a memorandum of understanding that opens the way for the introduction of flights to the southwestern Chinese metropolis of Chongqing, using the Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport.^[25] Flights to Caticlan's Godofredo P. Ramos Airport, the primary entry point to Boracay Island, are being finalized with the acquisition of 2 Bombardier DHC-8 Q300s expected to be delivered by November 2007. ^[20]

Electronic Ticketing

In 2004, Philippine Airlines introduced the electronic ticket (or e-ticket) on flights between Manila and Cebu. This makes it possible for passengers to travel without physically having a ticket and thus eliminating the hassle of replacing lost or stolen tickets. It is offered on all PAL-operated domestic and International flights. PAL completed its e-ticketing network on May 17, 2007 ahead of the End of 2007 deadline for 100% ET set by IATA.

Codeshare Agreements and Flights

Philippine Airlines Codeshare Agreements as of October 1, 2007 ^[27]

Airline	Destination
Air Macau	Manila-Macau[28]
Air Philippines<ref name="PALCodeShare" />
Cathay Pacific	Cebu-Hong Kong
Emirates	Manila-Dubai
Etihad Airways	Manila-Abu Dhabi[29]
Garuda Indonesia	Singapore-Jakarta
Gulf Air	Manila-Bahrain
Malaysia Airlines	Manila-Kuala Lumpur Manila-Kota Kinabalu Cebu-Kuala Lumpur Cebu-Kota Kinabalu
Royal Brunei	Manila-Bandar Seri Begawan[30]
Qatar Airways	Manila-Doha[31]
Vietnam Airlines	Manila-Ho Chi Minh[32]

Fleet

Philippine Airlines currently operates a total fleet of thirty-six modern widebodied and narrowbodied passenger aircraft. As of 1 August 2007, the average age of aircraft in the fleet is 8 years. Philippine Airlines is the world's fifth youngest operator of the Airbus A319-100, with a fleet age of 0.6 years.

Philippine Airlines Fleet

Aircraft	Total in service	First Class	Mabuhay Class (Business)	Fiesta Class (Economy)	Total seats	Routes	Notes
Airbus A319-100	4	N/A	8	126	134	Domestic, Intra-Asia	RP-C8600,RP-C8601,RP-C8602,RP-C8603 (lsd new GECAS)
Airbus A320-200	14	N/A	12 N/A 12 12	131 150 138 144	143 150 150 156	Domestic, Intra-Asia	RP-C3221,RP-C3223,RP-C3224 RP-C3225,RP-C3226,RP-C3227,RP-C3228,RP-C3229,RP-C3230,RP-C3231 (lsd GECAS) RP-C8604,RP-C8605 (lsd new GECAS) RP-C8606,RP-C8607
Airbus A330-300	8	N/A	42	260	302	Domestic, Intra-Asia, Australia	F-OHZM,F-OHZN,F-OHZO,F-OHZP,F-OHZQ,F-OHZR,F-OHZS,F-OHZT
Airbus A340-300	4	12	32	220	264	Domestic, Intra-Asia, Transpacific	F-OHPJ,F-OHPK,F-OHPL,F-OHPM,
Boeing 737-300	1	N/A	N/A 12	148 114	148 126	Domestic	RP-C4007 (To be phased out by the end of October 2007.)
Boeing 747-400	4	18	32	383	433	Domestic, Intra-Asia, Transpacific	N751PR,N752PR,N753PR RP-C8168 (lsd GECAS; used to be owned by Air Canada)
Boeing 747-400M	1	32	40	326	398	Domestic, Intra-Asia, Transpacific	N754PR (used to be owned by Kuwait Airways, hence it has PTVs in each seatback as well as Arabic signs)

Future Fleet

In May 2006, Philippine Airlines announced its medium-term fleet plan, covering fiscal years 2006 to 2011. The plan aims to increase and/or replace the current fleet with new additional aircraft for a complete fleet of 43 wide and narrow bodied aircraft at the culmination of the re-fleeting and expansion program. A major overhaul of the narrow-bodied fleet includes the phase out all remaining Boeing 737 aircraft by October 2007, maintaining instead a fleet of 20 brand-new Airbus A320-family aircraft from 2008 onwards. The wide-bodied fleet plan also looks to increase the current medium-haul fleet of eight Airbus A330 with two additional mid-range aircraft between 2007 and 2009, and the long-haul fleet of five Boeing 747 and four Airbus A340 with six additional long-range aircraft between 2007 and 2011.

On December 6, 2006, PAL signed an agreement with Boeing for two 777-300ER airplanes, with a purchase agreement for two more aircraft. A separate agreement to lease two Boeing 777-300ERs from General Electric Capital Aviation Services (GECAS) was signed as well. Deliveries will start in 2009. In May 2007, the airline exercised the rights for the two extra 777 Aircraft for delivery in 2011.^[17][18]

On July 2, 2007, PAL purchased 2 of the 3 Bombardier De Havilland Canada Dash 8 Q300s ordered by its subsidiary Air Philippines for delivery on November the same year. This move was caused by competition among Philippine carriers to service flights to the tropical island of Boracay.

With PAL’s exit from the rehabilitation and receivership, and the successful route-proving landing of the Airbus A380 MSN009 test aircraft at Manila's Ninoy Aquino International Airport and Clark's Diosdado Macapagal International Airport last 11 and 12 October 2007 respectively, PAL is strongly believed to purchase its own share of A380s in the future, only after the delivery of its six Boeing 777-300ERs and remaining Airbus A320 orders. However, this is yet to be confirmed.

Philippine Airlines has also shown interest in acquiring future generation aircraft such as the Airbus A350, Boeing 747-8 and the Boeing 787.

Aircraft on Order

Aircraft Type	Model Series	Number of Orders	Delivery Year
Airbus A319	Airbus A319-100	3 Lease	November 2007
Airbus A320	Airbus A320-200	9 Orders 5 Options	2007 - 2012
Boeing 777	Boeing 777-300ER	4 Orders 2 Lease	2009 - 2011
Bombardier De Havilland Canada Dash 8 Q300	Bombardier Bombardier DHC-8 Q300	2 Orders	2007-2008

Former Fleet

List of aircraft that Philippine Airlines and its predecessor companies flew in past.

Airbus A300B4 Airbus A340-200 BAC One-Eleven Series 400 BAC One-Eleven Series 500 Beech Model 17 Beech Model 18 Boeing 707 Boeing 727-100 Boeing 737-400 Boeing 747-200 Convair 340 De Havilland DHC-3 Otter Douglas DC-3 Douglas DC-4

Douglas DC-6 Douglas DC-8 McDonnell Douglas DC-10 Fokker 27 Fokker 50 Hiller UH-12 Hawker Siddeley 748 McDonnell Douglas MD-11 Noorduyn Norseman C-64 Scottish Aviation Twin Pioneer II Shorts SD360 Vickers Viscount 784 YS-11

Fleet Maintenance

The entire Philippine Airlines fleet of Airbus and Boeing jets are maintained by Lufthansa Technik Philippines or LTP. LTP is a joint venture of Hanburg-based Lufthansa Technik AG and Macro Asia Corporation of PAL majority-owner Lucio Tan and using the Balagbag hangar formerly owned and operated by PAL. The Lufthansa Technik Group is the global leader in aircraft maintenance, repair, overhaul with 30 subsidiaries worldwide. Macro Asia Corporation is one of the Philippines' leading providers of aviation support services and catering for foreign airlines.

Brand

Livery and Logo

The Philippine Airlines logo is inspired by the colors and design of the flag of the Philippines and consists of a blue and a red triangle, with an eight-rayed, orange-yellow sun imposed on the blue triangle, which was added in 1986, when the airline adopted its current corporate identity.

The name "Philippines" marks the forward portion of the classic eurowhite fuselage, while the vertical stabilizer is painted with the logo and the Philippine flag is visible near the rear of the aircraft. The airline originally intended to put only "Philippines" instead of Philippine Airlines because of its status as the country's flag carrier, but this has confused many people. PAL aircraft used for presidential-chartered flights for international head-of-state meetings have been also mistaken as the Philippine "Air Force One," due to the sole use of the word "Philippines." These flights are designated as PR 001.

Slogans and Advertising

• Mabuhay
• Asia's First Airline
• Welcome Aboard the Philippines
• Shining Through
• 1987 Advertisement
• 1987 Advertisement
• Cebu Advertisement
• 1992 Advertisement
• On the Wings of Change
• Asia's Sunniest
• With You All the Way
• It's About Experience - is the current tagline of the airline and was introduced after its 60th Anniversary. It attempts to highlight the fact that PAL is the first and longest-serving airline in Asia under its original name. The slogan was also used in the airline's ad spot featuring Kevyn Lettau, which incidentally featured her song, "Sunlight."
• Love at 30,000 Feet is the de facto theme song of the airline. It was composed by Jose Mari Chan and is still being used today. The song has many variations, including a version for the PAL's Swingaround tour package advertisement.

Mabuhay Miles

Mabuhay Miles is Philippine Airlines' Frequent Flyer Programme. Members earn mile points, which can they can reedem at face value on any fare on every Philippine Airlines ticketed and operated flight and as well as for code-shared routes of partner airlines. Membership levels include Mabuhay Miles Base, Elite, Premium Elite and Million Miler.

Air Philippines is a part of the Mabuhay Miles Programme, but the tie-up ended on October 1, 2007.^[33]

Mabuhay Miles Tiers

Tier Level	Benefits	Requirements
Base	Redeemable free flights and service class upgrades	1,000 Miles on eligible published fares with Philippine Airlines and partners.
Elite	1.25% bonus on actual miles flown for all flights on Philippine Airlines Mabuhay Lounge access and participating VIP Lounges. Priority reservation waitlist. Priority check-in, boarding, luggage handling. Priority airport standby (higher priority for a seat on the next available flight in case of flight cancellations) Additional luggage allowance of ten (10) kg flying on Philippine Airlines operated flights (except to/from US and Canada). SportsPlus Global and partner privileges	25,000 miles or 30 one way segments in Fiesta class or 15 one way segments in First or Mabuhay class within a calendar year
Premier Elite	Receive all the benefits of Mabuhay Miles Elite. 75% bonus on actual miles flown traveling to and from US and Canada on Philippine Airlines. For all other flights on Philippine Airlines, a 25% bonus on actual miles flown Receive 2 upgrade travel certificates Invite a travelling companion to the Mabuhay Lounge	45,000 miles or 50 one way segments in Fiesta class or 25 one way segments in First or Mabuhay class within a calendar year
Million Miller	Receive all the benefits of Mabuhay Miles Premier Elite. Lifetime Premier Elite Membership. Highest level of priority and recognition.	1,000,000 miles accumulated from the beginning of one's membership

As of 22 October 2004, Philippine Airlines has 27 Million Milers.^[34]

Mabuhay Lounge

Philippine Lounges

• Cebu City
• Davao City
• General Santos City
• Iloilo City
• Manila

Philippine Lounges (Under Construction)

• Bacolod City
• Zamboanga

International Lounges

• Los Angeles
• San Francisco

Cabin Service

Philippine Airlines currently offers tri-class service on its long haul Boeing 747-400 and Airbus A340-300 aircraft, bi-class service on its Airbus A330-300, Airbus A319-100 and selected Airbus A320-200 and Boeing 737-300, and mono-class service on its Boeing 737-400 aircraft and selected Airbus A320-200 and Boeing 737-300 aircraft. The airline's inflight magazine, Mabuhay, is available on all classes.

First Class

PAL's First Class, available on all Airbus A340 and Boeing 747-400 aircraft feature a lie-flat seat, with electronically controlled adjustable headrest, lumbar support, extendable leg rest and personal screens. Some aircraft feature an in-seat telephone and an in-flight business centre with fax facilities. The airline also offers a full-course meal on long-haul flights and also has started to introduce dining on demand. ^[35] Amenity kits with toothpaste, hairbrush, knitted socks, slumber mask and toiletries from BVLGARI are provided on long-haul flights. As a member of the Paris-based Confrérie de la Chaîne des Rôtisseurs, the airline offers full-course meals on long-haul flights.^[35]

Mabuhay Class (Business Class)

Mabuhay Class seats, available on all Airbus A330, A340, Boeing 747-400, Airbus A319 and selected Airbus A320 and Boeing 737-300 aircraft offer increased legroom, advanced seat ergonomics and personal screens (the B737 and older A320s do not feature personal screens and instead the latter has drop-down LCD screens). The food service offers a selection of Western, Filipino and Japanese Kaiseki dishes offered on Japan-bound flights. The Mabuhay Class seats in the Airbus A319 and selected Airbus A320s offer Audio-Video On Demand,^[35] laptop power supply with a seat pitch of 39 inches. Currently, Philippine Airlines is the only local carrier to offer business class on domestic flights. Like First Class, amenity kits are provided on long haul flights with the contents similar to that of First Class.

Fiesta Class (Economy Class)

On long-haul flights, a basic amenity kit with toothpaste, slumber mask and socks is distributed to passengers.^[36] Like the economy class seats in other carriers, the passenger's footrests and tray tables are found in the seat in front of them except for bulkhead and exit seats, where the tray tables are embedded in the seats and footrests are on the floor. All widebody aircraft in PAL's fleet have large video and smaller LCD screens mounted in certain parts of the cabin as well as overhead TV screens. A319s and A320s have drop down LCD screens. ^[35] All aircraft except the B737 feature rolling audio entertainment to Fiesta Class passengers.

Enhanced Cabin

Philippine Airlines is the first airline in Asia to feature an enhanced cabin in its Airbus A320 family aircraft.^[38] The Mabuhay and Fiesta class seats in the A319 and upcoming A320s are fitted with sky blue upholstery with a wave-pattern in aqua blue and terracotta. The laminates at the fore and rear sections of the aircraft are decorated with a palm tree landscape design and the curtains, carpet and surfaces are in various shades of blue, white, gray, silver and tan. The Mabuhay Class cabin is equipped with Panasonic’s “eFX” inflight entertainment system Audio-Video On Demand screens with touch-screen controls.^[35]

Cabin Modernization Plan

In the second half of 2006, PAL announced a cabin reconfiguration project for its Boeing 747-400 aircraft. The airline's First Class product is to be removed and replaced with an enhanced Mabuhay Class product featuring cocoon-type lie-flat seats. Also, personal screens with AVOD will be made available comprehensively across both cabin classes. The cabin reconfiguration project is scheduled to begin in the latter part of 2008. The new cabin configuration with the enhanced Mabuhay and Fiesta classes is also expected on the Boeing 777-300ER aircraft on order.

One by One

In 2006, in commemoration with the 60th anniversary of the First Transpacific Crossing by an Asian Airline, Philippine Airlines launched One by One in its First Class and Mabuhay Class service onboard Transpacific flights. Essentially, the new inflight meal service method recreates the "A la Carte" service where passengers can select their own meal from a variety of choices. "On Demand" service allows passengers to partake of their meals anytime during the flight.

Incidents and accidents

Philippine Airlines is accredited by IATA with the IOSA (IATA Operations Safety Audit) (Accreditation February 2007).^[19]

• On January 24, 1950, a Douglas DC-3 crashed in Iloilo.
• On March 30, 1952, a Douglas DC-3 crashed in Loakan Airport in Baguio upon takeoff.
• On January 14, 1954, a Douglas DC-6 crashed in Leonardo Da Vinci International Airport in Rome while attempting to land in heavy turbulence, which led to an engine fire.
• On November 23, 1960, a Douglas DC-3 crashed in Nichols Field in Manila upon takeoff due to poor weather conditions.
• On December 22, 1960, a Douglas DC-3 crashed in Mactan-Cebu International Airport in Cebu upon takeoff after a failure of the number one engine.
• On March 2, 1963, a Douglas DC-3 crashed in Davao due to a premature descent.
• On February 21, 1964, a Douglas DC-3 crashed in Marawi City.
• On June 29, 1966, a Douglas DC-3 crashed in Sagalyan.
• On February 28, 1967, Philippine Airlines Flight 345, a Fokker F-27 Friendship, crashed in Mactan-Cebu International Airport, in Cebu during landing due to an aft center of gravity condition resulting from improper loading.
• On July 6, 1967, Philippine Airlines Flight 385, a Fokker F-27 Friendship, crashed in Bacolod.
• On September 12, 1969, a BAC 1-11 crashed short in Nichols Field, in Manila on the runway upon landing.
• On April 21, 1970, Philippine Airlines Flight 215, a Hawker Siddeley HS-748, crashed in Nichols Field, in Manila after a bomb exploded in the rear cargo section.
• On April 21, 1973, a Hawker Siddeley HS-748 crashed in Pantabangan, after a bomb exploded during the flight.
• On February 3, 1975, a Hawker Siddeley HS-748 crashed in Nichols Field in Manila after a fire developed in the number two engine shortly after takeoff. It was also due to crew error in their inability to deal with a standard emergency.
• On May 23, 1976, a BAC 1-11 burned on the tarmac in Zamboanga City when hijackers supposedly detonated a hand grenade in the cabin. 10 passengers and 3 hijackers were killed.
• On April 18, 1977, a DC-8-53 RP-C803 named "Champaca" was written off after a landing accident at Tokyo Haneda.
• On June 26, 1987, a Hawker Siddeley HS-748 crashed into terrain in Baguio while attempting to land in a monsoon, although the crew knew about the adverse flying conditions.
• On December 13, 1987, a Shorts 360-300 crashed near Maria Cristina Airport in Iligan.
• On July 21, 1989, a BAC 1-11 crashed in Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila when the aircraft overran the runway while landing, impacting several vehicles on an adjacent roadway.
• On May 11, 1990, a Boeing 737-300 with the registration number EI-BZG suffered an explosion in the center fuel tank mear the terminal of Ninoy Aquino International Airport, in Manila while preparing for takeoff. The fire and smoke engulfed the aircraft before it could be completely evacuated. The explosion was similar to what happened to the ill-fated TWA Flight 800 six years later.
• On December 11, 1994, a small bomb exploded underneath the seat(26K) of a Japanese businessman flying on Philippine Airlines Flight 434. The businessman perished, but none of the aircraft's other 293 passengers and crew were killed. The Boeing 747-200 landed safely. Investigators later found that Ramzi Yousef, a terrorist suspected of being a part of Al-Qaida, planted the bomb there to test it out for a terrorist attack he was planning, Project Bojinka. The plan was foiled after an apartment fire in Manila led investigators to the laptop computer and disks containing the plan.
• On March 22, 1998, Philippine Airlines Flight 137, an Airbus A320, crashed and overran the runway of Bacolod City Domestic Airport, in Bacolod, plowing through homes near it. None of the passengers or crew died, but many were injured and three on the ground were killed.
• In 2000, Philippine Airlines Flight 812, en route from Davao to Manila, was hijacked by a man with marital problems. The hijacker was pulled out of the aircraft by a flight attendant and used a homemade parachute in escaping, with none of the other passengers and crew being injured or killed. The hijacker died when his parachute failed to deploy.

Gallery

A McDonnell-Douglas DC-10 in old PR livery	Boeing 747-200	A Philippine Airlines 747-400 plane at NAIA, taxiing to its gate.	Philippine Airlines' Boeing 777-300ER

External links

Official website

• Philippine Airlines
• Mabuhay Miles

Regional PAL websites

• Philippine Airlines in Japan
• Philippine Airlines in Korea

Other websites

• Philippine Airlines Fleet Age

References

•  • [ e] Airlines of the Philippines
Passenger	Air Philippines Asian Spirit Cebu Pacific Interisland Airlines Pacific Pearl Airways Philippine Airlines South East Asian Airlines Tair Airways
Cargo	2GO Aboitiz Air Asia Overnight Express Pacific East Asia Cargo Airlines
Charter	A Soriano Aviation Air Link International Airways Corporate Air Pacific Airways Subic Seaplane
Defunct	Aerolift Philippines • Air Ads • Air Manila International • Filipinas Orient Airways • Grand Air International • Laoag International Airlines