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Philippine Airlines

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Philippine Airlines
File:Logo pal.png
IATA ICAO Call sign
PR PAL Philippine
Founded1941
HubsNinoy Aquino International Airport
Mactan-Cebu International Airport
Frequent-flyer programMabuhay Miles (Formerly PALsmiles)
Fleet size44 (Includes firm orders and leases)
Destinations43
Parent companyPhilippine Airlines, Inc.
HeadquartersMakati City, Philippines
Key peopleLucio C. Tan (Chairman and CEO)
Jaime J. Bautista (President and COO)
Gabriel C. Singson (Chairman Emeritus)
Websitehttp://www.philippineairlines.com

Philippine Airlines is the national airline of the Philippines. It is the first commercial airline in Asia and the oldest of those currently in operation. With its corporate headquarters in Makati City, Philippine Airlines flies both domestic and international flights. As of December 2006, it claims to serve twenty-one domestic airports and thirty-two foreign cities. Its main hub is Ninoy Aquino International Airport in the city of Parañaque.

History

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1940s-1950s

File:PAL Beechcraft 90 King Air.jpg
Philippine Airlines Beechcraft 90 King Air
File:PAL Shorts 390.jpg
Philippine Airlines Shorts 360 Sunriser

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 was made 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. 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. On 14 February 1946, PAL resumed operations with services to 15 domestic points with five Douglas DC-3s. On July 31 of the same year, a chartered DC-4 ferried 40 American servicemen to California, making PAL the first Asian airline to cross the Pacific Ocean. A regular service between Manila and San Francisco was started in December. It was during this year that the airline was designated as the country’s flag carrier. [1]

1947 saw PAL head to Europe with the acquisition of Douglas DC-4s. By 1948 PAL had absorbed the only other scheduled airlines, Far Eastern Air Transport and Commercial Air lines [2]. 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 it was decided that it was a matter of national policy. Three years later, PAL started services to Hong Kong, Bangkok, and Taipei using Convair 340s.

1960s-1980s

File:PAL Fokker 50.jpg
Philippine Airlines Fokker 50

In the 1960s, PAL entered the jet age, initially with a lone Boeing 707, but the jet was later replaced with Douglas DC-8 aircraft leased from KLM. In 1965, PAL was once again privatized 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. In 1966, PAL started turbojet services to the southern cities of Cebu, Bacolod, and Davao using the BAC1-11.

When President Ferdinand Marcos declared Martial Law, he implemented a one-airline policy, and PAL was the lone surviving airline, and on March 10, 1973 PAL was designated as the national flag carrier again[2]. 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, the Boeing 747-200, and the Airbus A300B4, called the "Love Bus", joined the PAL fleet. Five years later, PAL overhauled its domestic fleet with the launch of the Shorts SD360 "Sunriser" into domestic service and the Fokker 50 a year later. In 1989, the airline's first Boeing 737 joined the fleet.

1990s

File:PAL McDonnell Douglas MD-11 .jpg
This Philippine Airlines McDonnell Douglas MD-11 leased from World Airways was a part of a massive re-fleeting program. But over-expansion and a dispute with the employee's union shut down operations.

PAL was re-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. 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.

In January 1995, Lucio C. Tan, the majority shareholder of PR Holdings, became the new chairman and CEO of the airline. Two years later, PAL acquired its first Airbus A340-300. It was during these times when the airline experienced rapid growth. The airline planned to acquire no less than 40 aircraft, and even started a route to New York City. This made the airline financially disabled, as it acquired too many types and number of aircraft and matched them to unprofitable routes. A dispute between the airline’s owners and the employee’s union and the Asian financial crisis shut the airline’s operations on 23 September 1998. After an agreement, reported to be facilitated by then-President Joseph Estrada, PAL flew once again on 7 October 1998 with international services being restored three weeks later[2]. Services to Europe, under the helm of General Manager Heinz van Opstal, were dismissed and many European offices were soon forced to close down. In addition, PAL eliminated many of its domestic destinations as its domestic fleet was reduced to keep PAL afloat during the crisis. In 1999, PAL consolidated its international and domestic operations at its Manila hub with the opening of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport's Terminal 2.

2000s

File:PAL 747&320.jpg
The airline's flagship Boeing 747-400 and an Airbus 320-200

In 2000, PAL finally returned to profitability, making some 44.2 million pesos in its first year of rehabilitation, breaking some six years of heavy losses. Later that year, PAL sold its maintenance and engineering units to Lufthansa Technik AG, which later became responsible for the maintenance of the PAL fleet. In August of the same year, PAL opened an e-mail booking facility. In 2001, PAL continued to gain a net profit of 419 million pesos 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.

During 2002, the PAL website was relaunched, and its frequent flyer program, called Mabuhay Miles, was launched, combining PAL's former frequent flyer programs, PALsmiles, Mabuhay Club, and the Flying Sportsman (now SportsPlus). The PAL RHUSH (Rapid Handling of Urgent Shipments) Cargo program was also relaunched. 2003 saw PAL returning to Kuala Lumpur and flying to Okinawa. PAL also launched the "Online Arrival and Departure Facility", which allows passengers to view actual flight information. PAL launched a new booking system with new features, like booking flights without having to log-in to the PAL website. In December 2003, 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 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, PAL's fifth Japanese destination. In November, PAL restored scheduled flights to Beijing after a 15-year hiatus. On December 6, 2005, PAL signed an agreement for the purchase and lease of up to 18 brand-new Airbus A319 s and A320s from Airbus and GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS).

On July 7, 2006, Philippine Airlines resume regular service to Laoag City, ending a nearly five-month absence from the Ilocos Norte capital due to the fallout of a denied boarding incident at Laoag International Airport involving PAL and city Mayor Michael V. Fariñas. On October 20 the first of the brand-new GECAS-leased Airbus 319s was delivered and inaugurated by PAL and Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. 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. [3] 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. [4][5] PAL has also upgraded its in-flight product by introducing a new meal service featuring new cutlery, signature dishes and dining on demand in first and business class on the airline’s flights between Manila and Los Angeles. The new service will be progressively introduced on the airline's other flights.

Destinations

Further information: [[:Philippine Airlines destinations]]
File:Pal destination routes.png
Philippine Airlines International Routes

Flight Numbers

International

  • PR 100/101 : Manila-Honolulu-Manila (A343/B747)
  • PR 102/103 : Manila-Los Angeles-Manila (B747)
  • PR 104/105 : Manila-San Francsico-Manila (B747)
  • PR 106/107 : Manila-Vancouver-Las Vegas-Vancouver-Manila (A343/B747)
  • PR 110/111 : Manila-Guam-Manila (A320)
  • PR 112/113 : Manila-Los Angeles-Manila (A343)
  • PR 114/115 : Manila-San Francsico-Manila (A343)
  • PR 116/117 : Manila-Vancouver-Las Vegas-Vancouver-Manila (A343/B747)

Regional

  • PR 209/210 : Manila-Melbourne-Sydney-Manila (A330)
  • PR 300/301 to 318/319 : Manila-Hong Kong-Manila (A319/A320/A330/A343/B747)
  • PR 330/331 to 334/335 : Manila-Xiamen-Manila (A319/A320)
  • PR 336/337 to 338/339 : Manila-Shanghai-Manila (A319/A320)
  • PR 358/359 : Manila-Beijing-Manila (A319/A320/A330)
  • PR 408/407 : Manila-Osaka-Manila (A330)
  • PR 416/417 : Manila-Busan-Manila (A320/A330)
  • PR 426/425 to 430/429 : Manila-Fukuoka-Manila (A330)
  • PR 428/427 : Manila-Okinawa-Fukuoka-Manila (A330)
  • PR 430/429 : Manila-Fukuoka-Okinawa-Manila (A320/A330/A343)
  • PR 432/431 : Manila-Tokyo(Narita)-Manila (A330/B747)
  • PR 434/433 : Cebu-Tokyo(Narita)-Cebu (A330)
  • PR 438/437 : Manila-Nagoya-Manila (A330)
  • PR 468/469 : Manila-Seoul(Incheon)-Manila (A330)
  • PR 488/489 : Cebu-Seoul(Incheon)-Cebu (A320/A330)
  • PR 501/502 : Manila-Singapore-Jakarta-Singapore-Manila (A330)
  • PR 503/504 : Manila-Singapore-Manila (A320)
  • PR 591/592 to 597/598 : Manila-Ho Ch Minh-Manila (A320/A343)
  • PR 730/731 : Manila-Bangkok-Manila (A330/A340/B747)
  • PR 896/897, 898/899 : Manila-Taipei(Taoyuan)-Manila (A320/A343)
  • PR 4340/4340: Cebu-Tokyo(Narita)-Cebu (A330)
  • PR 4880/4890 : Cebu-Seoul(Incheon)-Cebu (A320/A330)

Domestic

  • PR 123/124 to 125/126 : Manila-Zamboanga-Manila (A319/A320/B737)
  • PR 131/132 to 135/136 : Manila-Bacolod-Manila (A319/A320)
  • PR 139/140 to 144/145 : Manila-Iloilo-Manila (A319/A320/B737)
  • PR 157/158 : Manila-Bacolod-Manila (A319/A320)
  • PR 167/168 : Manila-Dipolog-Manila (A320)
  • PR 175/176 to 177/178 : Manila-Tagbilaran-Manila (A319)
  • PR 181/182 to 185/186 : Manila-Cagayan de Oro-Manila (A320)
  • PR 187/188 : Manila-Cotabato-Manila (A320)
  • PR 189/190 : Manila-Roxas-Manila (A320)
  • PR 191/192 to 193/194 : Manila-Tacloban-Manila (A319/A320)
  • PR 195/196 : Manila-Puerto Princesa-Manila (A320/A330)
  • PR 226/227 to 228/229 : Manila-Laoag-Manila (A320/B747)
  • PR 239/240 : Manila-Kalibo-Manila (A319/A320)
  • PR 261/262 : Manila-Naga (Pili)-Manila (B737) (to transfer operations to Air Philippines starting January 16, 2007.)
  • PR 277/278 : Manila-Legazpi-Manila (B737)
  • PR 281/282 : Manila-Cagayan de Oro-Manila (A319/A320)
  • PR 287/288 : Manila-Cotabato-Manila (B737/A319/A320)
  • PR 321/322 to 325/326 : Manila-Kalibo-Manila (A319/A320)
  • PR 453/454 : Manila-General Santos City-Manila (A330/A343)
  • PR 477/478 : Manila-Butuan-Manila (A319/B737)
  • PR 809/810 to 815/816 : Manila-Davao-Manila (A320/A330/A343)
  • PR 843/844 to 865/866 : Manila-Cebu-Manila (A319/A320/A330/B737/B747)

Codeshare Agreements and Flights

Philippine Airlines has codeshare agreements with the following airlines as of November 2006

Code-Share Domestic Flights

  • Air Philippines
  • PR 010/011 : Cebu-Bacolod-Cebu (B737/2P)
  • PR 020/021 : Cebu-Iloilo-Cebu (B737/2P)
  • PR 022/023 : Cebu-General Santos City-Davao (B737/2P)
  • PR 026/027 : Cebu-Davao-Cebu (B737/2P)
  • PR 049/050 : Cebu-Puerto Princesa-Cebu (B737/2P)
  • PR 220/221 : Manila-Tuguegarao-Manila (B737/2P)
  • PR 291/292 to 293/294 : Manila-Dumaguete-Manila (B737/2P)

Code-Share Regional and International Flights

  • Air Macau
  • PR 839/838 : Manila-Macau-Manila (A320)
  • PR 851/852 : Manila-Macau-Manila (A320)
  • Cathay Pacific
  • PR 920/921 : Cebu-Hong Kong-Cebu (A330/A343)
  • Emirates
  • PR 660/659 to 662/661 : Manila-Dubai-Manila (B773/EK)
  • Garuda Indonesia
  • Gulf Air
  • PR 155/154 : Manila-Bahrain-Manila (A343/GF)
  • PR 255/254 : Manila-Bahrain-Muscat-Bahrain-Manila (A343/GF)
  • Malaysian Airlines
  • PR 702/701 : Manila-Kota Kinabalu-Kuala Lumpur-Kota Kinabalu-Manila (B737/MH)
  • PR 704/703 : Manila-Kuala Lumpur-Manila (A332/B737/MH)
  • PR 707/706 : Cebu-Kuala Lumpur-Cebu (B737/MH)
  • PR 709/708 : Cebu-Kota Kinabalu-Kuala Lumpur-Kota Kinabalu-Cebu (B737/MH)
  • Qatar Airways
  • PR 645/644 to 647/646 : Manila-Doha/Manila (A332/QR)
  • Royal Brunei
  • PR 682/681 to 688/687 : Manila-Bandar Seri Begawan-Manila (B767/BI)
  • Vietnam Airlines

Special Flights

  • PR 001 : Presidential Flights

Fleet

Philippine Airlines currently operates a total fleet of thirty-three modern widebodied and narrowbodied passenger aircraft [citation needed]. As of November 2006, the average age of aircraft in the fleet is 9.3 years.

Philippine Airlines Fleet
Aircraft Total in
service 		First
Class 		Mabuhay
Class
(Business) 		Fiesta
Class
(Economy) 		Total
seats 		Routes
Airbus A319-100 3
(1 Order) 		N/A 8 126 134 Domestic, Intra-Asia
Airbus A320-200 8
(11 Orders)
(5 Options) 		N/A 12
-
12
12 		131
150
138
144 		143
150
150
156 		Domestic, Intra-Asia
Airbus A330-300 8
(2 Options) 		N/A 42 260 302 Domestic, Intra-Asia
Airbus A340-300 4
 12 32 220 264 Domestic, Intra-Asia, Transpacific
Boeing 747-400 4 18 32 383 433 Intra-Asia, Transpacific
Boeing 747-400M 1 32 40 326 398 Intra-Asia, Transpacific
Boeing 777-300ER (2 Orders)
(2 Lease)
(2 Options) 		N/A Transpacific,Intra-Asia

Medium-term Fleet Plan

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 the agreement with Boeing for 2 B777-300ER and a purchase agreement for 2 more aircraft. A separate agreement to lease 2 B777-300ERs from GE Capital Aviation Services was signed as well. Deliveries will start in 2009.[4][5]

Historic Fleet

Brand

File:PAL50.jpg
This logo was applied on the Corvair 340 in the 1950s. A simplified design was used in the 1960s.
File:PAL60.jpg
This logo was the official logo of the airline from the mid-1960s up until 1986.
File:PAL-70.jpg
This logo was applied to aircraft during the 1970s and complemented the previous one. The font used here was later applied to the official logo.
File:PAL86.jpg
Introduced in 1986, it is now one of the most recognizable airline identities.

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 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.

Slogans and Advertising

  • Mabuhay
  • Asia's First Airline
  • Welcome Aboard the Philippines
  • Shining Through
  • On the Wings of Change
  • Asia's Sunniest
  • With You All the Way
  • It's About Experience
  • 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 advertisment.

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 A320-200, Airbus A319-100 and Boeing 737-300, and mono-class service on its Boeing 737-400 aircraft. The airline's inflight magazine, Mabuhay, is available on all classes.

First Class

PAL's First Class feature a lie-flat seat, with electronically controlled adjustable headrest, lumbar support, extendable leg rest and personal screens, available on all Airbus A340 and selected Boeing 747-400 aircraft. The airline also offers a full-course meal on long-haul flights and also has started to introduce dining on demand.

Mabuhay Class (Business Class)

Mabuhay Class seats offer spacious legroom, advanced seat ergonomics and personal screens, available on all Airbus A340 and selected Boeing 747-400 aircraft. Japanese dishes are also offered on Japan-bound flights. The new Mabuhay Class in the Airbus A319 offer an Audio-Video On Demand function on touch-screen personal screens, 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.

Fiesta Class (Economy Class)

The brand-new Airbus A320-200 and A319-100 aircraft PAL is to receive between 2006 to 2008 shall reveal a new interior that takes its inspiration from the beautiful coastal areas of the Philippine archipelago. The new fleet is also the first amongst Asian carriers to be fitted with the newly redesigned Airbus A320-family interiors. The Mabuhay Class cabin's interpretation of the Philippines' coasts appears in its deep blue seat upholstery accented with abstract brushstrokes that mimic flecks of sand. In the Fiesta Class section, seats are fitted with sky blue upholstery with an undulating 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 that evokes a relaxed, casual tropical feel. The curtains, carpet and surfaces are in various shades of blue, white, gray, silver and tan. The new cabin is equipped with Panasonic’s eFX inflight entertainment system, considered cutting-edge technology in the industry and capable of providing Audio/Video On-Demand (AVOD) to passengers. The seats on the A319 offer a pitch of up to 30 inches. The airline plans to retrofit the fleet with the new cabin and AVOD capabilities, and apply them on newer aircraft.

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. As well, personal screens with AVOD will be made available comprehensively across both cabin classes. The cabin reconfiguration project is scheduled to begin in early 2007. The new cabin configuration with the enhanced Mabuhay and Fiesta classes is also expected on the Boeing 777-300ER aircraft on order.

Incidents and accidents

  • 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 December 11, 1994, a small bomb exploded below the seat of a Japanese businessman 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.
  • 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 parachute in escaping, with none of the other passengers and crew being injured or killed. The hijacker died when his parachute failed to deploy.
  • On September 2006,a Philippine Airlines Airbus A340 with 236 people on board made a safe emergency landing at Vancouver airport, after encountering flap problems after takeoff. It landed safely around 7:20 am (1520 GMT).

Official website

Regional PAL websites

Other websites

References

  1. ^ Philippine Airlines Info Kit 1982, Philippine Airlines. 1982.
  2. ^ a b c Flight International 12-18 April 2005
  3. ^ Best Turnaround Airline, PhilippineAirlines.com. Accessed December 2006.
  4. ^ a b Philippine Airlines to order Boeing 777s instead of 747s, Flight Global. Accessed November 2006.
  5. ^ a b Philippine Airlines orders 6 Boeing 777-300ERs for 1.5 bln usd, Forbes. Accessed December 2006.
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