PAL aims for five-star rating with modern tri-class aircraft

Philippine Airlines on Saturday flew its first Airbus A350-900 from Toulouse, France to Manila as the flag carrier to become a five-star carrier with the most modern twin-aisle, tri-class aircraft.

"We look forward with full confidence that our new Airbus A350-900 will help us achieve our goal to become a true five-star Philippine carrier, a gift to the people of the Philippines, the Asia-Pacific region, and the world, "President and Chief Executive Officer Jaime Bautista told a crowd of European and Filipino executives during a ceremonial dinner in Toulouse, the headquarters of Airbus on July 13.

The 280-ton A350-900, with a length of 66.8 meters and a wingspan of 64.75 meters, has a maximum range of 15,000 kilometers that will allow you to travel between Manila and New York. This means that you can avoid the technical stopover in Vancouver on the way to New York and the payload restrictions associated with other aircraft.

"Two or three years ago, we decided to buy Airbus A350-900, thinking that we really need to serve the Filipino flying passengers in the East Coast of the United States. We think we need an aircraft that will serve the purpose. We decided to order A350 for many reasons. One of these will be to have more seats [295]"said Bautista.

"This aircraft will be able to fly non-stop from Manila to JFK [International Airport in New York] without any penalty. That means more revenue for PAL. On the cabin features, this will allow us to make our passengers happier in flying more comfortably and enjoy a different service, "he said.

"We ordered six of these aircraft. The second will be delivered next month. The last two will be in the first quarter of 2019. We also have options for another six aircraft which we can convert to A350-1000 series. This will allow us to have more seats. The initial discussion that we have with Airbus is 370 seats, "said Bautista.

The twin-aisle aircraft is a member of the A350 XWB (extra wide body) which is said to be 25 percent more fuel efficient than other aircraft that belong to the same weight category.

A350 XWB is the world's most modern aircraft, offering true long-range capability, unrivaled operational efficiency, and the most exclusive passenger experience.

It features the most modern cabin, with full connectivity, LED ambient lighting with 16.7 million colors, and latest IFE with HD screens on all seats. It has vertical sidewalls, higher ceiling, single flat floor, greater legroom, 18-inch wide window.

Airbus A350 XWB will also allow passengers to enjoy the quiet in its class, he said. The air management systems help passengers to experience a more relaxing flight. Total cabin air is renewed every two to three minutes in a draft-free environment at the optimum temperature (8 temperature zone settings) and with 20 percent more fresh air.

The aircraft's secret lies in its aerodynamic design and the use of composite materials such as carbon-fiber reinforced plastic that supports lower fuel burn, easier maintenance and increased resistance to corrosion.

PAL received the first of its six orders for the tri-class A350-900 on Saturday, with the five others to be delivered from the second quarter of 2018 to the first quarter of 2019. The plan has a list price of about $ 317 million each .

Eric Schulz, chief commercial officer of Airbus, described A350-900 as a fantastic plane, while Dominic Horwood, the chief customer officer of Rolls Royce, said the aircraft's engine is the most advanced Trent engine yet. "It has unparalleled reliability in service. It has 99.9 percent operational reliability, "said Horwood.

  PAL is the oldest Asian airline with 77 years of flying experience. Bautista said A350-900 will become a new flagship of the young and trend-setting PAL fleet, "raising the standards for cabin comfort for our beloved passengers, especially for extra-long flights.

Joost van der Heijden, vice president of marketing for Asia and North America at Airbus, said the European aircraft manufacturer's sales of about $ 300 million every year from the Philippines.

"This is in particular driven by A350. With the A350 ramping up in the coming years, we expect the volume to increase by 50 percent in the coming five years, "van der Heijden said.

He said about 1,700 Filipino workers are also involved in the development of A350 XWB family, particularly in the production of galley equipment. BE Aerospace, which has a facility in Tanauan, Batangas, produces galley systems for the A350 XWB. Moog, which is based in Baguio City, also manufactures actuators and valves control systems for all Airbus programs, including the primary and secondary flight controls of A350 XWB.

"We are committed to the long-term development of aerospace in the Philippines. We are supporting the skill and sustainable employment of about 1,700 people, "Van der Heijden said. "The A350-900 that will be entering the Philippines Airline fleet has a lot of equipment from the Philippines in it."

Daniel Baron, the cabin designer of PAL's first A350-900 plane, said the new aircraft promised to deliver premium experience with touch of heritage and modern features such as the mood lighting system. "It's so different from anything we've seen," he said.

Bautista said the A350-900 aircraft may be set to operate in Manila-London and possibly to other parts of Europe and North America. He said this would also encourage more passengers to take PAL, thereby increasing their share of the current market.

Van der Heijden said that globally, Airbus has received 882 orders for A350 XWB family as of June 2018, of which 182 were already delivered. The company which has more than 55,000 employees in different nations has delivered a total of 11,229 aircraft for 18,397 orders as of June, which has translated into a backlog of 7,168.

Its best-selling aircraft is the A320neo single-aisle, patronized by many budget carriers. It is also the manufacturer of the largest commercial aircraft in the A380.

Van der Heijden Said Airbus plan-A300B4 or the "Lovebus" in 1978. Today, PAL operates 46 Airbus aircraft, including 7 A320s, 20 A321s, 15A330s, 4A340s, and the first A350-900s.

"We are very proud to welcome Philippine Airlines as the newest A350 operator," said Van der Heijden.