If you mention the name “Love Bus” to your tito and tita, three things will come to mind. The “Love Bus”, a heart decked blue bus during the 1980s that would run from Quezon City to Makati to Manila, the “Love Boat”, a TV series during the 1980s, and, of course, Philippine Airlines‘ Airbus A300 during the late 70s and 80s with a “Love Bus” icon on the fuselage just behind the cockpit windows. The PAL Love Bus was such an iconic aircraft during that time.
Years later, a Facebook group called “Bring Back the Love Bus” was created where many people expressed their longing for the blue-clad, heart-filled, air-conditioned bus that formerly plied EDSA. It seems that our titos and titas’ request was granted. The Love Bus made a comeback, this time as a high-flying aircraft rather than a road-going bus. 2019 saw the return of the PAL Love Bus, this time in the guise of an Airbus A350-900.
Even though many of our titos and titas were anticipating the “Love Bus” bus to return, they nonetheless experienced nostalgia upon learning that Philippine Airlines’ “Love Bus” had returned.
Many people remembered their first flights aboard the A300B4—PAL’s first Airbus—which was delivered in 1979. They vividly remembered the yellow “The Love Bus” font with the red lips just below it. In 2019, The Love Bus made a reappearance to coincide with PAL’s 40th anniversary of working with Airbus.
Currently, RP-C3508 Airbus A350-900 is the PAL Love Bus. Even if it doesn’t have the whole “Love Bus” livery that was initially on the very first A300B4, they are nevertheless stunning, sophisticated, and of course, nostalgic.
The history of the PAL Love Bus
More than 40 years ago, the PAL Love Bus story began. The A300B4 was Airbus’s first commercial aircraft, which initially flew in the late 1970s. The A300 stood out at a time when widebody quad-engine aircraft dominated the sky. At the time, it was the only twin-engine wide-body medium-range aircraft. When the government re-nationalized Philippine Airlines in the late 1970s, the carrier required newer planes to replace its older ones since they could travel further and carry more passengers.
PAL received both the A300B4 and the Boeing 747-200 in 1979. The “The Love Bus” logo was on PAL’s first A300. The A300 fit PAL’s fleet well. It sits between the BAC 1-11 narrowbody t-tail aircraft and the DC-10 tri-jet. The A300 was a remarkably adaptable aircraft for both domestic and regional operations! Given that there were just two engines, it was fuel-efficient.
On December 4, 1979, the PAL Love Bus A300 made its first trip between Manila and Singapore. An very tight relationship between the airline and Airbus was established by the iconic PAL Love Bus.
‘Love Bus’ resurrected in the form of an A350
Today, the bulk of PALs fleet are Airbus planes. Why then did Philippine Airlines reintroduce the famous Love Bus? Well, one apparent explanation is that PAL and Airbus have been partners for 40 years. In addition to appealing to nostalgia, PAL want to underline its tagline, “Buong Pusong Alaga.”
Having a Love Bus serves as a reminder of PAL’s dedication to its customers, the nation, and the promotion of Filipino hospitality abroad, all of which begins with the airline. The A350-900, the newest aircraft from Airbus, is the second iteration of The Love Bus and is capable of nonstop travel halfway around the globe. The Love Bus is a hybrid of the past and the present.
Same tri-class configuration
Instead of the livery from the 1980s, which had a chrome engine cowling, a stripped-down fuselage of blue and red, and a sunless tail, PAL chose to utilize the well-known sunriser livery. The antique “The Love Bus” insignia was combined with the current livery. Yes, a blend of the past and the current. Initially, I had hoped that PAL would adopt a complete 1980s throwback livery, but this fusion of the old and new is just as opulent as the old, if not more so.
The Love Bus utilizes a tri-class layout with business class, premium economy, and ordinary economy class, much like the other PAL A350s. Most of the long-haul flights this aircraft makes from Manila are to destinations in the United States and Europe. This plane also has mood lighting, making it less vintage but still ideal for the classic Love Bus logos that adorn each seat.
Despite the fact that PAL only has one “Love Bus” now that RP-C3507 has been returned as a result of the chapter 11 reorganization, Filipino love is spread across the whole airline, no matter what aircraft you travel in or where you go. The phrase “The Love Bus” just serves as a reminder of PAL’s taglines, “The Heart of the Filipino,” and “Buong Pusong Alaga.” Yes, love and the heart go hand in hand.
What makes a lip rather than a heart?” I guess I should ask the PAL historians why the original Love Bus logo had a lip.
Seeing The Love Bus brought back memories of our carefree and joyous youth in the 1980s. Flying this plane is, in fact, more than just getting you where you’re going; it’s also a journey down memory lane to the 1980s. Although the Love Bus wasn’t returned in the shape of a bus, we were more than happy to receive it in the form of a jet.
First love never dies. I fell in love with airplanes and aviation when I was a kid. My dream was to become a pilot, but destiny led me to another path: to be an aviation digital media content creator and a small business owner. My passion for aviation inspires me to bring you quality content through my website and social accounts. Aviation is indeed in my blood and blog!
