Philippine Airlines now operates a majority of Airbus aircraft. These include Airbus A320/A321s, A330s, and A350s. The move to use a plurality of Airbus aircraft began in 1997 when PAL went on an ambitious plan to order 36 new aircraft. During this year, PAL operated every new generation Airbus aircraft in the fleet, from the A320 to the A340.
The first airline in the world to operate a full-range of Airbus aircraft
In 1996, PAL went on an ambitious re-fleeting program to modernize the existing fleet. The goal was to be Asia’s best airline in three years. As such, PAL placed an order for 36 new aircraft. These included 8 Boeing 747-400, four Airbus A340-300s, two A340-200s, eight A330-300s, and twelve A320-200s. This large order enabled PAL to be dubbed the first airline worldwide to operate the full range of available Airbus aircraft.
Betweem 1996 to 1999, PAL operated the following Airbus aircraft:
- 12 Airbus A300B4
- 12 Airbus A320-200
- 8 Airbus A330-300
- 2 Airbus A340-200
- 4 Airbus A340-300
There were still no A350s and A380s during this time.
Every aircraft had a particular purpose. The A340s were intended to complement the Boeing 747s for long-haul flights; the A330s became a mainstay for medium-haul and regional flights, then you have the A320s for short-haul and domestic flights. PAL still operated the Airbus A300s until the last was retired from service in 2001.
A340-200
You might have also noticed that PAL operated four A340-200s. These birds were not brand new but were purchased from Cathay Pacific as an interim aircraft while awaiting delivery of all the new A340-300s. All A340-200s were retired from the PAL fleet in 1999 after the airline reopened its operations after a temporary shutdown in 1998. This shutdown was brought about by the effects of the Asian Financial Crisis, which hit the region, significantly affecting PAL’s fleet modernization.
A leaner and more efficient fleet
Today, however, operating a full range of Airbus aircraft will be uneconomical for PAL. The A380 is not fit for PAL’s market. The closest they can get to in the future is to operate a fleet of A350-1000, A350-900, A330-900neo, A321neo, and A320neo. I even doubt if PAL will consider the A220 as turboprops are more economical for an archipelago.
It is nice, however, to recall when PAL became the first airline in the world to operate a full range of new generation Airbus aircraft in 1997. It was a time that jumpstarted a stronger working relationship between PAL and Airbus.
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