Philippine Airlines appears to be on the mend now that it has met its $2 billion revenue target in October. In fact, if all goes well by next year, PAL plans to resume flights to London, Auckland, and Sapporo. PAL has also increased its top-line target for 2022 to $2.6 billion.
PAL is unable to resume those routes because they do not have enough aircraft after returning a large number of widebody jets, including four Airbus A350-900s. PAL is also focusing more on refleeting in order to provide a better customer experience and operate more fuel-efficient aircraft. In order to launch more long-haul flights, such as those to London, the airline would undoubtedly need to take in long-haul planes in the short term. Prior to the pandemic, the airline would send Boeing 777s and Airbus A350s to London on a regular basis.
Exceeding targets
On the sidelines of a Management Association of the Philippines event last week, PAL President and COO Capt. Stanley Ng said, “We exceeded our target already so it’s quite good. Of course, we forecast another target, for the year it’s $2.6-billion revenue.”
“If I remember correctly, considering we have three more months to go, we are at around $2 billion already,” Capt. Ng said.
PAL is currently operating at 90% of its pre-pandemic domestic capacity. They hope to achieve 100% by December of this year. The international scene, on the other hand, is a different story. PAL is currently operating at 60% of pre-pandemic levels, with the goal of reaching 70% by December. However, things would improve if China reopened its borders. Because China accounts for roughly 20% of PAL’s market, the airline may be unable to exceed its international pre-pandemic capacity sooner if they remain closed.
What can be the future of PAL’s fleet?
There is no official word or hint on any specific aircraft, but the Airbus A350-1000 is making the most noise. First, PAL has the option of placing six more Airbus A350 orders. Second, it is the closest they can get to replacing older Boeing 777-300ER planes in the fleet right away. Not to mention that Airbus canceled 19 A350-1000s destined for Qatar Airways. Will PAL instead receive these planes?
PAL also has an outstanding order of thirteen Airbus A321neos.
Although no final decision has been made, other aircraft that might eventually join the PAL fleet include possible A330-300 replacements like the Airbus A330-900neo or the Boeing 787-10. Another possible aircraft is the Boeing 777X, which would be available as early as 2025. Everything is still under study, and I hope to hear a final decision by 2023.
For the time being, I hope PAL continues to exceed its targets in order to reclaim their position as one of Asia’s best airlines while also remaining profitable.
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!
As much as I love the Boeing 787-10 for PAL, A330neo is the wise choice as it would lessen pilot training for their A330-300 pilots due to familiar aircraft. The same goes for their Boeing 777-300ER. PAL should continue with the 777 family through the Boeing 777x as it would mean continuing with their ties with Boeing. Otherwise if they ordered A350-1000, it would mean PAL will then be an all Airbus Airline on their fleets.
Hmmm… I would question this article’s source.
As a matter of fact, PAL has has sold its LHR slots (and they’re not easy to nor cheap to get back) unless they’re planning to operate at a different airport