Philippine Airlines (PAL), revs up its capacity as it resurrects one A321ceo from storage on July 24, using it for short-haul international sectors. This is a move among many others that the airline has recently put into action to enhance its capacity. This A321ceo, RP-C9925, made its first flight to Tokyo Haneda on July 24, after being ferried in from Clark on July 19. At present, according to the ch-aviation fleets advanced data, PAL still has five aircraft stored at Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport, which include three A321neos and two A320ceos.
The Aircraft Lying in Wait
These stored aircraft include A321neo RP-C9932, A321neo RP-C9933, another A321neo RP-C9932, A320-200 RP-C8614, and A320-200 RP-C8393. One of them, RP-C8393, is usually operated by PAL’s low-cost subsidiary, PAL Express. The return of the A321neos to service is reportedly obstructed by issues related to the supply of Pratt & Whitney engines. Meanwhile, the A320-200s are waiting for engine parts and/or service.
It is important to note that the A320-200s are powered by engines manufactured by CFM International. However, the three A321neos use PW1100 series geared turbofan engines, produced between 2015 and 2020, and now requiring urgent inspections. This need arises after the discovery of small amounts of contamination in the metal used in the high-pressure turbine discs of the engine, which may cause micro-cracks and metal fatigue. The inspection is expected to put each impacted aircraft out of service for up to 60 days.
Revitalizing the Fleet
In a statement, PAL announced that the re-entry of RP-C9925 into service is the first among three aircraft to be reactivated from storage or acquired in the short term. The airline is also anticipating the delivery of an A330-300 for use on medium-haul international routes and a DHC-8-Q400 for domestic inter-island routes. “We are taking various actions to boost our fleet count and enable us to meet the continuing surge in travel demand while minimizing delays and cancellations,” stated Christoph Gaertner, Philippine Airlines’ vice president of network planning.
In addition to reviving stored planes, PAL looks forward to welcoming the first of nine A350-1000s starting in 2025, having recently confirmed its order with Airbus. As a response to the issue of engine and engine part shortages for existing aircraft, PAL stated that it is “actively engaged in coordinating with its suppliers and service partners to reactivate more aircraft.” Beyond the five parked aircraft, PAL also has six other planes that are out of service due to maintenance, some of which might be related to the global engine supply chain challenges.
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