You might be wondering why local airlines like Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific, AirAsia Philippines, and Royal Air are hiring so many flight crews. The most obvious answer is that they’re growing faster than anyone expected. Yes, these Philippine carriers are bouncing back quickly, ordering and receiving more planes. This means more routes to and from the Philippines and more jobs in aviation, such as pilots, cabin crew, ground crew, and aircraft mechanics.
No one thought the local aviation scene would recover this quickly. Between 2021 and 2022, many were skeptical about how fast Philippine carriers could bounce back from the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the trend of “revenge travel” really helped our airlines recover faster than expected. Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific, and AirAsia Philippines have started recalling cabin crew and pilots who were laid off. Plus, these airlines are hiring even more staff!
Domestic capacity for Cebu Pacific has exceeded pre-pandemic levels, surpassing expectations. Airlines are also posting higher load factors and positive financial reports.
Philippine Airlines
According to a recent report from FlightGlobal, PAL President and COO Capt. Stanley Ng announced another round of widebody aircraft orders to replace the airline’s Airbus A330-300s. My personal guess is that they’re considering Boeing 787s, but we’ll have to wait for an official announcement. This comes after PAL ordered nine Airbus A350-1000s, with an option for three more. I also hope they’ll order more A350-900s to complement their A350-1000s. Before the pandemic, PAL had six A350-900s but had to return four to their lessors, leaving just two in their fleet.
PAL is also keen on resuming flights to Europe. While no specific European destination has been announced, Italy seems to be a top choice. We’re also waiting to see if PAL will resume flights to London.
Cebu Pacific
Just today, at the 2023 Aviation Summit, Cebu Pacific announced it will launch its Request For Proposal (RFP) for new planes within two weeks. According to Avgeek PH, Cebu Pacific CEO Mike Schucz is choosing between the Airbus A320neo family and the Boeing 737 MAX family. Last month, Cebu Pacific and Boeing officials met in Everett to possibly discuss the 737 MAX, but no order has been confirmed. Cebu Pacific plans to place an aircraft order in six months, claiming it will be the largest order ever made by a Philippine carrier.
The current largest order by a Philippine carrier was in 2012 when PAL ordered 54 Airbus planes, including 34 A321ceos, 10 A321neos, and 10 A330-300s.
AirAsia Philippines
Tony Fernandes confirmed that AirAsia Philippines will operate Airbus A330s by 2024. The airline is also on the priority list to operate A321neos once Airbus resumes deliveries in 2024. While I can’t confirm which A330 variant the airline will use, I’m hoping for A330-900neos. Currently, there are two stored A330-900neos belonging to Thai AirAsia, but it’s unclear if these will be transferred to AirAsia Philippines or if the airline will operate A330-300s.
Indeed, Philippine carriers are on the rise with new plane orders and deliveries. We’re all excited to see these new aircraft bearing the Philippine flag. However, we’ll have to contain our excitement until the airlines make their official announcements.
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!
