Philippine Airlines said it expects to receive its first Airbus 350 in June that will be deployed on the non-stop Manila-New York flights using the Polar route.
The airline led by tycoon Lucio Tan said the first A350-900 was equipped with a luxurious, tri-class cabin, featuring the most modern inflight entertainment system.
“The A350 XWB [extra wide body] will be deployed on the non-stop Manila-New York flights, using the Polar route,” the four-star airline said.
PAL said it was also expecting the delivery of three A350s this year and another two next year.
PAL said it would also acquire six A321 Neos and five Q400s aircraft this year.
The A321neos will be utilized on the non-stop flights to Brisbane, Sapporo, New Delhi and Mumbai.
PAL said it would continue to beef up its flight networks originating from Clark, Cebu and Davao, as part of its “multi-hub”network strategy.
A new Davao-Siargao route will open in March 2018, even as PAL hikes Cebu-Bangkok services from thrice weekly to daily for the upcoming April to October summer schedule.
PAL earlier tapped Amadeus to upgrade its core technology systems in line with its goal to achieve a 5-Star global airline rating by 2020.
The company said it would adopt the full Amadeus Altéa Suite, a complete passenger service system that aims to streamline and improve all core passenger processes, including reservation, inventory, departure control and flight management.
The transformation means its customers will enjoy a smoother experience from booking to boarding.
PAL earlier posted a net loss of P3.5 billion in January to September last year, a significant drop from the P2.96-billion total comprehensive income recognized in the same period in 2016.
Revenues in the nine-month period increased 15.6-percent to P98.63 billon from P83.35 billion in 2016.