Philippine Airlines said it received its first A321neo aircraft that will be deployed across Asia Pacific region.
The airline company, owned by tycoon Lucio Tan, said the delivery was the first of 21 A321neo aircraft ordered by PAL under a fleet renewal program.
Powered by Pratt and Whitney Pure Power engines, the new aircraft features a premium two class layout with 12 business class seats and 154 seats in the main cabin.
Selected for its outstanding operational efficiency, comfort and range, PAL will deploy the A321neo aircraft across the Asia-Pacific region, including Australia and India.
The A321neo joins an existing Airbus fleet of Philippine Airlines that currently includes 25 A320ceo Family aircraft, 15 wide-body A330s and five A340s.
The carrier will also take delivery of the first of six A350-900 wide-body aircraft on order later this year.
“We eagerly anticipate the entry into service of our first four Airbus A350-900 aircraft in the second half of 2018. The fuel-efficient A350s will feature our most advanced tri-class cabin ever, designed for long-haul non-stop flights to London and New York,” PAL president and chief operating officer Jaime Bautista said.
He added two more A350-900s arriving in 2019 would enable the airline to serve other US cities or a second destination in Europe.
“We will take delivery of five more Q400 NGs in 2018, for further domestic expansion and re-fleeting. PA will continue retiring older A340s and Q400s, a process that began in 2017,” Bautista said.
PAL Holdings Inc., the parent firm of PAL, reported a net loss of P904.7 million in the first quarter of 2018, a turnaround from a profit of P2.71 billion on year.
Total revenues climbed to P33.3 billion from last year’s P29.12 billion.
The 14.4-percent improvement in revenues was primarily due to the increase in number of passengers as a result of additional flight frequencies and introduction of new routes.
Passenger revenues amounted to P27.78 billion from last year’s P24.65 billion, while cargo revenues amounted to P1.80 billion from P1.47 billion.