PAL to set new milestones in fleet modernization program

4-Star carrier Philippine Airlines is in the midst of a fleet modernization program in its bid to transform itself into Asia’s airline of choice with an average fleet age of five years by end-2018.

The flag carrier’s pride is in being the first Philippine carrier slated to bring into the country the Airbus A321neo and the Airbus A350, both envisioned to be game-changers in medium and long-haul operations.

“On top of providing that trademark heartfelt service that is distinctly Filipino, our goal is make Philippine Airlines an industry game changer via network expansion, service innovation, and fleet upgrade. These initiatives form part of our roadmap towards making PAL a 5-Star world-class airline,” said PAL President and COO Jaime J. Bautista.

The first of Philippine Airlines’ 21 new Airbus A321neos will be delivered by end-May, and will soon be deployed to destinations in Asia and Australia. The aircraft interior showcases modern innovations in cabin layout and seat design that allow more efficient use of cabin space and provide passenger comfort in flight.

The aircraft’s new engines also generate reduced noise in and out of the cabin and contribute to the aircraft’s eco-friendliness and sustainability.

PAL’s A321neo represents several ‘firsts’:
– first PAL aircraft in its narrow-body fleet to have full-flat Business class seats
– first PAL aircraft in its narrow-body fleet to have personal TV screens on every seat across all cabin classes
– first PAL aircraft in its narrow-body fleet to have inflight Wi-Fi

The 168-seater Airbus A321neo has 12 seats on Business and 156 seats on Economy. The Business class cabin with a 2-2 configuration has a total of 12 seats with a generous seat pitch of 60 inches and seat width of up to 23 inches. The Business class seat turns into a full-flat bed with a length measuring 78 inches in length. The Economy class cabin has a 3-3 configuration made up of 156 on seats with a seat pitch of up to 32 inches, seat width of 18 inches, and a recline of up to 5 inches. All seats in both Business and Economy class also have power ports for personal electronic devices.

The Inflight Entertainment aboard the A321neo is provided by personal TV screens embedded on all seats across all cabin classes, as well as inflight Wi-Fi that is offered for free for all passengers (subject to time and volume caps) with affordable renewal plans.

Philippine Airlines flights to North America and Europe will get a major boost with the delivery of the tri-class Airbus A350-900 by mid-July. Its all-new design utilizes the latest technology for improved operational performance. It has a long-range capability of up to 8,000 nautical miles (14,800 km) and a quieter cabin with up to 4 times less noise, making it the quietest twin-aisle aircraft to date

PAL’s A350-900 represents several ‘firsts’:
– first PAL aircraft to offer tri-Class, specifically premium economy, on routes to/from mainland US, Canada, and London
– first in PAL’s fleet to have personal TV screens with Dual Screen functionality
– first in PAL’s fleet to have cabin mood-lighting (with full customization scenarios)

The Business class cabin with 30 seats has a 1-2-1 configuration, providing direct aisle access. Seat pitch is at 44 inches and a seat width of up to 24 inches. The seat – which reclines to a full-flat bed measuring 78 inches in length – has an adjustable air cushion to adjust seat firmness, lumbar massage feature, additional storage for personal items, and power ports.

The Premium Economy class cabin has 24 seats on a 2-4-2 configuration. Seat pitch is at 38 inches and seat width is at 19 inches. Premium Economy seats – which have a recline of up to 8 inches – are equipped with legrest and footrest, additional front pockets for personal items, bottle holders, reading lights and power ports.

The Economy seats total 241 on a 3-3-3 configuration. Seat pitch is at 33 inches, seat width at 18 inches and a recline of up to 6 inches. Features include a 4-way headrest and USB power ports.

All seats on the Airbus A350 have personal TV screens with dual screen functionality, which means that passengers can pair their screens with their mobile device via the myPAL Player app to select content to be displayed on the screen or track the flight’s progress through the Flight Map. High-speed Wi-Fi is offered free for all passengers (subject to time and volume caps), with affordable renewal plans.

“These new planes form part of our company’s roadmap towards providing ultimate passenger comfort and delight and being at par with global airlines in terms of service standards while maintaining our distinct PAL brand of heartfelt service,” Bautista added.

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TAGS: Air Transport, Business, fleet modernization, Philippine Airlines