Philippine Airlines

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Philippine Airlines
IATA PR	ICAO PAL	Callsign Philippine
Founded		1941
Hubs		Ninoy Aquino International Airport Mactan-Cebu International Airport
Frequent flyer program		Mabuhay Miles
Member lounge		Mabuhay Lounges
Fleet size		32
Destinations		43
Parent company		Philippine Airlines, Inc.
Headquarters		Makati City, Philippines
Key people		Lucio C. Tan (Chairman and CEO) Mariano C. Tanenglian (Vice-Chairman) Jaime J. Bautista (President and COO) Gabriel C. Singson (Chairman Emeritus)
Website: http://www.philippineairlines.com

Philippine Airlines is the national airline of the Philippines. It is the first commercial airline in Asia and the oldest of those currently in operation. With its corporate headquarters in Makati City, Philippine Airlines flies both domestic and international flights. As of December 2006, it claims to serve twenty-one domestic airports and thirty-two foreign cities. Its main hub is Manila's Ninoy Aquino International Airport in the city of Parañaque with all its passenger flights involving Manila in Centennial Terminal 2. It has been awarded a 3-star rating by Skytrax.

Contents 1 Corporate Info 2 Major Facilities and Services 3 History 3.1 1940s-1950s 3.2 1960s-1980s 3.3 1990s 3.4 2000s 4 Destinations 4.1 Electronic Ticketing 4.2 Codeshare Agreements and Flights 5 Fleet 5.1 Future Fleet 5.2 Historic Fleet 5.3 Partnership with Lufthansa Technik Philippines 6 Corporate Image and Logo 6.1 Livery and Logo 6.2 Slogans and Advertising 7 Mabuhay Miles 7.1 Mabuhay Lounge 8 Cabin Service 8.1 First Class 8.2 Mabuhay Class (Business Class) 8.3 Fiesta Class (Economy Class) 8.4 Enhanced Cabin 8.5 Cabin Modernization Plan 8.6 One by One 9 Incidents and accidents 10 Gallery 11 External links 11.1 Official website 11.2 Regional PAL websites 11.3 Other websites 12 References

[edit] Corporate Info

Philippine Airlines is listed on the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSEi) under PAL Holdings (PSE:BGH) which owns 81.57% of the flag carrier. During the fiscal year ended March 31, 2005, PAL reported profits of USD 17.6 Million and in the fiscal year ended March 2006, another USD 28.7 Million - the biggest in the last 15 years. The profit represented a hefty 63% increase over the previous fiscal year's net-income of USD 17.6 Million,and was PAL's most profitable year in over a decade, PAL last reported a surplus exceeding USD 20 Million in 1993, when it booked USD 40.5 Million. As PAL enters its final stages of rehabilitation program, the carrier is seeking to expand its fleet and re-launch services to Europe and introduce new services to India, Cambodia, Seattle, San Diego and New York City, USA, and increase its presence in Canada and China. Philippine Airlines, Inc. was ranked 13th Largest Corporation in the Philippines in Revenue for Philippines' Top 500 Largest Corporations 2005 and 21st biggest in Assets. As of January 2005, PAL employs a total of 7,322 regular employees.^[1]

[edit] Major Facilities and Services

PAL Learning Center PAL Learning Center Building is located at Padre Faura Street, Manila. It is the center for corporate integrated training center for flight deck crew, cabin crew, catering, technical, ticketing and ground personnel.

PAL Aviation School Located at Clark Field, Pampanga. The aviation school of PAL provides flight training for its own operations and as well as for other airlines, the Philippine government and individual students and currently operates a number of Beechcraft 90 King Air and Cessna aircrafts for student pilots' training with complete training facilities including simulators for B737-300 and turboprop aircraft. The school has graduated more than 5,000 students for PAL and other customers.

PAL Flight Simulator Located at the Maintenance Base Complex, Nichols, Pasay City. The B737-300 simulator in Nichols can duplicate all flight conditions complete with sound and visual system capability for day, dusk and night.

PAL Data Center PAL Data Center Building (DCB) Located at Nichols, Pasay City and the headquarters of Information Systems Department. It is the communications engineering hub of Philippine Airlines and home of PAL's Reservations Call Center which receives calls both from the Philippines, United States and elsewehere in the world. PAL Data Center is the core center of all the Philippine Airlines' network, which has one of the most extensive computer system and has the largest radio communications networks in the Philippines.

PAL Inflight Center PAL Inflight Center (IFC) was established in 1979 and is located along MIA Road, Pasay City (near NAIA Terminal 2) IFC is the site of fully equipped inflight kitchen and catering center of Philippine Airlines which also offer catering services for four International Airlines calling at Manila (China Airlines, Japan Airlines, Korean Air and Northwest Airlines), with an uplift of 6,500 meals daily.

PAL Cargo and Airport Services Based in NAIA-Terminal 2 (NAIA-2) and PAL International Cargo Terminal(ICT) Complex, PAL's Airport Services offers ground handling for seven International Airlines calling at Manila, while Philippine Airlines Cargo processes and ships an average of 200 tons of Manila publications and 2 tons of mail daily throughout the country and 368 tons of cargo abroad daily.

PAL Center PAL Center Building (PCB) is the main corporate headquarters of PAL located at Legazpi Village, Makati. On February 21, 2007 it was announced that Lucio Tan's property subsidiary Eton Properties Philippines Inc would redevelop the PAL Center into Eton Greenbelt Residences, a luxury highrise condo tower. Administrative, backroom operations as well as ticketing and front-line services would be transferred to various buildings in Makati and at the PNB Building in D. Macapagal Avenue and as well as the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3.^[2]

[edit] History

[edit] 1940s-1950s

Philippine Airlines was founded on February 26, 1941, making it Asia's oldest carrier still operating under its current name. The airline was started by a group of businessmen led by Andres Soriano, hailed as one of the Philippines' leading industrialists at the time, who served as the General Manager, and former Senator Ramon Fernandez as Chairman and President. Government investment in September of the same year paved the way for its nationalization.

The airline’s first flight was made on March 15, 1941 with a single Beech Model 18 NPC-54 aircraft, which started its daily services between Manila (from Nielson Field) and Baguio. On July 22, the airline acquired the franchise of the Philippine Aerial Taxi Company. PAL services were interrupted during World War II, which lasted in the Philippines from 1942 to 1945. Upon the outbreak of the Pacific war on 08 December 1941, the two Model 18s and their pilots were impressed into military service. They were used to evacuate American fighter pilots to Australia until one was shot down over Mindanao and the other was destroyed on the ground in an air raid on Surabaya, Indonesia. On 14 February 1946, PAL resumed operations after a five-year hiatus due to World War II with services to 15 domestic points with five Douglas DC-3s and a payroll of 108 names. Philippine Airlines returned to its original home, the Nielsen Airport in Makati. Damaged during the war, the airport was refurbished and modernized by PAL at a cost of over PHP1 million - a princely sum in those days. Nielsen soon became the premier airport in the country and was designated by the Philippine government as the official port of entry for all international flights. It had two runways of 7,000 feet and 4,000 feet length. The airport's first passenger terminal was a temporary one built around huts and later upgraded to an impressive concrete structure. Nielsen Airport was operated by Manila International Air Terminal, Inc., a wholly owned PAL subsidiary.

On July 31 of the same year, a chartered DC-4 ferried 40 American servicemen to Oakland,California from Nielson Airport in Makati City with stops in Guam, Wake Island, Johnston Atoll and Honolulu, Hawaii, making PAL the first Asian airline to cross the Pacific Ocean. A regular service between Manila and San Francisco was started in December. It was during this year that the airline was designated as the country’s flag carrier.^[3]

In 1947 saw PAL head to Europe with the acquisition of Douglas DC-4s. By 1948 PAL had absorbed the only other scheduled airlines, Far Eastern Air Transport and Commercial Air lines.^[4] Following the government's decision to make Nichols Field in Pasay City - the site of a former U.S. Air Force base - the new Manila International Airport (MIA), PAL was required to move its base of operations and passenger terminal there from Nielsen Airport. The transfer was accomplished over a five-month period from 31 January to 28 June 1948. PAL invested an additional PHP 600,000 in ground installations and improvements to Nichols Field. The airport's international runway and associated taxiway were built in 1953.

In 1951, PAL leased a DC-3 named Kinsei to Japan Airlines, which led to the founding of the country's own national airline. In 1954, the Philippine government suspended all long-haul international flights, only to resume five years later, when it was decided that it was a matter of national policy. Three years later, PAL started services to Hong Kong, Bangkok, and Taipei using Convair 340s. The Vickers Viscount 784 pulled PAL into the jet age in June 1957. The Douglas DC-8 returned to PAL to international routes in June 1962.

[edit] 1960s-1980s

In the 1960s, PAL entered the jet age, initially with a lone Boeing 707, but the jet was later replaced with Douglas DC-8 aircraft leased from KLM. Domestic services expanded to a total of 72 points as airports were improved or opened. The Viscount was introduced on trunkline routes and the Convair 340 began to be phased out. The DC-3 remained the mainstay of the domestic operations. However, the rural air service was stopped in May 1964. In 1965, PAL was once again privatized when the Philippine government relinquished its share of PAL after Benigno Toda, Jr., the PAL board chairman from 1962, acquired a majority stake in the airline. In May 1966, PAL started turbojet services to the southern cities of Cebu, Bacolod, and Davao using the BAC1-11.

When President Ferdinand Marcos declared Martial Law, he implemented a one-airline policy. PAL was the lone surviving airline, absorbing Air Manila and Filipinas Orient Airways. On March 10, 1973 PAL was designated as the national flag carrier again.^[4] PAL continued expansion with the arrival of its first Douglas DC-10 in July 1974. Three years later, the Philippine government re-nationalized PAL, with the Government Service Insurance System holding a majority of PAL shares. In 1979, the Boeing 727 trijet, the Boeing 747-200, and the Airbus A300B4, called the "Love Bus", joined the PAL fleet.

Between the years 1979-1981, As part of a comprehensive modernization program, PAL built a series of mammoth aviation-related facilities around the periphery of the MIA. These included:

• The PAL Technical Center (PTC) at the Balagbag area, consisting of two hangars under one roof, an engine overhaul shop, two engine test cells and test shops. The PTC's total area of 291,472 square meters is equivalent to a fair-sized subdivision.

• The PAL Inflight Center along MIA Road contains a fully equipped inflight kitchen capable of producing 9,000 meals daily.

• The PAL Data Center along Domestic Road is the core of the most extensive computer system and the largest communications network in the Philippines.

• The PAL Aviation School at the Maintenance Base Complex has complete flight deck and cabin-crew training facilities, including simulators for B737-300 and turboprop aircraft.

In 1982, A new international terminal was opened in Parañaque (renamed the Ninoy Aquino International Airport or NAIA in 1987), about two kilometers from the current terminal. This helped ease the load at the MIA, which eventually closed. The PHP800-million terminal had a capacity of 4.3 million passengers annually. On April 2 1982, a PAL Boeing 747 arriving from San Francisco and Honolulu docked at one of the 17 air-bridges, making PAL the first airline to use the new terminal. PAL's facilities at the new MIA covered more than 1 million square feet and catered not only to the national flag carrier but also to many foreign airlines calling at Manila.

In 1983, PAL strengthened its cargo-handling capability by building a dedicated cargo terminal building adjacent to the MIA passenger terminal and installing cargo-refrigeration equipment. The new facilities, which catered mainly to international cargo services, enabled PAL to become a fully equipped cargo handler.

Following the "EDSA Revolution" in February 1986, Dante G. Santos became PAL president. He launched a massive modernization of the domestic fleet with the acquisition of the Shorts SD360 "Sunriser" in May 1987, the Fokker 50 in August 1988 and the Boeing 737-300 jet in August 1989. The SD360 turboprops replaced the HS748 in 1988.

In 1988, As the Manila domestic passenger terminal outgrew its capacity and ramp aircraft parking space became more scarce, PAL leased the hangar of the Philippine Aerospace Development Corp. and converted it into the PAL Domestic Terminal 2. The terminal, which opened in October 1988, served exclusively passengers of the airline's widebody Airbus 300 services. These were the flights bound for Cebu and Davao (General Santos and Puerto Princesa were added later on). At the same time, PAL also expanded and improved the Manila domestic terminal. The opening of the new facility cleared out the old terminal and provided greater convenience to passengers.

[edit] 1990s

PAL was re-privatized again in January 1992, when the government sold a 67% share of PAL to a holding company called PR Holdings. The BAC 1-11s were retired in May following completion of the deliveries of B737s. The Shorts SD360s were also phased out in September. However, a conflict as to who would lead PAL led to a compromise in 1993, when former Education Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez was elected PAL president by the airline's board of directors. In November 1993, PAL acquired its first Boeing 747-400. The new aircraft arrived at Subic Bay International Airport and was carrying then-President Fidel V. Ramos, who was headed home from the United States after an official visit. The 400,000-pound aircraft - the world's largest and most popular long-range aircraft - is the mainstay of PAL's Trans-Pacific services and its flagship aircraft. A new service between Manila and Osaka, launched in 1994, brought to 34 the number of points in PAL's international route network. The airline took delivery of its third Boeing 747-400 in May 1995.

In 1995, The PAL Domestic Terminal 2 was given a new look. A number of facilities were added or improved, including a renovated Mabuhay Lounge, an exclusive check-in counter for Mabuhay Class passengers, an Express Counter, refreshment bar, a medical clinic, an expansive waiting lounge and two baggage carousels in the arrival section. The PAL facilities at the Manila domestic terminal and the NAIA were also renovated. The total cost for the domestic terminal (1 and 2) renovations reached PHP33.15 million while the NAIA enhancements totaled PHP 125 million.

In January 1995, Lucio C. Tan, the majority shareholder of PR Holdings, became the new chairman and CEO of the airline. The delivery of the carrier's fourth B747-400 in April 1996 signaled the start of an ambitious USD 4-billion modernization and re-fleeting program that aimed to make PAL Asia's best airline within three years. The centerpiece of the program was the acquisition of 36-state-of-the-art aircraft from manufacturers Airbus Industries and Boeing Co. from 1996 to 1999. The re-fleeting sought to give PAL the distinction of having the youngest fleet in Asia and allow the expansion of its domestic and international route network. The 36-Aircraft Orders of PAL Re-fleeting Program of 1996 comprised of eight (8) Boeing 747-400, four (4) Airbus 340-300, eight (8) Airbus 330-300 and twelve (12) Airbus 320-200.

In 1997, PAL was relaunched as "Asia's sunniest" airline to cap its new marketing and advertising thrust. The modernization reached its peak in the year 1997 with the introduction of the three new Airbus aircraft - the A340 series 300, and series 200, A330-300 and A320-200, making PAL the first airline in the world to operate the full range of new-generation Airbus aircraft.^[5] These new aircraft will be used for the all-jet operation of the international, regional and domestic routes service. Aside from the acquisition of new aircraft, the airline also started a route to the Newark Liberty Airport in New Jersey via Vancouver, among others. This made the airline financially disabled, as it acquired too many types and number of aircraft and matched them to unprofitable routes. The refleeting program was about halfway through when the full impact of the Asian financial crisis struck the airline industry early in 1998. By 31 March, the end of the fiscal year, PAL had reported its largest annual loss of PHP 8.08 billion.

The airline's financial difficulties were compounded by a series of labor disputes that began when the pilots' union staged a three-week strike in June 1998. This was followed by a strike by the ground personnel union on 22 July. This ended four days later with the signing of a deal between the union and management. But PAL's financial troubles continued to take their toll and on 19 June 1998, the company filed for receivership with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which then appointed a committee to oversee the rehabilitation of the flag carrier. Services to Europe, under the helm of General Manager Heinz van Opstal, were dismissed and many European offices were soon forced to close down. The airline downsized its operations as the Asian financial crisis dragged the region's once-vibrant economies into recession in 1998. The fleet was reduced from 53 to 22 aircraft, many domestic and international routes were discontinued, and the work force was reduced. A dispute between the airline’s owners and the employee’s union and the Asian financial crisis shut the airline’s operations on 23 September 1998. After an agreement, reported to be facilitated by then-President Joseph Estrada, PAL flew once again on 7 October 1998 anew with services to 15 domestic points out of Manila. On 29 October, the flag carrier resumed international services with a flight to Los Angeles and San Francisco with other international services being restored three weeks later.^[4] Asian services resumed on 11 November with flights to Tokyo and Hong Kong. PAL gradually expanded its network over the next two months, restoring services to Taipei, Singapore, Fukuoka, Osaka (via Cebu), Dhahran, Riyadh and Seoul. With the aviation industry still in the doldrums, PAL continued to search for a strategic partner but in the end, it submitted a "stand alone" rehabilitation plan to the SEC on 07 December 1998. The plan provides a sound basis for the airline to undertake a recovery on its own while keeping the door open to the entry of a strategic partner in the future. PAL presented the new proposed rehabilitation plan to its major creditors during a two-week marathon meeting that started on 15 February in Washington D.C. and ended on 01 March in Hong Kong.

In 1999, PAL flew back to Xiamen, after an absence of over nine months, on 15 March 1999 that also marked the 58th anniversary of the airline. On the same date, PAL submitted its amended rehabilitation plan to the Securities and Exchange Commission that comprised a revised business plan and a revised financial restructuring plan. The plan also required the infusion of USD200 million in new equity, with 40% to 60% coming from financial investors and translating to no less than 90% ownership of PAL.

In the same year, With the unprecedented boom in air travel, the NAIA and the two domestic terminals soon became inadequate to serve the millions of travelers using them. Even the constant improvements to these facilities were not enough. This impelled the government to build the Centennial Terminal 2 of the NAIA at the site of the old MIA. On 09 August 1999, PAL became the first airline to use the PHP5.3 billion terminal by moving selected domestic flights there. Full domestic operations began on 10 August while international services are expected to transfer in a few weeks, thus consolidating PAL's flight operations in one terminal for the first time.

[edit] 2000s

In 2000, PAL finally returned to profitability, making some 44.2 million pesos in its first year of rehabilitation, breaking some six years of heavy losses. On 01 September 2000, PAL formally handed over its ownership of its maintenance and engineering division to German-led joint venture Lufthansa Technik Philippines (LTP), the world's largest provider of aircraft maintenance services in accordance with the provisions of its rehabilitation plan, which mandates the disposal of the airline's non-core assets. In August of the same year, PAL opened an e-mail booking facility. In 2001, PAL continued to gain a net profit of 419 million pesos in its second year of rehabilitation. In this year alone, PAL restored services to Sydney, Busan, Taipei , Jakarta, Vancouver, Ho Chi Minh City, and Bangkok, while launching new services to Shanghai and Melbourne. A year later, PAL restored services to Tagbilaran and Guam.

During 2002, the PAL website was relaunched, and its frequent flyer program, called Mabuhay Miles, was launched, combining PAL's former frequent flyer programs, PALsmiles, Mabuhay Club, and the Flying Sportsman (now SportsPlus). The PAL RHUSH (Rapid Handling of Urgent Shipments) Cargo program was also relaunched. 2003 saw PAL returning to Kuala Lumpur and flying to Okinawa. PAL also launched the "Online Arrival and Departure Facility", which allows passengers to view actual flight information. PAL launched a new booking system with new features, like booking flights without having to log-in to the PAL website. In December 2003, PAL also acquired a fifth Boeing 747-400.

In 2004, PAL launched services to Las Vegas to mark its 63rd year of service. PAL also returned to Laoag and started services to Macau on an agreement with Air Macau. The airline also saw a return to Europe with the return of the airline to Paris and Amsterdam on agreements with Air France and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines. The service to Paris, however, was inevitably cut, due to the merger between Air France and KLM. PAL also continued an overhaul of its fleet with the arrival of two new Airbus A320s and continued modernizing its ticketing systems with the launch of electronic ticketing. For the first time in history, the airline flew President-elect Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Vice-President-elect Noli de Castro to their inauguration in Cebu City. Arroyo rode a chartered PAL Airbus A330-300, while de Castro was aboard a separate Airbus A320, should something happen to the President's aircraft.

In March 2005, PAL started services to Nagoya, PAL's fifth Japanese destination. In November, PAL restored scheduled flights to Beijing after a 15-year hiatus. In response to rival Cebu Pacific's increasing domestic market share, mainly due to its massive re-fleeting program^[6] and the its own aging Boeing 737 fleet, PAL signed an agreement for the purchase and lease of up to 18 brand-new Airbus A319 s and A320s from Airbus and GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS) on December 6, 2005.

On July 7, 2006, Philippine Airlines resume regular service to Laoag City, ending a nearly five-month absence from the Ilocos Norte capital due to the fallout of a denied boarding incident at Laoag International Airport involving PAL and city Mayor Michael V. Fariñas. On October 20 the first of the brand-new GECAS-leased Airbus 319s was delivered and inaugurated by PAL and Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. It is the first aircraft in the airline's history to offer AVOD-capable inflight entertainment. In November, the airline was recognized by the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA) for its strategic contribution to the aviation industry through a significant transformation by successfully restructuring its operations through innovative cost-cutting measures resulting in operating profits by awarding it the Airline Turnaround of the Year 2006 at 4th Annual CAPA Aviation Awards for Excellence.^[7] On December 6, the airline signed a deal with Boeing in Honolulu for the purchase of 2 Boeing 777-300ER to be delivered in 2009, with an option to purchase 2 more planes in 2011. PAL also signed a separate order with GECAS to lease another 2 Boeing 777-300ER for Delivery in 2010.^[8][9] PAL has also upgraded its in-flight product by introducing a new meal service featuring new cutlery, signature dishes and dining on demand in first and business class on the airline’s flights between Manila and Los Angeles. The new service will be progressively introduced on the airline's other flights.

In February 2007, PAL became the country's only airline to be awarded the honor of meeting IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA). IOSA is the first global standard for airline operational safety auditing. PAL is the first and only Philippine-registered carrier to complete the audit and joins the ranks of 131 other global airlines on the IOSA Registry.

[edit] Destinations

Further information: Philippine Airlines destinations

Internationally, Philippine Airlines mainly flies within the Asia-Pacific region with destinations in the United States and Canada often heavily marketed. It flies nonstop from Manila to San Francisco and Los Angeles 8 times a week and 9 times a week respectively with the return legs subject to a refueling stopover at Guam. The flight between Manila and Vancouver has a segment between Vancouver and Las Vegas. Not including destinations in the Philippines and Guam, PAL flies to 18 regional destinations.

PAL also has an extensive domestic network offering multiple flights a day between Manila and selected Philippine cities.

Historically, PAL used to fly to destinations such as New York, Europe and the Middle East however due to financial difficulties, PAL was forced to relinquish services in these areas. In addition, after rehabilitation, PAL flew to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia but had to suspend flights to the said city due to an oversupply of seats, intense competition by Arab Carriers (although PAL maintains some code-share agreements with some of these carriers) and high fuel prices.^[10] In the future, PAL has expressed interest in increasing its frequencies to China and introducing flights to India.^[11] and San Diego^[12].

[edit] Electronic Ticketing

In 2004, Philippine Airlines introduced the electronic ticket (or e-ticket) on flights between Manila and Cebu. This makes it possible for passengers to travel without physically having a ticket and thus eliminating the hassles of replacing lost or stolen tickets. Currently, it is offered on all domestic flights it operates as well as flights involving North America, South Korea, Hong Kong and Australia.

[edit] Codeshare Agreements and Flights

Philippine Airlines has codeshare agreements with the following airlines as of 1 January 2006

Code-Share Domestic Flights

• Air Philippines

Code-Share Regional and International Flights

• Air Macau
• Cathay Pacific
• Emirates
• Gulf Air
• Malaysia Airlines
• Qatar Airways
• Royal Brunei

[edit] Fleet

Philippine Airlines currently operates a total fleet of thirty-three modern widebodied and narrowbodied passenger aircraft^{[citation needed]}. As of 1 January 2007, the average age of aircraft in the fleet is 10.3 years.

Philippine Airlines Fleet

Aircraft	Total in service	First Class	Mabuhay Class (Business)	Fiesta Class (Economy)	Total seats	Routes	Notes
Airbus A319-100	3	N/A	8	126	134	Domestic, Intra-Asia
Airbus A320-200	9	N/A	12 - 12 12	131 150 138 144	143 150 150 156	Domestic, Intra-Asia	Some of the A320s used to be operated by other carriers and do not feature AVOD for Mabuhay Class. In relation to that, PAL launched ads boasting of having the youngest A319/A320 fleet in the Philippines at the 4th quarter of 2006 as the refleeting programme isn't over yet and was ordered to pull such ads out.
Airbus A330-300	8	N/A	42	260	302	Domestic, Intra-Asia, Australia
Airbus A340-300	4	12	32	220	264	Domestic, Intra-Asia, Transpacific
Boeing 737-300	2	N/A	N/A	148	148	Domestic	To be phased out by the end of October 2007
Boeing 737-400	1	N/A	N/A	168	168	Domestic	To be phased out by the end of October 2007
Boeing 747-400	4	18	32	383	433	Domestic, Intra-Asia, Transpacific	RP-C8168 was a aircraft originally intended for Philippine Airlines but taken up by Canadian Airlines and eventually Air Canada when the former merged with the latter. It joined the fleet on December 2003. A noticeable difference with the other 747-400s is that RP-C8168's seats are grey. For regional (intra-Asia) routes, the 747 is scheduled to serve Hong Kong and Tokyo only but historically, it has made occasional appearances at other regional cities.
Boeing 747-400M	1	32	40	326	398	Domestic, Intra-Asia, Transpacific	N754PR, the registration assigned to PAL's lone 747-400M was an aircraft originally ordered by Kuwait Airways but taken up by Philippine Airlines instead. Notable differences that this aircraft has compared to the rest of the PAL fleet are the usage of Arabic and English titles, and a distinctively different interior that utilizes personal TVs (PTV) cabin-wide. Furthermore, in lieu of a safety video, a live demonstration by the crew is performed. Compared to the other 747s, this aircraft has more first class seats. For regional (intra-Asia) routes, the 747 is scheduled to serve Hong Kong and Tokyo only but historically, it has made occasional appearances at other regional cities.

[edit] Future Fleet

In May 2006, Philippine Airlines announced its medium-term fleet plan, covering fiscal years 2006 to 2011. The plan aims to increase and/or replace the current fleet with new additional aircraft for a complete fleet of 43 wide and narrow bodied aircraft at the culmination of the re-fleeting and expansion program. A major overhaul of the narrow-bodied fleet includes the phase out all remaining Boeing 737 aircraft by October 2007, maintaining instead a fleet of 20 brand-new Airbus A320-family aircraft from 2008 onwards.The wide-bodied fleet plan also looks to increase the current medium-haul fleet of eight Airbus A330 with two additional mid-range aircraft between 2007 and 2009, and the long-haul fleet of five Boeing 747 and four Airbus A340 with six additional long-range aircraft between 2007 and 2011.On December 6, 2006, PAL signed the agreement with Boeing for 2 B777-300ER and a purchase agreement for 2 more aircraft. A separate agreement to lease 2 B777-300ERs from GE Capital Aviation Services was signed as well. Deliveries will start in 2009.^[8][9]

Aircraft on Order

Aircraft Type	Model Series	Number of Orders	Delivery Year
Airbus A319	Airbus A319-100	1 Order	May 2007
Airbus A320	Airbus A320-200	11 Orders 5 Options	2007 - 2008
Boeing 777	Boeing 777-300ER	2 Orders 2 Lease 2 Options	2009

[edit] Historic Fleet

Airbus A300B4 Airbus A340-200 BAC One-Eleven Series 400 BAC One-Eleven Series 500 Beech Model 17 Beech Model 18 Boeing 707 Boeing 727-100 Boeing 747-200 Convair 340 De Havilland DHC-3 Otter Douglas DC-3 Douglas DC-4

Douglas DC-6 Douglas DC-8 Douglas DC-10 Fokker 27 Fokker 50 Hiller H-12 Hawker Siddeley 748 McDonnell Douglas MD-11 Noorduyn Norseman C-64 Scottish Aviation Twin Pioneer II Shorts SD360 Vickers Viscount 784 YS-11

[edit] Partnership with Lufthansa Technik Philippines

The entire Philippine Airlines fleet of Airbus and Boeing jets are maintained by Lufthansa Technik Philippines or LTP.

LTP is a joint venture of Hanburg-based Lufthansa Technik AG and Macro Asia Corporation of PAL majority-owner Lucio Tan and using the Balagbag hangar formerly owned and operated by PAL. The Lufthansa Technik Group is the global leader in aircraft maintenance, repair, overhaul with 30 subsidiaries worldwide. Macro Asia Corporation is one of the Philippines' leading providers of aviation support services and catering for foreign airlines.

[edit] Corporate Image and Logo

[edit] Livery and Logo

The Philippine Airlines logo is inspired by the colors and design of the flag of the Philippines and consists of a blue and a red triangle, with an eight-rayed, orange-yellow sun imposed on the blue triangle, which was added in 1986, when the airline adopted its current corporate identity.

The name "Philippines" marks the forward portion of the eurowhite fuselage, while the vertical stabilizer is painted with the logo and the Philippine flag is visible near the rear of the aircraft. The airline originally intended to put only "Philippines" instead of Philippine Airlines because of its status as the country's flag carrier, but this has confused many people.

[edit] Slogans and Advertising

• Mabuhay
• Asia's First Airline
• Welcome Aboard the Philippines
• Shining Through - The advertisments still Can be found at:
  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1AtH7cMIUI - 1987 Version
  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSQSOfc_2Bg - 1987 Different Version
  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ka3H_8IvQGI - Cebu Version
  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prCOXJmK1FU - 1992 version
• On the Wings of Change
• Asia's Sunniest
• With You All the Way
• It's About Experience - is the current tagline of the airline and was introduced after its 60th Anniversary. It attempts to highlight the fact that PAL is the first and longest-serving airline in Asia under its original name. The slogan was also used in the airline's ad spot featuring Kevyn Lettau, which incidentally featured her song, "Sunlight."
• Love at 30,000 Feet is the de facto theme song of the airline. It was composed by Jose Mari Chan and is still being used today. The song has many variations, including a version for the PAL's Swingaround tour package advertisement.

[edit] Mabuhay Miles

Mabuhay Miles is Philippine Airlines' Frequent Flyer Programme. Members earn mile points, which can they can reedem at face value on any fare on every Philippine Airlines and Air Philippines ticketed and operated flight and as well as for code-shared routes of partner airlines. Membership levels include Mabuhay Miles Base, Elite, Premium Elite and Million Miler.

Below is a table showing the different benefits of the Mabuhay Miles Tiers as well as the requirements to get into them:

Description of Mabuhay Miles Tiers

Tier Level	Benefits	Requirements
Base	Redeemable free flights and service class upgrades	1,000 Miles on eligible published fares with Philippine Airlines and Air Philippines.
Elite	1.25% bonus on actual miles flown for all flights on Philippine Airlines and Air Philippines. 2. Mabuhay Lounge access and participating VIP Lounges. 3. Priority reservation waitlist. 4. Priority check-in, boarding, luggage handling. 5. Priority airport standby (higher priority for a seat on the next available flight in case of flight cancellations) 6. Additional luggage allowance of ten (10) kg flying on Philippine Airlines and Air Philippines operated flights (except to/from US and Canada). 7. SportsPlus Global and partner privileges	25,000 miles or 30 one way segments in Fiesta class or 15 one way segments in First or Mabuhay class within a calendar year
Premier Elite	1. Receive all the benefits of Mabuhay Miles Elite. 2. 75% bonus on actual miles flown traveling to and from US and Canada on Philippine Airlines. 3. For all other flights on Philippine Airlines and Air Philippines, a 25% bonus on actual miles flown 4. Receive 2 upgrade travel certificates 5. Invite a travelling companion to the Mabuhay Lounge	45,000 miles or 50 one way segments in Fiesta class or 25 one way segments in First or Mabuhay class within a calendar year
Million Miller	1. Receive all the benefits of Mabuhay Miles Premier Elite. 2. Lifetime Premier Elite Membership. 3. Highest level of priority and recognition.	1,000,000 miles accumulated from the beginning of one's membership

As of 22 October 2004, Philippine Airlines has 27 Million Milers.^[13]

[edit] Mabuhay Lounge

Mabuhay Lounge is Philippine Airlines' Airport lounge and has lounges in the following airports:

• Cebu-Mactan Airport
• Davao City
• General Santos City
• Manila (Domestic Lounge)
• Manila (International Lounge)
• Los Angeles
• San Francisco

[edit] Cabin Service

Philippine Airlines currently offers tri-class service on its long haul Boeing 747-400 and Airbus A340-300 aircraft, bi-class service on its Airbus A330-300, Airbus A319-100 and selected Airbus A320-200 and Boeing 737-300, and mono-class service on its Boeing 737-400 aircraft and selected Airbus A320-200 and Boeing 737-300 aircraft. The airline's inflight magazine, Mabuhay, is available on all classes.

[edit] First Class

PAL's First Class, available on all Airbus A340 and Boeing 747-400 aircraft feature a lie-flat seat, with electronically controlled adjustable headrest, lumbar support, extendable leg rest and personal screens. Some aircraft feature an in-seat telephone and an in-flight business centre with fax facilities. The airline also offers a full-course meal on long-haul flights and also has started to introduce dining on demand. Amenity kits with toothpaste, hairbrush, knitted socks, slumber mask and toiletries from BVLGARI are provided on long-haul flights.

[edit] Mabuhay Class (Business Class)

Mabuhay Class seats, available on all Airbus A330, A340, Boeing 747-400, Airbus A319 and selected Airbus A320 and Boeing 737-300 aircraft offer spacious legroom, advanced seat ergonomics and personal screens (the B737 and older A320s do not feature personal screens and instead the latter has drop-down LCD screens). Japanese dishes are also offered on Japan-bound flights. The Mabuhay Class seats in the Airbus A319 offer Audio-Video On Demand, laptop power supply with a seat pitch of 39 inches. Currently, Philippine Airlines is the only local carrier to offer business class on domestic flights. Like First Class, amenity kits are provided on long haul flights with the contents similar to that of First Class.

[edit] Fiesta Class (Economy Class)

On long-haul flights, a basic amenity kit with toothpaste, slumber mask and socks is distributed to passengers. Like the economy class seats in other carriers, the passenger's footrests and tray tables are found in the seat in front of them except for bulkhead and exit seats, where the tray tables are embedded in the seats and footrests are on the floor. All widebody aircraft in PAL's fleet have large video and smaller LCD screens mounted in certain parts of the cabin as well as overhead TV screens. A319s and A320s have drop down LCD screens. All aircraft except the B737 feature rolling audio entertainment to fiesta class passengers.

[edit] Enhanced Cabin

Philippine Airlines is the first airline in Asia to feature an enhanced cabin in its Airbus A320 family aircraft.^[14] The Mabuhay and Fiesta class seats in the A319 and upcoming A320s are fitted with sky blue upholstery with an undulating wave-pattern in aqua blue and terracotta. The laminates at the fore and rear sections of the aircraft are decorated with a palm tree landscape design that evokes a relaxed, casual tropical feel. The curtains, carpet and surfaces are in various shades of blue, white, gray, silver and tan. The Mabuhay Class cabin is equipped with Panasonic’s “eFX” inflight entertainment system Audio-Video On Demand screens with touch-screen controls.

[edit] Cabin Modernization Plan

In the second half of 2006, PAL announced a cabin reconfiguration project for its Boeing 747-400 aircraft. The airline's First Class product is to be removed and replaced with an enhanced Mabuhay Class product featuring cocoon-type lie-flat seats. Also, personal screens with AVOD will be made available comprehensively across both cabin classes. The cabin reconfiguration project is scheduled to begin in early 2007. The new cabin configuration with the enhanced Mabuhay and Fiesta classes is also expected on the Boeing 777-300ER aircraft on order.

[edit] One by One

In 2006, in commemoration with the 60th anniversary of the First Transpacific Crossing by an Asian Airline, Philippine Airlines launched One by One in its First Class and Mabuhay Class service onboard Transpacific flights. Essentially, the new inflight meal service method recreates the "A la Carte" service where passengers can select their own meal from a variety of choices. "On Demand" service allows passengers to partake of their meals anytime during the flight. The One by One project was undertaken with the assistance of Performa Global Pty Ltd., an Australian-based airline service consultant. Initially launched on Los Angeles evening flights, the service will progressively be introduced in all of PAL's Los Angeles, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Honolulu, Vancouver, Sydney and Melbourne flights by early 2007.

[edit] Incidents and accidents

Philippine Airlines is accredited by IATA with the IOSA (IATA Operations Safety Audit)(Accreditation February 2007)

• On January 24, 1950, a Douglas DC-3 crashed in Iloilo.

• On March 30, 1952, a Douglas DC-3 crashed in Loakan Airport in Baguio upon takeoff.

• On January 14, 1954, a Douglas DC-6 crashed in Leonardo Da Vinci International Airport in Rome while attempting to land in heavy turbulence, which led to an engine fire.

• On November 23, 1960, a Douglas DC-3 crashed in Nichols Field in Manila upon takeoff due to poor weather conditions.

• On December 22, 1960, a Douglas DC-3 crashed in Mactan-Cebu International Airport in Cebu upon takeoff after a failure of the number one engine.

• On March 2, 1963, a Douglas DC-3 crashed in Davao due to a premature descent.

• On February 21, 1964, a Douglas DC-3 crashed in Marawi City.

• On June 29, 1966, a Douglas DC-3 crashed in Sagalyan.

• On February 28, 1967, Philippine Airlines Flight 345, a Fokker F-27 Friendship, crashed in Mactan-Cebu International Airport, in Cebu during landing due to an aft center of gravity condition resulting from improper loading.

• On July 6, 1967, Philippine Airlines Flight 385, a Fokker F-27 Friendship, crashed in Bacolod.

• On September 12, 1969, a BAC 1-11 crashed short in Nichols Field, in Manila on the runway upon landing.

• On April 21, 1970, Philippine Airlines Flight 215, a Hawker Siddeley HS-748, crashed in Nichols Field, in Manila after a bomb exploded in the rear cargo section.

• On April 21, 1973, a Hawker Siddeley HS-748 crashed in Patabangan, after a bomb exploded during the flight.

• On February 3, 1975, a Hawker Siddeley HS-748 crashed in Nichols Field in Manila after a fire developed in the number two engine shortly after takeoff. It was also due to crew error in their inability to deal with a standard emergency.

• On May 23, 1976, a BAC 1-11 burned on the tarmac in Zamboanga City when hijackers supposedly detonated a hand grenade in the cabin. 10 passengers and 3 hijackers were killed.

• On June 26, 1987, a Hawker Siddeley HS-748 crashed into terrain in Baguio while attempting to land in a moonsoon, although the crew knew about the adverse flying conditions.

• On December 13, 1987, a Shorts 360-300 crashed near Maria Cristina Airport in Iligan.

• On July 21, 1989, a BAC 1-11 crashed in Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila when the aircraft overran the runway while landing, impacting several vehicles on an adjacent roadway.

• On May 11, 1990, a Boeing 737-300 suffered an explosion in the center fuel tank in Ninoy Aquino International Airport, in Manila while preparing for takeoff. The fire and smoke engulfed the aircraft before it could be completely evacuated. The explosion was similar to what happened to the ill-fated TWA Flight 800 six years later.

• On December 11, 1994, a small bomb exploded below the seat of a Japanese businessman which is 26C on Philippine Airlines Flight 434. The businessman perished, but none of the aircraft's other 293 passengers and crew were killed. The Boeing 747-200 landed safely. Investigators later found that Ramzi Yousef, a terrorist suspected of being a part of Al-Qaida, planted the bomb there to test it out for a terrorist attack he was planning, Project Bojinka. The plan was foiled after an apartment fire in Manila led investigators to the laptop computer and disks containing the plan.

• On March 22, 1998, Philippine Airlines Flight 137, an Airbus A320, crashed and overran the runway of Bacolod City Domestic Airport, in Bacolod, plowing through homes near it. None of the passengers or crew died, but many were injured and three on the ground were killed.

• In 2000, Philippine Airlines Flight 812, en route from Davao to Manila, was hijacked by a man with marital problems. The hijacker was pulled out of the aircraft by a flight attendant and used a parachute in escaping, with none of the other passengers and crew being injured or killed. The hijacker died when his parachute failed to deploy.

• On 30 October 2004, Jardine Aviation, ground services provider for Philippine Airlines accidentally hit its A320 with conveyor-belt boom after a ramp loader operator made a miscalculation to adjust the conveyor-belt boom with the aircraft door. PR 319 bound for Manila was forced to be grounded overnight for repairs.^[15]

• On November 2006, a Philippine Airlines Airbus A340 with 236 people on board made a safe emergency landing at Vancouver airport, after encountering flap problems after takeoff. It landed safely around 7:20 am (1520 GMT).

• On January 4, 2007, flight 144 from Iloilo City Airport to Manila, a Philippine Airlines Airbus 320-200, was experiencing technical difficulties with cabin pressurization. The flight was delayed five hours and departed around 9:00 pm. The flight was forced to turn back 15 minutes off shore when it was not able to safely reach crusing altitude. No one was injured.

• On February 15, 2007, Philippine Airlines flight PR-191 with more than 100 people on board overshot a runway. The Airbus 320 experienced problems with one of its wheels as it was landing at the domestic airport at Tacloban City, 585 kilometres south-east of Manila, causing it to overshoot the runway. None of the 113 passengers and six crew members were hurt.

[edit] Gallery

An artist's rendering of a Philippine Airlines Douglas DC-8 over Hong Kong	A McDonnell-Douglas DC-10 in old PR livery	Boeing 747-200	A Philippine Airlines Skybed, first introduced on PR's trans-Pacific Boeing 747 flights in 1985
Airbus A340-300	A Philippine Airlines 747-400 plane at NAIA, taxiing to its gate.	Philippine Airlines' Boeing 777-300ER

[edit] External links

[edit] Official website

• Philippine Airlines
• Mabuhay Miles

[edit] Regional PAL websites

• Philippine Airlines in Japan
• Philippine Airlines in Korea

[edit] Other websites

• Philippine Airlines Fleet Age
• Philippine Airlines Passenger Opinions

[edit] References

v • d • e Airlines of the Philippines
Passenger	Air Philippines · Asian Spirit · Cebu Pacific · Interisland Airlines · Philippine Airlines · South East Asian Airlines · Tair Airways
Cargo	Aboitiz Air · Asia Overnight Express · Pacific East Asia Cargo Airlines
Charter	A Soriano Aviation · Air Link International Airways · Corporate Air · Pacific Airways · Subic Seaplane
Defunct	Aerolift Philippines • Air Ads • Air Manila International • DragonAir • Filipinas Orient Airways • Grand Air International • Laoag International Airlines