The Philippines pitched to global aerospace companies the opportunity to develop in the country sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) given its sustainability priorities and the abundant supply of biomass resources, a good source of SAF.
On the first day of Europe Investment Roadshow in Paris on June 19, Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual and the Philippine delegation, attended business meetings with representatives of several aerospace companies including Anand Stanley, president for Asia Pacific of Airbus, at the sidelines of the Paris Air Show at Le Bourget, the world’s largest air show, which was conducted for the first time in four years also on June 19.
Also at the sidelines of the air show, Philippine Airlines (PAL) has signed an agreement with Airbus to finalize the purchase of nine A350-1000 long range aircraft for its ultra long haul fleet project and will fly on non-stop services from Manila to North America, including to the East Coast of the US and Canada.
The agreement was signed during the Paris Air Show by Captain Stanley Ng, president and chief operating officer of Philippine Airlines, and Christian Scherer, Airbus chief commercial officer and Head of International, in the presence of Lucio Tan III, president & chief operating officer, PAL Holdings Inc. on June 20.
“This order will see PAL operating one of the youngest and most modern widebody fleets in Asia. We selected the A350-1000 to give PAL the power to match capacity closely to predicted demand on both the very longest routes to the North American East Coast but also on our prime trunk routes to the West Coast and potentially to Europe as well. At the same time the aircraft will use significantly less fuel than older aircraft of a similar size, which also brings an important reduction in carbon emissions,” Ng said.
PAL’s A350-1000 fleet will be able to accommodate 380 passengers in a three-class layout, with separate cabins for Business Class, Premium Economy and Economy Class.
The A350 is the world’s most modern and efficient widebody aircraft and has set new standards for intercontinental travel. It offers the longest range capability of any commercial airliner in production today and is capable of flying 9,700 nautical miles or 18,000 kilometers non-stop.
At present, PAL has 69 aircraft and the 9 brand new orders will bring the fleet count to close to 80 that will address the current need for more planes and widen flight route network. Irma Isip and Myla Iglesias
