Philippine Airlines said Wednesday it signed a deal with Airbus to acquire nine A350-1000 aircraft which will be deployed for long-haul flights.
PAL said that under its Ultra Long Haul Fleet project, it will operate the A350-1000 aircraft on non-stop services from Manila to North America, including the East Coast of the US and Canada.
The A350-1000 is the latest and largest version of the A350 family of long-range jetliners. The new aircraft will join two A350-900s already in service with PAL that are currently flying to destinations in North America, Asia and Australia.
PAL said that as with the A350-900, the PAL A350-1000s will be configured in a premium layout with separate business class, premium economy and economy class cabins.
PAL also secured purchase rights on three additional A350-1000s to allow future expansion to new long-haul destinations.
PAL president and chief operating officer Captain Stanley Ng said the range of the A350-1000 would enable the airline to fly non-stop transpacific and transpolar routes in both directions all year.
These will include some of the longest commercial flights in the world, such as those linking the Philippines with New York and Toronto. With an expanded A350 fleet, PAL will have the ability to provide a direct link from the Philippines to Europe.
“The A350-1000 combines greater range capability with the higher capacity we need to serve future demand. It’s the perfect aircraft to enable PAL to meet its expansion plans in a sustainable way, while offering passengers the highest levels of onboard comfort,” Ng said.
“We are committed to offering our passengers the best possible travel experience, and these state-of-the-art aircraft will enable us to do just that as we carry out our mission to connect the world, and grow trade and tourism,” he said.
Airbus chief commercial officer Christian Scherer said: “Flying passengers farther and in greater comfort, the A350 brings a step-change in fuel efficiency and an immediate significant contribution to reduced emissions. These are the attributes that have made the A350 the choice of leading airlines worldwide. We look forward to working closely with our long-standing customer Philippine Airlines as it moves forward with its long haul fleet modernization program.”
The first of the nine A350-1000s is slated to be delivered to PAL by the fourth quarter of 2025, with deliveries continuing until 2027.