The Philippine Airlines has reacquired one of its Airbus A330 aircraft for the summer peak travel season. The A330, was flown to Manila International Airport (MNL) on January 31, 2023 from Nîmes-Alès-Camargue-Cévennes Airport (FNI) in France via Dubai.
Meanwhile, the airline is seeking to expand its fleet.
Cielo Villaluna, Spokesperson, Philippine Airlines while speaking to Inquirer said: “The pandemic decimated air travel and just like other carriers across the globe, it was necessary to return several planes as part of restructuring initiatives. With the pandemic receding and air travel recovering, PAL plans to further expand the fleet in the coming months. The aviation industry is riding on the wave of revenge travel. Passenger loads and forward bookings are positive indicators of this resurgence.”
In September 2021, Philippine Airlines filed for bankruptcy protection in New York, United States, to undergo financial restructuring under the Chapter 11 process. Based on the reorganization plan contained in the Chapter 11 bankruptcy petition, the airline’s fleet size was reduced from 91 to 70 for optimization.
By January 1, 2022, Philippine Airlines emerged from bankruptcy with less debt, 2,000 employees, and fewer planes reducing the airline’s capacity to meet demand.
Philippine Airlines said that it plans to deploy the A330 on routes to Hawaii, Australia, and various points in Asia.
The widebody aircraft will have 18 business class, 24 premium economy and 267 economy seats.
The airline currently has a fleet of 13 aircraft in the Airbus A330 family.