Mark Szakonyi, Associate Editor | Aug 29, 2012 11:23AM EDT
Philippine Airlines this week placed an order with Airbus for more than 50 single-aisle A321 and widebody A330-300s for roughly $7 billion.
The A321 aircraft acquisitions will allow the flag-carrier to boosts its passenger and cargo services in domestic and regional routes, while the widebody aircraft is key to expansion into the Middle East and Australia. The orders, part of the PAL’s major fleet modernization program, will begin arriving next year.
“With these aircraft, we will be able to offer more passengers the best the industry has to offer across our Asia-Pacific network. At the same time, we will benefit from the low operating costs associated with new generation aircraft and the reduced impact on the environment,” said PAL Chairman Lucio Tan and PAL President Ramon S. Ang.
The contract is a major win for Airbus, because its archrival, Boeing, is based in one of Philippine’s largest trade and defense partners. Orders for the twin engine A330, the most widely used widebody aircraft service in service, number more than 1,200 for various versions of the aircraft. Approximately 900 units are operated by 90 carriers worldwide.
Contact Mark Szakonyi at mszakonyi@joc.com. Follow him on Twitter @szakonyi_joc.