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MANILA, Philippines – A long-haul and wide-bodied unit of either Boeing or Airbus will be used in the November 4 Manila-London flights of legacy carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL).
Whether a US-made Boeing or Europe-made Airbus aircraft will be used for the route highlights how the rivalry between the two rival global manufacturers is present in Asian skies, including the Philippines. PAL was once a struggling local carrier but is now revived and aggressively expanding.
“We are utilizing either [Boeing] 777-300ERs and [Airbus] 340-300 for long haul,” PAL president Ramon Ang replied when asked about on the carrier’s choice aircraft for the route in a press conference on Tuesday, September 17.
“[For] long-haul [flights that involve] non-stop 13-hour [travel], you need to use 777 or 340’s. Those are the only available airlines,” he explained.
Boeing’s 777 aircraft has a 370-seat capacity, while Airbus A340 has 264.
PAL’s return to the United Kingdom after 15 years was marked by a “renewal of ties” ceremony with UK Trade Minister Lord Stephen Green of Hurstpierpoint in Makati City
Some parts of Airbus units are sourced from the UK.
“We’ve very happy that London is PAL’s first Europe destination since flights to that continent were discontinued in 1998,” said Ang during the press conference
PAL will fly 5x a week (Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday) departing Manila in the morning and arriving at Terminal 4 of London’s Heathrow airport, the world’s busiest.
“That we have been given permission to fly to Heathrow makes our return much more meaningful. We take this as a strong vow of confidence by UK authorities in PAL’s ability to bring in the passenger traffic volume worthy of the world’s top airlines,” Ang added.
“I am confident that these flights will greatly enhance the relationship between the UK and the Philippines,” Lord green said.
The direct Manila-London flights in November marks the first time the Philippines is returning to European skies.
The Philippines and the UK government has an existing bilateral air agreement for up to 7x a week flights.
READ: PAL can fly direct to UK
The European Union lifted its safety ban on Philippine carriers in July after the local aviation regulator met the safety standards of the 27-member economic bloc. – Rappler.com
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