dailynewsnblog
Philippine Airlines just announced that its upcoming fleet modernization plan will be a split order between Boeing and Airbus next-gen widebody jets. According to Bloomberg, PAL will be buying ten Boeing 787s and ten Airbus A350s.
This order marks the first time that the carrier has purchased 
Boeing aircraft in nearly two decades. PAL plans to make a formal announcement on July 20 at the Farnborough International Airshow in the United Kingdom.
Air Travel In The Philippines Enters A New Era
Boeing aircraft make up less than 10% of the commercial fleet in the Philippines. As of today, the only Boeing aircraft currently flown by PAL are ten 777-300ER Long Haul widebodies. As the first deal between the carrier and America’s leading plane maker since 2007, this order marks a turning point in trade relations that have soured since the current Administration began imposing tariffs on the Philippines.
PAL is modernizing and expanding its long-haul fleet in parallel with national air travel improvements. President Duterte’s began an initiative to modernize the Manila airport system as well as landside transportation, including rail projects under the umbrella of a $15 billion infrastructure program. PAL does have four A350s on its flightline now, including the first A350-1000 received in late 2025, but they are outnumbered by its 11 A330-300s, as Planespotters.net lists. Replacing the older twin-aisle with next-gen models will improve the flying experience for travelers as much as it saves fuel for the operator.
On July 3, the airline also announced more frequent service to North America later this year. PAL will increase both passenger and cargo capacity to Vancouver, Toronto, and New York by a little over 25% for the winter season. Richard Nuttall, President of Philippine Airlines, gave the statement emphasizing the importance of the NA market for PAL:
“[NA] continues to be one of Philippine Airlines’ most important markets… As the Philippine flag carrier, we remain committed to supporting tourism, trade, and economic ties between the Philippines and our key [NA] markets.”
Joining Oneworld To Make Every Flyer’s Journey Better
PAL has accompanied its new airplanes and improved airport services in Manila with the decision to fully join the Oneworld interairline partnership. The carrier will become the 16th member of the global airline alliance and the second from the Southeast Asia region. This will offer a host of new benefits to members of the PAL Mabuhay Miles Loyalty program should they choose to travel aboard one of the other member airlines to over 1,000 destinations in combined coverage.
Among the chief benefits to travelers directly is access to over 700 lounges around the world, which greatly improves the experience for long-distance flyers making connections across the globe. This will complement the improved experience at Manila Airport (MNL), Clark International (CRK), as well as the all-new Bulacan International under construction outside Manila. The dramatic transformation of customer experience at both PAL’s home field and throughout the wider network marks a major turning point in the airline’s history.
An All-New Experience Flying With PAL
The Airbus A350 and Boeing 787 will both bring dramatic improvements to the in-flight experience for every traveler, regardless of cabin class, when they enter service with PAL. Each of these planes is a composite-construction jetliner, which allows them to have superior humidity and air filtration along with lower cabin altitude pressurization, down to 6,000 feet compared to 8,000 feet in legacy jets. That combines with larger windows and customizable LED lighting to radically reduce the impact of jet lag over long-haul journeys.
Introducing these modernized planes will bring new and improved business class cabin suites with sliding doors as well as superior inflight entertainment, amenities, and seatback features. Although these have not been officially announced in detail, Aerotime offered a sneak peek into the A350-1000 cabin interior mock-up presented by PAL. New tech included larger 4K IFE screens, USB and power charger outlets at every seat, and likely wireless charging pads and premium sections.
