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PAL to go Europe after Toronto, Awaits ICAO audit this month, and to join Oneworld Alliance


October 1, 2012

Philippine Airlines (PAL) has outline its move to fly Europe next as Felix Cruz, PAL Vice President Marketing Support, confirmed the airlines upcoming planning application to the European Union after The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) schedules audit this month to review Significant Safety Concerns (SSC's) of the country's aviation industry.

“We hope for a partial lifting of the EU ban, at least for us”, says Felix Cruz. 

PAL is leaning on the same policy EU granted to another Asean carrier which country was likewise barred from entering European Airspace. Garuda Indonesia was granted exemption to fly Europe and has regular flights to Amsterdam.

Cruz said the airline is likely to start flying Frankfurt which used to be its largest European operation followed by London and Paris next year. They will be operated by Boeing 777-300ER one of which is scheduled to arrive by November and two other frames next year. The airline also awaits arrival of eight A330-342 that will see the plane flying to Australia and Japan, and maybe Europe. 

“We want to fly to New York, add extra flights to our current network in the USA but we wait for the US FAA to upgrade again Philippines civil aviation to category 1 from category 2” says Cruz. 

“Honestly, there is little we can do but the government is working hard for that” adds Cruz.

Cruz said that they will add more flights to Australia. He said they will fly to Darwin which could start by early next year. 

In the ASEAN region, PAL will boost frequency to Indonesia and will fly later to Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar.

“ We already boosted the total number of flights to Jakarta and opened Bali earlier this year”, added Cruz. 

Cruz said that PAL is heading for Oneworld Alliance and is currently in the process of upgrading its IT with Sabre ticketing reservation system, which could pave the way to a future membership with Oneworld scheduled for 2014. PAL membership to the alliance is sponsored by Cathay Pacific.

9 comments:

  1. What's your source on the oneworld membership?

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  2. Don't you see. Both Philippine Airlines Kingfisher Airlines, Malaysian Airlines and Cathay Pacific are marketing partners.

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  3. its not eight Airbus A330-342 its Twenty Airbus A330-300 im not sure witch model but my best guest is the Airbus A330-302 or the Airbus A330-343 and also the airlines is set to start flight to Toronto this november 30 and i recently
    read in a news article that the airlines is planning to start flight in brezil

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  4. PAL should boost its operations in Asia Pacific as well as North America. I think that the best share PAL could give if it will join oneworld.

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  5. Kingfisher is bunkrupt...its not a top airline anymore...

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  6. American Airlines should commenced the LAX MNL or the ORD MNL nonstop flight sooner. Not just Americans going to Manila, but as for the Filipino Americans going to Manila.

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  7. not withstanding their relationship with Lufthansa as well as KLM, i think PR will fit well with oneworld as it has strong historic ties with oneworld members, to wit:
    1951- JL leased DC-3 from PR to jumpstart their operation
    1997-- commenced codeshare bet PR and AA to ORD, DFW, JFK, IAD, MIA via LAX and SFO and EWR via YVR using AA a/c as PHL was still in category 2---halted due to Asian Financial Crisis
    1998- CX temporarily took over PR's domestic route during the Asian Financial Crisis
    -PR currently codeshares more with oneworld members (CX, MH and QR) than any other alliance combined
    rumors also has it that CX is PR's sponsor in joining oneworld. furthermore, with PR joining oneworld it evenouts the alliances in the region..star has TG and SG, sky has VN and GA while oneworld has MH and soon.. PR

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