Upgrades Capacity to New Zealand
14 August 2017
14 August 2017
Flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL)is flying Manila- Auckland direct beginning December 6 this year reducing flight time to 10 hours from the current 12.15 hour Manila – Auckland via Cairns route.
The non-stop MNL – AKL flight (PR 218) will be operated initially by Airbus A340-300 aircraft thrice weekly – every Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday departing Manila at 11:15PM, and arriving Auckland at 2:05PM local time the following day. Return flight (PR 219) leaves Auckland every Friday, Saturday and Tuesday at 12:30AM local time arriving Manila at 5:45AM.
Service upgrade will be made available beginning next year with Airbus A330-300 aircraft.
Meanwhile, Manila-Cairns route will be dropped temporarily beginning December 5. Flight services is expected to resume next year when more A321neo aircraft orders are delivered.
Currently, some Cairns to Manila flights on A320 and A321s are diverted to Davao airport for technical stopovers due to range issues.
The non-stop MNL – AKL flight (PR 218) will be operated initially by Airbus A340-300 aircraft thrice weekly – every Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday departing Manila at 11:15PM, and arriving Auckland at 2:05PM local time the following day. Return flight (PR 219) leaves Auckland every Friday, Saturday and Tuesday at 12:30AM local time arriving Manila at 5:45AM.
Service upgrade will be made available beginning next year with Airbus A330-300 aircraft.
Meanwhile, Manila-Cairns route will be dropped temporarily beginning December 5. Flight services is expected to resume next year when more A321neo aircraft orders are delivered.
Currently, some Cairns to Manila flights on A320 and A321s are diverted to Davao airport for technical stopovers due to range issues.
Glad to hear the A340s will be temporary. Are the reconfigured A330s going to be used instead of the older tri-class A330s used on ME routes? An upgrade from A340 to A330 will also increase seats from 254 to 309. Is the market already that feasible? Looks like they're really taking advantage of the suspension of Air New Zealand's planned nonstop flights. Or are they codesharing with Air New Zealand instead with PAL operating the route?
ReplyDeleteIts the same service available for Australia. Code share agreements definitely in the works. Revamped schedule is also lucrative to the Kiwis. Route upgrade suggests market support.
ReplyDeleteSo, dropping Cairns flights is temporary, and will resume after acquiring Airbus A321neo. That would be good. It is good to see Philippine Airlines' expansion to Australia when they will resume flights to Cairns. Cairns flights can be connect to Canberra or Adelaide. I hope Philippine Airlines will also resume Perth.
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