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Aviation History
1980
1980 - 3636.PDF
THE Orient airlines have made a considerable mark on the air transport industry in recent years, with spectacular traffic growth and massive fleet re-equipment pro grammes. Philippine Airlines (PAL) belongs firmly in this group of ambi tious, fast-expanding carriers, which includes Singapore Airlines, Thai International, Malaysian Airline Sys tem and Garuda. PAL started opera tions as a private company in 1946. In the same year it became the first Asian airline to operate transpacific services when it ferried US service men home from Manila. Later that year, PAL started scheduled trans pacific services and was designated the Philippines' national flag carrier. The Philippine Government took a majority shareholding in PAL in 1977 after problems with financing new aircraft. In the same year, Roman Cruz was appointed PAL's president and chairman of the board of direc tors. Cruz has instituted a vigorous campaign to improve punctuality and service quality, raise technical stan dards, replace older fuel-thirsty jets with more efficient types, and improve the airline's economic performance. Typical of PAL's aggressive new marketing approach are the beds offered to first-class passengers on all 747 services. The airline's new 747s have each been fitted with 14 beds in the upperdeck lounge area. They are probably unique as they are certifi cated for occupancy during take-off and landing—an important advantage for long multi-stop routes like Manila- Gatwick. The facility is offered to first-class passengers on all 747 routes (Manila to Europe and the USA) at a nominal sum. Compared with the £1,140 one-way first-class fare from Gatwick to Manila, for instance, the extra £37 for the use of a bed is in significant. Although the beds dilute revenue by taking up an area which could accommodate seats, PAL con siders them a crucial marketing ad vantage on a very competitive route (especially since London-Hong Kong has been opened up to BCal and Cathay Pacific and is diverting low- fare Asia-bound traffic from other Orient carriers). PAL's operations divide sharply be tween international and domestic ser vices. The country is an archipelago of 7,100 islands, not all of which are inhabited. A fleet of 16 turboprops (seven BAe 748s and nine YS-lls) and 12 BAe One-Elevens is devoted in- tirely to domestic operations to 40 destinations. International services to 22 destinations are performed by three new Boeing 747s (one more on order), three DC-10-30s, plus one on order, two new Airbus A30OB4s (three more on order) and two Boeing 727s leased from US carrier Hughes Air- west. The international network, with its hub in Manila, extends east to San Francisco, west to London, south to Sydney and Melbourne, and north to Peking and Tokyo. Thus PAL's operations combine a long-haul world wide network (average sector length of some 1,500 n.m.) with a complex PAL is aiming for self-sufficiency in most aspects of widebody airframe and engine maintenance. Maintenance of the new G£ CF6-50-powered Boeing 747s (below right) is being taken in-house from United. The 747s feature beds in the upperdeck lounges (below left) 0 fn^A*rffnef_
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