The airlines using the Airbus A350-1000 continue to increase, with Philippine Airlines having taken delivery of its first A350-1000.
With this delivery, Philippine Airlines has become the 10th operator to take delivery and operate the A350-1000 – the largest version of the aircraft.
This delivery marks the first of nine A350-1000s that Philippine Airlines will receive as part of its fleet expansion programme.
The new aircraft will join the airline’s existing A350-900s already in service to expand routes to the US. The addition of the A350-1000 further strengthens the airline’s widebody fleet strategy to grow long-haul capacity while enhancing overall travel experience and operational reliability.
The aircraft, configured in a premium three-class layout with 382 seats, will open a new chapter in Philippine Airlines’ long-haul operations across the Pacific. This aircraft will be configured with 42 seats in Business Class, 24 in Premium Economy, and 316 in Economy. Runway Girl Network has noted that this will be tight in the back with a 10-abreast configuration installed.
The A350-1000’s efficiency will enable the carrier to expand its transpacific network with non-stop services to major destinations in North America.
In Quotes
Mr Lucio Tan, President of PAL Holdings Inc., at a delivery ceremony
“The arrival of the A350-1000 marks a significant milestone in our ongoing commitment to fleet modernization and network growth. It will be a source of Filipino pride and a transformational step for our airline,”
A capacity stepchange – but be careful down the back
With Philippine Airlines going for the payload optimised variant of the Airbus A350, they are choosing to offer quite a premium experience at the front of the plane, whilst cramming them in down the back, especially with the tight 16.5″ seat width.
That’s going to be a little crushing, considering the routes the aircraft is planned to operate.
It shouldn’t be a hard transition, given the airline is an A350-900 operator already. The A350-1000s will work alongside the Airbus A330-300, Airbus A350-900 and Boeing 777-300ER that the airline operates.
An interesting addition to the fleet. We’ll have to see where they deploy it.
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