Philippine Airlines (PR, Manila Ninoy Aquino International) is looking to acquire new Boeing widebodies to replace others it would start to phase out. The two sides are in talks about a possible order for two B777Xs, PAL President and Chief Operating Officer (COO) Jaime Bautista has said at a news conference.
Bautista said that Boeing had recently presented its new B777X to the airline to replace two of the carrier's existing B777s, the Manila Standard reported. The carrier currently operates ten B777-300(ER)s.
The oldest of these are, according to the ch-aviation fleets module, RP-C7777 (msn 37709) and RP-C7776 (msn 37712), aged 9.6 and 9.46 years, respectively.
“We don’t have plans yet [to buy the B777X], but we are in discussion. [...] By 2020, these two B777s will be twelve years old. Boeing wants us to replace these planes with the B777X,” Bautista said.
The Filipino flag carrier and its regional subsidiary PAL Express have a combined fleet of ninety-seven mostly Airbus aircraft, according to the ch-aviation database.
Philippine Airlines operates sixty-two aircraft consisting of seven A320-200s, eighteen A321-200s, six A321-200neo, fifteen A330-300s, six A350-900s, and ten B777-300(ER)s. Air Philippines currently operates thirty-five aircraft, namely twelve A320-200s, six A321-200s, four Dash 8-300s, and thirteen Dash 8-400s.
Outstanding orders amount to fifteen more A321neo, based on tentative timelines, plus one more A350 and two Dash 8-400s, although Bautista said deliveries may be pushed back due to slot constraints at Manila Ninoy Aquino International.
