Airlines, Airplanes, and Airports

[SunKing]

PR's 747s have a range of 7259nm. If PR were to buy 777s, I'd bet it would be the -200/ER so it would have a range of 7330nm, but if they buy the 200/LRs, it would have a range of 8865nm. The 777s have a passenger capacity of about 305 passengers. PR's 747s carry 398 passengers. Their A340s have a range of ~7300nm, but less cargo and passenger capacity. The A340s are just right for the European routes, they have just the right range and capacity, that's why these planes were ordered in the first place.

[ryanr]

I'd take the 777LRs hehehe...but A340s are fine.

[renell]

A340's most probably. they'll probably just use one of the ones they already have.. i just dont see them buying new planes soon, or going to europe. i did some research, DFA was in talks with the US for PAL to get more flights to stateside.

[ewh1]

SINGAPORE, Feb 23 (Reuters) - Philippine Airlines Inc (PAL) is planning to lease 13 planes to replace its narrow-bodied aircraft in the next two to three years, the firm's president said on Monday.

"We are re-fleeting our narrow-bodied aircraft," Avelino Zapanta, who is also chief operating officer, told Reuters on the sidelines of an aviation conference in the city state.

The flag carrier, which has 13 narrow-bodied planes in a fleet of 30, will make a decision before the end of the year, Zapanta said.

"We are now determining the type of aircraft that we will use as a replacement for the narrow-bodied aircraft. It's a choice between (Airbus) A320s and the new generation (Boeing) B737. Most will be on operating leases," said Zapanta.

Asia is expected to lead the growth in the aircraft leasing market this year due to the emergence of low-cost carriers, Singapore Aircraft Leasing Enterprise chief executive Robert Martin said.

Rebounding passenger traffic earned PAL about one billion pesos ($18 million) in December and January, putting it on track to break even for the full year, Zapanta said.

"We lost 1.6 billion pesos in April-to-November. It was worrisome except that December and January proved to be good months. Passengers are hankering to travel," Zapanta added.

"We have two months left to recover about 590 million pesos, to break even or be positive. I think it can be done," he said. The unlisted flag carrier's financial year runs to March.

Zapanta said in December and January, Philippines Airlines, recovered about two-thirds of the 1.6 billion pesos in losses it incurred in the April-to-November period, when the deadly SARS outbreak and a rise in fuel prices hit the carrier.

He said the bird flu virus that has hit Asia was unlikely to affect demand for travel. "I think the attitude of the traveller now is that bird flu or no bird flu, they will just go and travel."

The airline originally targeted a profit of 816 million pesos this year, up from 295 million pesos in the previous year before the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) hit travel.

PAL is controlled by local business tycoon Lucio Tan and his companies. The government holds a four percent stake.

The airline was on the brink of liquidation in 1999 after a series of labour crises, but is now revamping its operations to settle large outstanding debts.

PAL's current debt is less than $1.5 billion, down from $2.3 billion in 1999, Zapanta said. ($1=S$1.6970=56.23 pesos)

Copyright 2004, Reuters News Service

[Skyblade]

Originally Posted by renell

A340's most probably. they'll probably just use one of the ones they already have.. i just dont see them buying new planes soon, or going to europe. i did some research, DFA was in talks with the US for PAL to get more flights to stateside.

Last I heard the only new aircraft I'm hearing is something to replace the narrowbody domestic fleet with either new A320s or the 737NG within two to three years (according to this article.), that and the acquisition of more 744s. An A340-500 would look sweet in the PAL livery with those big engines..

I would imagine seeing PAL flying to San Diego as an extension of flights 102/103 and 112/113.

EDIT: Nevermind Eric beated me to it. :P

[renell]

so are they bothballing the ones they're replacing? give it to PAF? hahahaha..

[Skyblade]

Bwahahaha that is imaginable, I mean those generals that suck the funds out of the of the AFP modernization program need some nice VIP transports or maybe PAF can use them as attack aircraft.....Imagine a A320 with the PAL livery in a bombing run over MILF positions...XD

[renell]

i dont think there's even funds for the generals to suck out in the first place.

[Skyblade]

Originally Posted by renell

i dont think there's even funds for the generals to suck out in the first place.

Point taken.

[ryanr]

but still, while those military generals drive around with their Mercedez-Benz, their soldiers are out in the jungles with little to live on. I saw a presentation on the life of a soldier and they get paid really poorly, and they only have two sets of uniforms...

How are our F-5s doing? Still in good shape? Enough to defend our country? ( )
A few years ago, PAF really wanted to acquire F-18s...

[SunKing]

The AFP was already testing the F/A-18s in China Lake back in 1996, Boeing was almost sure that they would get a Philippine order. Back then, the government was also completing the purchase of F-16s...

[ryanr]

but what happened??

[SunKing]

The F-16s which were to be purchased were of earlier production blocks and as the deal was being finalized, a Senator said that if we were to purchase aircraft, they might as well be the latest models, but by the time the AFP was ready to purchase the aircraft, the Asian Financial Crisis had already struck.

[ryanr]

too bad...so if it wasnt for the crisis, PAF would be flying F-16s by now... How many were they going to buy?

During Balikatan (is this right?) the americans brought some F/A-18s to Clark and some Filipino pilots were able to pilot them. After that, they were pleading for the govt to purchase some of them

[SunKing]

The Filipino pilots were agape at those planes. When the Americans were still in the Philippines, everything--from the planes to the soldiers' boots--was paid for by the Americans.

[Skyblade]

What I'd do to see a Hornet in PAF colors...or at least a Falcon.....

[SunKing]

How about F-16s in Blue Diamonds colors? It might just have been PAF pride but their website says that the Blue Diamonds took the thunder away from the USAF Thunderbirds in a 1950s show.

[SunKing]

High oil prices send PAL back in the red

The high cost of fuel prices has put a toll on the financial performance of flag-carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) after it reportedly registered a P500-million net loss in its 2003 fiscal year ending-March.

PAL, was supposedly to have booked a profit of P1 billion in the same period as against the previous year’s P295-million net profit.

However, according to a source, the airline slipped back into the red during the period. “Gasoline and fuel prices in the world market jacked up PAL’s cost,” the source said.

PAL, however, refused to confirm nor deny that it posted a net loss when asked to comment last Friday.

PAL president Avelino Zapanta had said the airline expected to post P1 billion in net profit as the airline industry was now recovering from the scare of the deadly severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and terrorists attacks.

“Barring any more problems in the coming fiscal year and given the favorable environment for travel, we could post a least P1 billion in net income next fiscal year. People are hungry to travel after being denied the pleasure when the SARS scare was prevalent. We think the coming fiscal year would be favorable,” Zapanta earlier said.

PAL, he said, felt the full impact of the SARS scare from April to November 2003 when the company incurred losses of P1.6 billion.

Now, PAL is suffering from the enormous fuel cost as prices of aviation fuel almost doubled from last year. The May average to date stands at $46.03 per barrel from $28.24 per barrel last year. As of May 13, it costs $46.87 per barrel.

PAL’s debt had been reduced to $1.3 billion from $2.3 billion when it restructured payments and went into a 10-year financial rehabilitation in 1999. PAL is now in its sixth year of rehabilitation.

The Lucio Tan Group controls 89 percent of PAL, while his three Hong Kong companies -- Topwell Enterprises, Maxwell Holdings and Richmark Holdings -- hold a cumulative 35.15-percent stake.

The government is left with only 4.26 percent, employees with 2.71 percent and the remaining 4.19 percent is held by private investors also associated with Tan.

But according to the International Air Transport Association, the industry has started to recover during the first quarter of this year after posting an almost double-digit increase in passenger and cargo traffic based on figures culled by the 280-member association.

“The industry is on track to outperform our forecast of 6.9-percent growth in passenger volumes over 2003 levels. More importantly, the industry is showing clear signs of its ability to match capacity to demand,” the association said.

The growth in passenger traffic meant that people were no longer afraid to fly compared to 2001 after the terrorist attack followed by the US-Iraq war and the spread of the SARS last year.

In March alone, the association reported a 13.3-percent increase in the number of passengers traveling and an 8-percent hike in the volume of cargo transported. L. Lectura

[Skyblade]

Good to hear a passenger increase in PAL and that its debt is now shrinking.

I dunno, it would be nice to see a PAL cargo division with fully dedicated aircraft.

[SunKing]

Aircraft with "Philippines Cargo" on the fuselage would be cool. We could dream couldn't we?