Maharlikan Times

PAL reopens Brisbane, Saudi Arabia routes

By Lily O. Ramos

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MANILA, March 12 (PNA)--National flag carrier Philippine Airlines has acquired two brand new Boeing 777-300ER aircraft for its service resumption to international destinations later this March.

    Philippine Airlines, in a press conference at the Century Park Hotel in Manila on Friday, said it will relaunch flights to Brisbane, Australia on March 17 and to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on March 28 for its 25th and 26th foreign routes, respectively in a gradually expanding international network.

    Brisbane, which happens to be the flag carrier's third destination in Australia, triggers the restructuring of the airline's current daily operation to Sydney and Melbourne.

PAL first flew to Brisbane on June 5, 1985. But commercial difficulties spawned by the Asian financial crisis of 1997 forced the flag carrier to shut down its Australian services on June 5, 1998.

   PAL will fly a new Manila-Melbourne-Brisbane-Manila route twice weekly, using Airbus A330-300 aircraft. The wide-body jet seats 302 passengers in two-class layout--42 in business class and 260 in economy.

   Sydney, on the other hand, will be served three times a week via Melbourne and twice a week direct from Manila with PAL's new flagship, the B777-300ER, flying both routes.

    On the other hand, PAL takes a long-awaited return to Riyadh after an absence of four years. The airline last served the Saudi capital on March 2, 2006, after which the service was suspended for commercial reasons.

    PAL's return to the Middle East has been warmly welcomed by Filipino expatriates, who number over 2.2 million. PAL's direct service to and from Manila has been traditionally favored by Filipinos in the region because of its time-saving advantage. Other carriers' flights can involve up to two stops.

     From March 28, PAL will operate four times weekly to Riyadh with departures every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.

    Boeing 747-400 aircraft, which seat 18 passengers in business class, 32 in premium economy and 383 in economy, will be deployed on the non-stop route.

    PAL first flew to Riyadh on March 1, 1987 and over the decades the Saudi capital became one of the most important Middle East points.

    PAL's redeployment of aircraft to Brisbane and Riyadh was made possible with the delivery of two-long range B777-300ER aircraft in recent months. The first arrived in Manila on Nov. 19, 2009 and the second last Jan. 21.

    The fuel-efficient B777-300ER is the world's largest long-range twin engine jetliner and is capable of carrying 370 passengers in PAL's two-class configuration at a range of up to 7,880 nautical miles or 14,594 kilometers.

    The state-of-the-art aircraft was first deployed on the Manila-Hongkong route on Nov. 26, 2009. It has since been deployed to Tokyo on Jan. 12, 2010 and to Sydney and Melbourne on Feb. 20, 2010.

    Accommodating 42 passengers in business class and 328 in economy class, PAL's B777-300ER features a cutting edge inflight entertainment system, luxurious seats and a soothing, coastal resort-themed cabin design.

    The fully- digital inflight entertainment system enables passengers to choose from a broad range of media content.

     For the latest PAL special promotions, packages as well as booking requirements, visit www.philippineairlines.com or call (02)855-8888. (PNA)