PAL Express

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PAL Express
300px
IATA ICAO Callsign
2P GAP AIRPHIL
Founded February 13, 1995 (as Air Philippines Corporation)
April 10, 2008 (as Airphil Express)
March 15, 2013 (as PAL Express)
Hubs Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Manila)
Secondary hubs
Frequent-flyer program Mabuhay Miles
Airport lounge Mabuhay Lounge
Fleet size 22
Destinations 32
Company slogan Your home in the sky
Parent company Philippine Airlines
Headquarters R1 Hangar Avenue, Nichols Pasay City
Key people
  • Lucio Tan (Chairman)
  • Bonifacio Sam (President)
Website http://www.philippineairlines.com

PAL Express, formerly Air Philippines or Airphil Express, is an airline operating under the business name of Air Philippines Corporation. It operates domestic and international scheduled services from Manila, Cebu, Davao City and Zamboanga. The airline has been re-branded a number of times, first as Air Philippines, then Airphil Express, and is now known as PAL Express. After a series of financial losses, Air Philippines ceased operations until it was acquired by investors from Philippine Airlines. After the acquisition, the airline was re-launched as PAL Express, operating some routes and slot assignments of its sister company Philippine Airlines until management decided to re-brand the carrier as a budget airline known as Airphil Express. However, in March 2013, the company's CEO announced that the name would revert to PAL Express. As a codeshare partner of Philippine Airlines, PAL Express operates as a full service carrier within a low-cost model.[1]

PAL Express is Philippine Airlines' answer to Cebu Pacific Air's dominance in the low-cost travel market in the Philippines. It has allowed PAL to focus on the premium market, where domestically PAL does not have competition. Airphil Express gained a significant increase in passengers following its launch as a low-cost carrier. The airline is currently in fleet acquisition mode[2] to support its planned domestic and international route expansion plan. Airphil Express currently holds the no. 3 position among Philippine-based airlines, with 19% market share.[2]

History

Former logo of Airphil Express
An Airphil Express Airbus A320
An Air Philippines Boeing 737-200 at Puerto Princesa International Airport

Air Philippines was incorporated on February 13, 1995, with the base of operations being the former Naval Air Station Cubi Point. Flight operations started on February 1, 1996 with a Boeing 737-200 between Subic Bay, Iloilo and Zamboanga. In 1996 six NAMC YS-11 and four Boeing 737-200 aircraft were acquired by the company. In 1997 an additional one Boeing 737-200 was acquired. In this same year the airline carried over 675,000 passengers and over 773,000 in 1998[citation needed]. In September 1998 the airline was temporarily grounded by the Philippine Air Transportation Office, but was reactivated when U-Land agreed to purchase a stake.

It was in 1999 when Lucio Tan Group took over management of the Company. In March 1999, Air Philippines was granted approval to operate international services to Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and the USA. In May 2001 two Boeing 737-300 aircraft were delivered. In mid-2002, charter flights were started from Subic Bay and Laoag City to Hong Kong. Passenger numbers carried rose to nearly 881,000 in 2002. In July 2004 charter flights started from Subic Bay to Guangzhou.[2]

Air Philippines significantly increased ties with Philippine Airlines (PAL), including the merging of frequent flier plans, timetables, and ticket sales. Air Philippines also recently moved into the PAL terminal at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Manila). Some of PAL's major stockowners are also owners of Air Philippines.[citation needed] Though Air Philippines will officially cease to be part of the Philippine Airlines Frequent Flier Programme "Mabuhay Miles" as of October 1, 2007.[3] Air Philippines has said that they chose to back out of the Mabuhay Miles program to benefit their passengers, so rather than flying numerous flights to gain miles and wait to a certain point to receive bonuses, passengers can benefit with lower fares and more discounts with quicker bonuses, much more like today's modern day low-cost airline.On October 28, 2012, Airphil Express resumed "Mabuhay Miles" for passenger to earn and redeem their miles on any Airphil Express and Philippine Airlines.

On April 10, 2008, Philippine Airlines announced an order for aircraft for the PAL Express fleet. It consisted of aircraft from the Bombardier Q family, including three from the Q300 series and six from the Q400 series, manufactured by Bombardier Aerospace in a deal valued at $150 million.[3] PAL announced on April 13 that the new fleet would be based mainly in Cebu City to serve regional routes, while flights from Manila would also be launched.[4]

PAL Express was unveiled on April 14, 2008. The airline primarily flies intra-regional routes from its Cebu hub to the Visayas and Mindanao islands, as well as secondary routes to smaller airports in island provinces that are not able to accommodate PAL’s mainline jet aircraft. [5]

On May 5, 2008, PAL Express began operations by launching flights to Malay.[6] The airline on the same day announced it would serve 22 inter-island routes, including some provincial points that were without air service.[7] Flights out of Cebu City commenced on May 19, 2008.

On March 28, 2010, Air Philippines restored jet service to Iloilo, Bacolod, Puerto Princesa and Cagayan de Oro, utilizing Airbus A320 aircraft flying under the AirPhil Express banner.[8][9] The airline subsequently operated eight Bombardier Aerospace turboprop aircraft and two new Airbus A320s, all of which were former Philippine Airlines aircraft.

In January and early February 2012, GE Capital Aviation Services Limited (GECAS) announced delivery of three new Airbus A320 aircraft to Airphil Express to help the carrier expand its fleet.[10]

On July 1, 2009, PAL Express flights became eligible for Mabuhay Miles. Since October 27, 2009, all PAL Express flights were being operated by Air Philippines. On 28 March 2010, PAL Express ceased operations and transferred all operations to sister airline, Airphil Express.

In the first quarter of 2013, PAL Express announced its new route Zamboanga to Sandakan, Malaysia. In May 2013 PAL Express was forced to cancel flights due to the 2013 Lahad Datu standoff.

On March 15, 2013, Airphil Express re-branded itself as PAL Express using the familiar “sunriser” PAL livery and logo on its tail and fuselage while maintaining its business name as Air Philippines Corporation.[1]

As of March 2014, PAL Express began carrying the brand name Philippine Airlines through a Cooperative Agreement with PAL. This strategy is intended to harmonize the two carriers in order to make them more competitive, ensure leadership and superior core services, and enhance the efficiency and profitability of both carriers.

Destinations

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Main article: PAL Express destinations

Fleet

A PAL Express Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 at Francisco Bangoy International Airport, Davao City. (2008)
PAL Express Fleet
Aircraft Total Orders Passengers Notes
Y+ Y Total
Airbus A320-200
10
—[9]
 12
0
0		 144
177
180		 156
177
180
Bombardier Dash 8 Q300
4
1
 — 56
56
 1 due as RP-C3019 ex C-GBOS.
Bombardier Dash 8 Q400
5
—
 — 76
76
Total 21
1
—
—

Former fleet

Aircraft Replaced by
Airbus A330-300 returned to parent company Philippine Airlines
Boeing 737-200 Airbus A320-200
Boeing 737-300 Airbus A320-200
McDonnell Douglas MD-82 Airbus A320-200
NAMC YS-11 Bombardier Q300, Bombardier Q400

Incidents and accidents

  • On June 24, 1996, an Air Philippines YS-11 aircraft struck a ground power unit while taxiing at Naga Airport (WNP). The aircraft caught fire. There were no fatalities among the 34 aircraft occupants.
  • On April 19, 2000, Air Philippines Flight 541,a Boeing 737-200 crashed near Francisco Bangoy International Airport, Davao City, killing 131 people.
  • On August 11, 2008, a PAL Express Bombardier DHC-8 Q400 aircraft operating as flight PR29 with 75 passengers and 3 crew, had safely landed on runway 04 at Catarman Airport when the airplane's nosewheel struck a soft spot in the runway's surface during taxi, the airline reported. No injuries were reported.[11]
  • On November 15, 2008, Another Bombardier DHC-8 Q400, with flight number PR272, made an emergency landing at its destination, Davao International Airport, from Zamboanga International Airport due to a problem with the plane's left landing gear. No one onboard got injured and the aircraft landed safely.
  • On February 13, 2012, Airphil Express Flight 969, an Airbus A320-200 with 135 people on board, overshot the runway at Kalibo International Airport, Kalibo, Aklan. No injuries or aircraft damage occurred in the incident.
  • On April 23, 2012: an Airphil Express flight to Tawi-Tawi from Zamboanga City was aborted as smoke emitted from the right turboprop engine of the plane. The plane was about to take off when pilots noticed the smoke prompting them to park and order around 50 passengers to disembark shortly after 7:00 in the morning.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Airphil Express rebrands as PAL Express[dead link]
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ PAL acquiring 9 turbo-props for inter-island operations[dead link]
  4. ↑ PAL to reopen Cebu hub for turbo-prop flights[dead link]
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ PAL Express maiden flight[dead link]
  7. ↑ PAL Express to fly 22 routes initially, PALexpressair.com, Accessed 6 May 2008
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

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