Airlines In The Philippines III

[JNC03]

Meanwhile 5J uses the full potential of the A330neo and still has the problem of PW in its A320neo family fleet


Cebu Pacific will largely remain within its self-imposed limit of operating flights within a 4-hr. radius of Manila, the airline’s CEO said June 26.

The carrier is content to use its high-density Airbus A330-900s on Asian regional, or even short-haul domestic sectors, CEO Mike Szucs told a meeting of the UK Aviation Club in London.

“If I go forward five years, we might get to four or five. Specifically, there’s one route we’re looking at.”

“LCCs in long-haul don’t necessarily work. Some routes work, plenty don’t. We found that out the hard way.”

A few markets, such as Dubai, are “so thick that there’s room for everybody.” There is a Filipino community of around 2.3 million in the Gulf states, which forms a ready-made source of traffic.

However, with 2 billion people within that 4-hr. radius of Manila, there is little need to go further, Szucs said.

“Manila is one of the most slot-constrained airports in the world. An A330-900 is the same as two A321neos,” Szucs said. “We stumbled on the fact that they could be used on short-haul by luck. I have great affection for the A330neo because it’s just a great big bus.”

Szucs praised the A330-900’s Rolls-Royce powerplant. “The Trent 7000 is a really good engine. The issue for us is that we burn through the cycles quite quickly. Our issue is getting the spare engines to come in to support us when we’re doing our engine change plan.

There are greater concerns over the Pratt & Whitney GTFs powering Cebu Pacific’s A320neo-family fleet. “Three or four months ago, I would have considered that our [aircraft on ground problem] with Pratt & Whitney would come down toward the end of this year. I don’t think it’s going to come down as much as we thought.”

He said that shortly before addressing the club lunch he had received a message informing him that three more GTF engines had become unserviceable overnight. That means that the airline now has “12, possibly 13” members of its 41-strong neo-family fleet on the ground and “that could get worse next year.”

“That’s the challenge we’ve got with Pratt & Whitney,” Szucs added. “To make sure that’s not the case.”


https://aviationweek.com/air-transport/airlines-lessors/cebu-pacific-remain-its-pacific-backyard-ceo-says

[JNC03]

Can PAL still swap to CFM for the remaining neos?

PAL cannot afford frequent engine swaps specially the neos are used in long haul flights. IndiGo are disposing its PW powered neos to make room for the CFM ones.


And will PAL depend on Rolls Royce for its widebody fleet? in the event they choose the A330-900neo HGW variant.

[filipinoavgeek]

Maybe this is reaching for the sky, but given how he's an experienced aviation executive with prior experience with PAL, I really hope he can put some sense into the Tan family and the BODs and actually unlock PR's potential. Pre-COVID PR was actually on the right track and on the way up, and they still have the potential to regain that lost momentum.

[Arianespace]

All PAL 221 are PWs. The 339s are also powered by Rolls Royce.

[Arianespace]

Arianespace wrote

Air Asia uses Navitaire CRS similar to CEB. MOVE is just like Kayak or Booking. Still, agent of AAP. If it is otherwise, they couldn't board the plane. The fact that booked passengers can board AAP flight is already an admission of their agency. While I respect your position on jurisdictional issue, I beg to disagree based on the circumstances I already mentioned, as its ticketing agent. Anyway, both of us are not the adjudicators. CAB is. Lets see what they can come up with.

AirAsia Move fined 6 million Pesos

 

The Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) has imposed a P6-million fine on online booking platform AirAsia MOVE for allegedly offering overpriced airfares that violated consumer protection rules.

In a resolution dated June 20, CAB Executive Director Carmelo Arcilla said AirAsia MOVE engaged in “deceptive practices” contrary to the Air Passenger Bill of Rights (APBR) and the agency’s fare regulations.

https://politiko.com.ph/2025/06/27/sky-high-scam-airasia-move-slapped-with-p6-m-fine-over-fares/headlines/

See.

[JNC03]

Thats why AirAsia had a event in Tacloban lol🤣

[Evodesire]

I honestly doubt PAL will make an aircraft order announcement this year. If ever they would, its the 3 A35K options. But other than that, I doubt.

[justhorace]

I still disagree. And I think CAB was pressured to issue a ruling given the media mileage this issue had received and the public pronouncements made by Secretary Dizon. Anyway, Air Asia Move can still appeal.

Air Asia has an elaborate corporate structure, and Move is a separate corporate person that is in a different line of business and is not the authorized agent of Air Asia in a sense that would put it under the jurisdiction of CAB. At least that's how I understand it. There was a deliberate business decision on Air Asia's to create Move and our institutions should have a clear-cut scope of powers to enable certainty in business and industry. This is another instance where intrusion by another government agency isn't helping as it will create confusion for OTAs. I still think that DTI was the right agency to hear this case, but the whole issue was preempted by the DOTR Secretary's public comments.

Anyway, I don't have skin in this game, but it's an interesting story to follow as it will have repercussions for OTAs.

[JNC03]

Based on fr24 PAL is deploying tri class A330s to Doha after the codeshare with QR

[seven13]

JNC03 wrote

Based on fr24 PAL is deploying tri class A330s to Doha after the codeshare with QR

RPC8782 is doing most of the rounds for PR684/685. It’s the hybrid A330 or coded as A334. You get the J of the triclass and Y of the biclass.

RPC8781 is currently in CRK, the other hybrid A330. Stumbled it by chance in FR24 the other day and it showed test.

[airline_builder]

if am not mistaken this is the densified hybrid. They removed the mid galley upon entering L2 is a wide open all seats view and a sole lavatory across.

PAL has somehow excelled in all the right places financially which is the bottom-line but totally have miscalculated the after sales (customers repeat intent and feedback) gravely miscalculated.

The sweet time they are taking to address refurbishing their aged fleet and knowledgeably ignoring the significance of available well configured aircrafts as interim (given the fleet shortage) is all about greed in all the wrong places

[seven13]

the galley is still there by L/R albeit, inadequate.

To a certain point, looking it from a business perspective, they need to densify the ac to rake the most profit per seat as they need to make profit to prove that they are able to run the company positively, financially, and be appealing to future investors. However, with the declining profit y-o-y, we can deduce that passengers have negatively reacted to what the management is doing (densification of A330, delaying of the A2NX etc.) The riding public has been discerning and will continue to search where they can get their money’s worth - that’s the repercussion of their greediness. I doubt if they can still command good pricing in most of their routes given that the market is being flooded with better alternatives.

[Solblanc]

It’s just really funny how someone thought that the densification would lead to better profits in the Mideast when their competitors in that region all have an amazing economy product yet have the capability to match their prices.

They’re never going to get to CebPac’s level of costs, so why are they trying to chase that customer.

 

[Arianespace]

Code shares are no longer required to be run by one airline unlike before. So Qatar is paying PAL basically to fly. Previously Qatar pays PAL by not flying. Since it is no longer allowed Qatar channels excess demand to PAL capacity to meet demands. That is the reason the triclass is there. UAE is working similar arrangement. Hindi pa lang na announce. There really is huge transfer demand ex DXB. I read Tim Clark wanting to fly the most dense A380 thrice a day but MNL refused due to airport congestion issues.

[filipinoavgeek]

Could the NAIA rehab allow A380s, or do we have to wait for NMIA to come online?

[Evodesire]

This was another mistake of PAL where they focused too much on profits, to the point of shortchanging their passengers and underestimating OFWs. They must have thought that OFWs are the type who will take anything. But if you have a cheaper fares without the frills from Cebu Pacific, or a lower-priced ticket than PAL, legacy ME carriers with equal or even lower priced fares than PAL with all the comfort amenities, where will PAL now position themselves? They spent more on densifying A330s with no IFEs, but they got a hit from more discerning passengers. Really dumb thinking that downgrading a product is investment.

And this has been a perinial problem with PAL, that "PAL is PAL" mentality, thinking that people will book them no matter what. But with more discerning passengers who are more price conscious and wants value with their money, plus competition from airlines who invests to upgrade their hard product, PAL's traditional ways no longer works. But too bad they spent on downgrading their product instead of upgrading it. They should have just removed Y+, and added more Y seats with IFEs instead of those SMC Y seats.

I really wonder if management was on crack when they made that decision of spending to downgrade their product.

[Evodesire]

AFAIK, for an airport to operate A380s, it needs air bridges that can directly board and deplane via both lower and upper decks simultaneously. If everyone were to disembark on just one level, imagine how chaotic that would be.

[filipinoavgeek]

Theoretically, but there are some airports that have A380 service but only have two jetbridges.

[Arianespace]

filipinoavgeek wrote

Could the NAIA rehab allow A380s, or do we have to wait for NMIA to come online?

They have to wait for NMIA to come on line. The problem with NAIA is the runway separation to its taxiway. Whenever the a380 is on the runway or taxiaway, no widebody is permitted either on the runway or taxiway, and that affects aircraft movements. That's why you only see them arriving or departing  midnight or early morning for LTP checks.

Its the same reason why widebodies are not allowed to use 13-31 because of the separation to its taxiway that has full of narrows.

[seven13]

Arianespace wrote

Code shares are no longer required to be run by one airline unlike before. So Qatar is paying PAL basically to fly. Previously Qatar pays PAL by not flying. Since it is no longer allowed Qatar channels excess demand to PAL capacity to meet demands. That is the reason the triclass is there. UAE is working similar arrangement. Hindi pa lang na announce. There really is huge transfer demand ex DXB. I read Tim Clark wanting to fly the most dense A380 thrice a day but MNL refused due to airport congestion issues.

It is the ME airlines that are the go to airline for MNL-EU traffic. I have friends working for QR and it is hard even for  QR staff to get on QR metal from DOH-MNL/CRK. It is always full. I guess QR needed the extra capacity badly to the point of paying PAL to fly DOH on a daily basis.