PAL Express

Air Philippines Corporation, operating as PAL Express and formerly branded as Air Philippines and Airphil Express, is a wholly-owned subsidiary airline of Philippine Airlines.[3][4] It is PAL's regional brand, with services from its hubs in Manila, Clark, Cebu, and Davao.[5][3]

For the regional airline companies based in Canada and Chile respectively, see PAL Airlines and PAL Airlines (Chile).
This article is about PAL Express. For main airline, see Philippine Airlines.

PAL Express
IATA ICAO Callsign
2P GAP AIRPHIL
Founded
  • February 13, 1995 (1995-02-13)
    (as Air Philippines)
  • April 14, 2008 (2008-04-14)
    (as PAL Express)
Commenced operations
  • February 1, 1996 (1996-02-01)
    (as Air Philippines)
  • May 5, 2008 (2008-05-05)
    (as PAL Express, first incarnation)
  • March 28, 2010 (2010-03-28)
    (as Airphil Express)
  • March 15, 2013 (2013-03-15)
    (as PAL Express, second incarnation)
AOC #2009006[1]
Hubs
Secondary hubs
Focus cities
[2]
Frequent-flyer programMabuhay Miles
Fleet size27
Destinations32
Parent companyPhilippine Airlines
HeadquartersR1 Hangar, Andrews Avenue, Nichols, Pasay, Philippines
Key people
Websitewww.philippineairlines.com

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 its management decided to re-brand the carrier as a budget airline known as Airphil Express.[3] However, in March 2013, the airline name was reverted to PAL Express. As a codeshare partner of Philippine Airlines, PAL Express operates as a full service carrier within a low-cost model.[6]

PAL Express is Philippine Airlines' answer to Cebu Pacific's dominance in the low-cost travel market in the Philippines. It has allowed PAL to focus on the premium market, where PAL does not have competition among other airlines.[4] PAL Express gained a significant increase in passengers following its launch as a low-cost carrier.[4] The airline is currently in fleet acquisition mode to support its regional route expansion plan.[7]

History

Beginnings as Air Philippines (1995–1999)
Air Philippines Boeing 737-200

Air Philippines was incorporated on February 13, 1995, with its hub at Subic Bay International Airport. 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. In September 1998, the airline was temporarily grounded by the Air Transportation Office (ATO), the forerunner to the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP).[8]

Lucio Tan Group takeover (1999–2008)

It was in 1999 when Lucio Tan Group took over management of the airline. 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 to Hong Kong. Passenger numbers carried rose to nearly 881,000 in 2002. In July 2004, charter flights started from Subic Bay to Guangzhou.[9]

Air Philippines significantly increased ties with Philippine Airlines (PAL), including the merging of frequent flier plans, timetables, and ticket sales and subsequently transferred its operations at the larger Terminal 2 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport along with Philippine Airlines from the smaller Terminal 4. Some of PAL's major stock owners are also owners of Air Philippines. Air Philippines officially ceased to be part of Philippine Airlines' frequent flier program, "Mabuhay Miles", on October 1, 2007.[10] 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.

PAL Express launch (2008–2010)
A PAL Express Dash 8 Q400 in Davao, 2008

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.[11] PAL announced on April 13 that the new fleet would be based mainly in Cebu to serve regional routes, while flights from Manila would also be launched.[9]

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.[10] On May 5, 2008, PAL Express began operations by launching flights to Caticlan. The airline then announced that it would serve 22 inter-island routes, including some provincial points that lacked air service. Flights out of Cebu commenced on May 19, 2008.[12] After Air Philippines ceased operations in 2009, they transferred all their flights to PAL Express.[13]

PAL Express ceased operations on March 28, 2010, and transferred all of its flights to the then-newly launched Airphil Express.[14]

Airphil Express rebranding (2010–2012)
Former logo of Airphil Express
Airphil Express Airbus A320 (RP-C8394) at Hong Kong International Airport

Air Philippines was rebranded as Airphil Express on March 28, 2010. The airline restored jet service to Iloilo, Bacolod, Puerto Princesa and Cagayan de Oro, utilizing Airbus A320 aircraft. The airline subsequently operated eight Bombardier Q300 and Q400 turboprop aircraft and two Airbus A320s, all of which were former Philippine Airlines aircraft.[15]

On the day of the re-launch, the airline announced the acquisition of 20 A320s.[15] In January and early February 2012, GE Capital Aviation Services Limited (GECAS) announced the delivery of three new Airbus A320 aircraft to Airphil Express to help the carrier expand its fleet.[16]

During its time, Airphil Express was regarded as the fastest-growing low-cost airline in the Philippines. In 2011, it had a 19% market share in the Philippine aviation market.[17] Its destinations and route network continued to expand as its fleet expanded.[15]

PAL Express revival (2013–present)

In August 2012, Philippine Airlines announced the rebranding of Airphil Express as PAL Express.[14] The rebranding took effect on March 15, 2013, while maintaining its business name as Air Philippines Corporation.[6][4]

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.[4] As PAL continued to expand its code-sharing agreement with PAL Express, PAL transferred most of its domestic flights to PAL Express by August 1, 2013.[18]

In 2016, the airline signed a letter of intent with Bombardier for orders of up to 12 Bombardier Dash 8-Q400 aircraft in a two-class 86-seat configuration.[19] On December 16, 2016, PAL Express began its Caticlan, Busuanga and Basco services from its Clark hub. These alternate route operations were launched to decongest traffic on their Manila hub.

Destinations
Main article: List of PAL Express destinations

Fleet
For the fleet of parent company Philippine Airlines, see Philippine Airlines fleet.

Current fleet

As of October 2023, PAL Express operates the following aircraft:

PAL Express fleet[20]
Aircraft In Service Orders Passengers Notes
J Y+ Y Total
Airbus A320-200 13 — — — 177 177
— 12 168 180
Airbus A321-200 4 — 12 18 169 199 Transferred from Philippine Airlines.
De Havilland Canada Dash 8 Q400 10 — — 6 80 86
Total 27 —

Former fleet
PAL Express retired fleet[21]
Aircraft Total Year Introduced Year Retired Replaced by Notes
Airbus A330-300 8 2013 2014 None Transferred from Philippine Airlines.
Used in mid-to-long-haul routes.
Boeing 737-200 23 1996 2009 Airbus A320-200 One aircraft crashed in Davao as Air Philippines Flight 541
Boeing 737-300 3 2001 2009 Airbus A320-200
Boeing 737-400 2 1998 1999 None Leased from Malaysia Airlines
De Havilland Canada Dash 8 Q300 4 2007 2018 De Havilland Canada Dash 8 Q400
McDonnell Douglas MD-82 3 1998 2000 None
NAMC YS-11 6 1996 Un­known None

Incidents and accidents
  • On June 24, 1996, an Air Philippines YS-11 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, a Boeing 737-200 jet operating as Air Philippines Flight 541 from Manila to Davao crashed before the approach at Francisco Bangoy International Airport. 124 passengers, and 7 crew were killed. It was the deadliest accident of the airline and the worst aviation disaster in Philippine aviation history.
  • On August 11, 2008, a Bombardier DHC-8 Q400 aircraft operating as Airphil Express Flight 29 with 75 passengers and 3 crew safely landed on runway 04 at Catarman Airport when the airplane's nose wheel struck a soft spot in the runway's surface while taxiing, the airline reported. No injuries were reported.[22]
  • On November 15, 2008, a Bombardier DHC-8 Q400 operating as Airphil Express Flight 272 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 was injured and the aircraft landed safely.
  • On February 13, 2012, an Airbus A320 operating as Airphil Express Flight 969 with 135 people on board overshot the runway at Kalibo International Airport, Kalibo, Aklan. No injuries or aircraft damage occurred in the incident.[23]
  • On April 23, 2012, a Bombardier DHC-8 Q400 operating as Airphil Express Flight 285 from Zamboanga City to Tawi-Tawi 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 return to the ramp and to order 50 passengers to disembark shortly after 7:00 in the morning. There were no injuries reported.
  • On December 10, 2021, a Bombardier DHC-8 Q400 operating as Philippine Airlines Flight PR2369, originating from Caticlan, skidded off the runway at Mactan–Cebu International Airport shortly after landing.[24]

References
  1. "ACTIVE/CURRENT AOC HOLDERS" (PDF). Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines. May 30, 2019. Retrieved January 8, 2023.
  2. Zurbano, Joel E. (December 18, 2019). "PAL expands flight services from Cebu; Zambo mini-hub up". Manila Standard. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
  3. "PAL Express Airline Profile | CAPA". centreforaviation.com. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
  4. "PAL Express Commitment to Customer Satisfaction". www.philippineairlines.com. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
  5. "Air Philippines Corp. doing business under the name and style of Airphil Express; PAL express; and Philippine Airlines - GENERAL CONDITIONS OF CARRIAGE" (PDF). philippineairlines.com. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 18, 2018. Retrieved April 18, 2018.
  6. Agcaoili, Lawrence (March 15, 2013). "PAL drops Airphil, revives PAL Express". The Philippine Star. Retrieved November 18, 2022.
  7. airphil express (June 14, 2011). "EXPRESSions on air: Airphil Express now fastest-growing carrier, grabs 19% market share". Airphilexpress.blogspot.com. Archived from the original on August 14, 2014. Retrieved August 24, 2013.
  8. "Philippine Airlines Grounded". CBS News. September 18, 1998. Retrieved November 18, 2022.
  9. "PAL to reopen Cebu hub for turbo-prop flights". Air Transport News. Archived from the original on August 20, 2016. Retrieved July 15, 2016.
  10. "About Us". PALexpressair.com. Archived from the original on September 26, 2009. Retrieved September 26, 2013.
  11. Romy, Sabaldan. "PAL's revived inter-island operations to perk up domestic tourism". PIA Archive News Reader. Philippine Information Agency. Archived from the original on August 9, 2016. Retrieved July 15, 2016.
  12. Santos, Rudy (May 6, 2008). "PAL launches PAL Express to service secondary routes". The Philippine Star. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
  13. Lectura, Lenie (October 6, 2009). "Air Philippines sets refleeting program". Retrieved November 23, 2022 – via ABS-CBN News.
  14. "PAL to revive PAL Express, to drop AirPhil express brand". GMA News. August 31, 2012. Retrieved November 18, 2022.
  15. Santos, Rudy (March 28, 2010). "Lucio Tan relaunches Air Philippines as Airphil Express". The Philippine Star. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
  16. "GE Capital Aviation Services Delivers Three New Airbus A320s to Airphil Express". Arabaviation.com. February 28, 2012. Archived from the original on August 11, 2014. Retrieved August 24, 2013.
  17. "Airphil Express fastest-growing budget carrier". Philstar. June 27, 2011. Retrieved November 18, 2022.
  18. "PAL transfers local flights to PAL Express". Rappler. August 1, 2013. Retrieved November 18, 2022.
  19. "PAL Selects New Q400 Variant". Airliner World (December 2016): 19.
  20. "PAL Express Fleet Details and History". planespotters.net. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
  21. "Air Philippines Fleet Details and History". planespotters.net. Retrieved November 18, 2022.
  22. "Accident: Philippine Airlines DH8D at Catarman on Aug 11th 2008, hit soft spot on landing runway". Avherald.com. Archived from the original on January 23, 2016. Retrieved September 26, 2013.
  23. "Kalibo airport operations disrupted as plane overshoots runway". GMA News. February 13, 2012. Retrieved September 5, 2021.
  24. Antojado, Le Phyllis F. "Plane incident in Cebu airport delays flights". Philstar.com. Retrieved March 9, 2022.

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