Philippine Airlines reacquires one Airbus A330

Philippine Airlines announced that it has reacquired one of its Airbus A330 aircraft in preparation for the upcoming busy summer travel season.

The A330, with registration number RP-C8786, was flown to Manila International Airport (MNL) on January 31, 2023 from Nîmes-Alès-Camargue-Cévennes Airport (FNI) in France via Dubai.

A spokesperson for the Philippine flag carrier told local media Inquirer that during the pandemic, the airline found it necessary to “return several planes as part of restructuring initiatives”.

In September 2021, Philippine Airlines filed for bankruptcy protection in New York, United States, to undergo financial restructuring under the Chapter 11 process.

Based on the reorganization plan contained in the Chapter 11 bankruptcy petition, the airline’s fleet size must be reduced from 91 to 70 for optimization.

Philippine Airlines said that it plans to deploy the A330 on routes to Hawaii, Australia, and various points in Asia.

The widebody aircraft will have 18 business class, 24 premium economy and 267 economy seats.

The airline currently has a fleet of 13 aircraft in the Airbus A330 family.