PAL continues expansion plans amid crisis

abs-cbnNEWS.com | 05/25/2009 7:50 PM

Despite an environment of rising costs as caused by the global crisis, Philippine Airlines (PAL) said it will push through with its expansion plans this year.

According to PAL Vice President for marketing Felix Cruz, the country's flagship carrier has job openings for reservation, ground crew, and flight staff as it prepares for the delivery of new planes.

"We expect delivery of five Boeing 777-300ERs, which will be deployed for US flights," he said at the Trabaho sa Turismo job fair in Pasay City over the weekend.

He added that PAL remains optimistic about its expansion despite the economic downturn and the influenza A (H1N1) scare, which has grounded many flights of many international carriers.

PAL is awaiting the lifting of the Category 2 rating imposed by the United States Federal Aviation Administration on the Philippine civil aviation system, which prevented PAL from expanding services to the US.

In the second half of 2008, the airline managed to increase its flights to its US West Coast gateways of Los Angeles and San Francisco, adding up to 1,320 seats weekly on PAL's trans-Pacific routes.

Passenger demand

In the said fair during the weekend, Tourism Secretary Ace Durano said tourist traffic in the country's top 15 destinations rose 10.3 percent in the first three months of the year.

This is in contrast with the International Air Transport Association (IATA), which earlier reported an 11.1-percent drop in air passenger demand in March even as airlines cut international passenger capacity by 4.4 percent.

IATA Director General Giovanni Bisigniani said the Asia-Pacific region is particularly hit by the slump in international air travel, with a 14.5-percent drop in passenger demand.