PAL takes delivery of new planes

MANILA, Philippines —  Flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) has taken delivery of its second bi-class next generation Bombardier Q400 aircraft.

In a statement, PAL said the second Bombardier Q400 brings the total number of aircraft on its fleet to 83.

The new 86-seater plane would be utilized for select domestic airports.

During the Paris Air Show held last June, PAL placed an order for an additional seven Q400 new generation aircraft with Bombardier.

The additional order brought to 12 the total number of PAL’s Q400 orders.

PAL expects the remaining 10 units of Q400 to be delivered within this year until 2019.

The carrier is modernizing its flight and expanding route network as part of its aim to achieve a five-star rating.

At present, PAL has a three-star rating from Skytrax which is an aviation consultancy based in the United Kingdom.

Earlier, PAL president and chief operating officer Jaime Bautista said the carrier is hopeful it would be given a four-star rating within the year.

Amid increasing competition in the airline industry, PAL is also working on improving its offering to become the preferred carrier of passengers.