Great events that happened last week

I arrived on the brand-new Airbus A350-900 from Toulouse, France, to Manila in a direct 12-hour flight last Sunday. After we landed at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport two fire trucks sprayed water over the plane in a traditional aviation welcome. Yes, going over to the Airbus headquarters in Toulouse, France, to get a brand-new plane is similar to getting a brand-new car because like a new car, it also carries a brand-new smell. Best of all, we were with the top officials of Philippine Airlines led by President and CEO Dr. Jaime “Jimmy” Bautista and PAL Director Michael Tan, son of business mogul Lucio Tan.

As advertised by Airbus Industries, the A350 XWB offers a quieter cabin compared to the B787 with up to four times less noise. This was the first thing I noticed when the plane took off from Toulouse. Inside the plane, especially in the Business Class section, you will immediately notice a very high ceiling. This was emphasized by Airbus executives as important to Business Class passengers. But even in the Economy Class the leg room was very comfortable. The PAL A359-900 has three sections; Business, Premier Economy, and Economy.

Tomorrow, there will be a blessing of the A350-900 at the NAIA Terminal to introduce the plane to PAL employees. It is also the birthday of PAL Chairman Lucio Tan. PAL is acquiring six A350-900 aircraft and we flew the first one to Manila. The other two A350-900 are almost ready to be delivered. With the A350-900, PAL can now have direct flights from Manila to New York, 15 hours travel time without any stops. Other airlines offer similar routes, but you need to stop over in their home bases. Kudos to PAL.

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So many things happened last week but our work kept us from joining or even watching these popular events. When we arrived in London a week ago, I learned that it was the 100th anniversary of the Royal Air Force (RAF) and there we were in Heathrow Airport not far from downtown London where some 100 military aircraft all belonging to the RAF flew over Buckingham Palace. The best thing I did was to buy a copy of The Times, which had a great photo of those planes on its cover.

Last Saturday as we joined the official blessing of the Airbus A350-900 at the Airbus hangar in Toulouse, it was a national holiday in France as it was their Bastille Day. But the grand official celebration of Bastille Day was held in Paris not in Toulouse. Also last Sunday; we learned that our Fighting Senator, Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao, won his title bout with the undefeated Lucas Matthysse at the Axiata Arena in Kuala Lumpur.  I didn’t know that President Rodrigo “Digong” Duterte watched the fight at the VIP section of the Axiata Arena accompanied by Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammad.

President Duterte said: “I would like to congratulate Sen. Manny Pacquiao for giving us pride and bringing the Filipino nation together once more. You have proven time and again that you are not just a public servant, but one of the greatest boxers of all time. This win will surely cement yet again your position not only in boxing but also in public service.” To be totally honest to our readers, with Matthysse having an undefeated career, I really thought that he would beat the Pacman. So in a way, it is time for the Pacman to retire at least with this recent victory.

Then we were in London but did not see the 2018 Wimbledon championships where Novak Djokovic earned his thirteenth career Grand Slam victory when he defeated Kevin Anderson in straight sets to win the Wimbledon Men’s Championship. But we could not even see it on TV as we were flying over Russia on our way home.

Finally, back here at home, we were so tired and sleepy we failed to see France winning its second World Cup title with a 4-2 win over Croatia. The World Cup only happens once every four years and I really believed that France would win their second title and they did so. I will just find time to see the replay of this game as I was in deep sleep last night.

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