PAL Secures FAA Approval for Boeing 777 Flights to US
Philippines Airlines (PAL) has secured approval from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to operate Boeing 777 flights to the United States. This decision comes after PAL's aviation safety rating was restored to Category 1 status, allowing the airline to use more efficient aircraft for its routes.
PAL president and chief operating officer Ramon S. Ang confirmed the FAA approval in a text message, stating that the airline can now save at least $160 million annually by using the Boeing 777 for US flights instead of the Boeing 747. This includes $100 million in fuel savings and $60 million in maintenance costs.
The airline has six newly-acquired Boeing 777-300ER aircraft ready to operate on the Manila-US route, which currently covers Los Angeles, San Francisco, Honolulu, and Guam. PAL plans to resume flights to New York, which were suspended in 1997 due to the Asian financial crisis, and expand its operations to Chicago.