PAL Express

  • Mactan -Cebu International Airport
  • Manila

PAL Express ( Philippine Airlines Express) was the low-cost brand of Philippine Airlines with headquarters in Pasay City. As hubs PAL Express used the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila and Mactan -Cebu International Airport in Cebu. The company existed until March 28, 2010. During a rebranding of the former Air Philippines in all Airphil Express Flight routes and aircrafts of PAL Express went on to Airphil Express. Both companies, PAL and Airphil Express also include a majority of Lucio Tan Group, which pooled their low cost activities through this step in a society.

History

On 15 April 2008 Philippine Airlines announced that it is planning to establish a new low-cost airline under the name of PAL Express. In this context, the appointment was announced by 9 turboprop Bombardier Q300 and Q400, which should constitute the initial fleet of PAL Express. Goal of the airline is to work with small engines to operate mainly with domestic island destinations and smaller airports that are not served by the major aircraft of the Philippine Airlines. Was officially launched PAL Express on 5 May 2008 with a first route of 8 daily flights between Manila and Caticlan, the gateway to the popular holiday island of Boracay. In a next step, the hub at Mactan -Cebu International Airport was opened on 19 May 2008 and started the new routes from Cebu to Caticlan, Bacolod, Tacloban, Butuan and General Santos. The same day, a daily flight was added to the flight plan to Busuanga Palawan from Manila. In the following months, further goals were added, so that then already 18 September 2008 21 regular routes were operated, 11 of them from Cebu and 10 from Manila.

The flights of PAL Express were also marketed by Air Philippines with. Between Philippine Airlines (PAL) and Air Philippines were close connections after both companies were now majority-owned by Lucio Tan Group. Thus, the previously serviced already with Dash 8 turboprop aircraft of Air Philippines Manila- Caticlan route was taken over at the start of PAL Express.

On 1 July 2009 PAL Express the Philippine Airlines was in the frequent flyer program " Mabuhay Miles " connected, so that from now on could now be collected on the PAL Express routes bonus miles.

It was planned to set up Davao City as the third hub.

Destinations

PAL Express operated the following airports in the Philippines:

Luzon

  • Busuanga (Francisco Reyes Airport )
  • Manila ( Ninoy Aquino International Airport) - Turnstile
  • San Jose ( Occidental Mindoro ) ( McGuire Field)
  • Tuguegarao ( Tuguegarao Airport )
  • Virac ( Virac Airport )

Visayas

  • Bacolod ( Bacolod - Silay City International Airport )
  • Calbayog ( Calbayog Airport )
  • Catarman ( Catarman National Airport )
  • Caticlan ( Godofredo P. Ramos Airport) - Since June 2009, flights from Manila temporarily until further / from Cebu is the alternate airport Kalibo approached and offered a 2-hour bus ride to Caticlan. Background is an order from the Philippine Civil Aviation Authority, which restricted the activities at the airport of Caticlan for security reasons.
  • Cebu ( Mactan -Cebu International Airport) - main hub
  • Ormoc ( Ormoc Airport )
  • Tacloban ( Daniel Z. Romualdez Airport )

Mindanao

  • Butuan ( Bancasi Airport )
  • Cagayan de Oro ( Lumbia Airport )
  • Davao (Francisco Bangoy International Airport )
  • Dipolog ( Dipolog Airport )
  • General Santos (General Santos International Airport )
  • Ozamiz ( Labo Airport )
  • Zamboanga ( Zamboanga International Airport )

The in between is also the destination, Cauayan in Luzon and Surigao in Mindanao were again removed from the flight plan.

Fleet

As of 1 July 2008, the fleet of PAL Express consisted of 8 planes:

  • 3 Bombardier Q300
  • 5 Bombardier Q400

The aircraft used were exclusively turboprops Q Series from the Canadian manufacturer Bombardier Aerospace. The models Q300 equipped with 50 seats, a cargo capacity of 1.1 tons and a range of 1819 km. The larger Q400 come to 76 seats, a cargo capacity of 2.1 tons and a range of 2826 km.

Incidents

  • On 11 August 2008 became a Dash 8 Q400 of PAL Express, traveling by flight number PR29 with 75 passengers and 3 crew members on board, according to a safe landing on runway 4 of Catarman Airport with the front wheel a soft spot on the runway. No one was injured in the incident.
  • On 15 November 2008 had another Bombardier DHC- Q400, with your flight number PR272 from Zamboanga to Davao City, Davao International Airport on the result of problems with the landing gear to perform an emergency landing. No one on board was injured and the aircraft was able to land safely.
IATA-Code International Civil Aviation Organization airport code Malay (Aklan) Busuanga Island San Jose (Occidental Mindoro) Virac (Catanduanes) Catarman (Northern Samar) Kalibo, Aklan Zamboanga City Cauayan, Negros Occidental Bombardier Dash 8
631272
de