PAL launches PAL Express to service secondary routes

Philippine Airlines, Asia’s first airline, launched for the first time in its history a sub-brand called “PAL Express.” The new brand will fly PAL’s soon-to-be-acquired fleet of nine aircraft to mostly island destinations and secondary routes throughout the Philippines.

Yesterday, a brand new Bombardier Q300 landed at Caticlan airport in the inaugural flight of PAL to Caticlan, with company president Jaime Bautista and other top officers of PAL on board.

“PAL Express, the new, low fares brand of Philippine Airlines, will serve 22 inter-island routes at the outset, including some provincial points currently without air service or underserved by other players,” Bautista said.

“PAL Express also allows PAL to offer a low-fare yet high value alternative in many trunkline and tourist routes such as here in Caticlan,” he added.

Caticlan is the first destination of PAL Express, which will operate 12 flights daily from Manila.

 In 1998, PAL ceased operating out of some so-called missionary routes when it was placed under a 10-year receivership.

This time, with only a year left to get out of its receivership, PAL has forged an agreement with its sister company Air Philippines to operate a total of 12 flights daily from Manila to Caticlan with a 50-seater  Bombardier Q300 turbo-prop aircraft.

Eventually, the fleet would be joined by the larger Q400 seating 76 passengers. Both aircraft could land and take off even on unprepared airstrips.

PAL Express will expand its network dramatically over the next two months, with service scheduled to be launched on 22 routes.

Thirteen of those new routes will originate from Pal Express’ main hub Cebu, where operations start May 19 with services to five points, Caticlan, Bacolod, Tacloban, Butuan and General Santos.