PAL President Ramon Ang receives crystal engine trophy from Charles Jackson of GE Aviation. INQUIRER PHOTOS
LOS ANGELES, California — Philippine Airlines on June 12 celebrated auspicious events at the Beverly Hills Wilshire Hotel with two hundred attendees from the travel industry, Boeing and GE Aviation officials, government and the Filipino American community eagerly awaiting the announcement of “something big.”
Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia Jr., giving a toast on the 116th commemoration of the Philippine Independence, also announced the reinstatement of Philippine Aviation rating to Category 1, welcomed PAL’s spanking new fleet of 777E300 long-range wide body twin engine Boeing jetliners and the formal launch of the airline’s “Triple Seven” fleet service to the US starting with the Manila-Los Angeles route.
Ramon S. Ang, PAL president and chief operating officer, announced the retirement of their 747s, which have flown the skies for more than two decades, proudly enumerating the benefits of the “Triple Sevens” — 25 percent less fuel, 40 percent lower maintenance costs and 25 percent more efficient.
INQUIRER.net VP for US Sales Esther Misa Chavez, PAL President Ramon Ang, PositivelyFilipino.com Publisher Mona Lisa Yuchengco and San Francisco-Manila Sister Cities President Carmen Colet at PAL’s Beverly Hills reception.
Passengers can also avail of Internet service on board, text, call or surf during the long flight. During peak seasons, like the holidays, there will be no more refueling in Guam, only direct flights to Manila.
PAL applauded the reinstatement of the Philippine Aviation service to Category 1, after having being downgraded to Category 2 by the United States Federal Aviation Authority some six years ago.
Ambassador Cuisia commended President Aquino on his mandate to get the safety rating upgrade at the soonest possible time, and congratulated General William Hatchkiss and his team for getting it done.
Old (left) and the new planes of PAL fleet
The reinstatement to Category 1 Aviation safety rating proves that the Philippines is committed to international aviation safety standards and capable of enforcing training and safety standards. Thus allowing Philippine carriers expanded service in the United States and other countries.
The upgraded aviation safety rating allows the country’s national carrier to operate in other US cities and expand frequencies. New targeted markets are New York, Chicago and Florida. The Honolulu-Manila route will resume in October.
San Francisco based Tourism Director Rene de los Santos, who represented Secretary of Tourism Ramon Jimenez Jr., looked forward to the influx of more tourists to the Philippines as a result of the government’s efforts to improve tourism services in the country and the expanded services of PAL. He also announced that tourists can now avail of a 30-day visa free stay in the Philippines.
Randy Tinsett, VP for Marketing of Boeing Company, presented Ramon Ang a poster of the “Triple Seven” jetliner. While Charles Jackson of GE Aviation Company, gave him a crystal trophy of the GE90 Triple Seven engine. Two lucky winners won LA-Manila roundtrip business class tickets. Talk show host Jonelle So of “Kababayan Today,” emceed the proceedings.
