Philippine Airlines (PAL) has agreed to purchase ten new A330 airplanes, in addition to the 54 aircraft ordered in August, from European aircraft manufacturer Airbus.
Signed two weeks ago, the $2.5bn deal involves the purchase of ten wide-bodied jet liners, each carrying a list price of $250m.
PAL president Ramon Ang said that with the latest order, the airline's refleeting programme had reached almost $10bn.
Airbus is expected to deliver ten of the 64 ordered aircraft by 2013.
The new A330 jets will be deployed on medium haul routes and will replace PAL's current fleet in order to cut down fuel and maintenance costs.
The A330 range provides fuel efficiency, and combine flight-by-wire technology and advanced on-board systems to offer high aerodynamic efficiency.
These aeroplanes are being used by 120 operators across the world, with more than 780 aircraft in service.
In the August deal, valued at $9bn, PAL and Airbus announced firm orders for 44 single-aisle A321 planes and ten long-haul A330-300s.
The order followed San Miguel's acquisition of a 49% stake in the loss-making airline for $500m in April.
PAL's existing fleet comprises 31 Airbus aeroplanes, with four A340-300s, eight A330-300s, 15 A320-200s, and four A319s, as well as eight Boeing aeroplanes in three 777-300ERs and five 747-400s.
The 39 aircraft serves 31 overseas cities and destinations. In addition, the flag carrier plans to purchase 35 more aeroplanes either from Boeing or Airbus as a part of its strategy to add 100 new jets in the next five to seven years in order to win back its market share from rival Cebu Pacific.
Image: PAL will use the new A330 airplanes to replace its existing fleet. Photo: courtesy of Airbus SAS.
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