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* Last updated 07:20 AM EST July 21, 2026 by Jake Hardiman *
Philippine Airlines has made waves at the Farnborough International Airshow 2026 with an MoU for an additional nine examples of the Airbus A350-1000. The carrier already has units of the stretched widebody twinjet in its fleet, with an existing outstanding order book of another seven examples of the type. Philippine Airlines also flies the smaller Airbus A350-900, with another two units present today.
The airshow has been a fruitful one for Philippine Airlines, with the carrier having also made headlines on the first day of the event with a major order for the Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner. These two large-scale commitments reflect its desire to both grow and modernize its long-haul operations with a harmonious fleet that will see two widebody twinjet rivals work together in harmony rather than against each other.
Today's MoU Follows Another Major Widebody Commitment From Philippine Airlines
Tuesday, July 21, 07:20 AM EST
Philippine Airlines has now made two major announcements at the 2026 Farnborough International Airshow when it comes to the growth and modernization of its widebody fleet. Indeed, yesterday, the carrier made first-day headlines by ordering 15 examples of the stretched Boeing 787-10. The deal also included options for another five units of the type, as the carrier builds on a long relationship with Boeing.
At present, Philippine Airlines' only Boeing widebodies are its 777-300ERs, so the arrival of the 787 will spark some much-needed modernity into this side of its ops. While the 787 and the A350 are often seen as rivals in many respects, the carrier is clearly confident in making a mixed fleet work. Boeing said that "Philippine Airlines' fleet modernization and expansion plans" were at the heart of this order.
The Carrier Is Eyeing Transpacific Growth
Tuesday, July 21, 07:10 AM EST
The long-range credentials of the Airbus A350-1000 have been shown as a key selling point for Philippine Airlines, which will use the type "to further develop its long haul network, primarily linking Manila with destinations in North America." On this front, Benoît de Saint-Exupéry from Airbus correspondingly noted in today's announcement that the A350-1000 suits "competitive premium transpacific markets."
In fact, such is the A350-1000's range that it will even be able to operate "non-stop services in both directions linking Manila with cities on the East Coast of the US and Canada." The type has already had an impact at the carrier, with PAL Holdings President & COO Lucio Tan saying that it "has expanded our reach across North America, while delivering the world-class travel experience our customers deserve."
As far as how these new twinjets are going to be configured is concerned, Airbus notes that Philippine Airlines "has specified a three-class configuration for its A350-1000 fleet, accommodating 382 passengers." This, per aeroLOPA, is how its existing A350-1000s are laid out, with 42 business class flatbeds (four-abreast), 24 premium economy recliners (eight abreast), and 316 economy seats (ten-abreast).
Nine More A350-1000s For Philippine Airlines
Tuesday, July 21, 06:55 AM EST
Philippine Airlines confirmed earlier today in a press conference held at the Farnborough International Airshow that it had put pen to paper with Airbus on a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for another nine units of the A350-1000. Combined with its existing fleet of two A350-1000s and outstanding orders for another seven, this commitment will see its overall A350-1000 fleet double in size to 18 units.
Philippine Airlines received its first two examples of the A350-1000, for which it is notable for operating with a high-density ten-abreast 3-4-3 seating layout in economy class as opposed to the usual nine-abreast 3-3-3 setup, earlier this year. Airbus notes that the A350-1000 has been "designated as the carrier’s new flagship," with Benoît de Saint-Exupéry, its EVP of Commercial Aircraft Sales, going on to say that:
"This agreement marks an important milestone in deepening our partnership with Philippine Airlines. Being the long-range leader, the A350-1000 is the perfect platform for the airline to build its future long-haul network and meet continued growth."
