Philippine Airlines to order more Airbus A350-1000s

Just one day after announcing a landmark purchase of Boeing 787-10s at the 2026 Farnborough International Air Show, flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) is back for more on the air show's second day.  PAL has signed another memorandum of understanding (MoU) with European aircraft manufacturer Airbus to order a fresh batch of nine (9) Airbus A350-1000s (A35K) with purchase rights for up to five more, effectively doubling an order it has placed three years ago.

Philippine Airlines A350-1000 with 85th anniversary livery
Image Source: John Andrei Policarpio/Wikimedia

The agreement was announced by PAL Chief Operating Officer Lucio Tan III, PAL President Richard Nuttall, Airbus Commercial Aircraft Chief Executive Lars Wagner, and Airbus Commercial Aircraft Executive Vice President for Sales Benoit de Saint-Exupery.  Tan has expressed his commitment to the A35K, saying "The A350-1000 will continue to define the future of our international operations for many years to come."  de Saint-Exupery for Airbus' part expresses that they are "proud that PAL is strongly expanding its A350-1000 flagship fleet, flying the flag of the Philippines across the world" and stated that the agreement "marks an important milestone in deepening [their] partnership with Philippine Airlines". 

Deliveries for this batch of aircraft is expected to take place between 2034 and 2036.  Currently both Airbus and Boeing are facing backlogs due to supply chain issues.

PAL is in the midst of receiving a batch of nine A35Ks it has ordered from Airbus in 2023.  PAL currently operates two A35Ks, the first of which was delivered in December 2025.  This means once all firm orders are complete, PAL will have a total of at least 18 A35Ks.  At the moment, PAL is the only carrier in Southeast Asia that operates the A35K.  

The A35K currently flies to PAL's North American East Coast destinations of New York-JFK airport and Toronto Pearson airport.  PAL will likewise start using the said aircraft on flights to San Francisco in August for at least three times a week before upgrading it to a daily deployment in the autumn.  

The A35K has a typical range of up to 8,700 nautical miles.  PAL's current A35K configuration includes 42 reverse herringbone business class seats which guarantee direct aisle access for each passenger there, 24 premium economy seats laid out in a 2-4-2 configuration, and 316 regular economy class seats.  

Other operators of the said aircraft include Cathay Pacific, Etihad, Qatar Airways, Japan Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, Ethiopian Airlines.  Delta Airlines, Lufthansa, and Qantas will also operate the A35K in the future with Qantas using a customised configuration for its "Project Sunrise" flights that aim to fly nonstop between Sydney on one end; and London and eventually New York on the other.