Philippine Airlines Orders One Boeing 747-400 Combi

SEATTLE, Jan. 18, 1996 -- Philippine Airlines (PAL) ordered one 747-400 Combi, Boeing Commercial Airplane Group announced today.

With an announced value of approximately $170 million, depending on features selected, the 747-400 Combi typically transports six to seven pallets of cargo on the main deck and can transport more than 266 passengers in a three-class arrangement.

PAL, the oldest airline in Asia to offer scheduled service, purchased the aircraft as part of its recently announced re-fleeting plan. The airline has selected the General Electric CF6-80C2 engines to power its 747-400 Combi.

Commenting on the order announcement, PAL Senior Vice President Finance and Chief Financial Officer Jaime Bautista said: "Today's order is the next step in PAL's plan to modernize its fleet. The 747-400s we now operate are performing extremely well for us. We look forward to the addition of further 747-400s as soon as possible since they will be the flagships of the new Philippine Airlines."

BCAG Vice President of Asia Pacific Sales Larry Dickenson said: "PAL is a valued, long-time customer of Boeing and we believe the order represents PAL's confidence in Boeing and the value we build into our entire product line. The 747-400 is ideally suited for the high traffic growth in the Asia Pacific market."

The Manila-based carrier will operate the 747-400 Combi, initially in an all-passenger configuration, on its Manila- San Francisco route, joining three other passenger versions of the 747-400 in the airline's trans-Pacific flights. The airline operates a total of 24 Boeing aircraft including 12 737-300s, three 747-400s, and nine 747-200s.

To date, Boeing has received orders for 481 model 747-400s of which 347 have been delivered. Strong demand for the 747-400s has resulted in BCAG's recent announcement to increase the production rate from two to three and one- half aircraft per month, beginning in the fourth quarter of this year.