Battle-tested airline

It's my first time since the pandemic lockdowns to embark on a long-haul flight, and I'm glad that it is to this lovely French city.

- ANA MARIE PAMINTUAN

The non-stop flight to Paris took nearly 15 hours, plus a three-hour layover before I boarded the connecting flight to Toulouse, which took an hour and 20 minutes.

Because of conflicts in Ukraine and now Iran, I was told that the plane had to veer from the traditional route to Paris, avoiding dangerous airspace. I've forgotten how grueling long-haul flights can be. But my flight was made bearable because the Airbus planes to Paris and Toulouse were comfortable.

And I'm glad to know that our flag carrier Philippine Airlines is acquiring widebody planes from Airbus that will make long-haul flights more enjoyable.

PAL chief operating officer Carlos Luis Fernandez flew over the weekend to this city, home of Airbus and Europe's aerospace industry, for a first-hand look at the flag carrier's new flagship, the Airbus A350-1000.

The first of nine A350-1000 planes will be rolled out by PAL in December this year, with the rest to be delivered between 2026 and 2028. The new plane will initially service PAL's busiest long-range route, Manila to Los Angeles.

Fernandez describes the A350-1000 as "the world's most modern and fuel-efficient long-range aircraft, ready to transform our fleet and win the hearts of our passengers..."

Sarah McLaren, Airbus marketing head for wide-body and freighter aircraft, told visitors from the Philippines last Friday at the Airbus campus here that the A350-1000 is 25 percent more fuel-efficient than earlier models.