Singapore airshow: Airbus bags $1.8 bln order from Philippine Airlines

Philippine's flagship carrier also says it is buying Trent XWB engines from Rolls-Royce to power the six A350s.

Airbus said on Wednesday it has bagged a $1.8 billion order from Philippine Airlines (PAL) for six wide body Airbus aircraft.

PAL has an option to buy an additional six A350-900s, the two companies said at the Singapore Airshow.

PAL is aggressively looking at expanding its fleet size as it seeks to fly non-stop flights to US destinations.

"We are happy to announce that today we will commit to acquire six A350-900 series which will allow us... to fly non-stop from Manila to New York, allow us to increase our presence in the US, in San Francisco and Los Angeles, and also to Vancouver and Toronto," PAL president Jaime Bautista said.

"The A350s range capability has been an important factor in our decision, enabling us to offer non-stop service on all our premium long-haul routes," Bautista added.

Philippine's flagship carrier also said it is sealing a deal with Rolls-Royce for Trent XWB engines to power the six A350s.

PAL's latest aircraft orders highlight the robust growth of the economy, which expanded more than six percent in 2016, making it one of the fastest growing economies in the region.

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