PAL, European charter airline ink lease deal

By Khriscielle E. Yalao

Philippine Airlines (PAL) announced that it has signed a wet-lease agreement with European charter airline Wamos Air for two carriers to augment their fleet during the peak travel period.

In a statement on May 17, the airline said it will lease two of Wamos Air’s Airbus A330-200s for its roundtrip Australia flights to and from Manila and Sydney, as well as Manila and Melbourne.

The airline flies to Sydney daily and mounts flights to Melbourne five times weekly.

PAL will make use of the carriers for a five month period, starting June 1 this year.

As part of a wet lease agreement, Wamos Air will also provide aircraft crew, maintenance, and insurance (ACMI) to PAL.

PAL President and Chief Operating Officer Capt. Stanley K. Ng explained that additional maintenance requirements are needed during peak travel season given the persistence of global supply chain issues.

“We see the need to temporarily add these aircraft to ensure that we have sufficient capacity to meet the demand that we are anticipating across our network,” said Ng.

Ng cited Wamos Air’s track record as a lessor for wet-lease deals for more than 50 airlines worldwide, and certified by the International Air Transport Association’s Operational Safety Audit.

“We are working closely with the carrier to ensure that our passengers will continue to receive the service quality they can expect from Philippine Airlines,” added Ng.