Philippine Airlines (PAL), the Philippines’ flag carrier for the past seventy-six (76) years and Asia’s first airline, launched its tri-class service with its newly-reconfigured Airbus 330 (A330) on 15 June 2017 at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Hotel in Waikiki, Hawaii.
Aside from tri-class seating (Business, Premium Economy and Economy class seats), the aircraft offers world-class amenities and the latest inflight entertainment system
The Honolulu launch was the first of a series of launches scheduled for this year in key cities including Melbourne, Shanghai, Sydney, Hong Kong, Narita, Haneda and Osaka.
Special guests at the launch include Hawaii Governor David Ige, Philippine Consul General Gina A. Jamoralin, Mr. Randy Baldemor, Chief Operating Officer of the Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA), as well as Manila-based PAL officials Mr. Eric Clark Tan, Special Assistant to the Senior Vice President for Commercial Group and Ms. Sylvia Domingo, Vice President for marketing.
In his remarks, Governor Ige thanked PAL as it enhances Hawaii government’s efforts to expand the diversity of its travelers to Hawaii, and for bringing many Filipinos and Filipinos at heart to Hawaii, allowing the state to prosper. According to the Governor, Hawaii welcomed 20,000 visitors from the Philippines in 2016.
Attendees of the launch pose for a group photo after the program.Consul General Jamoralin, in her remarks mentioned that PAL has always been an active partner of the Philippine Consulate General in its cultural and economic diplomacy efforts. She expressed appreciation to PAL for also extending assistance in times of crises and natural disasters, through offering free transportation in the Philippine government’s evacuation and repatriation efforts, as made evident during the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan.
Around 120 guests attended the launch, comprising of Hawaii elected officials, members of the media, tour operators, travel agents and members of the Filipino community.
To show its appreciation to those who attended the launch, three (3) roundtrip tickets to the Philippines were raffled among the guests.
On 16 June 2017, PAL officials Mr. Tan and Ms. Domingo, together with Ms. Soledad Solleza, PAL Area Manager for Honolulu, paid a courtesy call on Consul General Jamoralin at the Philippine Consulate to discuss ways on how PAL could assist and support the Philippine Consulate in its projects and activities which seek to promote Filipino culture and elevate the Filipino image in the state. (END).
