Philippine Airlines Orders 15 Boeing 787s, Options For 5 More

Published Jul 20, 2026, 6:50 AM EDT A graduate in German, Jake has a passion for history and regional aviation, and enjoys sampling new carriers and aircraft. He has visited OEM facilities as far and wide as Bristol, Toulouse, and Seattle, and recently enjoyed the milestone of flying his 150th sector as a passenger. Based in Norfolk, UK. * Last updated 07:20 AM EST by Jake Hardiman * Philippine Airlines has made waves at the Farnborough International Airshow 2026 with an order for 20 jets from the Boeing 787 Dreamliner widebody series. The figure consists of 15 firm orders for the stretched 787-10 model, alongside options for another five. This, Boeing says, "will support Philippine Airlines' fleet modernization and expansion plans." Currently, its only Boeing widebodies are 777s. As such, the arrival of the Boeing 787-10s from this new order at Philippine Airlines will allow it to both grow and modernize its long-haul fleet. The carrier has a long and strong working relationship with Boeing that dates back some 80 years: Philippine Airlines itself is only 85, so the US planemaker has been there for almost all of the carrier's career. Now, it is looking to the future with this latest 787 order. The Carrier Has Already Modernized Its Airbus Widebody Fleet Monday, July 20, 07:20 AM EST Credit: Shutterstock The move to acquire aircraft from the 787 Dreamliner series to modernize its existing fleet of Boeing widebody twinjets is a logical one for Philippine Airlines, given that it has already done so with its twin-aisle Airbus fleet. Indeed, while the carrier does still fly 11 units of the A330-300, it previously operated another 14 examples of the type, as well as ten A340-300s. Now, however, the A350 is taking over. Indeed, Philippine Airlines currently has two units apiece of the standard A350-900 and the stretched A350-1000, with further orders for another seven examples of the latter model. As such, while the Airbus A350 and Boeing 787 families are often seen as rivals, the carrier will instead operate the two alongside one another. As for the up to 20 incoming Boeing 787-10s, it will be interesting to see where they fly. Eight Decades Of Cooperation Monday, July 20, 07:10 AM EST Credit: Simple Flying Tan went on to say that "as Asia's first and longest serving airline, we proudly celebrated our 85th anniversary earlier this year. An equally meaningful milestone that we celebrate this year is 80 years of partnership between Philippine Airlines and Boeing." With that being said, Boeing jets only currently make up a small proportion of the carrier's fleet. As such, this latest deal comes as a welcome renewal. Simple Flying Quiz Think you really know Boeing? Answer 10 questions and put your knowledge to the test Simple Flying Quiz Think you really know Boeing? Answer 10 questions and put your knowledge to the test According to present fleet data made available by ch-aviation, Philippine Airlines' only current Boeing jets are its ten units of the 777-300ER widebody twinjet. Of these, nine are currently listed as being active while one is undergoing maintenance procedures, and they are 12.4 years old on average compared to a fleet-wide mean of 11.6 years. Historically speaking, it has flown another two Boeing 777s. It is important to note that the incoming 787s aren't viewed as a replacement for the 777, at least immediately. Instead, as Boeing notes, "the 787-10 will complement PAL's fleet of 10 777 jets" as the two types work alongside one another. However, the 787 does have the obvious advantage of "unmatched fuel efficiency with the lowest operating cost per seat of any widebody jet, yielding 25% less fuel use." Philippine Airlines' First Dreamliner Order Monday, July 20, 07:05 AM EST Credit: Simple Flying Philippine Airlines has become the second carrier to commit to the stretched Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner on the first day of the show, with Riyadh Air also converting 20 of its 28 recently announced exercised 787 orders to the type. Boeing explains that "the 787-10 can fly 300-375 passengers up to 13,890 km (7,500 nautical miles)," which it says will "enable Philippine Airlines to meet rising travel demand." The 787-10's long-range credentials are obviously what catch the eye from a network standpoint. However, its high capacity also makes it a good fit on medium-haul routes where demand is elevated, as has been seen at Singapore Airlines. With this in mind, Boeing says that the 787-10 will "expand operational flexibility across the airline's medium and long-haul route network." PAL Holdings COO Lucio Tan said: "This investment manifests our confidence in the future of Philippine Airlines and the continued growth of air travel, (...) allowing us to provide an even better travel experience for our customers."