Pan Pacific Airlines
IATA ICAO Callsign
8Y AAV ASTRO-PHIL
Founded1973 (as Astro Air International)
Commenced operationsApril 27, 2017
Ceased operations4 May 2022
AOC #2012049[1]
Hubs
Fleet size1 (2022)
Destinations5
HeadquartersUnit 1401, 4th Floor, ASEANA 3 Building, Aseana Avenue corner Macapagal Boulevard, Parañaque, Metro Manila, Philippines
Key peopleArturo M. Alejandrino
(President, Chief Operations Officer)
Websitepanpacificair.com Edit this at Wikidata

Astro Air International, Inc., doing business as Pan Pacific Airlines, was a full-service airline based in the Philippines. It was established in 1973 under the name Astro Air International[2] but was renamed as Spirit of Manila Airlines in 2011 and ceased commercial flights after three months of operations. In 2016, the airline relaunched under the current brand after it began operating to serve the South Korean market. The airline commenced operations on April 27, 2017, with its inaugural flight between Kalibo and Seoul.[2] Its current main hubs are Mactan–Cebu International Airport and Kalibo International Airport with flights going to Seoul, Busan and Muan. However, as of December 2022, the airline does not operate any aircraft and therefore has stopped operating flights as well.

History

In 1973, Filipino-Chinese entrepreneur Donald Dee[3] secured a commercial airline license and registered an airline company under the name Astro Air International.[2] The company previously did business under the name Spirit of Manila Airlines from 2011 to 2012, flying from Clark International Airport in Angeles, Pampanga to Taipei Taoyuan International Airport in Taiwan using a fleet of two McDonnell Douglas MD-83 planes and a leased Boeing 737-300. The airline ceased operations after only a few months after it failed to secure an air operator's certificate.

After it received backing from South Korean investors, the company restarted operations in 2016 under its present name and with the goal of connecting the South Korean market with tourist destinations Boracay and Cebu in the Philippines. On April 27, 2017, the inaugural flight between Kalibo and Seoul commenced using an Airbus A320-232.

In 2019, the airline ranked fourth among Philippine carriers in terms of the number of international passengers. It flew 250,977 passengers out of a total of 12,423,134 flown by the top three Philippine carriers: Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific, and Philippines AirAsia.[4]

The airline suspended all flight operation after 4 May 2022.

Destinations

Alternative livery still seen on some planes

As of January 2020, Pan Pacific Airlines serves the following destinations:[5][6]

Country City Airport Notes Refs
Philippines Cebu Mactan–Cebu International Airport Hub [6]
Davao Francisco Bangoy International Airport Cargo [7]
General Santos General Santos International Airport Cargo [7]
Kalibo Kalibo International Airport Hub [8]
Puerto Princesa Puerto Princesa International Airport Cargo [7]
South Korea Busan Gimhae International Airport Passenger [9]
Muan Muan International Airport Passenger [9]
Seoul Incheon International Airport Passenger [9][10]
An Airbus A320-200

Fleet

During late 2019, the airline had 5 Airbus A320s. However, as of May 2022 before ceasing flight operations, Pan Pacific Airlines operated one aircraft.[11][12]

Pan Pacific Airlines
Aircraft In service Orders Passengers
Airbus A320-200 1 — 180
Total 1 —

References

  1. ^ "ACTIVE/CURRENT AOC HOLDERS" (PDF). Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines. May 30, 2019. Retrieved January 8, 2023.
  2. ^ a b c "Pan Pacific Airlines". CAPA. June 28, 2019. Retrieved June 28, 2019.
  3. ^ Donald Dee
  4. ^ "The Exciting Centennial of Philippine Aviation: Philippines Largest Overseas Carrier". The Exciting Centennial of Philippine Aviation. The Exciting Centennial of Philippine Aviation blog. February 28, 2019. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  5. ^ "Pan Pacific Airlines - Destinations". Pan Pacific Airlines - Fly in style.
  6. ^ a b "Pan Pacific Airlines - Schedule". Pan Pacific Airlines.
  7. ^ a b c "Pan Pacific Airlines on Facebook". Facebook. Archived from the original on April 30, 2022.[user-generated source]
  8. ^ "Daily Operation between Boracay(Kalibo) & Incheon from Apr. 27th, 2017". Pan Pacific Airlines. Retrieved April 12, 2017.
  9. ^ a b c "Destinations". www.panpacificair.com.
  10. ^ Ltd. 2019, UBM (UK). "Pan Pacific resumes Kalibo – Muan service from late-March 2019". Routesonline. Retrieved February 16, 2019.((cite web)): CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  11. ^ "Pan Pacific Airlines - Fleet". Pan Pacific Airlines.
  12. ^ "Pan Pacific Airlines Fleet Details and History". www.planespotters.net.
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