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.
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| Founded | 1973 (as Astro Air International) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commenced operations | April 27, 2017 | ||||||
| Ceased operations | 4 May 2022 | ||||||
| AOC # | 2012049[1] | ||||||
| Hubs | |||||||
| Fleet size | 1 (2022) | ||||||
| Destinations | 5 | ||||||
| Headquarters | Unit 1401, 4th Floor, ASEANA 3 Building, Aseana Avenue corner Macapagal Boulevard, Parañaque, Metro Manila, Philippines | ||||||
| Key people | Arturo M. Alejandrino (President, Chief Operations Officer) | ||||||
| Website | panpacificair.com  | ||||||
History
editIn 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
edit
As of January 2020, Pan Pacific Airlines served 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] |
Fleet
editDuring late 2019, the airline had five Airbus A320s. However, as of May 2022 before ceasing flight operations, Pan Pacific Airlines operated one aircraft.[11][12]
| Aircraft | In service | Orders | Passengers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airbus A320-200 | 1 | — | 180 |
| Total | 1 | — |
References
edit- ^ "ACTIVE/CURRENT AOC HOLDERS" (PDF). Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines. May 30, 2019. Retrieved January 8, 2023.
- ^ a b c "Pan Pacific Airlines". CAPA. June 28, 2019. Retrieved June 28, 2019.
- ^ Donald Dee
- ^ "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.
- ^ "Pan Pacific Airlines - Destinations". Pan Pacific Airlines - Fly in style.
- ^ a b "Pan Pacific Airlines - Schedule". Pan Pacific Airlines.
- ^ a b c "Pan Pacific Airlines on Facebook". Facebook. Archived from the original on April 30, 2022.[user-generated source]
- ^ "Daily Operation between Boracay(Kalibo) & Incheon from Apr. 27th, 2017". Pan Pacific Airlines. Retrieved April 12, 2017.
- ^ a b c "Destinations". www.panpacificair.com.
- ^ 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) - ^ "Pan Pacific Airlines - Fleet". Pan Pacific Airlines.
- ^ "Pan Pacific Airlines Fleet Details and History". www.planespotters.net.