Philippine Airlines facts for kids
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| Founded | February 26, 1941 (as Philippine Air Lines) |
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| Commenced operations | March 15, 1941 |
| AOC # | 2009001 |
| Hubs | Manila |
| Secondary hubs |
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| Frequent-flyer program | Mabuhay Miles |
| Subsidiaries | PAL Express |
| Fleet size | 49 |
| Destinations | 73 (including PAL Express) |
| Parent company | LT Group (PAL Holdings, Inc.) |
| Headquarters | PNB Financial Center, Macapagal Boulevard, Pasay, Philippines |
| Key people | |
| Revenue |  ₱179.12 billion (2023) |
| Operating income | ₱21.77 billion (2023) |
| Net income | ₱21.29 billion (2023) |
| Total assets | ₱219.73 billion (2023) |
| Total equity | ₱33.30 billion (2023) |
| Employees | 6,461 (2023) |
Philippine Airlines (PAL) is the main airline of the Philippines. It is often called the country's flag carrier. Its main office is in Pasay, at the PNB Financial Center. The airline started in 1941, making it the oldest airline in Asia that is still flying today.
Most of PAL's flights take off from Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Metro Manila. Its sister airline, PAL Express, flies mostly to places within the Philippines. Philippine Airlines itself flies to many cities in the Philippines and to countries all over the world.
Contents
History of Philippine Airlines
The airline began on February 26, 1941, as Philippine Air Lines. It took over the flying rights from another company called Philippine Aerial Taxi Company (PATCO).
PAL used to be one of the biggest airlines in Asia. But in 1997, a big money problem called the 1997 Asian financial crisis hit hard. This caused PAL to become much smaller. It stopped flying to places in Europe and the Middle East. It also cut almost all flights within the Philippines, except those from Manila. Many planes were sold, and thousands of people lost their jobs.
In 1998, the airline was put under a special management plan to help it recover. Later, it started flying to many of its old destinations again. After 2007, PAL worked hard to become one of Asia's top airlines once more.
How Philippine Airlines Works
Philippine Airlines is owned by a company called PAL Holdings. This company is part of a larger group of businesses owned by Lucio Tan. Another airline company, ANA Holdings from Japan, also owns a small part of PAL Holdings.
The main office for Philippine Airlines is in Pasay City. It is located at the Philippine National Bank Financial Headquarters. In 2017, PAL was one of the biggest companies in the Philippines based on how much money it made. By the end of 2023, PAL had over 6,400 employees.
Where Philippine Airlines Flies
Back in 1989, Philippine Airlines flew to many cities in Europe, like Amsterdam, Frankfurt, and London–Gatwick. After the 1997 Asian financial crisis, PAL stopped some of its long flights.
In 2010, the European Union (EU) stopped Philippine airlines from flying to Europe for a few years. This was due to safety concerns, even though international aviation groups said they were safe. When the ban was lifted in 2013, Philippine Airlines started flying to Europe again. This included cities like Amsterdam, London, Madrid, Paris, and Rome. In 2013, PAL returned to London–Heathrow after 15 years.
In 2018, the airline started a direct flight to New York–JFK. This was one of the longest flights in the world at the time. As of 2021, Philippine Airlines flies to 43 international places and 31 places within the Philippines. Its sister airline, PAL Express, handles most of the flights inside the Philippines.
Partner Airlines
Philippine Airlines works with other airlines to share flights. This means you can sometimes book a flight with PAL, but fly on a plane from one of these partner airlines:
- Air Macau
- All Nippon Airways
- American Airlines
- Bangkok Airways
- Cathay Pacific
- China Airlines
- Garuda Indonesia
- Gulf Air
- Hawaiian Airlines
- Malaysia Airlines
- PAL Express (Subsidiary)
- Royal Brunei Airlines
- Singapore Airlines
- Turkish Airlines
- Vietnam Airlines
- WestJet
- XiamenAir
Philippine Airlines Fleet
As of December 2023, Philippine Airlines has 49 airplanes. This does not include the 27 planes used by PAL Express. Their planes are a mix of Airbus and Boeing aircraft. They have both smaller planes (called narrow-body) and larger planes (called wide-body aircraft).
Philippine Airlines Branding
Airline Logo
The Philippine Airlines logo has changed four times since the company started. The first logo had "PAL" in white letters inside a blue oval. It also had a four-pointed star and a wing.
The second logo used a blue triangle with a red triangle on top, all inside a circle. This design looked like the Philippine flag standing upright. In the mid-1970s, a third logo removed the circle and made the shape simpler.
The current PAL logo uses the same blue and red triangles. It also has a yellow sunburst with eight rays on the blue triangle. A new, modern font is used for the letters.
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1950–1960
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1960–1970
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1970–1986
Plane Design (Livery)
The way PAL planes are painted, called their livery, has changed many times. The first planes were simple, with a white top and silver bottom. They had a small Philippine flag on the tail.
Later, some planes had a long Philippine flag design along the side. The PAL logo was on the tail. By this time, the name "Philippine Airlines" was used on the planes.
The current design, called "Eurowhite," started in 1986. It has the word "Philippines" written on the front part of the plane in slanted letters. The tail has the PAL logo and the Philippine flag. The PAL logo is also on the tips of the wings. The airline uses "Philippines" instead of "Philippine Airlines" to show it is the main airline for the country.
Sometimes, when the President flies on a PAL plane for official trips, the plane uses a special flight number, "PR/PAL 001." The plane's callsign becomes "PHILIPPINE ONE." This shows it is carrying the President. If the Vice President travels with the President, the flight number is "PR/PAL 002." The presidential seal is also placed near the doors of the plane.
For its 70th birthday in 2011, PAL put a special sticker on all its planes. It said "Asia's first, shining through." For its 75th birthday in 2016, another special sticker was added. PAL also put a sticker on its planes to show it received a 4-star rating for its service.
In 2019, Philippine Airlines added a "LoveBus" sticker to one of its Airbus A350 planes. This celebrated 40 years of working with Airbus. The "LoveBus" logo was first used in 1979 on an Airbus A300 plane.
Mabuhay Miles Program
Mabuhay Miles is Philippine Airlines' program for frequent flyers. It started in 2002. This program lets passengers earn points when they fly. These points can be used for free flights or other benefits. There are different levels: Classic, Elite, Premiere Elite, and Million Miler.
Philippine National Bank (PNB) offers special credit cards that give you Mabuhay Miles points. These cards can also offer perks like free travel insurance, faster check-in, and access to special airport lounges.
Mabuhay Lounge
The Mabuhay Lounge is a special waiting area at airports for Philippine Airlines passengers. Passengers flying Business Class and Elite Members of Mabuhay Miles can use these lounges. They offer free drinks, food, Wi-Fi, and places to charge phones.
In 2018, PAL opened a new Mabuhay Lounge at Mactan–Cebu International Airport. You can find Mabuhay Lounges at several airports, including Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Terminal 1 and 2), Mactan–Cebu International Airport, and San Francisco International Airport.
Onboard Services
Airplane Cabin Classes
Philippine Airlines offers three types of seating classes: Business, Premium Economy, and Economy. The type of class available depends on the airplane. Some planes, like the Airbus A330s and Airbus A350s, have all three classes. Other planes have two classes. In 2022, PAL renamed its Premium Economy service for domestic flights to "Comfort Class."
In 2017, PAL changed the inside of eight A330 planes. They went from having only one class with 414 seats to having three classes with 309 seats. These planes now have Business, Premium Economy, and Economy sections.
Older planes did not have built-in screens for movies. Instead, they offered iPads with movies and shows. Newer planes now have screens built into the seats.
Business Class
Business Class is available on all PAL planes. These seats offer more legroom. On some planes like the Airbus A330, Boeing 777, and Airbus A350, the seats can lie flat like a bed. Philippine Airlines is the only airline in the Philippines to offer Business Class on flights within the country. On longer flights, passengers receive special kits with toiletries.
Seats on newer planes have large screens for movies and shows. They also have USB ports to charge your devices and power outlets. Passengers also get noise-cancelling headphones.
Premium Economy Class
Premium Economy, also called Comfort Class for flights within the Philippines, is available on the Airbus A330 and Airbus A350. It is also on some PAL Express flights. These seats are similar to regular Economy seats but have more legroom, usually 4 to 5 inches extra.
On reconfigured A330s and A350s, the seats have extra padding. They also have a screen for movies, a headphone jack, a USB port, and a power outlet. On planes without built-in screens, passengers get free iPads.
Economy Class
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Economy Class is available on all PAL planes. The Tray tables are usually on the back of the seat in front of you. Seats have adjustable headrests. They offer good legroom, usually between 31 and 34 inches. Each seat has a screen for movies and shows, a headphone jack, and a USB port for charging.
Safety and Incidents
Philippine Airlines has had some accidents since it started in 1941. Most of these happened with older propeller planes in its early years. Few of PAL's jet planes have been in serious accidents. One notable event was an explosion on Philippine Airlines Flight 434, which was part of a terrorist plot.
Airline Safety
In February 2007, PAL was the first airline in the Philippines to get a special safety approval from the International Air Transport Association. This means it passed a strict safety check. AirlineRatings.com gives Philippine Airlines a high safety rating of 7 out of 7. This rating shows it is a very safe airline.
Challenges Faced by Philippine Airlines
Financial Challenges
PAL faced big money problems in the late 2000s. Its total assets (what the company owns) decreased a lot between 2006 and 2013. This was partly because of less property and equipment, and changes in payments for new planes. The cost of fuel also made expenses go up.
Competition in the Airline Industry
For over 20 years, PAL was the only major airline in the Philippines. But in 1995, a new rule allowed other airlines to start flying. This brought more competition, which led to lower ticket prices and better service for passengers. Today, PAL competes with other airlines like Cebu Pacific and PAL Express on major routes. Other airlines like Philippines AirAsia and Cebgo serve shorter routes.
See also
- List of airlines of the Philippines
- List of companies of the Philippines
- Transportation in the Philippines
