IT’S been a long time since Philippine Airlines (PAL) was part of Filipinos’ and tourists’ lives. In fact, it first took to the skies on March 15, 1941 using a five-seater Beech model 18 aircraft, earning the reputation of being the first airline in Asia.
Since then, PAL has continued to achieve a lot of firsts including being the only full-service Philippine air carrier offering a higher level of inflight and on-ground service as well as the first Philippine-based carrier certified safe by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), through its IATA Operational Safety Audit program.
But another recent first was announced which was a cause for celebration: PAL was certified a four-star airline last February by Skytrax, the international air transport rating organization. In keeping with its goal, the airline promises to continuously improve and innovate in its products and services.
With this in mind, the country’s media from Cebu, Clark, Manila and Davao were invited to a media gathering held in Davao. Last April 12, a press conference took place at Marco Polo Davao’s ballroom, giving them a chance to learn of PAL’s new plans, routes, products and services.
The panel comprised president and chief operating officer of PAL Jaime J. Bautista, president of PAL Express Bonifacio U. Sam and senior vice president of airline operations Ismael Gozon.
“So why are we in Davao? That’s because Philippine Airlines is no longer just a Manila-centric airline. The future of Philippine aviation lies in the new economic centers of the country, here in Mindanao, in the Visayas and in other parts of Luzon. That means giving priority to our new PAL hubs: Davao, Cebu and Clark. New hubs mean new hopes for a growing economy,” said Bautista during his welcome speech. “We are proud and gratified that Philippine Airlines recently achieved a four-star Global Airline Certification by Skytrax, the international rating organization. This four-star rating was the fruit of two years of transformation in fleet, cabins, products and services that demanded millions of dollars in hard investments and the concerted efforts of all members of the PAL organization.”
After the press conference, buses took the media to Davao International Airport where they were given a tour of its latest aircraft: the Bombardier Q400 NG (New Generation). It seats 86 passengers; it’s one of the fastest turboprop aircraft in the world that has more legroom and generous space for baggage compartments and promises less noise levels (the letter Q stands for quiet). Ending the day was a gala night held once more at the ballroom of Marco Polo Davao sponsored by Bombardier.
Today, PAL flies to 43 international and 33 domestic destinations and will further boost its operations at its hubs in Clark, Cebu and Davao. New routes were introduced such as the four weekly flights from Davao to Siargao since March 25 and Manila non-stop to New York since Oct. 28. The airline’s current fleet is a total of 85 with 15 new aircraft to arrive within this year and six more in 2019. It’s not just about adding more planes as with it comes the upgrading in terms of its seats, amenities and more.
PAL is now part of the list of world-class airlines with a four-star rating, bringing it closer to its corporate vision: to be a five-star airline by the year 2020 as announced during its diamond anniversary in 2016. (MRL with PR)