By Marinel Peroy
Banking on its unique way of service anchored on the “Heart of Filipino”, the country’s flag carrier, Philippine Airlines (PAL) is set to soar high with elevated customer experience and additional flight destinations in 2024.
In the media conference last April 2, PAL revealed that their 2023 total revenue resulted in US$3.2B, a 21% increase from 2022. This financial performance with record high revenue was achieved despite the reduction in aircraft post-restructuring and the airline company is recovering strongly from the challenging pandemic.
In addition, PAL’s net income in 2023 was +92% compared with 2022. When asked by THEPHILBIZNEWS about their plans for their net income, PAL Executive Vice President and General Counsel Carlos Luis Fernandez said that with the income they had (for the past two years), the stakeholders’ commitment was to “invest all of the money back into the business.”
“We’re doing that by acquiring new aircraft, upgrading our equipment, and retrofitting our existing aircraft,” Fernandez said. He also explained that they are investing in their systems — such as in IT and manpower initiatives — with the clear objective of PAL: “To make the company as fit as we can to serve our customers better.”
Aside from investing in additional resources, manpower, and services, PAL recently announced that they will be launching Manila-Seattle non-stop flights in October 2024, making Seattle PAL’s sixth destination in the US and eighth in North America. Other nonstop flights between the Philippines and the US include Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Honolulu, and Guam.
Domestically, PAL unveiled two new routes, Manila-Perth and Cebu-Laoag; while the 13 relaunched routes within the region include the following:
- Manila – Beijing / Shanghai / Xiamen / Jinjiang / Macau
- Manila – Tuguegarao
- Cebu – Seoul / General Santos / Ozamis / Legaspi
- Kalibo – Seoul
- Clark – Busuanga
On the other hand, the Philippines serves as the top ASEAN country of tourist arrivals in Japan. This is why, PAL gears up as more tourists from the country are planning to #VisitJapan.
Speaking with THEPHILBIZNEWS, PAL Vice President for Network Planning Christopher Gartner highlighted that there has been a comprehensive footprint between the Philippines and Japan.
“We at Philippine Airlines are the largest airlines in terms of seats between the Philippines and Japan,” Gartner said.
He also mentioned that PAL is very well set from Manila City which includes various Japan airports in Haneda, Narita, Fukuoka, Osaka, and Nagoya.
Moreover, Gartner emphasized that the focus is Cebu. At the moment, PAL has Cebu-Narita flights — and thus, added that “we’re looking for the relaunching of Cebu-Osaka this year.”
This strategic comeback highlights the airline’s dedication to elevating the customer experience both on the ground and in the air. It also underscores the ongoing efforts to expand the network and garner support from stakeholders, including a strengthened partnership with ANA Airlines. Significantly, this move underscores the deepening ties between the Philippines and Japan, spanning from increased tourist arrivals to more robust business collaborations through Philippine Airlines.
As for Capt. Stanley Ng, PAL’s President & COO said, “We at Philippine Airlines are determined to succeed in our mission to deliver better service and greater connectivity for the benefit of our kababayans and foreign visitors that we serve.”
