PAL aims to be among top 3 full service airlines in Asia by 2025

MANILA, Philippines — Philippine Airlines is targeting to be among the top three full-service airlines in Asia as early as 2025, its new president and COO, Capt. Stanley Ng told The STAR.

“I want PAL to be a full service carrier. If everything will be okay, [PAL] will be among the top three airlines in Asia in the next three to five years,” Ng said in an interview.

To achieve this target, Ng, a veteran PAL pilot and head of Airline Operations before taking the helm of PAL, said the flag carrier would focus on differentiation, invest on systems and processes to enhance passenger experience, improve back-end support and implement digital innovations, all with the aim of really elevating service to customers and growing its market.

“There are a lot of low-cost carriers, and there are a lot of full service carriers, so where is PAL in that? We are here and this is where we want to be, a top full service carrier,” he said.

Barring unexpected hitches, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, PAL is seeking to become a major full service carrier and become a leading player in the region and eventually, among the top airlines in the world.

According to a ranking by Skytrax in 2019, PAL is among the top 30 airlines in the world.

On the domestic front, Ng said, going full service would depend on the route.

While PAL subsidiary PAL Express is the company’s low cost carrier, Ng said there are routes where demand for business class flights is strong.

As for changes in key positions, Ng said PAL has a good team of officers and that there would be no changes, at least for now.

Last week, Philippine Airlines heralded a “new PAL” as the flag carrier celebrated its 81st anniversary.