History of Philippine Airlines in Timeline

Philippine Airlines (PAL) is the flag carrier of the Philippines and the oldest operating commercial airline in Asia, having been founded in 1941. It plays a significant role in connecting the Philippines to the rest of the world.

February 26, 1941: Establishment of Philippine Air Lines

On February 26, 1941, Philippine Airlines was established as Philippine Air Lines, following the acquisition of its operational franchise from the Philippine Aerial Taxi Company (PATCO).

March 15, 1941: First Flight

On March 15, 1941, Philippine Airlines launched its first flight from Manila to Baguio, utilizing a Beechcraft Model 18 aircraft.

1941: Philippine Airlines Founded

In 1941, Philippine Airlines was founded and is the oldest operating commercial airline in Asia.

1941: Early Accidents

Since its founding in 1941, Philippine Airlines aircraft have been involved in a string of accidents, with the majority occurring with propeller aircraft during the airline's early years of operations.

1946: Resumption of Operations and First Trans-Pacific Flight

In 1946, after a suspension during World War II, Philippine Airlines resumed operations and became the first Asian airline to cross the Pacific, flying from Manila to Oakland, California.

1966: Privatization

In 1966, Philippine Airlines was privatized when then-chairman Benigno Toda Jr. acquired a majority stake.

1977: Re-nationalization

In 1977, Philippine Airlines was re-nationalized when the Government Service Insurance System obtained the majority of its shares.

1979: LoveBus Logo on Airbus A300

In 1979, the kiss-marked LoveBus logo was placed on one of PAL's Airbus A300s that represented their first year of partnership with Airbus.

1980: European Destinations

In 1980, Philippine Airlines operated flights to several European destinations, such as Amsterdam, Athens, Frankfurt, London–Gatwick and Rome–Fiumicino.

1986: Adoption of "Eurowhite" Livery

In 1986, the "Eurowhite" livery was adopted following PAL's corporate rebranding, designed by Landor Associates.

1986: Official PAL Logo

Until 1986, the typeface used in the third logo was later applied to the second logo and remained the official PAL logo.

1992: Second Privatization

In 1992, Philippine Airlines underwent privatization again when it was purchased by a group led by Antonio Cojuangco.

1995: Passage of Executive Order No. 219

In 1995, Executive Order No. 219 was passed, ending PAL's monopoly of the air transport industry in the Philippines and permitting the entry of new airlines.

1997: Termination of Long-Haul Routes

Following the 1997 Asian financial crisis, Philippine Airlines terminated a number of its long-haul routes.

1997: Impact of the Asian Financial Crisis

In 1997, the Asian financial crisis significantly impacted Philippine Airlines, leading to major restructuring measures including terminating some services and laying off employees.

June 15, 1998: PAL retrenched employees

On June 15, 1998, PAL retrenched 5,000 employees, including more than 1,400 flight attendants and stewards, to reduce costs and alleviate the financial downturn in the airline industry.

July 15, 1998: Retrenchment effective date

The retrenchment and demotion scheme made on June 15, 1998 became effective on July 15, 1998, without loss of seniority right and other privileges.

September 1998: Temporary Cessation of Operations

In September 1998, Philippine Airlines temporarily ceased operations and entered receivership due to substantial financial losses.

October 1998: Resumption of Operations

In October 1998, Philippine Airlines resumed operations after a temporary shutdown and began reinstating domestic and international routes.

1998: Cathay Pacific Operations

In 1998, Cathay Pacific temporarily operated some of Philippine Airlines' international services for 14 days during PAL's operational shutdown.

March 31, 2001: Fall in current and noncurrent assets

On March 31, 2001, PAL's other current and noncurrent assets fell by 29% to ₱2,960.4M and by 20% to ₱2,941.7M due to the effect of re-measurement to the fair value of certain financial assets and derivative instruments.

2002: Establishment of Mabuhay Miles Program

In 2002, Mabuhay Miles, Philippine Airlines' frequent-flyer program, was established after merging all of PAL's existing frequent flyer programs.

March 31, 2006: PAL's consolidated total assets

On March 31, 2006, PAL's consolidated total assets amounted to ₱100,984,477, which represented a 200% decrease from March 31, 2010.

2006: Court of Appeals decision

In 2006, the Court of Appeals decided that Philippine Airlines is not required to consult FASAP for its criteria for its retrenchment program.

February 2007: IATA Accreditation

In February 2007, Philippine Airlines was the first airline in the Philippines to be accredited by the International Air Transport Association, passing the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA).

2007: Exit from Receivership

In 2007, Philippine Airlines successfully exited receivership after implementing a rehabilitation plan approved by the Securities and Exchange Commission.

2007: Airline Ranking by Revenue Passenger Kilometers

In 2007, Philippine Airlines was the 61st largest airline in the world by revenue passenger kilometers (RPKs).

2007: Decline of PAL's assets

In 2007, the decline of PAL's assets was primarily due to a net decrease in property and equipment and advance payments to aircraft and engine manufacturers.

July 22, 2008: Supreme Court decision

On July 22, 2008, the Philippine Supreme Court favored the aggrieved party (retrenched employee) and ordered PAL with a 32-page decision.

2008: Increase in Revenues

In 2008, PAL's annual income report showed an increase in revenues of US$1.634 billion from US$1.504 billion.

2009: Increase in passengers due to acquisition of additional aircraft

In 2009, PAL experienced growth in the local market and carried 17% more passengers due to the acquisition of additional aircraft.

March 31, 2010: Decrease in PAL's consolidated total assets

PAL experienced a significant decrease in its consolidated total assets. As of March 31, 2010, the consolidated total assets had decreased, a 200% decrease from March 31, 2006.

2010: European Union Ban

In 2010, the European Union (EU) imposed a ban on all Philippine-based carriers, citing regulatory concerns.

2011: 70th Anniversary

In 2011, a special decal was placed on all of Philippine Airline's aircraft to celebrate its 70th anniversary.

March 31, 2013: Diminishment of company's consolidated assets

On March 31, 2013, PAL's consolidated assets continued to diminish by 8%, an amount equivalent to ₱92,837,849, compared to 2007 figures.

2013: Resumption of European Operations and London Flights

In 2013, the European Union ban was lifted, allowing Philippine Airlines to resume European operations, and PAL relaunched flights to London–Heathrow using a Boeing 777-300ER.

2016: 75th Anniversary

In 2016, Philippine Airlines placed a special decal on the back of every aircraft for its 75th anniversary, and also placed a 4-star Skytrax sticker to celebrate its new rating.

2017: Cabin Reconfiguration of A330s

In 2017, Philippine Airlines reconfigured the cabin layout of eight A330s from a single class 414-seater into a 309-seater tri-class with Business, Premium Economy, and Economy sections.

2017: Ninth-Largest Corporation in the Philippines

In 2017, Philippine Airlines was ranked as the ninth-largest corporation in the Philippines in terms of gross revenue, as ranked by BusinessWorld.

February 2018: Skytrax Four-Star Airline Recognition

In February 2018, Skytrax recognized Philippine Airlines as a four-star airline.

March 26, 2018: Supreme Court en banc vote

On March 26, 2018, the Supreme Court en banc voted in favor of Philippine Airlines, affirming the 2006 Court of Appeals decision.

June 27, 2018: Unveiling of New Mabuhay Lounge at Mactan-Cebu International Airport

On June 27, 2018, Philippine Airlines unveiled a new Mabuhay Lounge at Terminal 2 of Mactan–Cebu International Airport for international business class, million millers, premier elite, and elite passengers.

October 29, 2018: Inauguration of Non-Stop Service to New York

On October 29, 2018, Philippine Airlines inaugurated non-stop service to New York–JFK with an Airbus A350-900.

February 14, 2019: Acceptance of LoveBus A350

On February 14, 2019, Philippine Airlines' LoveBus A350 was accepted and later delivered, with a welcoming ceremony held at Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 2.

February 2019: Rollout of Airbus A350 with LoveBus Decal

In February 2019, Philippine Airlines rolled out its fifth Airbus A350 aircraft with a LoveBus decal to represent the 40th anniversary of its partnership with Airbus.

2019: ANA Holdings Dilutes Stake in PAL Holdings

In early 2019, ANA Holdings, the holding company of All Nippon Airways, diluted its initial ownership in PAL Holdings to a 4.5% stake from 9.5%.

September 15, 2022: Rebranding of Premium Economy to Comfort Class

On September 15, 2022, Philippine Airlines rebranded its premium economy service to Comfort Class for its domestic flights.

September 2022: Comfort Class

Since September 2022, Premium Economy is known as Comfort Class for domestic flights and is available on the Airbus A330 and Airbus A350.

September 2023: Mabuhay Lounge Locations

As of September 2023, the Mabuhay Lounge can be found at several airports including Ninoy Aquino International Airport and San Francisco International Airport.

December 31, 2024: Employee Count

As of December 31, 2024, Philippine Airlines had 6,520 employees.

2025: Route Operations

As of 2025, Philippine Airlines operates 41 international and 32 domestic routes, with PAL Express handling the majority of the airline's domestic operations.

January 2026: Fleet Size

As of January 2026, Philippine Airlines mainline aircraft has a fleet size of 50, excluding PAL Express aircraft.

2026: 85th Anniversary

For Philippine Airline's 85th anniversary in 2026, a stylized 85 appears at the rear half of the fuselage, first seen on RP-C3510, the airline's first Airbus A350-1000.