PH flag carrier PAL included in world’s Top 50 Airlines  

Flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) has been named one of the Top 50 Airlines in the World by independent flight review firm Skytrax, which released a new ranking based on a recent airline passenger survey.

“I am overwhelmed with pride and joy.  This latest win shows how far we have come in working to transform our airline, and this victory is especially sweet because it reflects the votes of our beloved customers,” PAL President and Chief Operating Officer Jaime J. Bautista said in a statement on Thursday.

Aside from being ranked 49th out of 335 airlines, PAL was also recognized as the second-most improved air transport service provider in the world after leaping by 38 notches from its 83rd rank in 2016, and by 18 levels from its 67th rank in 2017.

“We also placed Top 30 in the World’s Best Cabin Cleanliness category.  This recognition inspires us to focus even more on delighting our customers, PAL Chief Customer Experience Officer Jessica Abaya said.

“It also gives us greater confidence to reach our long term vision of becoming the 5-Star, full-service national carrier of the Philippines,” she added.

The recognition for PAL comes after it received a 4-Star Global Airline rating and the delivery of a new Airbus A350-900, considered by many as the most advanced aircraft today.

“The 4-Star award, Top 49 ranking and the 2nd Most Improved Airline vote challenge us to keep up the progress, and our hi-tech new A350s and A321neos mark our determination to hit full 5-Star status by the end of 2020,” Bautista said.

Skytrax said that the results were obtained from reviews of 20 million passengers from 100 different nationalities.

“We are honored to be recognized by millions of passengers, and we renew our commitment to keep on serving them better from the caring Heart of the Filipino,” Bautista said.

According to Bautista, PAL will also improve facets of its service, such as the expansion of routes, innovation and fleet modernization.

“The future is bright for Philippine Airlines.  As the Philippines’ first and only 4-Star Airline, we will continue to provide more innovations and product refinements,” he said.

“Indeed, we will take in 27 new aircraft starting with our recently arrived new A350s and A321 NEOs, so that we can fly more customers more comfortably and conveniently to their dream destinations,” he added. /ee