‘The Philippines is Philippine Airlines’

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MANILA, Philippines — This evening, we celebrate the 85th anniversary of Philippines Airlines and the unveiling of our new flagship aircraft, the Airbus A350-1000, the first of its kind in Southeast Asia.

More than a celebration of these milestones, however, tonight is about our shared belief that Philippine Airlines must always endure as a symbol of the Philippines’ journey as a nation. Many of you have given your time, your effort and at times real personal sacrifice to help bring Philippine Airlines to where it is today. This moment belongs to you as much as it does to us.

It means a great deal for my family and myself to mark this double milestone with all of you. We would not have reached this point without your unwavering support. For that, we are deeply and sincerely grateful.

Philippine Airlines has a legacy of firsts, a lasting source of national pride and a reflection of a nation on the rise.

In 1941, PAL was born as Asia’s first airline, at a time when the Philippines itself was defining its place in the world. In 1946, PAL became the first Asian carrier to cross the Pacific, carrying the hopes of a nation eager to connect, to engage and to be seen. Through the decades, PAL continued to evolve, expanding its reach and capabilities with a singular purpose: to serve generations of Filipinos wherever life, work or opportunity might take them.

Wherever PAL flies, it carries the character of the Filipino: resilient, warm and dignified. Our history, however, has never been without hardship.

Across eight and a half decades, PAL’s journey has closely mirrored that of our country, marked by progress and setbacks, confidence and uncertainty, moments of growth and periods of profound challenge. We have endured wars, economic cycles, natural disasters and most recently, the most severe crisis global aviation has ever known. Six years ago, the COVID-19 pandemic brought global air travel to a near standstill.

For Philippine Airlines, it was not only an existential crisis, it was a defining moment that forced us to confront difficult questions about responsibility and purpose. At that moment, guided by my grandparents’ directions, we made a deliberate choice: to keep flying, at a time when every other airline decided to completely cease operations.

We understood that if we did not, countless Filipinos would be left stranded far from home. Amidst our mounting financial losses, the decision was not an easy one, but it was certainly the right thing to do.

During the pandemic, Philippine Airlines found renewed purpose in our mission. We operated hundreds of repatriation flights, mounted thousands of provincial sweeper flights and launched a cargo airlift for essential supplies. It was demanding work, carried out under extraordinary conditions, but it was meaningful and fulfilling work. At the same time, we undertook the difficult task of rebuilding the airline on more sustainable foundations.

Through a comprehensive restructuring, we strengthened our balance sheet, streamlined our fleet and clarified what long-term responsibility truly requires. PAL emerged from that period leaner, more focused and better prepared for the future.

This transformation would not have been possible without the steadfast commitment of my grandparents whose vision has always been to make the flag carrier a beacon of pride for the Filipino nation. Over the past six years, we have worked steadily to reshape Philippine Airlines. We invested in a more modern and efficient fleet, strengthened financial discipline, redesigned our operating model and raised standards across safety, service and reliability.

Our team worked quietly and with little fanfare, always with the future in mind. While we continue on this transformation journey, we are starting to see the fruits of our efforts. At the start of this year, Philippine Airlines was recognized as Asia-Pacific’s Most Punctual Airline for 2025, achieving an on-time performance of 83.12 percent, as reported by Cirium, the leading global aviation data and analytics company.

This achievement did not happen overnight. In 2022, Philippine Airlines was not even among Cirium’s top ten airlines for on-time performance in Asia-Pacific. In 2023, we rose to eighth place. In 2024, we moved further to seventh. And in 2025, we reached the top. This steady progression reflects the work done over several years to strengthen our operations. It speaks to the discipline, consistency and a collective determination to improve operational reliability and, in so doing, enhance passenger experience.

This recognition affirms the professionalism of our people, who achieved these results while navigating weather disruptions, natural calamities, infrastructure constraints and one of the most demanding operating environments in global aviation. We also mark another important milestone this evening with the unveiling of our first Airbus A350-1000. This aircraft represents the very best of modern aviation technology.

It is fuel-efficient, environmentally responsible and designed to deliver a superior passenger experience. It will serve as the anchor of our long-haul operations, particularly to North America and support our intention to grow responsibly, guided by sustainability and long-term value rather than scale alone.

For us, this aircraft stands as a powerful symbol of our resurgence. It represents our confidence to compete globally, while remaining deeply rooted in who we are as Filipinos. In many ways, the arrival of the Airbus A350-1000 mirrors the Philippines today: resilient, forward-looking and prepared to engage the world with confidence.

As Philippine Airlines continues its transformation, we remain mindful that our journey is inseparable from that of our country. Our role as the flag carrier is not simply commercial. It is a responsibility that we take very seriously. We exist to connect people, support livelihoods and contribute meaningfully to the country’s development, consistent with the ideals of Bagong Pilipinas.

As my grandfather affirmed at the height of the pandemic, I reiterate that commitment today: “Like the Philippine flag, we will continue to stand tall and strong as the national carrier and premier airline of the Philippines.”

The Philippines is Philippine Airlines. And Philippine Airlines is the Philippines.

To President Bong-Bong Marcos, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and our partners in government, thank you for your continued support and partnership. To our business partners and stakeholders, thank you for your trust. And to every member of the PAL family, past and present, including my own family, thank you for believing in this airline, even in its most difficult moments.

(Delivered by Lucio Tan III at the 85th anniversary celebration of Philippine Airlines and the unveiling of the Airbus A350-1000, held at the Lufthansa Technik Philippines in Villamor Air Base in Pasay, on Jan. 17).