BIZ BUZZ: PAL no longer means ‘Plane Always Late’
There was a time not too long ago when flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) was derided for being “Plane Always Late.”
But that has not been the case for many years now due to investments in both new aircraft and operational, manpower efficiency.
Indeed, the airline led by tycoon Lucio Tan was even named the best airline in Asia-Pacific in 2025 with 83.12 percent of its flights arriving on time, according to Cirium Aviation Analystics.
“On time” means taking off or arriving within 15 minutes of the published schedule.
Based on this metric, PAL beat some of the more established names in the region, such as Air New Zealand, All Nippon Airways, Singapore Airlines, Japan Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Qantas and Korean Air.
“Philippine Airlines has put in a strong performance to be the top performing carrier in 2025 with an impressive 83.12 percent of its flights arriving on time across the year,” said Cirium Asia editor Ellis Taylor in Cirium’s 2025 on-time performance review, “That is impressive given its home base of Manila Ninoy Aquino International Airport is prone to congestion.”
The flag carrier also achieved this during a “significant” year marked by changes at the top, with Richard Nuttall taking over as president in late May 2025 and Carlos Luis Fernandez rising to chief operating officer.
Cirium underscored the importance of elevating on-time performance as it “creates a ripple effect of positive outcomes,” from enhanced passenger loyalty to cost savings and streamlined operations.
Being on time most of the time also provides airlines such as PAL a distinct competitive advantage over rivals, an advantage that Asia’s oldest airline intends to fully exploit as it celebrates its 85th year this year.
