PAL declares mission on 85th year: ‘Fly with heart’
When Philippine Airlines (PAL) unveiled its latest aircraft last week—the Airbus A350-1000, the first of its kind in Southeast Asia—it also offered a subtler signal of where it hopes to take its passengers as it enters its 85th year.
Before the curtains were drawn to reveal PAL’s new fleet darling, OPM icons Martin Nievera, Gary Valenciano and Ogie Alcasid took the stage, performing before hundreds of aviation enthusiasts and business and political figures.
They opened with the classics: Valenciano with “I Will be Here,” Alcasid with “Pangako” and Nievera with the ever-popular “Defying Gravity.”
But the trio was not there just to perform the classics.
They were there to unveil PAL’s latest jingle, “Fly With Heart,” a three-minute composition by hitmaker Louie Ocampo, performed live by the Philharmonic Orchestra.
This anthem builds on a lineage of PAL jingles that have become familiar to generations of travelers, including “Shining Through,” “Love at 3,000 Feet” and the song that echoes its long-running tagline, “The Heart of the Filipino.”
“We fly with heart, with care and love, above the oceans, across the skies,” the song declares. “Every mile, a brand-new start. Philippine Airlines flies with heart.”
It was a grand production witnessed by some of the Philippines’ top leaders, including President Marcos alongside first lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, as well as senior government officials like Sen. JV Ejercito and Palace press officer Claire Castro.
‘Transformation journey’
As one attendee put it, PAL went “all out” on marketing this year.
The anthem was released just weeks after PAL launched its latest in-flight safety video, a teleserye-inspired reel that leaned on drama to capture flyers’ and online viewers’ attention. It paid off quickly, racking up more than 9.6 million views on YouTube alone.
In his remarks, PAL Holdings president Lucio Tan III sought to frame the airline not as flawless, but as a reflection of the country’s own uneven journey.
“Across eight and a half decades, PAL’s journey has closely mirrored that of our country, marked by not only progress but setbacks as well,” said Tan, who took over PAL in 2023. “Confidence and also uncertainty, moments of growth and also periods of profound challenge.”
“We have endured wars, economic cycles, natural disasters and most recently, the most severe crisis global aviation has ever known,” he added, referring to the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced the flag carrier to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the US.
PAL, Tan said, remains on a “transformation journey” as it marks its 85th year.
The arrival of its first A350-1000 represents this shift. PAL intends to build on this momentum with five more of the wide-body aircraft scheduled to arrive this year, with the remaining three expected in 2027.
As Asia’s first airline and the Philippines’ official flag carrier marks its 85th year, PAL is less focused on looking back than on signaling what comes next. With a new wide-body aircraft and a fresh anthem, the airline is betting on the idea that, as the song puts it, every mile can still be a brand-new start.
