Philippine Airlines, commonly abbreviated PAL, is the Philippines’ national passenger airline. It began flying in March 1941 and developed domestic links across the islands together with international services connecting the Philippines with Asia and more distant markets.[1][2]
First flights and wartime interruption
PAL’s inaugural flight took place on 15 March 1941. A Beechcraft Model 18 carried five passengers and two pilots from Manila’s Nielson Airport to Baguio. The Pacific war interrupted the young airline’s commercial operations. Its aircraft and personnel were pressed into wartime transport duties, including the evacuation of pilots to Australia.[1]
Post-war rebuilding
The airline resumed domestic operations on 14 February 1946. It established an international division that year and obtained provisional certification for routes to China and the United States. Planned pre-war services to Hong Kong had been abandoned when war intervened, but non-scheduled Manila–Hong Kong flights began on 5 September 1946 using Douglas DC-3 aircraft.[2]
International development
Hong Kong subsequently became part of a wider international network served by Douglas DC-4 aircraft. PAL’s historical account also identifies destinations such as Calcutta, Karachi, Cairo, Rome and Honolulu in its early overseas development. These services expanded its role from connecting Philippine communities to maintaining air links between the country and other regions.[2]
Fleet renewal
PAL’s more recent investment has included both narrowbody cabin refurbishment and long-haul aircraft. During 2025 it retrofitted three A321ceo aircraft and added two A320-200s. Its first Airbus A350-1000 arrived in December 2025, followed by a second in May 2026. The airline describes the larger A350 variant as supporting its network between the Philippines and North America, with the aircraft forming part of an order for nine.[3][4]