Do we like them?

Do we like Philippine Airlines?

Flag carrier of the Philippines, flying domestic and long-haul routes from Manila. Run by PAL Holdings.

Our score: 6 out of 10. A well-rated, growing flag carrier with a modernising fleet. Our searches turned up no big scandals, but also little on labour, tax or environment, so we'd back it with only moderate confidence.

Skytrax gave PAL a 4-star rating in February 2018, citing better in-flight service and ground operations. Philstar reported in 2022 that the airline's 5-star goal had taken a back seat. We found no more recent rating.

The pandemic hit hard. Deccan Herald reported PAL planned to cut up to 2,700 jobs, and Inquirer Business reported a $505-million lifeline from Lucio Tan in 2021. It has since recovered: Manila Bulletin says it made a ₱10 billion profit, and PAL is bringing in A350-1000 jets.

Still a family-run show: after Lucio Tan Jr. died in 2019, Tan took the president's job himself and later handed it to his grandson. Lately, Middle East tensions have forced route cancellations such as Manila–Riyadh. We found no big scandals, but we didn't see much on tax or labour either, so the score is a middling-good 6.