The Philippines now has its first 4-star airline. Its flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) was awarded 4 stars yesterday by Skytrax, a London-based international air transport rating organization.
“PAL achieved this coveted rating after Skytrax conducted a rigorous audit of the airline’s inflight and on ground service for both international and domestic flights and noted major enhancements on its end-to-end passenger experience and distinct whole-hearted service called Buong Pusong Alaga,” the flag carrier said in a statement released yesterday.
This International Air and Transport Association (IATA) said late last year that they expect the aviation market to take off in the next five years, but the government would have to address infrastructure deficiencies without imposing new taxes and charges on passengers.
The country’s main airport, the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, made it off of the world’s worst airports list last year.
While the country still has a long way to go in improving transportation and infrastructure in the country, PAL chairman and chief executive officer Lucio Tan called the flag carrier’s accreditation a “big win for the Philippines.”
“We are elated by this recognition which is a victory for the more than seven thousand members of the Philippine Airlines family,” Tan added.
Skytrax CEO Edward Plaisted said yesterday that the rating “recognizes the great improvements that the airline has introduced over the last 2 years.”
“New and retrofitted aircraft have played an important part in the quality improvement process, and this looks set to develop further when Philippine Airlines introduces the A350 into their fleet. We look for consistency of quality in the 4-star rating, and we look to Philippine Airlines to ensure this is duly delivered to customers,” he said.
PAL placed 67th in Skytrax’s Top 100 Airlines in 2017, a 16-notch increase from its 83rd place in 2016.
with a report from ABS-CBN News
