Almost every country in East Asia is home to an international airline service, and the Philippines is no different. Traditionally known as ‘Philippine Air Lines’ (and therefore frequently abbreviated to PAL), the largest airline in the country is now currently operating under the name of Philippine Airlines, Inc.

As a flag carrier of the country, PAL is privy to preferential privileges and rights that are granted by the government of the Philippines. The airline’s headquarters are located in Pasay City in the heart of the Financial Center at the Philippine National Bank. Originally established in 1941, PAL is the first and the oldest airline in all of Asia that operates commercially using its original name. As well as providing domestic flights to nineteen destinations across the Philippines, PAL also offers international flights to over twenty other destinations across the Middle East, Oceania, East Asia, and the rest of Southeast Asia.

Despite the company’s history as a key player in the transport industry of the country, Philippine Airlines was still hit hard by the financial crisis that crippled much of Asia’s infrastructure during the late 1990s. Unfortunately, during this time PAL was forced to stop all of its flights to Europe and all of its domestic flights that operated from any airport other than the country’s capital of Manila. This caused a reduction in the size of the airline’s fleet as well as the regrettable termination of many employees’ jobs.

This downturn was not to last however, and the company has gradually been restoring its operations since 1998, now servicing many of its former destinations before the economic crisis. As of 2007, the airline has been committed to diversifying its fleet as well as extending its services to additional destinations, this follows the company’s exit from governmental receivership during the same year.

The airline has been on the up ever since and now enjoys a steady increase in both domestic and international trade. Much of the tourism that the Philippines experiences in modern times is from tourists arriving by air. This is due to the physiological complexities presented by arriving in the country overland, and the somewhat dangerous sea routes into the country which are plagued by erratic weather and piracy. Because of this reliance on air transport into the country, PAL is responsible for much of the frequent tourism throughout the country. As such, it seems that Philippine Airlines is set for a continued growth that will see it experiencing trade at much the same rates as it has traditionally been subject to.