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“I think the airline doesn’t know how good it is,” he said in an exclusive interview with InsiderPH on Friday, May 9, 2025. “We need to build on that and we need to build on the confidence of selling.”
A veteran of eight airlines in 13 countries, Nuttall is stepping into the role after serving in various senior positions across carriers in the Middle East, Asia, Africa, and North America. He takes over as Philippine Airlines posts its third consecutive year of profitability and prepares for fleet expansion with new Airbus A350s and A320NEOs.
Nuttall will be Philippine Airlines’ sixth president within six years. Long-serving airline chief Jaime Bautista was abruptly forced into retirement in mid-2019 by one faction of the extended family of its owner, billionaire Lucio Tan. His successor, Gilbert Santa Maria, met a similar fate and was replaced as soon as the airline exited bankruptcy proceedings at the end of 2021.
The outgoing president, Stanley Ng, is a son-in-law of the airline’s owner and served a slightly longer tenure. But rumors about internal disagreements began circulating last year, culminating in his departure being announced late last month.
Nuttall is pragmatic about this high turnover rate among Philippine Airlines chiefs: “With relatively stable ownership, the key thing is that one needs to deliver. And if I don’t deliver, I shouldn’t be here anyway.”
Recruitment and selection
According to Nuttall, his selection as president followed a direct outreach by an executive search firm in February. From there, the process moved quickly, involving video interviews, in-person meetings in Manila and Hong Kong, and dialogues with multiple members of the airline’s board of directors.
“It was intimated to me that it was a two-horse race. So you figure I have a 50 percent chance,” he recalled. “You do everything you can, and then at the end of the day, somebody else makes the decision.”
What clinched the role was not just his track record, but a sense of alignment with Philippine Airlines’ aspirations.
“I’m sure they also would not recruit me if they didn’t feel the same way,” he added.
Philippine Airlines today
Nuttall joins the airline at a time of relative stability, coming off its second bankruptcy in 2021. Its first one was in 1998 after which it entered a nine-year rehabilitation period. Prior to its privatization in 1992, the then state-owned airline depended heavily on regular government cash infusions, subsidies and regulatory relief.
But today, Philippine Airlines has a young fleet by legacy standards, firm aircraft orders, and a management team with a blend of fresh talent and institutional knowledge. It was also rated the most punctual airline in Asia for April.
“If you didn’t have your aircraft ordered today, they’re not coming in for four or five years,” he said, noting global backlogs in aircraft manufacturing. “So we’re ahead of many other carriers.”
Yet, he cautions against complacency. “We’ve got low cost carriers growing, [and] competition from other parts of the world. The really important thing is that you know who your customers are, what your product is, and know how you’re trying to sell.”
Priorities and challenges
Nuttall plans to focus on enhancing the passenger experience, increasing digital engagement, and clearly defining Philippine Airlines’s value proposition in a competitive landscape. He acknowledges that customer expectations are shifting rapidly, especially in a young, mobile-savvy market like the Philippines.
“Tomorrow, what we need to do will be different,” he said. “We need to make sure the digital journey is there.”
He emphasizes refining the airline’s product offering and marketing it effectively. “We want people to really aspire to fly on Philippine Airlines rather than somebody else,” he added.
Supply chain disruptions and engine availability continue to affect the global airline industry, and Nuttall expects these issues to persist. However, he believes Philippine Airlines has been relatively well-positioned due to smart fleet decisions in prior years.
The more fundamental challenge, he says, is strategic coherence: “If the airline can’t feel that we’re coming together and know what the direction is in six or 12 months, then we’re missing the boat.”
Vision for the flag carrier
Nuttall sees Philippine Airlines not as a turnaround case, but as a full-service carrier with untapped potential in a market with 115 million people and a growing economy.
“There’s a very large diaspora. It’s got a natural customer base,” he said. “We want to build an airline that connects the Philippines. There’ll be the domestic focus, regional focus, long haul focus — nobody else does that from the country.”
He also envisions an airline that resonates with both local and international travelers: “Filipinos, when they get on the airline, should feel that they’ve come home. Non-nationals should feel they’re experiencing the best of Philippine hospitality.”
In an industry notorious for razor-thin margins and public scrutiny, Nuttall remains committed to the challenge.
“It’s a great industry to be in,” he said. “Yes, it’s challenging, there’s a lot of adrenaline — but when you’re in it, it’s like a drug. You can’t get out.”
Senior Reporter
