Insider Spotlight:
With airport slots tightening and passengers increasingly sensitive to delays, the flag carrier is highlighting performance metrics as proof points for service execution.
That push is getting third-party validation: Cirium ranked PAL the most punctual airline among Asia Pacific carriers for November 2025, based on an 84.67 percent on-time performance (OTP) score—marking a fourth straight month atop the regional table, according to the company.
Why it matters
On-time performance is both a customer-facing promise and an operational discipline—one that affects aircraft utilization, crew rotations, maintenance scheduling, and the ability to protect onward connections.
By the numbers
PAL posted OTP ratings of 89.37 percent in August 2025, 90.47 percent in September, 86.37 percent in October, and 84.67 percent in November, per Cirium’s tracking.
Cirium considers a flight “on-time” if it arrives at the gate within 15 minutes of scheduled arrival.
What they’re saying
“The PAL team remains committed towards achieving operational reliability and customer satisfaction through on-time performance. The latest flight punctuality results inspire us to work even harder,” Capt. Roland A. Narciso, PAL senior vice president for the operations group, said in a press release on Dec. 13, 2025.
“We thank our flight and ground operations teams, engineers, and maintenance service partners for their collective efforts anchored on PAL's mission to provide a safe, reliable, and pleasant travel experience exceeding passenger expectations," he added.
Between the lines
Reliability gains typically require coordinated improvements across turnaround processes, maintenance readiness, staffing, and disruption management—areas that can be harder to sustain than to spike for a single month.
Zoom out
PAL said it also ranked No. 1 in punctuality in April 2025, and placed second in January and third in March—suggesting performance consistency across the year, not just a one-off run.
Also notable
The airline cited its APEX Four Star major rating, based on certified passenger feedback, as another service-quality signal it’s using to bolster its customer proposition.
What’s next
PAL’s challenge will be sustaining punctuality through peak travel surges while maintaining network breadth—scheduled nonstop flights from hubs in Manila, Cebu, Clark, and Davao to 31 domestic and 39 international destinations. — Vanessa Hidalgo | Ed: Corrie S. Narisma
