Philippine Airlines (PAL) registered the highest on-time performance (OTP) among Filipino air carriers for flight departures out of Manila in the second half of 2019.

PAL's mainline services achieved an all-time high of 92% on-time flights in October 2019, for international and domestic flights combined.

For July, August and September 2019, the flag carrier's flights posted a steadily increasing OTP of 80%, 82% and 89%, respectively. In all months, PAL performed seven percentage points higher than its closest competitors.

Over the entire year, month by month, the PAL Group consistently maintained a lead of five to 15 percentage points in on-time departures from the Manila hub, including flights operated by PAL Express.

PAL's surge in OTP since July is the result of concerted initiatives by PAL and PAL Express network and operations teams to achieve more efficient aircraft movement and schedule management, pre-flight passenger and ground handling processes, post-flight evaluation designed to refine and improve all action steps, and closer coordination with the airport and aviation authorities.

Together with other Philippine carriers, PAL signed a pledge of commitment in late July vowing to work towards improved on-time performance through effective management of flight operations and usage of airport slots. Signatories also committed to accept accountability for causes of flight delays and cancellations within their control, as well as support the development of mechanisms of discipline for the entire industry.

While many delays are a result of airport infrastructure constraints beyond the control of airlines, PAL lauds the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and its agencies, including the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA), the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) and the Civil Aeronautics Board, for taking decisive steps to optimize the capacity and upgrade the efficiency of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) along with other airports and aviation facilities nationwide.

The combined efforts of the authorities and the airlines were instrumental in significantly improving the reliability of airline operations at the NAIA, which is the hub of various Philippine carriers. PAL operates the largest international airline hub at the NAIA complex, with flights out of NAIA Terminals 1, 2 and 3.

PAL's 90.90% September OTP ranking for its London departures places the carrier at top10 in over-all performance in London Heathrow.