My flights to and from the Philippines were on time and hassle-free. Compared to other airlines, Bautista said that over 90 per cent of the “on time performance” of PAL is better than the international average.

“That is one thing that I personally look into. My computer [he points at his desk] allows me to monitor the movement of our fleet,” he says, adding that the first thing he checks when he comes to the office in the morning is the status of PAL’s entire fleet of more than 45 planes.

Besides, PAL is benefiting from its maintenance deal with the same company that services German airline Lufthansa.

“That’s one of the reason for the good performance of the airline. Ten years ago, the number one reason for the delays we had was maintenance. But now with Lufthansa, we have that service level agreement with them where they are penalised if they don’t meet those service levels,” says Bautista.

Last year, PAL increased its flights from Australia to the Philippines. Whether or not it plans to scale back because of the global economic slowdown, only time will tell. Either way, Bautista said that they will continue to offer topline services as the country’s national carrier.

And like the country’s national bird, the Philippine eagle, Bautista hopes that PAL soars through this crisis – thanks to the continuing support of Filipinos around the world.

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Tags: COMPANIES, GFC, Jaime Bautista, PAL, Philippine Airlines