Philippine Airlines cemented its place among the world’s best airlines. It placed prominently in the annual World Airline Rankings, acknowledged as the most comprehensive survey of the airline industry as compiled by the respected aviation journal Airline Business.
PAL ranked 61st in terms of revenue passenger kilometers (RPKs), the industry yardstick for passenger traffic, with over 16 million RPKs flown in 2006.
That put the flag carrier in elite company, ahead of such Asian peers as Garuda Indonesia (64th place) and Vietnam Airlines (78th), European rivals Scandinavian Airlines (85th) and CSA Czech Airlines (99th), and U.S. regional carriers Hawaiian Airlines (82nd) and Continental Micronesia (134th).
PAL also flew a little over 21 million available seat kilometers (ASKs) – the industry measure for total seat capacity offered in 2006, which, taken with its 16 million RPKs flown, meant that PAL operated flights close to capacity.
Indeed, PAL’s average load factor of 76 percent last year was among the highest in the survey, matching or surpassing survey leaders British Airways (76%), Lufthansa (75%) and Japan airlines (68.5%).
In terms of revenue, PAL placed 68th in the rankings, with $1.39 billion earned last year. The result enabled PAL to again outstrip fellow legacy carriers Gulf Air (69th), Garuda Indonesia (76th), Brazil’s Varig (80th) and the UAE’s Etihad Airways (101st).
Among Asia-Pacific carriers, PAL’s revenue performance landed on 20th place in a highly competitive group that included two of the top ten airlines in the world, headed by Japan Airlines.
No other Philippine carrier figured in the World Airline Rankings, which published only the top 150 airlines in the world in 2006. All airlines from across the industry spectrum were surveyed, including legacy, low cost, regional, charter and pure-cargo carriers.
Both members and non-members of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) were equally rated./MP
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