Philippine Airlines to Join oneworld Alliance by 2027

Philippine Airlines has announced that it will join the oneworld alliance, with membership expected to be completed by sometime in 2027.

Philippine Airlines was founded in 1941 as Asia’s first airline and is celebrating its 85th anniversary this year. The airline serves 29 cities within the Philippines and 40 cities across Asia, North America, Australia, and the Middle East. It will become the 16th member airline of oneworld. A total of 31 new cities will be added to the oneworld network.

oneworld already includes Asian member airlines such as Japan Airlines (JAL), Malaysia Airlines, and Cathay Pacific Airways, and Philippine Airlines will be positioned as a complementary carrier within the alliance.

After reviewing multiple candidate airlines for membership, oneworld selected Philippine Airlines. Since Philippine Airlines already has partnership agreements with five oneworld member airlines, the carrier states that, after considering all alliances, it decided to join oneworld as “the most natural choice.”

Lucio C. Tan III, President and Chief Operating Officer (CCO) of PAL Holdings, the parent company of Philippine Airlines, commented that the move “will also create new opportunities for the Philippines by strengthening the country’s ties with the global economy, attracting more tourists and investment, and solidifying its position as a major gateway in Asia.” He also indicated an intention to focus on deploying larger aircraft and increasing frequencies on intercontinental routes.

In February 2019, ANA Holdings acquired 9.5% of the outstanding shares of PAL Holdings for 95 million US dollars and has dispatched a director to the company. All Nippon Airways (ANA) and Philippine Airlines have been collaborating since 2014 through codeshare flights and other partnership arrangements.

When asked by this publication about the continuation of the partnership with ANA, President and CCO Lucio C. Tan III did not provide an immediate answer.