Nearly 80 years after Philippine Airlines’s inaugural flight, which saw a five-seater Beech Model 18 aircraft taking off from Nielsen airfield, near Manila, the country’s flag carrier – Asia’s first airline – is a trusted national institution.

With a fleet of 110 aircraft and 77 destinations worldwide, PAL has played a crucial role in helping the Philippines establish itself as one of the most international populations on the planet, its diaspora stretching across 100 countries. And the ambition doesn’t stop there: with plans to become a five-star airline by 2020, this is a success story that keeps on growing.