Philippine Airlines (PAL) has claimed the top spot for on-time performance in the Asia-Pacific region in 2025, underscoring operational discipline at one of the world’s most congested hubs.
Data from Cirium Aviation Analytics’ On-Time Performance Review 2025, released January 2, ranked the flag carrier first among 10 major airlines across the region. PAL outperformed heavyweights including Air New Zealand, All Nippon Airways, Singapore Airlines and Japan Airlines.
Across 116,268 tracked flights during the year, PAL recorded an 83.12 percent on-time arrival rate and an 81.23 percent on-time departure rate, giving it the highest punctuality score in Asia-Pacific. Cirium highlighted the result as particularly noteworthy given the persistent congestion at Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport, PAL’s primary base.
“Philippine Airlines has put in a strong showing to be the top-performing carrier in 2025,” Cirium said, citing consistent execution across seasons and network complexity. The analytics firm added that sustaining reliability across a full calendar year reflects mature planning, turnaround management and network control.
Clearly, the flag carrier has taken great strides to shed the derisive moniker that travelers decades ago gave it—“Plane Always Late”—replacing it with industry-recognized punctuality awards.
The milestone comes during a pivotal leadership transition for the airline. Richard Nuttall was appointed president in late May, with Carlos Luis Fernandez serving as vice president and chief operating officer. The management team has emphasized operational stability, customer experience and disciplined capacity deployment as the carrier rebuilds momentum.
For PAL, the Cirium ranking delivers a reputational boost as competition intensifies and reliability becomes a decisive factor for Asia-Pacific travelers.
