Boeing's involvement in the Philippines began in the mid-20th century as commercial aviation started to grow. In 1941, Philippine Airlines was established, making it the first commercial airline in Asia. As early as 1946, PAL operated a fleet of five Douglas DC-3s and chartered a DC-4 to ferry 40 American servicemen from Manila to Oakland, California, making PAL the first Asian airline to fly across the Pacific.
Since 1946, PAL has operated DC-3,-4, -6, 6B -8, DC-10, MD-11, 727-100, and several variants of the 727, 737 and 747 models. Most recently, the airline took delivery of two additional leased 777–300ERs in December 2017. These Boeing aircraft have played a crucial role in the airline's growth, enabling it to serve both domestic and international markets.
PAL currently operates several widebody 777-300ERs (Extended Range), including on routes between the Philippines, the U.S. and Canada. In 2024, PAL started its nonstop flights from Manila to Seattle on the 777-300ER.
Cebu Pacific Air launched its original service with Boeing airplanes and has operated the DC-9 and 757-200.
Overview
Boeing has a longstanding relationship with the Philippines and its national carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) as well as the country’s largest domestic carrier, Cebu Pacific Air.
Boeing Commercial Airplanes
Boeing Defense, Space & Security
The Armed Forces of the Philippines currently operates four ScanEagle unmanned aerial system. The ScanEagle unmanned aerial system has bolstered the country’s intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities, providing a vital edge for the Philippines’s maritime domain awareness. ScanEagle is manufactured by Insitu, a wholly owned subsidiary of Boeing.
Suppliers in the Philippines
Boeing suppliers in the Philippines produce parts for all Boeing Commercial Airplanes programs. Collins Aerospace produces 737 lavatories, and galley inserts for multiple programs, as well as the passenger service units for the 787. JAMCO Philippines provides 777 and 787 galley panel assemblies, and Moog Controls Corporation manufactures flight actuation system components for multiple airplane programs. Several Philippine aerospace companies such as Famous Secret Precision Machining and Applied Machining Corp. are positioned as tier 2 suppliers, providing components and subassemblies.
Boeing Global Services
Philippine Airlines selected Boeing’s Airplane Health Management (AHM) Select product in 2023 on a five-year agreement. The Boeing AHM Select product provides strong prognostics and diagnostics capability based on more than 20 years of data collected from operator experiences, combined with the domain knowledge of Boeing on airplane-specific fleet metrics. Fueled by these data-driven insights, AHM Select is designed to deliver better information related to parts orders, decreased engineering workload, reduced labor time, and increased available flight time – resulting in improved management of costs and operations efficiency for the airline.
Sustainable Aviation
Southeast Asia’s feedstocks can supply approximately 12% of global sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) demand to meet the commercial aviation industry’s net-zero goal by 2050, according to a report developed by Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB) and supported by Boeing. The Philippines, along with Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia’s total feedstock availability accounts for about 90% of the region’s SAF supply capacity.
Boeing is a member of the Island Skies Alliance (ISA) and an active contributor to promoting decarbonization and capacity building in the Philippines aimed at empowering local community with the knowledge and skillsets to drive a domestic SAF industry. Unlocking local SAF potential reduces emissions, improves fuels security and drives positive economic impact across multiple industries such as aviation and agriculture sectors.
Boeing continues to engage with the Philippines Department of Transportation, the Philippine Coconut Authority to evaluate technology pathways converting non-standard coconut to SAF.
Community
Through impactful community investments and dedicated employee engagement, Boeing and its employees support innovative partnerships and programs that align with the company’s strategic objectives worldwide.
Over the years, Boeing has supported important charitable causes in the Philippines including disaster relief due to impact of cyclones, combating malnutrition in vulnerable communities by providing nutritious food through health clinics and cancer detection awareness. Today, Boeing supports:
- The Philippine Eagle Foundation with their conservation efforts of the endangered Philippine Eagles in Davao City. Boeing partnered with the Philippine Eagle Foundation to fund the National Bird Breeding Sanctuary (NBBS), a new breeding facility for the Philippine Eagle in Davao City. Boeing has also adopted two Philippine Eagles as part of conservation efforts.
- The Link Center for the Deaf in their efforts to increase employment and livelihood opportunities for hearing-impaired youth in Manila. Efforts include providing continuous training programs for teachers, establishing and strengthening existing special education programs for the hearing-impaired. The goal of these efforts is to increase employment and livelihood opportunities for hearing-impaired youth and under-skilled adults through comprehensive training, mentorship, and business support.
By clicking the above links, you will leave our site and be directed to external third-party websites
Overall, Boeing's relationship with the Philippines reflects a long-standing commitment to supporting the growth of aviation in the country, both in commercial and military sectors.
