Why do PAL planes use “Philippines” instead of “Philippine Airlines”

Did You Know ? . . . Why do PAL planes use “Philippines” instead of “Philippine Airlines”.

     From the 1940s until the 1960s, PAL had the “Philippine Air Lines” superimposed on the fuselage of the aircraft and the Philippine flag on the tail. This went on throughout the turboprop era until early into the jet age.  However, PAL’s first jet engine aircraft, the Douglas DC-8, already had the familiar flag on the tail fin, which included the word “PAL.”

     In the 1960s, however, PAL’s logo was redesigned, which affected the livery. The new logo in the 1960s introduced a new concept for the company’s visual identity. It was a blue and red emblem on the left from a traditional black inscription, set in all capitals of a classy serif-type face.  The emblem featured two overlapping triangles in blue and red, placed on a white background and enclosed in a thin black circular frame.

     In 1986, the PAL logo was changed to what it is today. They added the sun’s yellow rays to a blue triangle of the Philippine Airlines’ visual identity. The lettering was also refined, and now it features a delicate and smooth italicized Sans-serif typeface, also known as the “PAL typeface, which looks friendly and welcoming. Also, the livery changed, wherein the first aircraft to carry the “Euro white” fuselage and the new logo was the Shorts 360. The tailfin of the airplanes was painted with the familiar Sunriser logo.

The “Philippine Airlines” superimposed on the previous livery was changed to “Philippines.” PAL is not only carrying the company’s name wherever it flies. It does not only represent the core values and branding of the company but the whole Filipino nation.   It’s like “bringing the Philippines and the Filipinos all over the world.” They want to bring out that branding where you are in the Philippines whenever you step inside a PAL plane.

courtesy of Mond Ortiz.