PAL appoints British exec Richard Nuttall as president

Philippine Airlines (PAL) has appointed British aviation veteran Richard Nuttall as its new president, effective May 29, marking the first time in PAL's 84-year history that a foreigner will lead the airline.

Lucio Tan, chairman and CEO of Philippine Airlines Holdings Inc., expressed confidence in Nuttall’s ability to drive sustainable growth for the airline, aligning with PAL's long-term strategy.

Carlos Luis Fernandez, currently PAL's general counsel, will assume the role of executive vice president and chief operating officer alongside Nuttall's appointment, while Stanley Ng transitions to vice president at PAL Holdings and a member of the airline's board of directors.

Nuttall brings extensive experience from his roles at Sri Lankan Airlines and other airlines across Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Middle East, where he helped turn companies around to operational profitability and improved decision-making within SkyTeam Alliance.

For 2024, PAL reported a net income of P10.01 billion, marking its fourth consecutive year of profitability but showing a decline from the previous year's record-high profit of P21 billion.

PAL is set to receive nine Airbus A350-1000s this year and 13 new A321neos starting deliveries in six months.