Philippine Airlines (PAL) has named former SriLankan Airlines CEO Richard Nuttall as its new president, at the same time as announcing a partnership with Qatar Airways to expand connectivity across their respective networks.
British executive Nuttall will become the first foreign national to lead the airline, succeeding Stanley Ng, who served as president and COO since January 2022. Ng will transition to a new role as vice president of PAL Holdings.
Nuttall had served as CEO of SriLankan Airlines since June 2022, where he led a turnaround of the carrier. He will be supported in his new role by Carlos Luis Fernandez, who will step into the position of executive vice president and COO. Both appointments take effect on May 29.
“Appointing Richard Nuttall to Philippine Airlines is an important part of our medium-term and long-term strategy of building a robust management team and growing our business internationally,” Chairman Lucio Tan says.
The leadership transition comes as PAL moves forward with its fleet modernization and long-haul growth strategy. The airline is set to receive the first of nine Airbus A350-1000s later this year, which will serve as its new flagship aircraft for international routes. PAL is also introducing newly refurbished A321ceos and expects delivery of 13 new A321neos starting in 2026.
Additionally, the carrier is expanding frequencies to Doha as part of a new partnership with Qatar Airways. Beginning June 16, PAL will operate daily flights between Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport and Doha’s Hamad International Airport using A330-300 aircraft in a dual-class configuration, up from the current five weekly services.
During the first phase of the partnership, Qatar Airways will codeshare on this daily service. The two airlines say they will explore “further opportunities for long-term collaboration,” including joint promotion of additional destinations across their networks and potential frequent flyer program cooperation.
Aviation Week has approached SriLankan Airlines for comment on the departure of Richard Nuttall.
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