Flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) saw its net income soar 15 percent in the first half of the year to over ₱8 billion amid sustained demand for its passenger and cargo services.

Based on its financial report, PAL’s parent company, PAL Holdings Inc., reported that its net income grew to ₱8.23 billion during the January-to-June period from ₱7.16 billion during the same period last year.

Its total comprehensive income stood at ₱6.7 billion, which fell 29 percent from last year’s ₱9.48 billion.

Taking into account the second quarter alone, the carrier posted ₱3.53 billion in net income, 36-percent higher than last year’s ₱2.59 billion.

With a strong April-to-June period, this now marks the 15th-consecutive profitable quarter for PAL.

Total revenue in the first half stood at ₱93.34 billion, which inched up from ₱90.92 billion last year.

The airline attributed the strong performance to the continued growth in its passenger and cargo segments.

Passenger revenues rose to ₱80.46 billion in the first six months, compared to ₱79.84 billion in the same period last year.

This was mainly driven by higher passenger volume, carrying 8.47 million passengers, a seven-percent improvement from a year ago.

PAL also grew its cargo revenue from ₱4.12 billion to ₱4.31 billion due to a higher cargo volume, partially offset by lower cargo rates.

During the six-month period, PAL operated 57,598 flights on its extensive international and domestic routes.

With a high volume of flights, PAL saw a 12-percent hike in reservation and sales expenses to ₱7.61 billion from ₱6.79 billion because of higher booking fees, agent commissions, and system charges.

Passenger service expenses jumped to ₱7.28 billion from ₱6.33 billion on the back of higher spending on passenger meals and standard inflight provisions.

“As we pursue strong financial results, we remain committed to earning the trust of our valued customers through excellence, service quality, and true Filipino hospitality on every PAL journey,” said PAL President Richard Nuttall.

To sustain the strong momentum in the second half, Nuttall said the carrier is focused on generating healthy revenues, maintaining financial discipline, and sustaining operational integrity.

PAL is gearing up for the launch of 22 new aircraft in the coming years, beginning with its first Airbus A350-1000, a 382-seater long-range jetliner that will join its fleet before the end of the year.

The airline will have eight more A350-1000s and 13 A321neo regional aircraft delivered beginning in 2026.

It also expects the delivery of the first of 18 retrofitted Airbus A321ceo aircraft with upgraded cabins, enhanced in-flight entertainment systems, and Wi-Fi connectivity in October.