History of Southeast Asian commercial aviation
In the following months, the fleet expanded to five Douglas DC-3s aircrafts and serviced 15 domestic routes. Another milestone for the company occurred in 1946, when it became the first Asian airline to cross the Pacific with a chartered Douglas DC-4 airplane carrying US servicemen.
For the next couple years, PAL managed to grow at a considerable rate enjoying many firsts in the history of Southeast Asian commercial aviation. The company earned the distinction of becoming the first airline in Southeast Asia to fly to European destinations specifically Calcutta, Cairo, Karachi and London. When they extended their service to Davao in 1959, they became the first airline to offer the world’s lowest fare which was at O.10 peso per seat.
