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Philippine Airlines appointed Capt. Stanley K. Ng as president and chief operating officer in an acting capacity, replacing Gilbert Santa Maria
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Ng is the son-in-law of PAL owner Lucio Tan, Sr
- Ng’s appointment comes after Santa Maria’s engagement as president and COO ended with the recent successful completion of the airline’s Chapter 11 restructuring
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An Airbus A320 commander, Ng is the first pilot to assume presidency of PAL since the early 1960s
Philippine Airlines (PAL) has appointed Capt. Stanley K. Ng as the new president and chief operating officer (COO) in an acting capacity, replacing Gilbert Santa Maria.
The appointment of Ng, who is an Airbus A320 commander and senior vice president for airline operations, comes after Santa Maria’s engagement as president and COO ended following the recent successful completion of the airline’s Chapter 11 restructuring, PAL said in a statement.
Ng is married to the daughter of PAL owner Lucio Tan, Sr, Lilybeth Tan-Ng who is also a pilot.
Ng is the first pilot to assume the presidency of PAL since the early 1960s.
PAL said Santa Maria will continue to make himself available to assist in the leadership transition over the next few weeks.
The PAL Board “expressed its gratitude to Mr. Santa Maria for his steady stewardship of the Company over the last two and a half years” and “expressed full trust in Capt. Ng, as well as his senior management team which remains intact, as the nation’s flag carrier looks to maintain the momentum toward full recovery.”
A BPO veteran, Santa Maria in 2019 was handpicked by PAL chairman and chief executive officer Dr. Lucio Tan, Sr. and was elected as president, COO, and director of the flag carrier. Santa Maria’s departure comes after PAL in December 2021 completed its voluntary Chapter 11 proceedings in just four months.
PAL said it has emerged from the Chapter 11 proceedings as a more efficient airline with a strengthened balance sheet, reaffirming its continuing role as the Philippines’ sole full-service airline with the largest international network.
Ng brings to the job a wealth of experience in the airline industry. He started as a member of the carrier’s on-ground staff in 2003 before training at the PAL Aviation School. He started flying in 2008 as a second officer and rose through the ranks to senior vice president in 2019, in charge of the airlines’ pilots and cabin crew, as well as operational airport and engineering teams.
Ng recently completed an advance management program at Harvard Business School. He took up Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, majoring in computer applications, at the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde.
