MANILA, Philippines – Philippine Airlines named Stanley Ng, a son-in-law of PAL chairman and chief executive officer Lucio Tan, as its new acting president and chief operating officer.

Ng, who is PAL senior vice president for airline operations, takes over from Gilbert Santa Maria.

“The appointment was made after the end of Gilbert F. Santa Maria’s engagement as president and COO following the recent successful completion of the Chapter 11 restructuring,” PAL said in a statement on Monday, January 31.

Santa Maria joined PAL in 2019, with a mission to streamline operations and improve the airline’s financial health. Months later, PAL had to face a world that was locked down due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Earlier in January, Rappler asked Santa Maria if he ever considered quitting during the bankruptcy filing process. “Next question,” he replied. It is unclear whether he resigned or was asked to step down.

Santa Maria’s successor, Ng, will be taking the helm just as PAL is seen to fly into recovery after emerging from the Chapter 11 credit protection proceedings.

Ng is the first pilot to assume the presidency of the airline since the 1960s.

Ng has been with PAL since 2003. He was part of the on-ground staff before training at the PAL Aviation School. He started flying in 2008 as a second officer and rose up the ranks until he was promoted to SVP in 2019.

Ng completed an advanced management program at Harvard Business School. He was a business administration graduate from the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde.

He is married to Tan’s daughter Lilybeth, who is PAL assistant vice president for pilot affairs. – Rappler.com