THE athletes who represented the Philippines in the recently-concluded 2024 Paris Olympics returned home aboard a special Philippine Airlines (PAL) “homecoming” flight, which landed in Manila on August 13, 2024, Tuesday night.
It was learned from spokesperson Ma. Cielo Villaluna that PAL flight PR 8888 from Dubai to Manila carried home the members of the Philippine Olympic delegation, who made the nation proud with their historic participation in the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Vilalluna said the flight, organized by the Philippine Olympic Committee with support from the private sector, included Olympic athletes, officials, and sports leaders.
During the flight, athletes enjoyed business-class meals and complimentary inflight Wi-Fi, even as they were also gifted with Tanduay Rhum products, Villaluna said.
Double Olympic gold medalist and gymnast Carlos Yulo was honored as PAL’s “Forever Flyer,” receiving 150,000 Mabuhay Miles per year for life. “Maraming salamat po sa pagdarasal at pag-suporta sa aming mga atletang Pilipino na naglaro sa Olympics,” Yulo said during the homecoming flight, she added.
Olympic bronze medalists Aira Villegas and Nesthy Petecio were each awarded 80,000 Mabuhay Miles annually for the next three years.
“Thank you, PAL, for the 80,000 miles; this is a big help to me and my family. Mabuhay po kayo,” said Petecio. “Maraming salamat, Philippine Airlines; I will definitely use these miles, especially when I travel home to the province,” Villegas added.
Meanwhile, PAL Holdings Inc. President and Chief Operating Officer Lucio C. Tan III expressed his pride in the athletes, saying, “It is a great honor to carry home the heroes of the nation – our Filipino champions who represented their countrymen with pride and distinction on the global stage of the Olympics. Our Philippine Airlines team made sure our athletes had a comfortable journey home with the best of PAL’s wholehearted service on this special flight.”
