July 31, 1946: Philippine Air Lines became the first Asian airline to cross the Pacific

On July 31, 1946, just months after the Philippines regained its independence, Philippine Air Lines (PAL) achieved a milestone that would mark its place in aviation history. A chartered Douglas DC-4, operated under PAL's banner, departed Nielson Airport in Makati carrying forty American servicemen bound for their homes in California. Over the course of a 41-hour journey - with fuel and rest stops at Guam, Wake Island, Johnston Atoll, and Honolulu - the aircraft bridged the vast Pacific, arriving in Oakland and cementing PAL's distinction as the first Asian carrier ever to fly across the ocean.