Philippine Airlines (PAL) is increasing its flights by 52 percent this month as part of a major expansion of its overseas and local network with the easing of travel restrictions.
PAL said it is adding over 1,500 flights starting this month representing a 52 percent expansion in regular scheduled flights, confident that tourist and business travel will rebound strongly .
“We are seizing the opportunity to intensify our efforts to promote international tourist travel to the Philippines, as well as to respond to rising demand for flights to serve overseas Filipinos and a recovering economy,” Capt. Stanley Ng, PAL acting president and chief operating officer, said in a statement.
“We are reasonably optimistic air travel will rebound in the months ahead, signaling a resurgence for Philippine tourism,” he added.
For its international network, PAL gives travelers a wider choice of nonstop flights to North America as well as to the Middle East and all over Asia.
PAL’s flights to the United States and Canada will increase by over 24 percent, with Los Angeles moving up to 11 flights weekly. San Francisco will receive daily flights. New York, Vancouver, Honolulu, Toronto and Guam will see additional weekly services by April.
PAL said flights in Southeast Asia are slated to increase by 98 percent, routes to Japan will increase by around 11 percent, Middle East region will see a 16 percent hike and nonstop services to Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane will increase by 146 percent.
The airline said resumption of passenger flights to mainland China are on hold pending a relaxation of current travel restrictions, but it will increase flights to Hong Kong and Taiwan by nearly 60 percent. Services to Macau will resume by April.
PAL is also set to increase domestic flights by more than 56 percent.
This will include more frequency choices on the flights originating from Manila to Cebu, Davao, Bacolod, Legaspi, Iloilo, Cagayan de Oro, Boracay and Tacloban, among others.
PAL said it will operate twice daily flights between Manila and Coron (Busuanga), Tagbilaran (Panglao), Dumaguete and Butuan. It will offer 11 weekly flights between Zamboanga and Manila, as well as twice weekly flights between Zamboanga and Tawi-Tawi.
Daily flights will now be offered between Manila and Puerto Princesa, Kalibo, Roxas, Cotabato, Ozamiz City, Pagadian and General Santos City.
PAL said its Cebu hub will link Mactan, Cebu with 13 airports in Mindanao, Luzon and the rest of the Visayas, including Clark, Siargao, Butuan, Davao, Boracay and Coron.
