Philippine Airlines (PAL) is set to resume its operation between Manila and Beijing, China, in March, the company said.
PAL in a statement yesterday said it will operate thrice weekly nonstop flights to Beijing Capital International Airport starting March 30 expanding its network to include four cities in Mainland China and making the Philippine flag carrier with the most extensive connections to the region.
In addition to Beijing, PAL currently operates daily flights each to Shanghai (Pudong), Xiamen and Quanzhou (Jinjiang), from Manila.
For the nonstop flights between Manila and Beijing, PAL will deploy Airbus A321 aircraft offering both business class and economy services, with a capacity of 168 to 199 seats.
“We are honored to serve the capital city of the People’s Republic of China, the diplomatic heart of the world’s second largest economy, as our contribution to strengthening air links to the Chinese mainland,” said Capt. Stanley Ng, PAL president and chief operating officer, in a statement yesterday.
“We believe that the Manila-Beijing service will help boost tourism, enhance trade and deepen the friendly ties between the Filipino and Chinese people,” Ng added.
PAL said it will now have the widest network of flights from the Philippines to four cities in Mainland China.
Beijing is the world’s eighth largest city and home to renowned historical treasures that draw millions of visitors from around the globe, including the Great Wall of China, the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace and the Temple of Heaven.
The industrial seaport city of Tianjin is just less than an hour away from Beijing via a high-speed train ride.
Travelers from Beijing can connect via Manila to PAL’s extensive domestic and regional route network, enabling them to fly conveniently to top Philippine destinations, such as Cebu, Davao, Boracay and Palawan, or beyond to PAL destinations in Southeast Asia, Australia and North America.
PAL started operating to Beijing in 1979 up to 2020. Operations stopped in 2020 due to the pandemic when commercial aviation operations ceased globally.
PAL added it resumed limited operations in 2024 but stopped in the same year.