PAL makes major flight expansion

MANILA, Philippines — Flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) is expanding significantly its overseas and local network as domestic travel restrictions ease and international borders reopen.

PAL is adding over 1,500 flights this month, representing a 52 percent expansion in regular scheduled flights.

The airline said the major expansion demonstrates its confidence that tourist and business travel would rebound strongly in the coming months. “We are reasonably optimistic that air travel will rebound in the months ahead, signaling a resurgence for Philippine tourism,” PAL acting president and COO Stanley Ng said.

For its international network, PAL is providing travelers a wider choice of nonstop flights to North America as well as to the Middle East and all over Asia this month.

PAL said flights to the US and Canada would increase by over 24 percent, while flights in Southeast Asia is set for a 98 percent expansion.

PAL routes to Japan would rise by around 11 percent with additional services to Osaka, Nagoya, Fukuoka and to Tokyo’s Haneda and Narita airports, while the Middle East region will see a 16 percent increase in flights out of the Saudi Arabian cities of Riyadh and Dammam.

The airline will likewise hike nonstop services to Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane by 146 percent to serve pent-up demand now that Australia has reopened its borders to international travel.

Flights to mainland China are on hold pending a relaxation of current travel restrictions, while services to Macau are slated to resume by April, it said.

Hong Kong and Taiwan will increase by nearly 60 percent.

Locally, the flag carrier is set to increase domestic flights by more than 56 percent, offering more frequency choices for passengers on key routes.

“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,” Ng said.

“We congratulate our government partners and other industry stakeholders for paving the way for a revival of air travel to, from and throughout the Philippines,” he said.