PAL revives Manila-Sapporo flights

MANILA, Philippines — Flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) is returning to Japan’s Hokkaido region on a seasonal basis as it will relaunch Manila-Sapporo flights during the winter season in November.

In an advisory, PAL said it is reinstating its Manila connections to Sapporo beginning Nov. 24, 2025 until March 27, 2026, in time for the city’s celebrated winter season.

Under the proposed schedule, PAL will offer non-stop flights to Hokkaido’s New Chitose Airport every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

PAL is assigning a 168-seater Airbus A321neo for the flight, allocating 156 seats in the economy cabin and 12 in business class. Under the proposed schedule, the carrier will reopen the Sapporo service every succeeding winter season, or from November to March.

PAL president Richart Nuttall said the airline is reviving its Sapporo flights to give Filipinos the chance to visit one of the most popular destinations for winter vacations. Similarly, the airline is hoping to attract tourists from the north of Japan to visit the Philippines.

Sapporo has developed into a popular destination among Filipinos since 2017 when it served as the setting for sleeper hit “Kita Kita,” featuring Alessandra de Rossi and Empoy Marquez.

Sapporo boasts a snowy weather unlike any other in Asia, allowing it to host an annual snow festival every February where giant ice sculptures take over the city.

PAL was the first to take advantage of Sapporo’s charm to Filipinos, launching Manila flights to the city in December 2018, but was forced to shut it at the onset of the pandemic in March 2020.

Since then, PAL has planned on reinstating Sapporo flights but was prevented by multiple issues on aircraft availability and ground handling. On its return, PAL will be faced by a new challenger in the route in low-cost carrier Cebu Pacific.

In January, Cebu Pacific mounted its own non-stop flights to Sapporo to open up its fifth route in Japan. Currently, the airline owned by the Gokongweis connects Manila and Sapporo three times a week.