PAL readies fleet for vaccine transport

MANILA, Philippines — Flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) is preparing its fleet to help in the transport of COVID-19 vaccines to the country and around the region.

“PAL is readying its fleet of wide body aircraft for the task of transporting vaccines to the Philippines and around the region,” it said.

The carrier has continuously been operating repatriation flights that bring home stranded overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and other Filipinos from all over the world, along with all-cargo flights to transport essential goods.

In terms of commercial flights, PAL has also been increasing domestic services on various routes in line with its network restoration plan and in time for the holiday season.

The airline has doubled services on the prime trunk route between Manila and Cebu, from 14 to 28 round trip flights weekly since Dec. 1.

Flights between Manila and Cagayan de Oro is set to grow to three times daily, while flights between Manila and Tacloban were doubled to two times a day.

The flag carrier has resumed services to Antique, as well as to Catarman and to popular tourist destinations Coron (Busuanga), Siargao and Boracay.

Its Cebu hub also continues to expand with flights to Clark, Puerto Princesa, Legazpi, Bacolod, General Santos and Siargao.

PAL is likewise operating regularly from Davao to Zamboanga and vice versa and revived its service to Tagbilaran (Panglao airport) in November after the reopening of Bohol province to domestic tourism.

The airline said it is likewise increasing flight frequencies on most domestic routes, including those from Manila to Laoag, Legazpi, Puerto Princesa, Kalibo, Cotabato, Butuan, Ozamiz and Pagadian; and likewise between Cebu and both Davao and Butuan.

“We are mobilizing more aircraft and hiking flights throughout our network to further help boost the recovery of the economy, including the tourism sector which is a major provider of jobs and business,” PAL senior assistant vice president for Philippine sales Harry Inoferio said.

“At the same time, we are here to help our fellow Filipinos come home to be reunited with their families this Christmas and fly them back to their residences and work sites abroad,” he said.

PAL has resumed services to 25 domestic and 32 international destinations.

Prior to the pandemic, it was flying to 38 international destinations and 30 domestic destinations.