PAL expands to more local, international destinations


Flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) is expanding its flight offerings during the holiday season with new destinations and additional frequencies for existing domestic and international routes.

In a statement late Thursday, PAL said it would operate flights between Cebu and Osaka beginning Dec. 22; as well as Cebu and Seoul from Dec. 21 to March 4.

It will also fly from Clark to Seoul and Kalibo to Seoul from Jan. 2 to March 4.

Last week, PAL mounted thrice weekly flights between Clark and Siargao as part of its domestic expansion strategy.

To take advantage of the growing demand for seats to Australia, PAL is set to add flights to Melbourne beginning Jan. 12, as well as daily services to Brisbane.

Earlier this year, the company introduced new direct flights between Manila and Seattle as it aimed to enhance convenience for its customers, significantly cutting travel time and reducing the complexities associated with layovers.

Between Dec. 15 and Jan. 12, PAL will mount 74 additional flights from Manila to local destinations such as Davao, Bacolod, Cagayan, Iloilo, Tacloban, Busuanga (Coron), Caticlan (Boracay), and Legazpi (Daraga).

It will also add flights from Cebu to Caticlan, Bacolod, Butuan, Cagayan de Oro, Legazpi, Siargao, Puerto Princesa, Tacloban and Busuanga.

Additionally, PAL is deploying more wide-body aircraft on high-demand regional routes from such as Tokyo, Bangkok, and Singapore.

The peak season ramp-up followed PAL’s expansion of regular flights in the past few months, including frequency increases on routes between Manila and Hanoi, Cotabato, General Santos, Cebu, Davao, and Tagbilaran.

On Jan. 15, PAL is expected to launch flights between Manila and Cauayan, Isabela, as it aims to provide Northern Luzon residents with a new alternative to a land trip of more than 10 hours between the two cities.

“With the Christmas and New Year holidays just round the corner, we continue to build up our network of flights, adding new routes and beefing up other routes with more frequencies, even as we plan for new connections in 2025,” said PAL President and Chief Operating Officer Capt. Stanley K. Ng.

“Our goal is to help people reunite with their loved ones, and we’re committed to expand our services to meet the needs of our customers and make holiday travel as convenient as possible,” he added.