Flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) announced it is returning to the tourist-rich Cebu-Osaka market with the relaunch of regular nonstop flights between Mactan-Cebu and Osaka Kansai beginning December 22.
The airline said this marks a decisive expansion of its network in Japan, the Philippines’ fourth largest source of tourist visitors and home to over 300,000 overseas Filipinos.
The three weekly PAL flights provide direct access to Cebu and the central Philippines for tourists and business travelers from the western regions of Japan.
By Feb. 26, 2025, the airline will add an extra weekly frequency to accommodate the growing number of travelers.
"We are delighted to make our comeback in the Cebu-Osaka market, just in time for the Christmas holiday season,” said PAL President and COO Captain Stanley K. Ng.
He noted that, “Our direct flights from Mactan to Kansai will help us promote the tourism industry and local businesses in Cebu and the Visayas region, and deepen both bilateral relations and cultural ties with our Japanese counterparts.”
“Philippine Airlines looks forward to giving travelers from Western Japan the opportunity to experience the outstanding resorts and heritage experiences that Cebu is famous for or to reunite with loved ones in the Philippines,” Ng added.
PAL is deploying a 199-seater Airbus A321 CEO for the Cebu-Osaka service. The resumption of Cebu-Osaka services complements PAL’s twice-daily flights between Manila and Osaka Kansai and daily flights between Cebu and Tokyo Narita.
Altogether, PAL offers the largest network of flights on multiple routes linking the Philippines and Japan, with nonstop services to Osaka Kansai, Nagoya, Fukuoka, Tokyo Haneda, and Tokyo Narita.
PAL also offers other international links from Cebu, with daily flights to Seoul (Incheon) and thrice weekly flights to Bangkok.
Known for its rich history, culture, food and vibrant shopping districts, Osaka is the gateway to the old imperial capital of Kyoto as well as to Nara, Kobe and other popular districts around the Kansai Bay area.
Osaka City is also home to the fabled Osaka Castle, the Dotonbori shopping and dining haven, and Universal Studios Japan.
Travelers from Osaka may connect seamlessly in Cebu with PAL’s flights to various domestic points, including Bacolod, Borongan, Busuanga (Coron), Butuan, Cagayan de Oro, Caticlan (Boracay), Clark, Cotabato, Davao, General Santos, Iloilo, Legazpi, Ozamiz, Puerto Princesa, Siargao, Tacloban and Zamboanga.
Cebu is also a favored choice for both leisure and English as a Second Language (ESL) destination by Japanese travelers.