Air India launches direct Delhi-Manila flights this October
Travel to and from India will soon be more seamless as flag carrier Air India announced the rollout of its non-stop flights between Delhi and Manila beginning in October.
In a statement on its website, Air India said it is the only carrier to operate non-stop flights between India and the Philippines, offering seamless tourism, trade, and cultural exchanges between the two countries.
Air India’s service to the Philippine capital will operate five days a week—Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays.
The flight from Delhi will depart at 1:20 p.m. (Indian Standard Time), arriving in Manila at 10:40 p.m. (Philippine Standard Time).
Meanwhile, the flight from Manila will depart at 11:40 p.m. (PST) and arrive in Delhi at 3:50 a.m. (IST).
Using the airline’s Airbus A321neo aircraft, travelers can avail of business class, premium economy class, and economy class.
With the recent introduction of the visa-free entry for Indian tourists for up to 14 days, Air India said its non-stop flights to Manila will provide even greater accessibility.
“As outbound travel from India grows at an unprecedented pace, with Indian tourists ranking among the highest spenders globally, the new entry rules for Indian tourists are a shot in the arm to boost tourism to the Philippines,” said Air India Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Campbell Wilson.
This sentiment was echoed by Carmelo Arcilla, Executive Director of the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB), who noted that the significant spending of Indian tourists will help boost the economy, especially in tourist destinations.
In a recent interview, Arcilla said the agency is in the process of procuring the slots for Air India at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).
Arcilla added that flights to other cities in India could be on the pipeline once the flights to Manila are operational.
“That usually follows after the main gateway is developed because it takes a lot of resources also to develop secondary gateways,” he said.
Booking for Air India’s flights between Delhi and Manila are now open across the different platforms of the carrier.