Philippine Airlines (PAL) is set to resume regular flights to mainland China next month after suspending the route for nearly three years due to pandemic-induced border restrictions.
In a recent statement, the flag carrier said passengers could book Manila-Xiamen flights starting Jan. 13, 2023.
The Lucio Tan-led airline will open the route with one flight per week operating every Friday. But frequencies are expected to increase over time with further easing of mobility restrictions.
“The reopening of our Manila-Xiamen service is a happy development as we welcome the new year, and a good start for the restoration of our flights to and from the Chinese mainland. [PAL] is continuously working toward flying back to more cities in China, with our goal of operating the largest network of flights between the Philippines and multiple cities in mainland China,” said Bud Britanico, vice president for sales of PAL.
The airline will deploy Airbus A330-300 aircraft to service the route.
With the suspension of scheduled services, PAL operated charter flights to Nanjing, Hangzhou and Tianjin. It is currently offering charter flights to Wuhan.
PAL mounted flights to Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Xiamen and Quanzhou prior to the pandemic.
“Moving forward, we are excited to serve more customers and strengthen the warm and friendly relations that unite the Chinese and Filipino people,” Britanico said.
Recently, PAL announced the launch of its Manila-Perth route by March 27, 2023. The nonstop flight will operate thrice a week.
The direct flight to Australia will take about seven hours of travel time, saving passengers four to six hours from eliminated stopover and flight connections.
—Tyrone Jasper Piad
