MANILA, Philippines - National flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL), a joint venture between taipan Lucio Tan and diversified conglomerate San Miguel Corp. (SMC), is beefing up its presence in Australia by mounting flights to three more destinations in the continent.
PAL president and chief operating officer Ramon S. Ang said in a statement that the airline would fly to Darwin, Perth, and Brisbane this month bringing to five the number of connections to Australia including Sydney and Melbourne.
“The new connections are envisioned to increase passenger traffic between the Philippines and Australia and strengthen bilateral ties between both countries. Return flights from these cities make Manila an ideal gateway to popular Asian destinations like Hong Kong, China, Japan and Korea and a jump off point to the country`s top travel spots,†Ang stressed.
The additional routes also bring to 39 the flag carrier’s roster of international destinations.
PAL serves the Manila-Perth-Manila service (via Darwin) four times weekly while the Manila-Brisbane-Manila service (via Darwin) is thrice weekly.
While flights to Darwin and Perth are maiden journeys, the flight to Brisbane marks PAL’s third return to the capital city of the Australian state of Queensland.
The Manila-Brisbane route was operated by PAL in 1982 to 1998, and re-opened briefly in 2009 until 2010 before this year’s return. PAL’s inaugural flight to Sydney was Oct. 6, 1965; and maiden service to Melbourne commenced on Sept. 9, 1971.
The airline now deploys 7,400 seats a week on these routes, making it the largest carrier between the Philippines and Australia benefitting 300,000 Filipinos who reside Down Under and the 5,000 Australian expatriates in the Philippines.
Last year, 191,150 Australian nationals visited the country, making Australia the country’s sixth largest tourism source market.
“With these air links, Australian tourists may enjoy Manila`s attractions such as its resorts and historical landmarks before connecting to other international and regional destinations,†he said.
Ang said passengers would experience the flag carrier’s trademark “at home†service marked by Filipino warmth and hospitality.
“The revitalized inflight cuisine inspired by the country`s top chefs will surely be a treat to the palette. The Airbus 320-200, with a seating capacity of 156, will be the fleet for these points,†he added.
Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory and will be PAL’s new gateway Down Under. The city has grown from a pioneer outpost and small port into one of Australia’s most modern and multicultural cities. Its proximity to South East Asia makes it an important Australian gateway to countries like Indonesia and East Timor. PAL’s Perth service would link the Philippines with the capital city of Western Australia for the first time. – With Rudy Santos