PAL to fly directly from Cebu to Osaka, Nagoya

MANILA, Philippines - National flag carrier Philippine Airlines Inc. (PAL) is beefing up its flights to Japan as it is set to mount direct flights to Osaka and Nagoya from Cebu starting December.

In a statement, PAL said the expanded routes to Japan is aimed at accommodating more visitors from Japan which is at present is the country’s third major source of tourists..

“The launching of the new air services is the flag carrier’s response to strong public clamor for new routes to Japan, considered the third biggest source of visitor arrivals to the country,” PAL said.

Data from the Department of Tourism showed that foreign tourist arrivals in the Philippines went up 3.27 percent to 3.27 million from January to August this year compared to 3.18 million in the same period last year.

Korea emerged as the major source of foreign tourists with 783,852 in the first eight months of the year followed by the US with 493,338; Japan with 310,901; China with 308,393; and Australia with 140,123.

The government hopes to attract 10 million foreign tourists into the country by 2016.

The Lucio Tan-led airline is flying four times a week to Osaka and three times a week to Nagoya via the Mactan Cebu international airport starting Dec. 19 bringing to 67 per week the number of PAL flights to Japan from the current 60 per week.

PAL currently flies 11 times a week to Haneda, 14 times a week to Narita, seven times a week to Nagoya, seven times a week to Osaka, and seven times a week to Kansa via the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in Manila.

It also flies 14 times a week to Narita via the Mactan Cebu International Airport.

 “The new routes will commence nine months after the air carrier launched flights to Haneda, PAL’s fifth gateway to Japan after Narita, Osaka, Fukuoka and Nagoya,” the airline added. 

The Tan Group is currently reviewing the massive fleet renewal program aimed at acquiring 100 brand new aircraft undertaken by diversified conglomerate San Miguel Corp. (SMC) that used to own a 49-percent stake in the national flag carrier via the $500-million investment made by San Miguel Equity Investment Inc. in April 2012.

The group shelled out about $1.3 billion to buy back the interest of the diversified conglomerate in PAL last Sept. 15.  Former PAL president Jaime Bautista has been renamed president of the airline replacing SMC president and chief operating officer Ramon Ang.

On Monday, budget airline Cebu Air Inc. (Cebu Pacific) of taipan John Gokongwei announced it would mount direct flights to Narita in Tokyo, Japan from its hub in Cebu starting March 26 next year.