PAL to offer direct flights between Palawan, Taipei

MANILA, Philippines — Flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) will open direct flights between Palawan Island and Taipei starting February 14.

Puerto Princesa Mayor Lucilo Bayron announced Thursday PAL's new flight route to transport more tourists to the island.

PAL is expected to carry 168 tourists from Taipei every Friday afternoon, and will fly vice versa every Tuesday.

Bayron said in a state news report that the arrival of tourists will boost local economy through increased hotel bookings, transportation use and souvenir purchases.

The mayor said the new scheme was a result of the local government's coordination with China's special administration region through the Manila Economic Cooperation Office, or MECO.

Recently, Palawan has set itself as a cruise ship destination and was visited by a 13-storey cruise liner for the first time last November.

READ: 13-storey cruise ship debuts voyage to Palawan

The M/V Superstar Aquarius, a 623-feet Dreamward-class cruise ship, carries over a thousand tourists from Malaysia, Taiwan, Singapore, China and Hong Kong as well as traveling Filipinos.

The cruise ship comes every Monday and leaves the next morning to go to other destinations in Asia.

Known as the country's last frontier, Palawan is the country's largest province spanning 1.5 million hectares. - Camille Diola