MANILA, Philippines — Flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) has become the first Southeast Asian airline that agreed to move its New York operations to the largest terminal at the John F. Kennedy (JFK) International Airport.
PAL yesterday said it has entered into a partnership with The New Terminal One for the transfer of its New York flights to the new facility once it is completed.
The New Terminal One would become the largest terminal at the JFK Airport upon completion in 2030, offering 2.6 million square feet, covering the existing Terminal 1 and former Terminals 2 and 3, and making it almost the same size as the LaGuardia Airport in Queens, New York.
Likewise, the terminal will be opened in phases, with the first scheduled for 2026. PAL will start working on the transition to prepare for eventual relocation to the facility.
The initial segment of the New Terminal One will feature 14 boarding gates with new arrival and departure halls. In its entirety, the terminal is designed with 23 gates and will cater to international flights only.
PAL president and chief operating officer Stanley Ng said the airline decided to move to the New Terminal One to enhance the travel convenience for its passengers.
“This alliance allows us to enhance our service and elevate travel experience for our passengers traveling between Manila and New York, as well as nearby cities in New Jersey and Connecticut, and throughout the US East Coast and Midwest,” Ng said.
PAL operates a thrice weekly service between Manila and New York, sending out an Airbus A350-900 to serve its only connection to the US East Coast.
In September, PAL was also one of the most punctual airlines in Asia and the Pacific, according to aviation analyst Cirium. The airline owned by the Tans posted an on-time rate of 79.28 percent during the month, enough to land as fourth best in the region.
Airlines, including PAL, expect flight bookings to go up during the holiday season, especially as the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) is keeping fuel surcharge at a year-low level in November.
In an advisory, CAB instructed carriers to maintain the fuel surcharge at Level 4, the lowest this year, capping the pass-on fee at P342 for domestic flights and at P2,867.82 for foreign trips.