MANILA, Philippines - Flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) is increasing the number of flights to 11 domestic destinations as well as to Hong Kong and Singapore in anticipation of an influx of travelers during the two long weekends ahead. More flights will be bound for Bacolod, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Cotabato, Davao, Dumaguete, Iloilo, Kalibo, Ozamiz, Tagbilaran and Zamboanga.
PAL expects thousands of travelers starting Oct. 28 to enjoy the long weekends on Oct. 29 to Nov. 1 and Nov. 5 to 7.
Malacañang has declared Oct. 31 a special non-working holiday to enable travel for All Saints’ Day On Nov. 1, during which Filipinos visit the burial places of their loved ones.
Nov. 7 was also declared a regular holiday in celebration of the Islamic holiday Eid’l Adha or the Festival of Sacrifice.
For more information, travelers are advised to refer to PAL’s website www.philippineairlines.com; log on to PAL’s Facebook and Twitter accounts; or call the PAL Reservations Hotline at 855-8888.
The flag carrier covers 20 domestic and 26 international routes.
PAL also advises the public to book their flights early in anticipation of increased flight reservations for the two long weekends.
PAL assures passengers that it is prepared to handle the increased travel demand for the forthcoming holidays.
PAL is closely coordinating with the Manila International Airport Authority, Mactan-Cebu International Airport, Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) and the Philippine National Police’s Aviation Security Group to ensure the safety of passengers.
Its internal security measures are also in place 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
PAL’s airport and in-flight operations remain normal as third party service providers have taken over in-flight and ground services.
The maintenance of PAL aircraft is now being done by Lufthansa Teknik Philippines.
Starting Oct. 28, the flag carrier will have an average of 125 flights daily covering international and domestic routes (inbound/outbound).
This represents close to 90 percent of PAL’s 140 average flights per day prior to Sept. 27, when it transitioned to third party service providers from Sept. 27 to Oct. 3.
During the transition period, flight capacity went down to 40 percent.
PAL president Jaime Bautista said safety and service remain the cornerstone of PAL operations.
He appealed to the public for understanding and patience as its service providers complete the manpower requirements.