Philippine Airlines announced on Tuesday it had started operating its Manila-Nanning (China) flight route.
PAL external communications chief and spokesperson Ma. Cielo Villaluna said the flag carrier was now serving the new route twice weekly: Thursdays and Sundays.
She said a delegation led by PAL Special Assistant to the Chairman Emilio Yu and International Sales’ Regional Manager for Greater China Sindy Lin flew from Manila to Nanning on board the 156-seater dual class Airbus A320 recently.
The brand new flight departs Manila at 5:50 pm twice-a-week and arrives Nanning at 9 pm on the same day; return flight leaves Nanning at 10 pm and touches down the Ninoy Aquino International Airport at 12:55 am the following day.
In a related development:
• PAL mounted its inaugural flight at the Puerto Princesa International Airport on Saturday marking the start of its regular Puerto Princesa-Seoul (Incheon) Korea flight, seven times a week.
PAL utilized an A321 type single-aisle aircraft that can accommodate 199 Passengers (2-class layout) and 12 tons Cargo.
PAL flight PR474 departs regularly at Puerto Princesa at 5:00 am and arrives at Incheon at 6:30 am while the turnaround flight PR475 departs Icheon at 8:25 am and arrives at Puerto Princesa at 12:05 pm daily.
“This is a historic occasion in line with with government’s promise to lure more international tourists to come to Puerto Princesa, Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines Director General Capt. Jim C. Sydiongco said. PAL is the first to heed the call.
Villaluna said among the special guests who welcomed the flight in China were Philippine Consul General Marshall Louis Alferez and members of the Chinese travel and trade community.
The 4-Star Carrier’s other routes to China are: Manila to Beijing, Guangzhou (Canton), Hong Kong, Macau, Quanzhou (Jinjiang), Shanghai and Xiamen.
Villaluna said more regional flights, including the Manila-Chitose (Japan) were in the pipeline within the year.
Puerto Princesa International Airport was inaugurated last May 3, 2017, it has a seating capacity of 1,500 passengers and can accommodate 2 wide-body and 4 small aircraft at once.
Last year, the airport served a total of 1,790,115 passengers (1,767,157 domestic and 22,958 international passengers).
With Eric Apolonio