Philippine Airlines said Wednesday it would open a new route between Cebu City and Baguio City on Dec. 16 this year.
The pioneer PAL service will link the City of Pines with the commercial heart of the Visayas for the first time. It will start with four flights a week.
“This will be PAL’s comeback to the very first destination we served nearly 82 years ago, so we are happy to be flying back to where it all started,” said PAL president and chief operating officer Stanley Ng.
“At the same time, we’re inaugurating a brand-new service, linking two progressive tourist and business destinations – the Queen City of the South and the City of Pines,” he said.
Located in northern Luzon, Baguio is known as the ‘Summer Capital of the Philippines’ for its year-round cool climate and breathtaking mountain location 1,400 meters above sea level.
Baguio City is home to popular tourist spots – Burnham Park, Camp John Hay, Baguio Cathedral, and Mines View Park – and to the Baguio City Economic Zone hosting major multinational firms in the electronics, technology, BPO, and clothing industries.
“Our direct flight will enable passengers in the central Visayas to enjoy a two-hour journey to Northern Luzon and vice versa, without the hassle of booking multiple connecting trips via both land and air,” said PAL Express officer-in-charge Rabbi Ang.
“We also see this new service as an opportunity to further boost domestic tourism, as Filipinos plan their holiday getaways for the Christmas peak season and for 2023. We assure all travelers that strict safety and health protocols will be observed on all our flights,” he said.
The Cebu-Baguio flights will be operated with De Havilland Dash 8 Series 400 Next Generation aircraft, a high-performance turboprop offering faster speed and jet-like comfort in a quieter cabin.
PAL’s first flight as a newly incorporated airline was a Manila-Baguio service flown out of Manila’s Neilson Airport on March 15, 1941.
The PAL Beechcraft Model 18 carried five passengers to Baguio City, ushering in the dawn of the aviation age for the Philippines and Asia.
PAL’s Cebu-Baguio route is the latest addition to the flag carrier’s Cebu hub—a network of domestic flights connecting Cebu to various cities in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. PAL also operates between Cebu and Tokyo Narita.