FLAG CARRIER Philippine Airlines (PAL) is increasing flights to key international destinations in response to strong travel demand expected during the holiday season.
In a statement on Thursday, PAL said it will expand flight frequencies and deploy larger aircraft on select routes to Australia, Japan, South Korea, and Vietnam, as well as launch new services from Cebu.
Between mid-December 2025 and mid-January 2026, the flag carrier will double its Manila-Perth flights to six weekly services from three and increase Manila-Melbourne flights to daily from five times a week. Select Manila-Brisbane flights will be upgraded to PAL’s tri-class Airbus A330 aircraft in place of the A321neo.
PAL will also increase Manila-Da Nang flights to daily from Oct. 26 to March 28, 2026, and raise Manila-Busan services to 11 weekly from seven. Its seasonal non-stop Manila-Sapporo service will return at three times weekly from Nov. 24 to March 27, 2026.
During the peak travel period, PAL will add 12 roundtrip flights each between Manila-Narita and Manila-Osaka from Dec. 18 to Jan. 7, 2026, and three additional Manila-Nagoya flights on Dec. 25, 27, and Jan. 3.
From Cebu, the airline will add five roundtrips on the Cebu-Osaka route and four on the Cebu-Narita route between Dec. 25 and Jan. 3, 2026. PAL will also launch a Cebu-Guam service with three weekly non-stop flights starting Dec. 16.
In the United States, PAL will increase Manila-Seattle flights to five times weekly from three starting Nov. 25, complementing its existing services to San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, Honolulu, and Guam.
“These strategic developments underscore our commitment to enhance connectivity and provide more options for travelers during the peak season,” PAL President Richard L. Nuttall said. — Ashley Erika O. Jose
