INQUIRER.net U.S. Bureau
2:51 am | Wednesday, June 5th, 2013
Philippine Airlines, has expanded its Australian presence starting this month by adding Darwin, Perth and Brisbane to its roster of flights Down Under.
The additional routes bring to five the total number of PAL’s connections to Australia (including Sydney and Melbourne) and to 39 the flag carrier’s roster of international destinations.
PAL, historically Asia`s first airline, serves the Manila-Perth-Manila route (via Darwin) four times weekly while the Manila-Brisbane-Manila service (via Darwin) is thrice weekly.
While flights to Darwin and Perth are maiden journeys, the flight to Brisbane marks PAL’s third return to the capital city of the Australian state of Queensland. The Manila-Brisbane route was operated by PAL in 1982 to 1998, and re-opened briefly in 2009 until 2010 before this year’s return. PAL’s inaugural flight to Sydney was October 6, 1965; and maiden service to Melbourne commenced on September 9, 1971.
The airline now deploys 7,400 seats a week on these routes, making it the largest carrier between the Philippines and Australia. These frequencies will benefit the 300,000 Filipinos who reside Down Under and the 5,000 Australian expatriates in the Philippines. Last year, 191,150 Australian nationals visited the country, making Australia the country’s 6th largest tourism source market.
PAL President Ramon S. Ang said, “Passengers will experience the flag carrier’s trademark “at home” service marked by Filipino warmth and hospitality. The revitalized inflight cuisine inspired by the country`s top chefs will surely be a treat to the palette. The Airbus 320-200, with a seating capacity of 156, will be the fleet for these points.”
Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory and will be PAL’s new gateway Down Under. The city has grown from a pioneer outpost and small port into one of Australia’s most modern and multicultural cities. Its proximity to South East Asia makes it an important Australian gateway to countries like Indonesia and East Timor. PAL’s Perth service will be linking the Philippines with the capital city of Western Australia for the first time.
Ang added, “The new connections are envisioned to increase passenger traffic between the Philippines and Australia and strengthen bilateral ties between both countries. Return flights from these cities make Manila an ideal gateway to popular Asian destinations like Hong Kong, China, Japan and Korea and a jump off point to the country`s top travel spots.”
With these air links, Australian tourists may enjoy Manila`s attractions such as its resorts and historical landmarks before connecting to other international and regional destinations.
On July 16, PAL will start flying four times weekly to Guangzhou, China and on October 1, PAL returns to the Middle East, with a daily service to Abu Dhabi, capital of the United Arab Emirates. Flights to Doha, Qatar begin November 1; and to Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam (Saudi Arabia), December 1. Flights to Dubai (United Arab Emirates), starting November 1 will be operated by PAL Express.
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Tags: airlines , Australia flights , Travel
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