PAL eyeing direct flights to Brussels

Philippine Airlines (PAL) is keen on “exploring” direct flights to Europe after the government shared the possibility of a Manila-Brussels route.

The flag carrier told the Inquirer they were open to working with the government in offering the said flight, which was seen to boost economic activities between the two nations.

“We look forward to exploring opportunities for direct flights to the European Union (EU) as discussed by the Philippine government with Belgian authorities during the President’s Brussels visit,” PAL spokesperson Cielo Villaluna said.

“We will work with the government in studying possible options to assess the viability of any future EU operations,” Villaluna added.

Recently, Press Undersecretary Cheloy Velicaria-Garafil said Brussels airport officials expressed interest in offering the direct flight. Brussels Airport Company CEO Arnaud Feist described the Manila-Brussels direct flight as a “win-win” for both countries.

The Philippine flag carrier has been ramping up its international network to maximize opportunities brought about by revenge travel.

On Jan. 13, 2023, PAL will resume its Manila-Xiamen route after suspending it for nearly three years due to pandemic-induced border restrictions.

The route will have one flight per week operating every Friday, but frequencies are expected to increase over time with the further easing of mobility restrictions.

The carrier is also set to launch its Manila-Perth route by March 27, 2023. The nonstop flight will operate thrice a week.

“The new nonstop flights give Philippine Airlines and travel partners a great opportunity to promote the Philippines as a prime tourist and business destination for travelers in Western Australia,” Stanley K. Ng, president and chief operating officer of PAL, said earlier.

The Lucio Tan-led airline started last month flights linking Clark International Airport to Seoul, Busan and Hong Kong.

In addition, PAL relaunched direct flights from Cebu City to Bangkok this month.

It also launched flights to Nagoya, Fukuoka, Osaka and Tokyo back in October with Japan’s lifting of its tourist arrival cap.

Ng said they were targeting to reach P10 billion in net income this year as PAL continued to register profitability after completing a voluntary Chapter 11 bankruptcy process in 2021. INQ