PAL starts flights to Haneda in Japan

Flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) will start flying to Haneda Airport twice a day starting March 30, allowing travelers an alternative air gateway to Japan, a statement on Thursday showed.

PAL, which mounts three daily flights to Narita, said Haneda is its fifth gateway to Japan—following Narita, Fukuoka, Osaka and Nagoya—making the flag carrier the biggest Philippine operator to and from Japan with 47 flights a week.

“The new service makes PAL the exclusive operator on the Haneda-Manila route. This route forms part of PAL’s network expansion aimed at providing our passengers more and better choices,” PAL president and chief operating officer Ramon S. Ang said in the statement.

Haneda airport, which is around 30 minutes from the Tokyo metropolis, has one domestic and two international passenger terminals and connects conveniently to the Tokyo monorail.

The flag carrier is expanding its presence in Japan in response to a strong market demand.

In its statement, PAL said it was upgrading its inflight menu with the introduction of bento box meals on all flights to and from Japan.

“Japan provides a significant passenger market to the Philippines being the third-biggest source of tourist visitors to the country. In 2012 alone, Japanese tourist arrivals reached 412,000,” PAL said.

Rival carriers like Cebu Pacific Air, AirAsia Zest and Tigerair Philippines had previously announced plans to either start or increase flights to Japan.

Last year, the Philippines and Japan concluded successful air talks, resulting in one of the most liberal increase in terms of seat entitlements between both countries.

Flight frequencies for Philippine and Japanese carriers jumped from 119 flights per week to 400 flights per week, or 80,000 seats, between Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport and Narita International Airport, Japan’s primary air gateway.

The new agreement also includes flying rights between Naia and Haneda, Tokyo’s second major gateway, involving 14 flights per week. Unlimited traffic between airports was agreed upon but only for gateways outside Manila in the Philippines and Haneda in Japan.