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Philippine Airlines is adding Manila-Kaohsiung and Cebu-Taipei services to its international network via code-sharing with China Airlines
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PAL now offers code-sharing services between Manila and Kaohsiung four times a week and Cebu to Taipei and vice versa five times a week
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The new offerings build on an existing PAL-China Airlines code-sharing on the Manila-Taipei route and vice versa, where PAL and China Airlines operate 14 flights each weekly
Philippine Airlines (PAL) is adding Manila-Kaohsiung and Cebu-Taipei flights to its network through an expanded code-sharing arrangement with China Airlines.
The arrangement allows PAL and China Airlines to offer greater connectivity and convenience to their customers, with each carrier promoting the development of the air travel market between the Philippines and Taiwan, PAL said in a statement.
PAL and China Airlines have been code-sharing partners since 2015.
PAL is now offering four times a week code-sharing services between Manila and Kaohsiung every Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday. Both legs are operated by China Airlines using Boeing 737-800 aircraft.
The five times a week Cebu-Taipei and vice versa code-sharing services operate every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. China Airlines also operate both legs using Airbus A321neo aircraft.
Code-sharing is an arrangement where an airline uses its designator code on a flight operated by another airline. For instance, on the Manila-Kaohsiung service where PAL code-shares on a China Airlines flight, the service will be listed as a China Airlines/PAL flight, with a PAL ticket-holder possibly boarding a China Airlines flight.
“Philippine Airlines is keen to serve the growing demand for travel stimulated by the continuing visa-free arrangement for Filipino travel to Taiwan,” said Bud Britanico, PAL vice president for sales.
“We will build on our strong partnership with China Airlines to offer more convenient access for Filipino tourists to visit Taiwan, even as we welcome Taiwanese tourists to come and visit the fun and festive Philippines.”
Britanico noted that Cebu is a destination for business and leisure, while Kaohsiung is a dynamic port city and economic hub that also houses many overseas Filipino workers.
“We are glad to expand our network, even as we continue to offer regular twice daily flights between Manila and Taipei,” Britanico said.
China Airlines vice president for corporate development office Jeremy Chang said: “China Airlines has been focusing on the Filipino market as part of our ongoing efforts to expand the Southeast Asia network in recent years.
“The Taipei-Cebu route flown by the new A321neo aircraft was introduced at the end of 2022 alongside the existing Taipei-Manila and Kaohsiung-Manila services to further expand the travel network between Taiwan and the Philippines,” Chang said.
“Philippine Airlines is a long-standing China Airlines partner and the latest expansion to the code-sharing arrangement will not only strengthen collaboration between the two airlines but also promote business and tourism between the two regions.”
PAL said the newly offered services build on an existing PAL-China Airlines code-sharing partnership on the Manila-Taipei route and vice versa, where each airline operates 14 flights a week reciprocally.
Taiwan remains visa-free for Filipinos, with the aim of capturing at least 320,000 Filipino tourists annually. The Philippine Department of Tourism is also targeting to welcome 200,000 Taiwanese visitors per year to the Philippines.
The codeshare agreement also allows China Airlines to access PAL’s domestic network by placing its “CI” code on select PAL-operated flights from Manila to Cebu, Davao and Iloilo, as well as from Cebu to Davao and Iloilo, for the carriage of passengers traveling between Taiwan and these Philippine cities.
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