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Philippine Airlines has launched its non-stop service between Manila and Perth, Australia
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The thrice-weekly scheduled service began flying to the Western Australian capital on March 27 and will do so every Monday, Thursday, and Saturday
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The non-stop service allows travelers to fly between Perth and Manila in just seven hours
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For the Perth flight, PAL deploys a long-range Airbus A321neo that has 12 fully reclining business class seats and 156 economy class seats
Philippine Airlines (PAL) launched its thrice-weekly non-stop service between Manila and Perth, Australia on March 27.
The scheduled service flies to the Western Australian capital every Monday, Thursday, and Saturday, covering the 5,205-kilometer distance between the two cities in just seven hours, the flag carrier said in a statement.
This saves travelers four to six hours in travel time compared with flying via other airline routes that require a stopover and flight connections in a third country, PAL said.
The maiden flight, PR 223, was flown under the command of PAL president and chief operating officer Captain Stanley Ng. He was assisted by a crew of three pilots and six flight attendants.
Ng is an experienced Airbus A321 pilot who served as the airline’s operations chief before rising to the COO position.
“This new route expands Philippine Airlines’ footprint in Australia, making PAL the largest airline operator offering the most routes from the Philippines to this very important region of the world,” Ng said.
“We are thrilled to welcome Western Australians aboard our flights for the shortest hop to the island wonders of the Philippines, where friendly people, spectacular beaches, natural treasures, a rich history and great shopping opportunities are waiting to be discovered,” he added.
Mark McGowan, Premier of Western Australia, has cited the potential benefits his state will derive from the new air service.
“The new flights will further strengthen WA’s connection with the Philippines and unlock new business and tourism opportunities within our state,” said McGowan in a public post last December after PAL announced the launch of Perth-Manila flights.
For the Perth service, PAL is deploying a long-range Airbus A321neo that offers 12 full-flat seats for business class passengers and 156 economy class seats. The roomy A321neo cabin has personal inflight entertainment screens in each seat and wi-fi connection on board.
The nonstop flights to Manila allow for easy connections to Cebu, Davao and other Philippine business and resort destinations. Travelers from Perth may also fly onward via nonstop PAL flights to the US West Coast, Japan, Hong Kong and Thailand.
The Perth-Manila flight departs from Perth’s Terminal 1 International at 8:30AM local time every Monday, Thursday, and Saturday, and lands in Manila at 3:50PM.
The Manila-Perth service departs from Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 2 at 12:05am every Monday, Thursday, and Saturday, and arrives at Perth Airport at 7:15am on the same day.
PAL said it will work with the Western Australia tourism authorities to promote Perth-bound travelers from the Philippines, North America and other Asian countries, who will find a wealth of unique adventure and business opportunities in the state.
Ng said Perth now joins Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane in PAL’s Australian network, which he said is “a milestone that underscores the growing trade relations and tourism activities that animate our two countries and help unite the Filipino and Australian peoples.”
Employing its modern fleet of Airbus A330 and A321neo aircraft, PAL offers a total of 21 weekly direct flights between Australia and Manila, including daily flights from Sydney, five weekly from Melbourne, and six weekly from Brisbane.
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 launched its thrice-weekly non-stop service between Manila and Perth, Australia on March 27){kind=link}