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United Airlines commenced nonstop flights between Manila and San Francisco on October 30Â
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This is the first trans-Pacific service between the Philippines and the continental US
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Other US airlines may also offer services to the Philippines, according to US Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson
United Airlines (UAL) on October 30 began its new nonstop service between Manila and San Francisco – the airlines’ first trans-Pacific service between the Philippines and the continental US.
Flight UA 191 carried 325 passengers and arrived in Manila ahead of schedule; the return flight to San Francisco had 335 passengers, UAL said in a statement.
A water cannon salute welcomed Flight UA 191Â at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3.
The direct flight leaves Manila every day at 9:55 am and reaches San Francisco at 6:20 am the next day. The San Francisco departure is at 11:35 pm, arriving in Manila at 6:50 am the following day.
UAL said the new daily and direct flight service makes it easier and more convenient for tourists, business travelers, and returning overseas Filipinos.
It is the first US airline to fly direct to Manila from the continental US — and may not be the last.
US Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson, in a post of X (formerly Twitter), described the first UAL flight as a “momentous” event in trans-Pacific travel – one that is “accelerating opportunities and strengthening connections between the two countries.”
Carlson, who joined other officials in a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the milestone, said the UAL flight would be the “first of many more air links between our countries.”
For his part, UAL managing director of international sales Marcel Fuchs said: “The San Francisco-Manila flight is indeed the first time a US airline has flown between the US mainland and the Philippines, Manila. So, we are just really, really pleased to be high in the air and to be leading this new service.”
READ: United Airlines to offer non-stop Manila-San Francisco flights from Oct
Aside from the Manila route, UAL earlier said it will add more nonstop flights to Hong Kong, Tokyo, and Taipei in October, increasing its long-haul flights to 15 different international destinations across the Pacific, excluding mainland China. This makes UAL’s transpacific network 50% larger than all other U.S. airlines combined.
The new transpacific flights are part of UAL’s expansion plan for its international network in the Pacific.
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