MANILA, Philippines - National carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) is set to start offering flights to New Zealand later this week.
PAL said in a statement the service to Auckland from Manila via Cairns in Australia would be launched on Dec. 2.
The flights to Auckland, which would utilize the 156-seater Airbus 320, would be offered four times per week, every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday.
“The route will stimulate passenger traffic along three travel streams – Manila - Cairns, Manila -Auckland as well as Cairns - Auckland. The new service allows PAL to cater to the travel needs of business and leisure travelers and showcase its distinct brand of service marked by Filipino warmth, charm and hospitality. Filipinos residing in New Zealand will find the new service as their convenient link to their home country,” PAL president Jaime Bautista said.
PAL’s service to New Zealand is expected to cater to more than 44,000 Filipinos residing in New Zealand and allow them to visit home.
Records show passenger travel from the Philippines to New Zealand rose by 9.4 percent over the last five years, while the tourist traffic from New Zealand to the Philippines grew by 11.6 percent over the same period.
The New Zealand service, likewise, allows Auckland and Cairns residents to discover Manila or connect to PAL’s domestic and international destinations.
Cairns and Auckland are PAL’s 37th and 38th international points, respectively.
To promote the new route, PAL is offering an introductory fare of $880 for a roundtrip ticket on the Manila-Auckland route for the economy class and $2700 for business class. For the roundtrip Auckland-Manila service, the fare is at $705 for economy class and $2044 for business class.