PAL offers more routes from Mactan airport

FLAG carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) is introducing new routes and additional flights from the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) just in time for the Christmas break.

Starting Dec. 15, 2023, PAL will commence its pioneer direct twice a week flight from Cebu to Laoag, Ilocos Norte as well as resume its direct daily flights from Cebu to General Santos and Daraga (Legazpi). On Dec. 16, PAL will also resume its direct thrice a week flight from Cebu to Ozamiz.

PAL president and chief operating officer Capt. Stanley Ng, at a media conference in Radisson Blu Hotel Cebu on Friday, Nov. 24, said mounting more flights and routes out of Cebu will create convenient connections that will boost tourism, drive business and progressively expand PAL’s inter-island network from MCIA.

“Philippine Airlines looks up to Cebu as a prime center of economic innovation, sustainable tourism and progress for the entire Philippines. We are steadily building up our network of flights in and out of Mactan-Cebu, with new routes in December and further plans for new connections in 2024,” said Ng. “Our goal is to further strengthen connectivity between Cebu and the rest of the archipelago, invigorating the tourism industry and supporting local business growth.”

Ng said the travel revenge phenomenon is still gaining momentum with robust bookings for both domestic and international flights.

He said he sees this trend continuing next year, barring challenges like geopolitical tensions, supply chain issues, manpower problems and an increase in fuel prices, among others.

He said PAL’s flight frequencies increased by 10 percent from its Cebu hub since last year, increasing from 16 to 20 domestic destinations and offering more than 260 weekly round trip flights to and from Cebu.

Flight schedules

The Cebu-Laoag-Cebu route flight will fly every Tuesday and Friday departing at 7:35 a.m., arriving at 10:05 a.m. From Laoag, it will fly back to Cebu at 10:25 a.m. arriving at 12:35 p.m.

The daily Cebu-General-Santos-Cebu flight will depart Cebu at 2:30 p.m., arriving at 3:50 p.m. From General Santos City, it will depart at 4:20 p.m., arriving at 5:40 p.m.

Moreover, the Cebu-Legazpi-Cebu flights will depart daily at 6 p.m., arriving at 7:10 p.m. From Legazpi, it departs at 7:30 p.m., arriving at 8:40 p.m.

The Cebu-Ozamiz-Cebu flights fly every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday departing at 7:35 a.m., arriving at 8:40 a.m. From Ozamiz, it departs 9 a.m. arriving at 10 a.m.

These flights, according to Ng, will employ PAL’s De Havilland Dash 8-400 Next Generation aircraft offering 86 seats, including six comfort class seats -- the highest capacity turboprops in the Philippine domestic market able to access smaller island airports whose runways are not long enough to accommodate larger jet-powered aircraft.

To help augment the domestic fleet and support Cebu hub operations, PAL took delivery of one additional Dash 8-400 Next Generation aircraft that rejoined the airline’s fleet on Nov. 24, after a ferry flight from Ontario, Canada.

By next month, PAL will operate more than 260 weekly roundtrip domestic flights between Mactan-Cebu airport and 20 destinations in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

There will be a 27 percent increase in service between Cebu and Tacloban to 14 weekly flights; 29 percent increase between Cebu and Bacolod to 18 weekly flights; 14 percent increase between Cebu and Davao, to 24 weekly flights; and an 11 percent increase between Cebu and Manila to 78 weekly flights, or more than 11 flights every day.

Regionally, PAL flies to Bangkok, Seoul (Incheon) and Tokyo (Narita) from Mactan, Cebu.