PHILIPPINE AIRLINES (PAL) is launching flights from Cebu to Laoag in December as part of its efforts to bring connectivity between Luzon and Visayas, the flag carrier said on Thursday.
“This brand-new service will help us open up a new market for tourist and business travelers by connecting the Ilocos Region via nonstop flights to Cebu, and beyond to other cities in the Visayas and Mindanao,” Stanley K. Ng, PAL president and chief operating officer, said in a media release.
PAL said on Dec. 15, it will start to operate its Cebu and Laoag flights twice a week.
The airline added that it is also anticipating more Mactan-Cebu flights in the future to accommodate the growing market demand.
“You can expect more convenient connections that boost tourism and help spur economic development in different areas of the Philippines, as we progressively expand our domestic network. We expect to mount more flights in and out of our Mactan-Cebu hub in the coming months,” Mr. Ng said.
Earlier this week, PAL said it would reopen more routes from Cebu to Bicol and Mindanao as it is expecting more passengers during the holiday season.
In May, PAL launched two special flights between Cebu and Laoag. Currently, it operates four times weekly Cebu-Baguio and Baguio-Cebu flights.
Data from the Manila International Airport Authority showed that domestic and international passenger volume at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport climbed 33.76 million as of September this year, exceeding 2022’s full-year tally.
The passenger tally at the end of the period surpassed the 30.94 million full-year total in 2022. It was up 59% against the year-earlier period. — Ashley Erika O. Jose