FLAG CARRIER Philippine Airlines (PAL) will add more flights to its Manila to Toronto, Canada route starting on April 5 next year to meet growing demand.
In a statement on Monday, PAL said it would introduce a third weekly nonstop frequency on its Manila-Toronto route to cater to increasing demand to and from the Canadian east coast region.
PAL’s Manila-Toronto-Manila routes will have the following schedule: PR118 Manila-Toronto (Wednesday/Friday/Sunday) leaving Manila at 04:35 p.m. and arriving in Toronto at 8 p.m. on the same day, and PR119 Toronto-Manila (Wednesday/Friday/Sunday) leaving Toronto at 11:30 p.m. and arriving in Manila at 3:45 a.m. (plus two days).
Currently, PAL’s twice-weekly service departs every Wednesday and Sunday from Manila and Toronto.
“The resulting 50% increase in capacity aims to meet growing travel demand to and from the Canadian East Coast region, as part of a long-term investment by the Philippine flag carrier in developing business and tourist travel flows between Canada and the Philippines,” PAL said.
PAL operates the Toronto route with the Airbus A350-900 which carries 295 passengers across a tri-class layout with 30 passengers in business class, 24 in premium economy, and 241 in economy.
“Our expansion of flights to Toronto highlights the importance of the Canadian market in the Philippine Airlines network. We want to make it easier for businesses to establish commercial relations, for Canadians to plan holiday trips to the Philippines, and for Filipino Canadians to visit their families back in the homeland,” PAL Chief Commercial Officer Eric David Anderson said.
“Canada is among the top 10 sources of foreign tourists to the Philippines, with more than 180,000 Canadians visiting the Philippines during the first ten months of 2023. Additionally, the new frequencies will bolster connectivity between Southeast Asia and Canada via PAL’s Manila hub,” he added. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave