Philippine Airlines (PAL) made history this week with the touchdown at Perth Airport of the first nonstop flight from the Philippines.
The new PAL direct flights, a thrice-weekly service operating into the Western Australian capital every Monday, Thursday, and Saturday, allows travelers to fly between Perth and Manila in just seven hours.
Until now, passengers typically connected in Hong Kong, Bangkok or Singapore to get to Perth from the Philippines.
PAL’s first Perth flight this week, designated PR223, was flown under the command of PAL president and chief operating officer (COO), Captain Stanley Ng.
Captain Ng is an experienced Airbus A321 pilot who served as the airline’s operations chief before ascending to the COO position.
“This new route expands Philippine Airlines’ footprint in Australia, making PAL the largest airline operator offering the most routes from the Philippines to this very important region of the world,” said Captain Ng.
“We are thrilled to welcome Western Australians aboard our flights for the shortest hop to the island wonders of the Philippines, where friendly people, spectacular beaches, natural treasures, a rich history and great shopping opportunities are waiting to be discovered.”
“It is a great privilege to lead the maiden flight to Perth as pilot in command. This milestone journey celebrates the continuing recovery of our airline from the challenges of the pandemic. The flight symbolizes PAL’s determination to grow its network and conquer new markets,” Capt. Ng added.
PAL is deploying a long-range Airbus A321 neo to Perth which accommodates 12 passengers in full-flat business class and 156 in standard economy. The A321neo has personal inflight entertainment (IFE) screens at each seat, and Wi-Fi.
The nonstop flights to Manila allow for easy connections to Cebu, Davao and other Philippine business and resort destinations.
Travelers from Perth may also fly onward via nonstop PAL flights to the US West Coast, Japan, Hong Kong and Thailand.
The PR223 Manila-Perth service departs from Manila’s Terminal 2 at 0005 every Monday, Thursday, and Saturday, and arrives in Perth at 0715 same day.
The PR224 Perth-Manila return flights depart from Perth’s Terminal 1 at 0830 local time every Monday, Thursday, and Saturday, and lands back in Manila at 15:50.
“Perth now joins Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane in our Australian network, a milestone that underscores the growing trade relations and tourism activities that animate our two countries and help unite the Filipino and Australian people,” noted Captain Ng.
Employing its modern fleet of Airbus A330 and A321 neo aircraft, PAL offers a total of 21 weekly direct flights between Australia and Manila, including daily flights from Sydney, five weekly from Melbourne, and six weekly from Brisbane.
Earlie this month the Philippine flag carrier celebrated its 82nd year in service as Asia’s oldest operating airline.
