PAL to Operate Flights Between Manila and Cairns, Australia and Auckland, New Zealand

As part of the expansion of its network in the Oceania region, flag carrier Philippine Airlines will launch flights from Manila to Cairns, Australia, and Auckland, New Zealand beginning December 1 this year.

PAL will operate four flights weekly (Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays) to serve the Manila-Cairns-Auckland route, utilizing the 156-seater Airbus A320.

PAL President and Chief Operating Officer Jaime J. Bautista said, "The route will stimulate passenger traffic along three travel streams - Manila and Cairns, Manila and Auckland as well as Cairns and 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. With close to 40,000 Filipinos residing in New Zealand, the new service is their convenient link to their home country-the Philippines."

"Upon arrival in Manila, passengers may enjoy the capital city for a few days then connect to any of the 67 other destinations (30 domestic and 37 international) in the PAL network. In the long term, the service will drive traffic between Southeast Asia and New Zealand,” he added.

The six-hour flight to Cairns - PAL's fifth Australian destination - departs Manila at 11:45 PM (MNL time) arriving in Australia at 08:00AM (local time) the following day. The one-hour stopover allows PAL to pick up passengers from Cairns for the continuing journey to Auckland. Arrival in New Zealand is at 4:00PM (local time).

Flights from Auckland depart on the same days at 6:30 PM (local time), arriving Cairns at 10:30 PM (local time). After a brief stopover, flights depart from Cairns, arriving Manila at 3:30AM (MNL time), the following day.

Prior to launching flights to these two destinations, PAL opened services to New York, USA last March 15 and to Jinjiang in Quangzhou, China last April 25.