MANILA, Philippines – Flag-carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) launched new routes in Southeast Asia from Manila, set to be operational starting March 31.

In a media briefing Tuesday, January 8, PAL President Jaime Bautista announced that the airline will be expanding its flight services to Phnom Penh in Cambodia and Hanoi in Vietnam.

“Philippine Airlines’ strategic vision is to make the Philippines a true gateway to Asia…. We will leverage Manila’s excellent geographical location as an ideal stopover point for people flying to Southeast and South Asia from the east and west coasts of North America,” Bautista said.

New routes: Flights to Hanoi will be operational 4 times weekly, once every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday. The first flight on March 31 will depart at 10:25 pm, while the return flight will arrive in Manila 5:30 am the following day.

Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, boasts a rich cultural heritage rooted in its French colonial history. PAL said flights to Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam will remain, with 8 weekly flights.

Meanwhile, PAL will have 5 flights to Phnom Penh weekly – Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Starting April 1, flights will depart from Manila at 10:10 pm and arrive at Phnom Penh at 11:45 pm. 

Phnom Penh is the capital of Cambodia known for the historical Khmer architecture. The Royal Palace in Phnom Penh is the residence of the king. The city also serves as a gateway to Siem Reap where the famous Angkor Wat is located.

PAL’s 156-seater Airbus A320 and 199-seater Airbus A321 classic will be used for the flights.

Resumption of services: Bautista also announced that PAL will soon resume flights to India, with a new route to New Delhi to be operational in April.

The last time PAL flew to India was in 2013, with stopovers to Bangkok in Thailand.

Still subject to final clearances with Indian authorities, the non-stop flight to New Delhi is slated to run 4 times weekly with the brand-new Airbus A231neo aircraft. – Rappler.com