Flag carrier Philippine Airlines will begin operating direct nonstop flights between Manila and Brisbane from March 27, giving passengers the convenience of a shorter flying time of less than seven (7) hours, compared to the current one-stop service of 9 hours 20 minutes with a stopover in Darwin.

The Manila - Brisbane nonstop flights will operate four times weekly, utilizing the 254-seater Airbus A340 aircraft initially, and PAL's brand new Airbus A321 NEOs aircraft later in the first half of 2018. The A321 NEO is the longer-range version of the popular A321, outfitted with full-flat business class seats and entertainment systems.

PR 221 leaves Manila at 11:30PM every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday and arrives in Brisbane at 9:20AM local time the following day, every Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. Return flight PR 222 departs Brisbane at 11AM local time (Thu/Sat/Sun) and touches down in Manila at 5PM on the same day.

Effective May 1, PAL will operate the fourth weekly frequency every Tuesday.

PR221 leaves Manila at 12:55AM (Tue) and arrives in Brisbane at 10:45AM local time on the same day. Return flight PR222 departs Brisbane at 12PM local time (Tue) and touches down in Manila at 6PM on the same day.

The nonstop service is expected to boost travel and tourism on the increasingly popular route that links the Philippines with the commercial center of Queensland and gateway to the spectacular beaches, theme parks and lush rain forests of the Gold Coast. Queensland is also home to a growing number of migrant and expatriate Filipinos. Flying direct to Manila will help encourage Queensland-based Australians to consider holiday trips to the Philippines.

This is the latest move of PAL to convert one-stop flights to nonstop services for the convenience of the traveling public. In 2017 alone, the flag carrier launched nonstop flights to Toronto (Canada), Auckland (New Zealand), Doha (Qatar), Kuwait City (Kuwait) and Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) by eliminating the en route stopovers in Vancouver, Cairns, Abu Dhabi and Dubai respectively.

With the removal of the Darwin stopover by March 25, PAL will temporarily suspend its flights to Darwin, considering that a stand-alone Manila-Darwin service would be uneconomically sustainable. The airline will revisit this decision in the near future as market conditions improve.

In the meantime, PAL will continue expansion to other key Australia destinations as it assigns more of the new A321NEOs and the new-cabin Airbus A330s to Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.

For further information please visit www.philippineairlines.com

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ABOUT PHILIPPINE AIRLINES

Philippine Airlines, Asia's first airline and the country flag carrier, operates an extensive route network of 46 international destinations spanning across Asia, Australia, Oceania, the Middle East, Europe and North America. Non-stop daily flights from London Heathrow Terminal 3 to Manila connect passengers to 32 domestic destinations in the Philippines and beyond.

PAL is the Philippines' only full service carrier, with luxurious cabin amenities, in-flight entertainment and connectivity, sumptuous in-flight dishes, and heart-warming service. 

Today, the PAL fleet consists of 83 aircraft – Boeing 777-300ER, Airbus A340, A330, A321, Bombardier Q400 and Q300. PAL is the first Philippine-based carrier certified safe by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), and only airline with Business Class in domestic service.

In 2016, PAL crafted a new corporate vision - to be a five-star airline. In support of this goal, a new brand philosophy was unveiled, embodying warm and caring service that can only come from the Heart of the Filipino. 

We bring the best of the Philippines and the best of the Filipino to you - the friendliness of our people, the beauty of our islands, the splendour of our sunset, the wonderful variety of our delicious food, the richness of our history and culture, the fun in our everyday life, the Heart of the Filipino. 

MEDIA CONTACTS: 

Carl Ellis, Philippine Airlines carl_ellis@pal.com.ph +44 (0) 207 734 9355 / 07494 552134

Frances Tuke, Lotus, frances@wearelotus.co.uk +44 (0) 207 953 7470 / 0741513601