Perth, Australia—Philippine Airlines said it is eyeing to launch more flights between Manila and Western Australia as it sees higher growth in tourism and trade between the two countries.
The flag carrier made history with the touchdown at Perth Airport of the first nonstop flight from the Philippines on March 27. The pioneer Manila to Perth flight, designated PR 223, was flown under the command of PAL president and chief operating officer Captain Stanley Ng, assisted by a crew of three pilots and six flight attendants.
“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 Ng, an experienced Airbus A321 pilot. PAL’s market share for Manila to Australia reached 60 percent.
Australia is the Philippines’ third largest source of tourist visitors, with more than 89,000 Australians visiting the Philippines in 2022. Ng said the forward booking for Manila to Perth was “building up quite well” and “indeed a strong start for the route.”
“We are optimistic about the growth prospects for a Perth-Manila service. We hope to stimulate travel flows in both directions, so we may build up to more weekly flights eventually,” he said.