Old (left) and the new planes of PAL fleet
Get your snorkels out.
Beginning June this year, the country’s flag carrier, Philippine Airlines (PAL), will be flying to Saipan.
The PAL flight, PR1571, will leave Manila every Wednesday and Sunday and return the following day, Thursday and Monday, as PR1572.
The route to the Northern Mariana Islands is the seventh the airline has introduced since March last year.
“Saipan is home to thousands of Filipinos. Opening this route will provide our kababayan that much-needed link to their homeland,” said PAL president and chief operating officer Jaime Bautista.
“On top of that, business and leisure travelers from Saipan will have the opportunity to experience PAL’s brand of service that is uniquely Filipino,” he added.
Destinations introduced by PAL in 2015 were New York; Jinjiang, China; Cairns, Australia; Auckland, New Zealand; Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; and Kuwait.
PAL spokesperson Cielo Villaluna said the flag carrier will also open in June new routes from Cebu City to Los Angeles, California, and from Abu Dhabi to Doha, Qatar.
Villaluna said Saipan—four hours from Manila—is one of the largest islands in the Northern Marianas and a big tourist hub, offering resorts and dive spots.