After a 15-year absence, Philippine Airlines returns to UAE

Abu Dhabi: Flying during Christmas and other peak seasons should be a breeze for the 600,000 Filipinos in the UAE with more options to fly to their homeland, with the launch of three direct daily flights between the UAE and the Philippines next month.

An estimated ten million Filipinos live overseas — about ten per cent of the population — including two million in the Gulf, of which more than half a million live and work in the UAE.

Philippine Airlines (PAL) is resuming its services between the UAE and Philippines after 15 years. Its direct daily flights from Manila to Abu Dhabi and Dubai will be launched from October 1 and November 6, respectively.

Another Philippine carrier Cebu Pacific Air (CEB), earlier announced that it would start operating direct Manila-Dubai flights on October 7.

Currently, only Etihad Airways and Emirates Airlines operate direct flights between both nations. Several other international carriers operate connection flights.

PAL’s direct daily flights between Abu Dhabi and Manila from October 1 will not only help Filipinos in the UAE but the ten-million strong Filipino diaspora worldwide as the UAE has become a global travel hub, a top Philippine diplomat said here on Thursday.

Of those living overseas, around five million are immigrants permanently settled abroad while the remaining five million are living abroad on work contracts, Grace Relucio-Princesa, the Philippine ambassador to the UAE, said at a press conference.

She said the UAE’s geographical position has made itself a travel hub and the new flights will attract more overseas Filipino travellers through the UAE.

PAL stopped its services to Dubai in 1998 following the Asian crisis that spoiled its refleeting programme.

Now, as the Asian country bucks the global slowdown, there’s more demand and need for more flights between the UAE and Philippines, said Pocholo M. Azucena, manager, GSA relations and charter services at PAL.

Its Airbus 320 aircraft which seats 414 will fly to Abu Dhabi and Dubai, of which 39 seats are in premium economy class, he said.

The ambassador said Filipinos in the UAE were finding it difficult to fly back home during the peak seasons due to lack of flights.

“There is huge demand during Christmas and graduation ceremony season in Philippines [in summer] and the ticket prices have been higher. The new services will give more access and cheaper air tickets to the Filipino expatriates,” Relucio-Princesa said.

She said the flights will help support the Philippine tourism industry.

Emirati and expatriate friends of Filipinos in the Gulf may find it easier to visit the Philippines with increased flight connectivity, the envoy said.

The PAL Manager said it will specifically target tourists to the Philippines.

PAL plans to launch flights to Doha and Saudi Arabia as well, Azucena said. Cebu Pacific Air (CEB has also announced its plans to launch flights to Doha.

The nine-hour long Abu Dhabi-Manila round trip on PAL costs around Dh1,985. The carrier has arranged connecting flights from Manila to eight other destinations in the Philippines — Laoag, Bacolod, Cebu, Iloilo, Kalibo, Tagbilaran, Davao, General Santos, which cost (round trip) between Dh2,320 and Dh2,555 between October 1 and March 2014. The same rate may continue until July but seats on some dates in December are not available, the manager said.

The Abu Dhabi-Manila flight departs at 11.15pm and arrives at 12.25am local time. The Manila-Abu Dhabi flight departs at 4.25am and arrive at 9.45pm local time.

The Dubai–Manila flights from November 6 will depart at 7.45pm and arrive at 8.15am local time. The Manila Dubai flights will depart 1pm local time and arrive at 6.15pm UAE time.