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Philippine Airlines (PAL) marks its 67th anniversary
with the launch of its regular service to
Chongqing today, the first direct air link between
Manila
and scenic southwestern China.
“As the
first carrier to open up western China to direct
commercial and tourism exchanges with the Philippines,
PAL is once more pioneering the way and spurring
development in the process,” said PAL chairman and
chief executive officer Lucio C. Tan in a statement.
Tan,
other PAL officials, and government officials will be
onboard an Airbus A320 today for the inaugural flight at
9:55 a.m. There will be a send-off ceremony at Ninoy
Aquino International Airport Centennial Terminal 2 prior
to the inaugural flight.
Tan will
be accompanied by deputy CEO Henry So Uy, and president
Jaime J. Bautista. Foreign Affairs undersecretary
Franklin Ebdalin and Tourism undersecretary Eduardo
Jarque. Members of the travel trade and the business
community will also join the inaugural flight.
“Coming
on the eve of our 67th anniversary, this is one more
addition to PAL’s long history of ‘firsts,’ Tan added.
On
Tuesday next week, a second PAL destination in southwest
China will be opened when service to Chengdu, capital of
Sichuan province, commences.
Chongqing
and Chengdu are PAL’s fourth and fifth destinations,
respectively, in Mainland China. The airline already
operates daily services to
Shanghai
and Xiamen, and a five-times-weekly service to Beijing.
With the
addition of the two points, PAL’s international network
expands to 25 destinations in 13 countries and
territories. The airline also flies to 18 cities in the
Philippines.
PAL
opened for business on March 15, 1941. A single-engine
Beech Model 18 aircraft, carrying a full load of five
passengers, then completed a flight from Manila to
Baguio. That journey marked PAL as Asia’s first airline.
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