PHILIPPINE Airlines (PAL) will revisit next year the possibility of resuming direct flights to New Delhi, India.

PAL president Jaime Bautista said the flag carrier no longer mounts direct flights to New Delhi since October 27 due to low demand but it continues to transport passengers there via Bangkok. 

“We stopped our direct flights to India. The load factor for New Delhi direct flights is only 50 percent while via Bangkok is 70 percent. We will see in March next year if we will resume our direct flights but in the meantime we will develop the market while mounting via the Bangkok route,” said Bautista. 

PAL used to mount three non-stop flights between the two capitals and three flights routed via Bangkok.

The one-stop service via Bangkok (PR752) departs Manila every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 6:45pm. Arrival is at 9:05 pm the same day and in Delhi at 1:10 am the following day. The return flight, PR753, departs Delhi on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at 2:45 am, reaching Bangkok at 8:25 am and Manila at 1:50 pm the same day.

The PAL official said it takes only 6.5 hours to reach New Delhi from Manila as against 8 hours if the route taken to New Delhi is via Bangkok.

PAL first flew to India in 1994 but discontinued it until recently when it resumed its service between Manila and New Delhi March 27 of this year.

In January this year, the Indian government relaxed visa rules to attract more Filipino visitors.