AUCKLAND, New Zealand—Despite stiffer competition, Philippine Airlines is keen on further driving the growth of its less-than-a-year-old Manila-Auckland service, targeting to end 2016 with at least an 80-percent average load factor.
Ma. Divinagracia R. Virata, area manager for the carrier’s New Zealand office, said in an interview here competition in this route is intensifying, but her airline remains confident it will continue growing over the next few years.
“The route is pretty good. We are slowly penetrating the Kiwis, who see the Philippines as an emerging destination. So it is exciting for us to promote it,” she said.
Currently, the route enjoys load factors ranging from 70 percent to 75 percent, with customers ranging from students, families and laborers.
“Traffic is picking up and there is high interest on both sides. We are aiming to achieve an 80-percent passenger-load factor by year-end,” she said.
The four-times-weekly service, which has an hourlong stopover in Cairns, Australia, was launched in December 2015, utilizing an Airbus A320 with a seating capacity of 156.
The six-hour flight to Cairns—the carrier’s fifth Australian destination—departs Manila at 11:45 p.m., arriving in Australia at 8 a.m. the following day. The one-hour stopover allows PAL to pick up passengers from Cairns for the continuing journey to Auckland.
Arrival in New Zealand is at 4 p.m. Flights from Auckland depart on the same day at 6:30 p.m., arriving in Cairns at 10:30 p.m. After a brief stopover, flights depart from Cairns, arriving in Manila at 3:30 a.m. the following day.
The country is home to roughly 40,000 Filipinos, most of whom work in the health care and construction sectors. By 2020, this figure is expected to double, local projections show.
New Zealand has recently streamlined the visitor visa-application process of members of Mabuhay Miles, the Filipino flag carrier’s rewards and membership program.
Under the program, Mabuhay Miles cardholders will simply present their membership cards and fill out the visa-application form at centers in Manila and Cebu. Online application is also accepted.
The shortened visa-application process is effective until end-May 2019. Partners and dependents of Mabuhay Miles members are also eligible to enjoy the streamlined process.