FLAG carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) said on Thursday that it is launching more domestic routes linking the Visayas and Mindanao starting on March 29.
The daily flights are from Cebu to Cagayan de Oro and Cebu to Davao, and four weekly flights from Cebu to Butuan and Iloilo to General Santos.
PAL said in a statement that it is also opening routes within the Visayas, with daily flights between Tacloban and Cebu, Cebu and Iloilo and thrice-weekly flights between Cebu and Bacolod.
Three flights a week between Zamboanga and Davao would connect the two Mindanao cities, the airline said.
PAL said the Airbus 320 is the operating fleet for the inter-domestic flights.
On March 20 Pal is slated to operate thrice-weekly flights from Manila to Tablas, the largest of the islands that comprise Romblon province—the country’s marble capital known for its pristine beaches and marine sanctuaries. Ferry boat services connect Tablas Island and Caticlan. The Q-300 turbo-prop planes are the operating fleet for the new PAL Manila-Tablas service.
“The flag carrier aims to bridge key points within and across various regions to address the need for connectivity through air transport. These new routes not only link nearby cities but, most important, provide passengers fast, convenient and safe air travel,” PAL Spokesman Cielo Villaluna said.
Currently, PAL has 34 A320 family aircraft in its active fleet. The 12 A321s, which have all been delivered since mid-2013, are all operated by PAL mainline. Earlier this year the carrier phased out its remaining A319s.
Of the 22 A320s, 12 are currently flown by PAL Express and 10 at PAL mainline. All the PAL Express aircraft are in the domestic market, while virtually all of their narrow-body aircraft are in the regional international market.
All of the carrier’s A320s are in two-class configuration, while some of the A320s at Pal Express are in single-class configuration. These are the aircraft originally operated by AirPhil, which followed the budget carrier model before rebranding as PAL Express in early 2012 and transitioning to a full-service regional model.