11 April 2014
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| Philippine Airlines McDonnell Douglas MD-11/ER from Manila via Vancouver in Newark-Liberty International, New York |
Philippine Airlines (PAL) finalizes plans for direct services to New York as early as summer this year with Chicago as next stop in the United States expansion, the airline chief executive discloses Thursday after formal announcement by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) restoring the Philippines status to Category 1 rating.
Airline President and CEO Ramon Ang said that PAL was long ready drafting its expansion plan to the United States of America its most profitable market.
Ang said New York will be flown direct from Manila by Boeing 777-300ER planes in a new home, John F. Kennedy airport.
PAL served New York's Newark airport via Vancouver in Canada until it stopped operations in 1997 due to the Asian Financial Crisis.
Meanwhile, Chicago flights will also be flown direct by Boeing 777-300ER aircraft sometime in November in time for the holiday season.
The airline said its Vancouver and Toronto operations in Canada will stay to be service by its brand new A330-343X fleet. It is also evaluating triangular service to Miami via Toronto or Vancouver pending results of negotiation with Canadian authorities by the Philippine government.
PAL has limited fifth freedom rights in Canada to the United States which the airline used when it flew to Las Vegas, Nevada. It has no fifth freedom traffic within the US.
Among the expansion plans for this year include increase frequency to Los Angeles to 14 times a week, 7x to Honolulu, and 14x to Agana.
