Philippines Airline begins Manila - Port Moresby flights today

PHILIPPINES Airlines will start flights to Port Moresby today, the company says.

Flights from Manila to Port Moresby will be three times a week, using the Airbus 320 aircraft.

Airline president Jaime J. Bautista said in a statement it was part of its expansion into the Pacific region.

“After its successful flights to Cairns and Auckland, Philippines Airlines continues its expansion in the Oceania region by resuming flights to Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea,” he said.

“It allows PAL to be of service to the travel needs of tourists and businessmen both from Manila and Papua New Guinea.”

PAL said it would make it easy for Filipinos living and working in Papua New Guinea to travel home and Papua New Guinean residents to connect to the airline’s 30 domestic and 39 international destinations.

Philippines Airlines said around 30,000 Filipino professionals were in Papua New Guinea. 

Fares for the Manila-Port Moresby route are $US720 (K2150) for economy class, $US2132 (K6367.32) for business class. 

The Port Moresby-Manila route fares are K1,768 for economy class and K8,678 for business class.

National Airports Corporation managing director Joseph Tupiri recently told The National that the arrangement of flights followed an air services agreement between the two governments.

“We can confirm that Philippine Airlines requested for slots through our recently appointed slot co-ordinator for the Jackson international airport,” Tupiri had said.

 “They have requested and we have approved two slots per week - Fridays and Sundays - beginning October 2015. NAC and Philippine Airlines will be discussing the conditions of use of our airport.”