A new trans-Pacific corridor connecting the Philippine capital to the American Midwest will open later this year, as Philippine Airlines prepares to inaugurate nonstop Manila-to-Chicago service on November 9.
The flag carrier will operate the route three times weekly — Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays — using its Airbus A350-900 aircraft between Ninoy Aquino International Airport and Chicago O’Hare International Airport.
Afternoon departures from Manila will touch down in Chicago the same day, while evening return flights from O’Hare will land in Manila the following morning.
Chicago becomes PAL’s eighth US destination. The airline currently serves Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Honolulu, Guam, Saipan, and Seattle from Manila.
Michael McMurray, commissioner of the Chicago Department of Aviation, framed the new service as a connectivity milestone. “As the busiest airfield in the world and the best-connected airport in the United States, O’Hare International Airport continues to connect Chicago to key international markets,” he said.
PAL president Richard Nuttall pointed to the commercial logic of the Midwest market. “Chicago is considered one of the premier hubs in the United States, and our entry into this vibrant city will provide direct connectivity to the Midwest,” Nuttall said.
The route is also expected to carry freight, extending PAL’s cargo reach into the US interior. Introductory round-trip economy fares begin at $667 for bookings placed between April 16 and May 31.
The Chicago launch is part of a broader capacity push by the carrier. From June 1, PAL will add four weekly Manila-Los Angeles frequencies, bringing that route to 18 flights per week, while the Manila-Seattle service will increase from five to six weekly flights through June and July.
The path to the Chicago route was not without friction. Delta Air Lines had asked the US Department of Transportation to defer action on PAL’s application, arguing that American carriers faced structural disadvantages in obtaining viable slots at Manila’s main airport. Delta had been planning its own daily Los Angeles-Manila nonstop service by summer 2027.
The objection was withdrawn in an April 3 filing, in which Delta said it had received a letter from the Philippine Civil Aeronautics Board indicating it would “act favorably” on a future slot request at Ninoy Aquino. Even so, Delta asked regulators to cap any approval granted to PAL at a one-year exemption.
