Philippine Airlines (PAL) has announced the introduction of a third weekly nonstop flight from Manila to Toronto, starting April 5, 2024. This addition marks a significant 50% increase in capacity, addressing the growing demand for travel between Canada’s East Coast and the Philippines.
The new schedule offers passengers more flexibility, with three weekly frequencies to choose from for their travel plans. This expansion underscores Toronto’s importance in PAL’s global network, given the city’s status as Canada’s largest and home to the country’s largest Filipino community, with over 350,000 ethnic Filipinos in Ontario.
PAL is currently the only airline providing nonstop flights between the Philippines and Canada, with daily services to Vancouver from Manila and connections to other Canadian cities such as Edmonton, Winnipeg, and Calgary through its codeshare partner, WestJet.
The airline operates these Toronto services with the Airbus A350-900, a new-generation long-range jetliner. This aircraft features a tri-class layout, accommodating 295 passengers with 30 in Business Class, 24 in Premium Economy, and 241 in Economy.
The flight schedule from April 5, 2024, onwards, will be as follows: Flight PR118 from Manila to Toronto will depart at 4:35 PM and arrive at 8:00 PM on the same day, every Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday. The return flight, PR119, will leave Toronto at 11:30 PM and arrive in Manila at 3:45 AM (+2 days). The new schedule complements PAL’s existing twice-weekly service.
PAL’s Chief Commercial Officer, Mr. Eric David Anderson, highlighted the expansion as a significant move to strengthen commercial and tourism ties between Canada and the Philippines. The additional flights aim to facilitate business relations, holiday planning, and visits by Filipino Canadians to their homeland.
Philippine Ambassador to Canada, Maria Andrelita Austria, welcomed the additional flight, noting its timely benefit for over one million Filipino Canadians and international students. Khalil Lamrabet, Chief Commercial Officer of the Greater Toronto Airports Authority, also expressed enthusiasm for the increased frequency, emphasizing the reduced travel time for passengers.