Here’s our weekly roundup of new air routes and codeshare partnerships
Philippine Airlines connects to US cities, expands Australian network
Philippine Airlines (PAL) now operates non-stop services to Seattle from Manila, flying thrice weekly using the Boeing 777-300ER aircraft.
The new route is the first and only non-stop link between the Philippines and the US. Seattle now joins San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, Guam and Honolulu as PAL’s sixth US destination.
In addition, PAL continues its interline partnership with Alaska Airlines, the Seattle-based mainline US carrier, to offer more convenient connections to cities across the US, including Chicago, Las Vegas, Washington DC, Houston, Portland, Anchorage and other destinations served by Alaska Airlines.
PAL has also strengthened its Australian presence with an offering of 22 weekly flights to Australia.
The airline will introduce a seventh weekly non-stop frequency from Manila to Brisbane from October 27, adding to its current daily flights to Brisbane, daily flights to Sydney, five weekly flights from Melbourne and three weekly flights from Manila to Perth.
Batik Air introduces new Kunming-Penang service
Batik Air has started its weekly charter service from Kunming in China to Malaysia’s Penang, operated on the Boeing 737-8 aircraft which holds a capacity of 189 passengers.
This new route is expected to significantly drive further growth of Malaysia’s tourism sector and attract more visitors from China.
Hong Kong Airlines now flies to Sendai in Japan
Hong Kong Airlines will start a new direct route to Sendai from December 18, its ninth destination in Japan.
Operating three times a week on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, the new Sendai service offers convenient access to the heart of Tohoku region.
In addition to the new Sendai route, Hong Kong Airlines will also increase its Sapporo service to daily flights and its Tokyo (Narita) service to five times daily this winter.
Scoot adjusts network for Northern Winter season
Scoot, the low-cost subsidiary of Singapore Airlines, will be making adjustments to its network in anticipation of stronger demand during the Northern Winter season.
From November, extra weekly flights will be mounted to Chiang Mai and Hanoi, increasing services from 10 to 11 times weekly and five to six times weekly respectively.
From December, services to Perth will increase from 13 to 14 times weekly. Services to Melbourne will also increase from 12 to 13 times weekly, and subsequently to twice daily from January 2025.
In addition, three more weekly flights will be mounted to Seoul (Incheon) via Taipei, making it a daily service, and services to Tokyo (Narita) via Taipei will also increase from 12 to 14 times weekly.
Scoot will be increasing flights to destinations operated by the Embraer E190-E2 aircraft, such as to Davao, which will increase from seven to nine times weekly, as well as Balikpapan and Makassar, which will each increase from three to four times weekly.
Meanwhile, services to Ningbo in China will be suspended, with its last flight on October 26 this year.
