Flag carrier Philippine Airlines on Thursday announced that it will restore direct flights between Cebu City and Bangkok starting December, two years after it was suspended due to the pandemic.
In an advisory, the airline said the twice-weekly PAL service expands the network of international flights availing of Mactan Cebu International Airport as a business and tourist gateway for visitors from Thailand and the ASEAN region.
“Our Bangkok-Cebu flights give us the opportunity to grow the Philippines -Thailand passenger market, using our Cebu regional hub to boost tourism and economic development,” PAL president and COO Captain Stanley K. Ng said.
“We are happy to offer travelers a choice of nonstop links to the major markets in Asia and beyond, now that more countries are reopening their borders and easing travel restrictions in time for the holiday travel season,” he added.
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Starting 9 December, PR 738 Cebu -Bangkok flight will depart every Monday and Friday at 09:30 AM.
The PR 739 Bangkok-Cebu, on the other hand, will leave every Monday and Friday at 01:30 PM.
PAL said its service offers convenient morning departures from Cebu and early afternoon departures from Bangkok, giving travelers a three-hour journey without needing to connect via Manila or other airports.
It will operate the flights with 199-seater Airbus A321ceo aircraft, serving Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport, Thailand’s main international gateway. The noontime arrival in Bangkok allows travelers ample connecting time to fly to other cities in Thailand.
Tan-led air carrier previously operated a Cebu -Bangkok service from December 2017 to March 2020.
Bangkok is the latest destination to be flown out of the flag carrier’s Cebu hub, connecting Cebu to Tokyo Narita and various cities in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.