PAL gears up for return to Baguio City
Flag carrier is proud to serve the people of Baguio once again
BAGUIO CITY – (December 2, 2022) – Flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) is all set to open its new route between Baguio City and Cebu on December 16, 2022.
Starting with four flights per week, the pioneer PAL service links the City of Pines with the commercial heart of the Visayas region for the first time.
“We are happy to have this chance to serve the people of Baguio City once again, this time with new connectivity to Cebu that links two of the Philippines key tourist and business destination,” back to the first-ever destination that PAL has served nearly 82 years ago,” said PAL President and COO Capt. Stanley K. Ng. “This is a comeback for Philippine Airlines, as we began operations nearly 82 years ago when our first commercial landing took place here in Baguio, the dawn of the Philippines’ age of aviation.”
“This direct two-hour flight will ease the burden of hoping on multiple connecting trips via both land and air, and will allow travelers from Northern Luzon to have extra time to enjoy Cebu once they get there.” said PAL express President Mr. Rabii Ang, “We are optimistic that this new service will help the ongoing revival of domestic tourism, as the peak holiday season fast approaches,”
Heralding the reopening of Loakan Airport to commercial operations, PAL conducted a successful test flight to and from Loakan Airport last November 28 under the supervision of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philipines (CAAP), using a De Havilland Dash 8 Series 400 Next Generation Aircraft. The Dash 8 high-performance turboprop will be the PAL’s aircraft for the Cebu-Baguio services, offering faster speed and jet-like comfort in a quieter cabin.
“The success of our test flight assures us that it is all systems go for our comeback to Baguio. The combined resolve of the Philippines aviation authorities and the Baguio City government along with PAL Management and the Department of Tourism have helped make our new Baguio-Cebu service reality,” said PAL Express President Rabii Vincent Ang.
From December 16, PAL will operate four weekly Cebu-Baguio flights with convenient morning departures. Full schedule below:
PR 2231 Baguio-Cebu – every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday departing Baguio at 11:10 AM, arriving in Cebu at 01:00 PM
PR 2230 Cebu-Baguio – every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday departing Mactan Cebu at 08:50 AM, arriving at Baguio Loakan Airport at 10:50 AM.
PAL will work with the Department of Tourism and travel partners to promote Baguio as a prime tourist and business gateway, touting the Summer Capital’s year-round cool climate and breathtaking mountain location and its popular tourist spots, Baguio City is also home to the Baguio City Economic Zone hosting major multinational firms in the electronics, technology, BPO and clothing industries.
PAL’s first flight as a newly incorporated airline was a Manila-Baguio service flown out of Manila’s Neilson Airport on March 15, 1941. The PAL Beechcraft Model 18 carried five passengers to Baguio City, ushering in the dawn of the aviation age for the Philippines and Asia.
“We are thankful for the opportunity to connect Baguio by air again. We will continuously work with the local government of Baguio and the aviation authorities to further improve passengers experience when flying to and from the Loakan Airport, “Capt. Ng added.
PAL also inaugurated the Cebu-Cotabato-Cebu route yesterday, December 1, as part of the flag carrier’s connected expansion of its Cebu Hub Network.
Bangkok and Borongan will also be new PAL destinations to be served from Mactan-Cebu, with the maiden Cebu-Bangkok flight to operate on December 9, and the maiden Cebu-Borongan flight to operate on December 19.
Passengers are encouraged to check the website of their arrival point for the latest travel requirements and other important information. The PAL website is also available at www.philippineairlines.com
About Philippine Airlines
Philippine Airlines (PAL) is the Philippines’ flag carrier and only full-service network airline.
PAL was the first commercial airline in Asia and celebrated its 81st anniversary in March 2022. PAL’s young fleet of Boeing 777s, Airbus A350s, Airbus A320s/A321s, and De Havilland DHC-8-400 Next Generation aircraft operate out of hubs in Manila.
Cebu, Clark and Davao to 32 destinations in the Philippines and 32 destinations in Asia. North America, Australia, and the Middle East. PAL was rated a 4-star Global Airline by Skytrax in 2018 and was voted the World’s Most Improved Airline in the 2019 Skytrax worldwide passenger survey with a ranking of 30th best airline in the world.