PAL to Add 2 More Direct Cebu-Tokyo Flights

Filipino Monitor

Thursday, December 24, 1998

Business News

MANILA, Dec 23 — In a welcome boost to the economy of Cebu and the Visayas, Philippine Airlines (PAL) will add two more direct Cebu-Tokyo flights on Dec. 29, raising total frequencies on the busy route five times weekly.

The new services are the result of a decision by the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) last Sept. 10 awarding additional landing/takeoff slots at Tokyo's Narita airport to PAL.

They fulfill a PAL promise to the Cebuanos and business community to expand international air services to the city in a bid to serve the riding public and stimulate economic activity in the re­gion, PAL said.

The added flights are a shot in the arm for the trade- and tourism-based economy of Cebu and Central Visayas, which is heavily reliant on the Japanese market.

Cebu's multitude of manufacturing and export firms will delight in particular at PAL's choice of its high-capacity work­horse, the Airbus 330-300, to serve the route.

The widebodied A330-300 benefits both passengers with luxurious ameni­ties and cargo shippers with larger capac­ity. It can seat 278 passengers in bi-class comfort and load up to 21,680 kgs. of cargo — the largest cargo-hold capacity of any aircraft in the PAL regional fleet.

The new service has been structured especially to suit the busy schedules of Japanese businessmen and tourists.

PR 435 departs Narita every Tues­day and Friday at the convenient time of 9:55 a.m. and arrives in Cebu's Mactan International Airport at 2 p.m.

The return flight, PR436, leaves Cebu on the same days at 1:30 a.m., giving departing passengers the luxury of a late hotel check-out and the chance to spend the entire day in the island. The flight arrives in Narita at 7a.m., just in time to catch the train to work.

Alternatively, Japanese passengers headed back home may opt to take PAL's morning flight, PR 434, which departs Cebu every Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday at 8 a.m. and arrives in Narita at 1:25 p.m.

Apart from the five Cebu-Tokyo flights. PAL also operates a four-times-­weekly service from Cebu to Osaka that originates in Manila.

Cebu is thus linked to the two pre­mier Japanese cities nine times a week via PAL flights.