Philippine Airlines (PAL), the Philippines’ flag carrier, is expanding flight services and deploying larger aircraft on key international routes to meet higher travel demand during the Christmas and New Year holidays.
More flights between the Philippines and Australia
From mid-December 2025 to mid-January 2026, PAL will increase its Manila–Perth route from three to six flights per week. The Manila–Melbourne service will also move from five weekly flights to a daily schedule.
Select Manila–Brisbane flights will be upgraded to PAL’s tri-class Airbus A330 aircraft, replacing the narrower A321neo, to accommodate more passengers. Perth flights will continue to use the A321neo, while Melbourne will be served by the larger A330-300.
PAL President Richard Nuttall said the airline remains focused on meeting strong demand and providing more travel options during the peak season, while maintaining service quality and Filipino warmth.
“As the country’s flag carrier, we remain committed to enhancing our network, ensuring we meet robust demand and connect travellers to more destinations during the peak travel season,” PAL President Richard Nuttall said.
“This commitment extends to delivering world-class excellence, heartfelt care, and providing the warmth of Filipino hospitality in every journey,” he added.
Expanded services in Japan, Korea and Southeast Asia
PAL will also increase flight frequencies or introduce seasonal routes across Asia:
- Manila–Da Nang will become a daily service from 26 October 2025 to 28 March 2026, up from three times weekly.
- Manila–Busan will rise from seven to eleven weekly flights.
- Seasonal non-stop Manila–Sapporo flights return on 24 November 2025 with three weekly services until 27 March 2026.
- Twelve additional round trips are planned for the Manila–Narita route from 18 December 2025 to 6 January 2026, on top of its regular two-daily flights.
- For Manila–Osaka, twelve extra round trips will operate from 19 December 2025 to 7 January 2026.
- On 25 and 27 December and 3 January, three more Manila–Nagoya round trips will supplement the daily service.
In the Visayas and Mindanao, PAL is expanding Cebu operations with five additional Cebu–Osaka round trips from 25 December 2025 to 3 January 2026, and four extra Cebu–Narita round trips from 28 December 2025 to 7 January 2026.
A new thrice-weekly Cebu–Guam service will also begin on 16 December 2025, further improving connectivity between central Philippines and the U.S. Pacific territory.
Strengthening long-haul links with the United States
Starting 25 November 2025, PAL will increase Manila–Seattle flights from three to five weekly. This will complement its existing daily flights to San Francisco and Guam, twice-daily flights to Los Angeles, three-times-weekly service to New York, and five-times-weekly flights to Honolulu.
Adjusted schedules for travellers
The expanded services reflect PAL’s operational adjustments to match seasonal travel demand during the December–January period. For passengers, the additional flights provide more options for travelling home or visiting other destinations during the holidays.
Broader carrier activity in the Australia–Philippines market
Other airlines are also ramping up capacity between Australia and Asia. Cebu Pacific has announced expanded international services, including flights to Australia, Japan and Southeast Asia to meet holiday demand.
Meanwhile, Qantas – together with its low-cost subsidiary Jetstar – has introduced or increased services on routes such as Brisbane–Manila and Perth–Manila, further enhancing connectivity between the two countries.
