The Philippine Airlines (PAL) is expanding its international network with extra flights to Japan and Australia ahead of the busy Christmas and New Year travel season.
This move solidifies PAL’s standing as the top Philippine carrier serving Japan, offering passengers greater flexibility, more convenient schedules, and smoother connections via Manila and Cebu to destinations across the Philippines and the Asia-Pacific.
Starting in late October, PAL will increase frequencies on three Japan routes to meet rising winter travel demand. Flights between Manila and Tokyo Narita, as well as Manila and Osaka Kansai, will rise from 14 to 21 weekly services effective October 25, 2026, through March 27, 2027. The Manila to Sapporo Chitose route will also be increased from three to five weekly flights from November 24, 2026, to February 27, 2027.
Once fully implemented, these changes will lift PAL’s total Japan operations to as many as 87 weekly flights, giving customers more travel options during one of the busiest periods of the year. PAL currently operates the widest Japan network among Philippine carriers, with the most flights and destinations, serving Tokyo Narita, Tokyo Haneda, Nagoya, Osaka, Fukuoka, and Sapporo Chitose from Manila, plus Narita and Osaka from Cebu. The updated schedule also includes early morning departures from Manila and evening departures from Narita and Osaka, letting travelers spend more time at their destinations while enjoying greater overall convenience.
“Winter is one of the most popular times of the year for Filipinos visiting Japan, and also a peak period for Japanese travelers seeking the Philippines’ tropical destinations,” said PAL president Richard Nuttall. “By adding more flights, we are giving our customers greater flexibility during these high-demand months while strengthening tourism, business and cultural exchanges between our two countries. The additional services also provide more cargo capacity to support growing trade between the Philippines and Japan,” he added.
To meet heightened demand over the Christmas and New Year holidays, the flag carrier will also run extra services to Australia on selected peak travel dates. Additional flights will be added to the Melbourne and Perth routes, while selected Sydney and Brisbane services will be upgraded to larger aircraft to provide more seats amid the holiday surge. These seasonal enhancements cater to strong demand from holidaymakers, those visiting friends and relatives, and Filipino communities in Australia traveling for the year-end peak. The expanded Australia services also complement PAL’s frequent flyer partnership with Qantas, giving customers more ways to redeem rewards across both airlines.
