Philippine Airlines to Launch Seattle Flights in October

DALLAS — Philippine Airlines (PR) has announced its newest U.S. route, with nonstop flights linking Manila (MNL) and Seattle (SEA) starting October 2, 2024. Following this announcement, PR becomes the first carrier to offer direct flights between the Philippines and the U.S. Pacific Northwest.

The new route is expected to boost travel between the two regions significantly. With the U.S. being the Philippines' second-largest source of tourists (over 900,000 Americans visited in 2023), PR anticipates a surge in leisure travel to the Philippines.

"We are proud to welcome Seattle to our growing U.S. route network. Our Manila-Seattle-Manila flights give us a valuable opportunity to promote our beautiful island country as a flourishing tourist and business destination for American travelers,” said Philippine Airlines President and Chief Operating Officer Captain Stanley K. Ng.

The new route will also cater to the growing Filipino-American community in Washington and Oregon, home to more than 240,000 Filipinos. This will provide a much-needed direct link for Filipinos to reunite with family and friends.

Strengthening Trade Ties, Cargo Capacity

The new service will boost tourism and trade between the Philippines, the U.S., and Asia. The Seattle flights will offer 60 tons of additional cargo capacity per week, facilitating increased trade activity.

The initial schedule will offer three weekly flights on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. Passengers departing from MNL will take off at 10:40 pm from Terminal 1, while those leaving SEA will depart at 11:40 pm.

The Philippine flag carrier will deploy Boeing 777-300ER aircraft on this route. These planes feature full-flat seats in Business Class and PR’s signature in-flight service with Filipino and Western cuisine. PR is further committed to modernizing its fleet, having recently acquired a new Boeing 777-300ER and with plans to receive nine new Airbus A350-1000s starting in 2025.

The addition of the SEA route strengthens PR’s position as the carrier with the most nonstop flights between the Philippines and the United States, with existing services to Los Angeles (LAX), San Francisco (SFO), New York (JFK), Honolulu (HNL), and Guam (GUM).

The Port of Seattle has welcomed PR’s announcement of the nonstop flight between MNL and SEA.

“Washington state is home to the country’s fourth-largest Filipino population. Nonstop service to Manila has long been one of our most frequently requested routes, and we’re thrilled that this new flight will not only serve the Puget Sound’s Filipino community but anyone who is interested in exploring the rich history, beauty, and hospitality of the Philippines, ” said Port of Seattle Commission Vice President Toshiko Hasegawa.

With this expansion, PR is creating new connections and fostering stronger ties between the Philippines, the U.S., and the wider Asian region.