Philippine Airlines Is Eyeing to Launch Direct Flights to India, But Not Without Setbacks

Philippine Airlines (PAL) is looking to start direct flights to India. Should this come to fruition, the country's flag carrier will be the first to do so from Manila, as there are no such trips to the South Asian country at the moment. 

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But PAL says this new route will only happen once it addresses the supply crunch it’s currently dealing with. Many airlines—not just the flag carrier—have been facing delays in the deliveries of jets, as manufacturers continue to grapple with backlogs to operators globally. This is on top of higher demand for engine repair.

The roadblock caused by supply issues could extend beyond India, with trips to Sapporo seen to be affected as well. PAL was originally planning to resume flights to the Japanese city from Manila, which it started in 2018, within the year. But one of its planes taking the route to Sapporo is still grounded, alongside four other Airbus 320s. 

With manpower and engine procurement issues hindering its plans, at this point, the Lucio Tan-led carrier cannot say whether it could relaunch its trips to Osaka from the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) before 2024 ends, too.

"It's difficult because we have to know today, so we can sell. If we get it (supply), let's say, in October, and we decide later, how can you launch a flight in a month or two?" Stanley Ng, president and chief operating officer of PAL, said in an interview. “We have to get the engines first for Sapporo and, hopefully, for India. [We want to get to] India because there is a market, and it is growing.”

While there are no direct flights from the Philippines to India, among the popular non-direct routes available are from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) to the Bengaluru International Airport, Mumbai Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, and Hyderabad Rajiv Gandhi International Airport.