kabarsula Philippine Airlines adds Delhi and Mumbai flights for Australia–India travellers bandar SLOT INDONESIA

Philippine Airlines (PAL) will offer Australian travellers a new one-stop route to India via Manila from December, with three weekly flights to Delhi and four to Mumbai.

The Manila services, subject to Indian Government approval, will connect with PAL flights from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth. Travellers from India will have onward connections to those four Australian cities, as well as to Los Angeles and Vancouver.

PAL ANZ & PNG country manager Krystle Ramirez-Gastrock said travel to India was often about reconnecting with family and friends, exploring heritage, business or tourism.

“We look forward to serving these journeys with PAL’s full-service experience and Filipino hospitality,” she said.

PR642 will leave Manila for Delhi at 10.40pm every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, arriving at 3am the next day. PR643 will depart Delhi at 8.15am every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, landing in Manila at 5pm. To Mumbai, PR646 will leave Manila at 10.40pm every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, arriving at 3.05am. PR647 will depart Mumbai at 7.15am every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, reaching Manila at 5pm. All times are local.

Both routes will use 168-seat Airbus A321neos with 12 lie-flat Business Class seats and 156 in Economy. PAL says meals will include Indian and Asian-inspired selections.

The new routes will also support growing cargo flows between Australia, India and the Philippines, with shipments able to connect through Manila to PAL’s broader international cargo network.

Australian passport holders may take advantage of India’s e-Visa program, making it more convenient to plan travel to Delhi, Mumbai and other destinations across the country. Indian nationals traveling to Australia may apply for an Australian Visitor visa, subject to applicable requirements.

Returning after absence

The airline is returning to India after a lengthy absence, with Delhi and Mumbai to be served on Airbus A321neos. PAL previously flew Manila–Delhi in 2011, split between three nonstops and three flights routed through Bangkok.

The expansion would put PAL in competition with Air India on Manila–Delhi, while opening the only nonstop link between the Philippines and Mumbai. Aviation Week estimates PAL will add about 2,350 two-way weekly seats between the two countries, taking nonstop capacity to about 4,980 seats a week when combined with Air India’s daily service.

Delhi and Mumbai together accounted for 44.2 per cent of India–Philippines origin-and-destination traffic according to Aviationweek.

The India-facing announcement was made by PAL president Richard Nuttall, who said the routes would strengthen the airline’s network in one of Asia’s most dynamic economies. Whalesbook reports PAL plans vegetarian and Jain-compliant meal options and cites a 43 per cent year-on-year rise in Indian arrivals to the Philippines. I’d treat that last figure as unverified until you can find a primary source