PAL launches Cebu-Singapore 4x weekly flights
Service flies four times weekly; Philippine Airlines also launches Cebu- Caticlan- Clark route
TRADE and tourism activities between Cebu and Singapore will get a boost following Philippine Airlines’ (PAL) announcement yesterday to fly directly to Singapore from Cebu starting Dec. 16.
Likewise, PAL also announced it will launch a daily Cebu-Caticlan-Clark flight on the same day, which brings PAL’s domestic connection from its Cebu hub to 10.
The Cebu-Singapore route will fly four times weekly during Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday via PR517. It will depart Cebu at 10 p.m and will arrive in Singapore at 1:45 a.m the following day.
The return service via PR518 will also operate four times a week during Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday leaving Singapore at 2:45 a.m and arrivinh in Cebu at 6:40 a.m. PAL will utilize a 199-seater A321.
This new route, according to PAL, brings the airline’s international connection from Cebu to six. PAL currently flies to Nagoya, Narita, Los Angeles, Osaka and Incheon from Cebu.
Flights to Singapore from the Mactan Cebu International Airport (MCIA) will increase to 28, with the addition of PAL’s service. Other airlines serving this route are Silk Air, Cebu Pacific, Tiger Airways and most recently, Air Asia.
According to Ryan Uy, PAL’s vice president for sales, the new direct route Cebu and Singapore is a testament of the airline’s strong commitment to grow its Cebu hub on the back of the province’s booming economic activities.
“This new route will help support the region of Visayas, especially Cebu,” said Uy in a press conference yesterday, adding that the new route will also benefit other neighboring islands in Visayas and Mindanao.
“This new international route will also bring more business opportunities and tourists to Cebu,” added Harry Inoferio, PAL Philippines senior assistant vice president and sales head.
Inoferio said PAL is giving away special roundtrip promo rates for CebuSingapore for travels until middle of March 2017.
Meanwhile, visitors from Singapore can enjoy Cebu for several days and take PAL Caticlan flights to enjoy the famous Boracay island or connect to Clark, Pampanga, the gateway to Cen- tral and Northern Luzon, via the new Cebu-Caticlan-Clark route.
One-way promo fare from Cebu to Caticlan is pegged at P488 while ClarkCaticlan is priced at P988.
PAL’s current domestic connection in Cebu links the province to Bacolod, Iloilo, Kalibo, Tacloban, Butuan, Cagayan De Oro, Davao and Manila.
“We welcome PAL’s launching of the new direct flight for Cebu to Singapore. This will provide another option for the tourists and businessmen and encourage more trade exchanges between our two countries,” said Melanie Ng, president of Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI).
Earlier, CCCI said it sees a strengthened economic partnership between Cebu and Singapore, following the visit of Singapore’s ambassador Kok Li Peng and its economic delegation in Cebu last week for an exploratory talks.
“The meeting was for both parties to find out what we can offer,” said Ng, in an interview on Friday. “We asked the ambassador the possibility of opening cooperation with them in light also with the increased connectivity be- tween Cebu and Singapore.”
In addition, Department of Tourism (DOT) 7 Officer-in-Charge Judy Gabato, in a text message, said “the launching of this new international route ushers in more opportunities for travel and tourism industry, not only in Cebu but for the region and the rest of the Visayas and Mindanao.”
As the country’s second major gateway, Gabato said Cebu offers connectivity to other regions, allowing guests to explore and discover more about the Philippines.
DOT 7 records show that Central Visayas welcomed 13,556 tourists from Singapore from January to July this year.