Philippine Airlines (PAL) is set to strengthen its presence in the Japanese market with the relaunch of its Cebu-Osaka nonstop flights, starting December 22, 2024.
This move marks PAL’s return to the tourist-heavy route and aims to boost both tourism and business travel between the central Philippines and western Japan.
The revived route will initially offer three weekly flights between Mactan-Cebu International Airport and Osaka Kansai Airport.
An additional weekly frequency will be added starting February 26, 2025, to meet the growing demand.
The service will utilize PAL’s 199-seater Airbus A321 CEO, providing travelers with a direct link to the central Philippines.
PAL President and COO Captain Stanley K. Ng emphasized the strategic importance of the route in boosting Cebu’s tourism and local businesses.
“We are delighted to make our comeback in the Cebu-Osaka market, just in time for the Christmas holiday season. Our direct flights from Mactan to Kansai will help us promote the tourism industry and local businesses in Cebu and the Visayas region,” he said.
Japan is the Philippines’ fourth-largest source of tourist visitors and home to over 300,000 overseas Filipinos.
Cebu has also become a popular destination for Japanese tourists, particularly for its leisure activities and English as a Second Language (ESL) programs.
The resumption of the Cebu-Osaka flights complements PAL’s existing routes to Japan, which include twice-daily flights between Manila and Osaka Kansai and daily flights between Cebu and Tokyo Narita. PAL’s extensive network to Japan also covers Nagoya, Fukuoka, Tokyo Haneda, and Tokyo Narita.
In addition to its Japan routes, PAL offers international connections from Cebu, including daily flights to Seoul and thrice-weekly services to Bangkok.
For reservations, travelers can contact PAL’s hotline or visit the airline’s mobile app and website.
FACTS ON THE NEW CEBU-OSAKA SERVICE:
Starting December 22, the Cebu-Osaka (Kansai)-Cebu route will operate three times weekly:
PR 410 Cebu-Osaka – every Monday, Thursday and Sunday, departing Mactan-Cebu at 11:45 AM, arriving in Osaka Kansai at 05:00 PM
PR 409 Osaka-Cebu – every Monday, Thursday and Sunday, departing Osaka Kansai at 06:00 PM, arriving in Mactan-Cebu at 09:40 PM
PAL will offer one additional weekly Cebu-Osaka-Cebu service from February 26th, 2025, increasing frequency to four times weekly. Full schedule below:
PR 410 Cebu-Osaka – every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday, departing Mactan-Cebu at 11:45 AM, arriving in Osaka Kansai at 05:00 PM
PR 409 Osaka-Cebu – every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday, departing Osaka Kansai at 06:00 PM, arriving in Mactan-Cebu at 09:40 PM
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