Published October 1, 2024
One of the carriers, Philippine Airlines, says ‘the Chinese market has been slower to recover’ compared with other regions
Airlines in the Philippines have reduced flights to China due to lower demand amid growing maritime tensions and a looming ban on Chinese-run online casinos.
Cebu Pacific said its Manila-Beijing service, which the low-cost carrier planned to restart since the Covid-19 pandemic, would be suspended until further notice.
The company said it would skip the China market for now and focus on destinations with high bookings.
Flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) has also reduced flight frequencies to China, retaining only a few routes, including Shanghai and Xiamen.
“PAL’s decision to reduce flights to China aligns with a broader trend, as the Chinese market has been slower to recover compared to other regions following the pandemic,” Carlos Luis Fernandez, the firm’s executive vice-president, told The Philippine Star.
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SOURCE: www.scmp.com
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Philippine Airlines (PAL) planes are seen parked on tarmac in Manila International Airport in Pasay city, metro Manila, on Sept 9, 2014. (File photo: Reuters)
Published October 1, 2024
MANILA – Philippine Airlines Inc is cutting back flights to China, becoming the latest carrier to reduce traffic amid weak travel demand and fraying relations between Beijing and Manila.
The Philippines’ national airline Chief Executive Officer Stanley Ng confirmed the reductions to Bloomberg News, in the latest draw down in flights between the two countries. It follows cuts by Cebu Pacific Air and Philippines AirAsia among others in recent months. China Southern Airlines Co has also pared back its flights to the Philippines.
Manila-based Philippine Airlines will reduce services to Beijing and Guangzhou in the coming months, scheduling data tracked by AeroRoutes showed. The carrier’s flights into China have failed to recover to anywhere near pre-pandemic peaks.
The reduction in flights comes after Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. outlawed online casinos catering to Chinese gamblers, an industry that he said stoked crimes including money laundering.
The sector boomed during Marcos’ predecessor’s term in office, Rodrigo Duterte, who steered the nation’s foreign policy toward China. At that time, tens of thousands of Chinese nationals descended upon Manila, boosting property prices and consumption.
