6 hours ago
1
Upgrade to High-Speed Internet for only ₱1499/month!
Enjoy up to 100 Mbps fiber broadband, perfect for browsing, streaming, and gaming.
Visit Suniway.ph to learn
Elijah Felice Rosales - The Philippine Star
May 1, 2025 | 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines — Flag carrier Philippines Airlines (PAL) is exploring the opportunity of signing a codeshare deal with Emirates to improve access to air travel between the Philippines and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
At the Arabian Travel Market, PAL and Emirates executives discussed the expansion of their partnership with the goal of expanding passenger and cargo flights between the Philippines and UAE.
As a result, the airlines agreed to consider the possibility of entering into a codeshare agreement for flights, first, between Manila and Dubai; and second, on select routes beyond their respective bases.
Through a codeshare deal, the carriers will be able to give their customers better access to routes outside their own networks. The codeshare will allow passengers to travel with the two airlines through a single ticket, sold at competitive prices, with a uniform baggage policy all throughout.
For PAL, this could mean bridging their passengers to Emirates’ European network, as PAL has yet to resume its direct services to Europe. The airline plans to return to Europe once it receives its fresh order of widebody aircraft in the make of Airbus A350-1000.
A codeshare could also offer Emirates passengers a wider reach in the Philippines through PAL’s domestic network that covers tourist hotbeds like Boracay, Cebu, Davao and Puerto Princesa.
Moreover, PAL agreed with Emirates to explore opportunities for interline cooperation on cargo flights to improve goods exchange by air between the Philippines and UAE.
The airlines will also exchange their best practices in ground handling, in-flight catering, aircraft maintenance and technical training, and they will co-organize familiarization trips for media and trade stakeholders.
PAL signed an interline agreement with Emirates in 2023 to kick off their partnership. Through the initial deal, the airlines have connected their respective travelers to 10 domestic points in the Philippines and nine international cities via Dubai.
Emirates, one of the two flag carriers of UAE, began flying to Manila in 1990 and has expanded its services to Cebu and Clark since. The carrier offers 28 flights a week in the Philippines, with a capacity of about 22,700 seats.
Recently, PAL has been forging partnerships with some of the leading carriers in the Middle East, allowing Qatar Airways to codeshare on its Manila-Doha flights.
Codeshare is an industry practice in aviation where two or more carriers publish the same flight as part of their own schedule for efficiency in transporting passengers.
