On Oct. 2, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport added yet another international carrier and city to its service roster: Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport (MNL) via Philippine Airlines (PAL).
The jet arrived after dark, allowing for some unusual and fun photo opportunities.
Washington State is home to the United States’ fourth-largest Filipino population, and the route has been long-requested by travelers, according to SEA airport officials.
For belly cargo on the new route, the flights will add up to 60 tons of cargo capacity every week to regional trade.
Seattle is PAL’s eighth destination in North America. The carrier already operates 46 weekly flights to San Francisco, Los Angeles, Vancouver, New York, Toronto, Honolulu and Guam.
Philippine will use Boeing 777-300ER aircraft on the MNL-SEA route, with lie-flat seats in Business Class and meal service featuring Filipino and Western specialties.
The airline has nine Airbus A350-1000 jets on order, and airline officials have discussed hopes to further its US route expansion by adding Chicago, Houston, and Las Vegas in future years.
The new SEA flight provides connectivity via Manila to PAL’s extensive domestic and regional international network, including cities such as Cebu, Davao, Bangkok, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Kuala Lumpur.
