PAL, Qatar begin Manila-Doha codeshare flights

Qatar Airways and Philippine Airlines celebrate the new daily service between Manila and Doha with a ribbon cutting ceremony at Hamad International Airport (DOH). Commemorating the occasion were Philippine Airlines’ President, Mr. Richard Nutall; and Philippine Airlines’ Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Atty. Carlos Luis Fernandez, alongside executive delegates from Qatar Airways Group. —QATAR AIRWAYS

Philippine Airlines (PAL) and Qatar Airways have started servicing Manila-Doha flights, providing Filipinos more travel options to the Middle East.

The nonstop flights, operated under a codeshare agreement between the two airlines, are offered daily. This deal allows the parties to sell seats on each other’s flights, providing passengers with extra benefits such as mile credits. Passengers from the Philippines can also travel to over 170 destinations via Doha through Qatar Airways’ network.

PAL, for its part, will deploy its A330-300 aircraft, featuring 18 flatbed seats in business class and 341 seats in the economy cabin.

“Our strategic partnership with Qatar Airways puts our valued guests in the forefront and enables us to draw from our respective strengths,” said PAL president Richard Nuttall in a statement on Monday.

“Together, we can focus clearly on further developing the Philippines-Qatar air travel market while ensuring seamless connections across our respective networks,” he added.

The partnership is seen to benefit over 200,000 overseas Filipino workers working in Qatar.

The Lucio Tan-led airline has been expanding its route network to cater to the growing travel demand.

In the first quarter, PAL launched its Manila-Cauayan and Cebu-Catarman flights. The Cebu-Ho Chi Minh route, meanwhile, began in May, while the Manila-Da Nang flight will start this month.

PAL currently operates a 79-jet fleet.