Contributed report
Philippine Airlines (PAL) debuts new nonstop service to Manila, the largest undeserved international market for Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) with the inaugural flight arriving on Wednesday, October 2. As home to one of the nation’s largest Filipino populations, Washington state residents will have the option to fly nonstop to Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport from SEA.
To celebrate, SEA and PAL will host a turret salute and gate ceremony upon the first flight’s arrival. PAL’s President and Chief Operating Officer Captain Stanley K. Ng and Port of Seattle Commissioner will be part of a formal welcoming program. Festivities also include a traditional Filipino dance by the University of Washington’s Filipino American Student Association group Sayaw, ribbon cutting ceremony, and gift exchange.
International Service at SEA
With the new PAL service, travelers out of SEA will have 54 service options to 34 international destinations on 28 different airlines. PAL to Manila follows a record year for new international services, including STARLUX Airlines, China Airlines, and Delta Air Lines’ services to Taipei; Lufthansa’s service to Munich; Hainan Airlines’ service to Chongqing; and Alaska Airlines’ service to Toronto. Alaska Airlines service to Liberia, Costa Rica, is scheduled to begin in December. Next year brings new services to Copenhagen on Scandinavian Airlines, Zurich on Edelweiss, and Kelowna on WestJet.
About Seattle-Tacoma International Airport
Operated by the Port of Seattle, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) serves the people of the Pacific Northwest with essential services, access to hundreds of domestic and global destinations, and economic activity that supports tens of thousands of jobs and produces $22 billion in economic activity. SEA has earned the highest U.S. ranking in Skytrax’s World’s Top 100 Airports for the third year in a row, two consecutive years as Best Airport in North America (2022/2023), and a 4-Star Skytrax Rating, focused on customer-centered travel with better services, facilities, and amenities. SEA totaled over 50.8 million passengers in 2023 – down just 1.8% from 2019 – with a forecast to exceed pre-pandemic traveler volumes in 2024. Thirty-seven airlines serve 93 nonstop domestic and 34 international destinations including Canada, Mexico, and seasonal operations.
(October 2024)
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