Starting March 26, Philippine Airline (PAL) will launch its first direct flight from Manila to Doha. The service will operate four times a week, on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday on the A330.
PR684 will leave Manila at 1:30pm and arrive in Doha at 6pm local time. And PR685 will depart Doha at 8pm and arrive in Manila at 10am.
Tickets range from QR885 to QR2,745 in economy, and include WiFi and meal service. A business class option could be rolled out this summer.
The moves come a year after the carrier introduced its first service to Doha, though that route currently first stops in Abu Dhabi.
PAL will continue to fly that service Doha on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. The non-stop service will make Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport one of the few destinations connected directly to Doha by three airlines.
It also heats up competition on the route, as Qatar Airways also flies to Manila direct. So does low-cost carrier Cebu Pacific Air, which launched its service to Doha in 2015.
Growing community
Qatar is home to a large Filipino population, which now numbers over 200,000 people.
That’s the third largest expat group in the country, behind the local Indian and Nepali communities.