The inaugural flight, PR 587, departed Mactan-Cebu International Airport on May 2 with full ceremonial honors, including a water cannon salute and a cake-cutting sendoff.
“We are thrilled to celebrate our inaugural flight from Cebu to Ho Chi Minh City and kick off a new chapter in PAL’s ongoing commitment to expanding regional connectivity,” said PAL president and chief operating officer Capt. Stanley K. Ng.
“This landmark Cebu-Vietnam route strengthens bilateral ties between the Philippines and Vietnam, our next-door neighbor to the west, while providing our passengers with greater convenience and more travel options to explore two of Southeast Asia’s most dynamic cities – Saigon and Cebu,” he added.
The new Cebu-Ho Chi Minh service runs three times weekly using 199-seater Airbus A321 jets, complementing PAL’s eight Manila-Saigon flights.
PAL will also increase Manila-Hanoi flights to 10 weekly by June and launch Manila-Da Nang service by July, extending its Southeast Asia expansion that began with Vietnam routes in 1985.
