PHILIPPINE Airlines (PAL) on Monday said it is increasing flight frequencies to some domestic and regional destinations in preparation for two long weekends.
In a statement, PAL said the domestic points are Bacolod, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Cotabato, Davao, Dumaguete, Iloilo, Kalibo, Ozamiz, Tagbilaran and Zamboanga; while the regional routes are Hong Kong and Singapore.

Thousands of passengers are expected to flock to the country’s airports starting October 28 to enjoy the long weekend leading up to November 1, All Saints Day and November 2, All Souls Day.

A similar passenger influx is expected the following week after Malacañang declared November 7 a holiday in celebration of the Eid’l Adha or the “Festival of Sacrifice” for Muslims.

PAL assured its passengers that the airline is prepared to handle the expected influx of for the forthcoming weekend holidays.

The expected load factor of flights is 90 percent for the regional/international sector and 80 percent for the domestic sector.

PAL is closely coordinating with the Manila International Airport Authority, Mactan-Cebu International Airport, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, and the PNP Aviation Security Group to ensure passenger safety.

The flag carrier said its internal security measures are well in place, 24/7.

PAL said third-party service providers and licensed technical personnel are handling passenger and ground operations.

Lufthansa Teknik Philippines, a joint venture with the German airline company, is maintaining PAL’s fleet.

Starting October 28, the flag carrier will fly an average of 125 flights daily covering international and domestic routes.

This number represents close to 90 percent of PAL’S 140 average flights per day prior to September 27.

From a low of 40 percent capacity during PAL’s transition to third party service providers from September 27 to October 3, the flag carrier’s week-on-week capacity increases indicate that it is well on its way to full recovery in terms of number of flights by December.