Philippine Airlines Maintains Toronto Flights

Philippine Airlines has announced that it has decided to reverse its original decision to end the Manila to Toronto route. 

Copyright: Angelo Agcamaran/PPSG

The original plan called for the under-performing Toronto leg to stop after September 15 while the Vancouver route would reduce to only four flights per week. The airline cited plans to reallocate its Boeing 777 aircraft to Europe as the reason for cancelling the route. 

But according to the latest flight schedules, Philippine Airlines now plans to not only keep its Toronto service, but to also maintain its daily Manila to Vancouver flights for the indefinite future. Industry rumours suggest that the Manila to Vancouver route is averaging a healthy 80% load factor which is subsidizing the Vancouver to Toronto leg.

Philippine Airlines just installed on-board internet services along with on-board iPads that passengers can rent for a fee aboard its fleet of Boeing 777-300ER aircraft that are operating the routes to Canada. But with the decision to maintain its existing level of services to Toronto and Vancouver, it remains unclear if the Boeing 777 will remain on the route or be redeployed to Europe. It is rumoured that Philippine Airlines will be leasing an additional two A340-300 aircraft to maintain the services to Canada.