SEATTLE — Starting this fall, travelers can fly directly from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport to Manila, Philippines.
The Philippine Airlines’ nonstop service from Seattle, which marks the company’s sixth U.S. destination, is the first to link the Philippines and the Pacific Northwest, according to the company.
The year-round Boeing 777 flight to Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport will begin service Oct. 2, with flights on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.
The 14-hour flights from Seattle to Manila leave at 11:40 p.m. The 11.5-hour trip the other way leaves at 10:40 p.m. Manila time.
The Philippines is the Seattle region’s largest international market not served by direct flights. The Philippine Airlines service is expected to serve tens of thousands of travelers each year, the Port of Seattle said in a news release.
Passengers also can connect to the airline’s regional network, which includes cities like Bangkok, Singapore and Hong Kong.
“Washington state is home to the country’s fourth-largest Filipino population,” said Toshiko Hasegawa, Port of Seattle commission vice president, in the news release.
Nonstop service to Manila “has long been one of our most frequently requested routes,” Hasegawa added.
Philippine Airlines also has nonstop flights connecting the Philippines to locations such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Honolulu and Guam, according to the airline.
The Seattle flights also will add up to 60 tons of cargo capacity every week, according to the airline.
Travelers at Sea-Tac, which is also adding flights to Toronto, Munich and Taipei in Taiwan, can fly to 31 international destinations on 25 different airlines.
