The new route, set to begin on 9 November,  marks PAL’s eighth destination across the US and its territories, joining Honolulu, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, New York, Guam, and Saipan. 

With the addition of Chicago, PAL further solidifies its leadership as the Southeast Asian airline with the most expansive network connecting travellers to the US mainland and its island territories.

“Chicago is considered one of the premier hubs in the United States, and our entry into this vibrant city will provide direct connectivity to the Midwest,” said the airline’s president, Richard Nuttall. “At the same time, serving the Chicago–Manila corridor will create vital links to key regional destinations and major Philippine domestic markets through our Manila hub.”

Scheduled to operate three times a week — every Monday, Wednesday and Friday — flights will depart Manila in the afternoon and arrive at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport likewise in the afternoon local time. The return service from Manila will operate on the same days, departing in the evening and arriving in Manila early morning.

To mark the launch of the new route, PAL is offering introductory fares, with round-trip economy base fares starting at USD 667 for bookings made by 31 May  2026.

Philippine Airlines will deploy a 360-seat Airbus A350-900 on the Manila-Chicago route.

(Source: Philippine Airlines)

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In a Facebook message, the Department of Tourism stated: “The entire department stands united in working closely with her, alongside stakeholders across government, industry, local communities, and the private sector, to advance a more connected, competitive, sustainable, and resilient Philippine tourism industry.”

She succeeds Christina Garcia-Frasco, who moved to a new role as presidential adviser for sustainable and resilient communities in mid-March.

The selection of Angara-Mathay signals a shift toward treating tourism as a primary economic engine rather than just a cultural showcase. 

Angara-Mathay is a veteran trade diplomat with decades of experience in the Foreign Trade Service Corps.

She most recently served as the Commercial Counsellor and Special Trade Representative at the Philippine Trade and Investment Centre in Tokyo, Japan.

During her time in Tokyo, she was credited with securing approximately PHP 56.35 billion in Japanese investment for the Philippines. She also has extensive experience representing the Philippines at international summits on sectors such as electronics, sustainable textiles, and MSME (micro, small, and medium enterprise) development.

The Presidential Communications Office (PCO) highlighted that her appointment would drive tourism investment by using her diplomatic expertise to attract foreign capital for Philippine tourism infrastructure.

(Source: Presidential Communications Office (PCO)

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The suspension came into effect on 20 March and ends on 30 April, except for PR 685, which ends on 1 May.

PR 658 Manila-Dubai
PR 659 Dubai-Manila

PR 684 Manila-Doha
PR 685 Doha-Manila

The precautionary measure is being taken considering the security situation affecting parts of the Middle East and the resulting operational uncertainties in certain regional airspace corridors and airport operations.

PAL continues to closely monitor developments and coordinate with aviation authorities and relevant stakeholders to determine when normal operations can safely resume.

Assistance for affected passengers

Passengers with affected bookings may avail themselves of the following options:

• Free rebooking once flights resume

• Conversion of tickets into travel credits for future use

• Full refunds, in accordance with applicable policies

PAL’s customer service teams are actively assisting passengers through our website, contact centre, and ticket offices.

(Source: PAL travel advisory)

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The move will ease the burden on airline passengers amid rising jet fuel costs worldwide due to the war in the Middle East.

In a news release reported by the Philippine News Agency, Acting Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez said he had given the order to the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), which will apply to all CAAP-operated airports in the country.

According to the Department of Transportation’s latest data, jet fuel costs have risen from USD90.87 per barrel on 19 February to USD188.2 per barrel on 9 March, PNA reported.

Since then, global jet fuel prices have surged to between USD190 and USD200 per barrel due to the escalating crisis in the Gulf (specifically involving Iran and its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz). 

In the Philippines, fuel surcharges are regulated by the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB).

The following airlines and regulatory bodies are currently addressing fuel surcharge adjustments in the Philippines.

Major Philippine carriers

While no airline can unilaterally raise surcharges without CAB approval, the “Big Three” have confirmed they are reviewing their pricing:

• Cebu Pacific: Recently stated it is “closely reviewing pricing and network strategies.” The airline has already suspended flights to Riyadh due to safety concerns and warned that the doubling of jet fuel prices will inevitably pressure operations.
• AirAsia Philippines: Has acknowledged the crisis’s potential impact and is monitoring market conditions. Its regional parent company has already begun adjusting surcharges in other Asian markets.
• Philippine Airlines (PAL): While more resilient due to its long-haul hedging, PAL is subject to the same CAB-mandated surcharge levels as other domestic carriers and is expected to follow the industry-wide upward trend.

International airlines serving the Philippines

Several regional airlines with heavy traffic to and from Manila have already announced or implemented increases:

• Firefly: Implementing a “Phase 2” surcharge adjustment specifically for the Philippines starting 25 March 2026.
• Hong Kong Airlines: Raised surcharges on 12 March 12, 2026, for several regions, including the Philippines.
• Air India / Air India Express: Introduced a phased increase on 12 March, affecting routes to Southeast Asia, including the Philippines.
• Cathay Pacific: Confirmed surcharges will rise soon. Current fees range from HKD142 to HKD569 and are under review.

(Source: PNA with additional reporting)

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Scheduled to open in 2032, the 212-key hotel will mark InterContinental’s return to the Philippines capital after more than 15 years.

InterContinental Manila will be located in Bonifacio Global City (BGC) – also known as Global City or The Fort – a 240-hectare master-planned district that has transformed from a former military base into Metro Manila’s most modern business hub. BGC is home to the Philippine Stock Exchange, leading multinational corporations, and some of the country’s tallest landmarks.

The hotel will offer an all-day dining restaurant, a signature speciality restaurant, a bar, and versatile meeting and event spaces; a ballroom, function rooms, and meeting rooms. For relaxation and wellness, the property will feature a fully equipped health club and spa, along with an outdoor swimming pool and a poolside bar.

IHG Hotels & Resorts  Managing Director, Southeast Asia & Korea, Vivek Bhalla said: “The InterContinental brand has a storied history in Manila, having first opened in the city in 1969, and for 46 years it was a symbol of luxury and a hotel icon.”

IHG is partnering with Keyland Corporation, Philippine Realty and Holdings Corporation and Greenhills Properties Inc to bring InterContinental back to Manila. 

InterContinental Manila will join a global portfolio of more than 240 IHG hotels and resorts, alongside a growing pipeline of two properties for the brand in the Philippines and 104 hotels globally. This year, InterContinental will celebrate its 80th anniversary.

(Source: IHG)

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All turboprop flights currently departing from MNL will relocate to other airports, such as Clark International Airport, to reduce runway congestion at Manila’s main airport (NAIA).

The Manila Slot Coordination Committee (MSCC) mandated the move, forcing all airlines to transfer regional turboprop flights to Clark International Airport.

Passengers with existing bookings for these flights will be rerouted to PAL’s alternative hubs in Cebu, Clark, and Iloilo, ensuring continued connectivity to affected destinations while maintaining full compliance with updated regulatory requirements.

Passengers will be rerouted as follows:

Manila–Busuanga (Coron)–Manila → Clark–Busuanga (Coron)–Clark

Manila–Siargao–Manila → Clark–Siargao–Clark

Manila–Antique–Manila → Manila–Iloilo–Manila

Manila–Catarman–Manila → Cebu–Catarman–Cebu

With the mandated transition of turboprop services out of NAIA, PAL will introduce additional domestic jet flights beginning March 2026, expanding capacity on high-demand routes and providing passengers with more travel options.

Expanded weekly services:

Manila–Cebu: up to 76 flights weekly

Manila–Dumaguete: up to 21 flights weekly

Manila–Iloilo: up to 42 flights weekly

Manila–Roxas: up to 14 flights weekly

Manila–Tacloban: up to 28 flights weekly

(Source: PAL travel advisory).

NAIA hits record 4.96 million passengers in January  

Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) recorded its highest monthly passenger traffic on record in January 2026, extending the momentum from its strongest year to date, the corporation reported last week.

New NAIA Infra Corp (NNIC), the private operator of NAIA, said 4.96 million passengers passed through the airport during the month, exceeding the 4.86 million recorded in December 2025 and making January the busiest month in the airport’s history.

Passenger traffic was strong during the holiday travel period from December 20 to January 4, when NAIA served nearly 2.6 million passengers across all terminals. Travel peaked on 4 January, with 180,089 passengers passing through the airport—the highest single-day passenger volume recorded to date.

International travel continued to drive growth, with 2.42 million international passengers recorded in January, up 8.16% from a year earlier and the highest monthly international volume in NAIA’s history. Domestic passenger traffic reached 2.54 million, an increase of 3.16% year-on-year.

NAIA serves as the Philippines’ primary aviation hub, handling domestic and international operations. Under the public-private partnership, NNIC is responsible for the airport’s operations, maintenance, and modernisation, while ownership remains with the government.

(Source: NAIA)

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The Lab, launched at the ASEAN Tourism Forum, will serve as a launchpad for innovation and value creation across the region, leading the next generation of initiatives to boost industry resilience. 

Agoda Impact Lab is a dedicated platform for the public and private sectors to design, test, and scale practical solutions. It aims to serve as a catalyst for change across storytelling, industry upskilling and capacity building, with a focus on best-in-class thought leadership and visionary approaches to travel and technology. 

Through reports, knowledge sharing, and upskilling initiatives, Agoda will leverage its expertise in e-commerce, technology, marketing, and analytics to elevate industry standards. 

As part of the Agoda Impact Lab, Agoda will run hands–on e–commerce training programes for accommodation providers across ASEAN, deliver Executive Masterclasses with government, industry, and academic partners on emerging innovation areas such as AI, and convene a joint working group with ASEAN and WWF-Singapore to advance discussions regionally to safeguard the long–term ecological and economic value of emerging destinations. 

The Lab will also promote the Sustainable Tourism Academy, a digital training platform developed in partnership with Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) that provides free, self–paced sustainability training aligned with the GSTC Standard, and publish data–driven reports to inform industry decisions on traveller demand, technology adoption, and localisation. 

Agoda Chief Commercial Officer Damien Pfirsch shared: “With Agoda Impact Lab, we’re not just we’rening the future of travel and technology in Asia; we’re actively we’reng it. The Lab will serve as a hub for collaboration, bringing together stakeholders from the public and private sectors to explore innovative solutions and strategies. Agoda is committed to leading the charge in creating more sustainable and intelligent solutions that benefit both the industry and travellers alike.” 

(Source: Agoda)

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The Philippines Department of Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco, ASEAN 2026 Chair, delivered the statement at a press conference during the ASEAN Tourism Forum 2026 in Cebu, Philippines.

The statement noted the continued recovery of ASEAN’s tourism sector, with preliminary data showing approximately 144 million international visitor arrivals in 2025. Ministers cited improved connectivity, diversified tourism products, and coordinated marketing efforts as key drivers of the sustained upward trend.

Ministers also acknowledged the conclusion of the ASEAN Tourism Strategic Plan 2016–2025, highlighting its role in strengthening tourism standards, advancing professional mobility through the Mutual Recognition Arrangement on Tourism Professionals, and reinforcing joint regional promotion, positioning ASEAN as a single destination.

Looking ahead, the meeting underscored the implementation of the ASEAN Tourism Sectoral Plan 2026–2030 and the ASEAN Tourism Marketing Strategy 2026–2030, which aim to enhance ASEAN’s global visibility through data-driven, digitally enabled campaigns. Ministers emphasised deeper collaboration with the private sector, online platforms, and subregional groupings, as well as the development of cruise tourism and multi-destination itineraries across the region.

According to the statement, the meeting also highlighted efforts to strengthen tourism standards, invest in infrastructure at secondary and tertiary destinations, and build a skilled, future-ready workforce. Ministers likewise welcomed the Philippines’ proposal to develop an ASEAN Sustainable and Resilient Tourism Outlook as a Priority Economic Deliverable under its 2026 ASEAN Chairmanship.

ASEAN Tourism Ministers expressed appreciation to the Philippines for hosting the meeting and agreed that the 30th Meeting of the ASEAN Tourism Ministers will be held in Singapore in January 2027.

In addition to the Joint Media Statement of the 29th Meeting of ASEAN Tourism Ministers, three other joint media statements were adopted covering the outcomes of the 25th Meeting of ASEAN, China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea Tourism Ministers; the 13th Meeting of ASEAN Plus India Tourism Ministers; and the 5th Meeting of ASEAN Plus Russian Federation Tourism Ministers.

(Source: Department of Tourism Philippines)

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The annual regional trade show convened from 28 to 30 January in the host destination Cebu, the Philippines, attracting 271 international travel buyers, 124 Philippine travel content providers, and 222 registered seller exhibitors from the remaining 10 ASEAN member nations — Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, Timor Leste and Vietnam.

In a move to boost Cebu’s Meetings, Incentives, Conventions, and Exhibitions (MICE) sector, leading players launched the inaugural edition of the Cebu MICE Guidebook to participants at the trade show, which ends today, Friday, 30 January.

DOT Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco, Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) Chief Operating Officer Marga Nograles, and Cebu MICE Alliance President Cleofe Albiso led the unveiling of the Cebu MICE Guide 2025 at the recently opened Mactan Expo, the main venue for the TRAVEX and ATF 2026 sessions.

Developed by the Cebu MICE Alliance and printed by the DOT, the guidebook contains key information on the island province’s venues, accommodations, destination experiences, service providers, and support infrastructure, serving as a practical resource and pitch for event planners and organisers worldwide. 

In 2024, the said regional alliance of line agencies and tourism-allied industries noted that MICE tourism in Cebu is rapidly growing and “is poised to make a significant economic impact, contributing an estimated PHP1 billion to Cebu’s economy by 2029.” 

Tourism Secretary Frasco lauded the Cebu MICE alliance for developing the guidebook, emphasising that the initiative not only promotes the province as a premier destination for international engagements but also empowers communities and local stakeholders. 

“Cebu’s strength as a MICE destination lies in the depth and balance of what it offers. An award-winning international airport and broad air connectivity support venues and world-class hotels, as well as convention and exhibition facilities, including this venue. Beyond the meeting room, Cebu offers beaches and island diversity, world-class diving, living culture, vibrant festivals, and a tradition of warm Filipino hospitality that consistently distinguishes the Cebu experience,” said Secretary Frasco. 

MICE tourism has proven to be an income-generating opportunity for the Philippines. Data from the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) showed that foreign delegates spend an average of over PHR32,086 per day, which is nearly five times the amount spent by a typical leisure tourist. 

(Source: DOT Philippines)

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Organisations (NTOs) convened for high-level meetings and ministerial-level discussions as part of the week-long programme.

More than 1,000 delegates are participating in over 30 meetings, business sessions, educational forums, and networking events, including ATF TRAVEX, the forum’s three-day travel trade show, which concludes on Friday when the flag to host ATF 2027 passes to Singapore.

Designed to maximise productivity and commercial outcomes, ATF TRAVEX 2026 enables exhibitors and buyers to pre-schedule up to 100% of their business appointments ahead of arrival. 

This year’s TRAVEX has attracted buyers from 50 countries and territories worldwide to the exhibition venue at the newly opened Mactan Expo Centre in Cebu.

The TRAVEX opening ceremony kicked off with Filipino cultural performances followed by an official walk-through of the exhibition hall led by senior government officials and ASEAN representatives, formally marking the opening of ATF TRAVEX 2026.

For the 1,000-plus delegates attending ATF 2026, the highlight remains the annual presentation of awards at the 35th ASEANTA Tourism Awards of Excellence, held on Tuesday, 27 January 2026.

The ASEANTA Tourism Awards recognise initiatives that set the benchmarks for excellence, innovation, sustainability, and collaboration across Southeast Asia. 

35^th ASEANTA Tourism Awards of Excellence – Winners

● Best ASEAN Convention Centre: SMX Convention Centre, Philippines

● Best ASEAN Cultural Preservation Effort Award: Borneo Nature Tours Malaysia

● Best ASEAN Eco-Lodge: Borneo Nature Tours, Malaysia

● Best ASEAN Hotel Package: Lotus Desaru Beach Resort & Spa, Malaysia

● Best ASEAN Marketing & Promotional Programme: AirAsia MOVE, Malaysia

● Best ASEAN New Tourism Attraction Award: Enchanted Kingdom Inc, Philippines

● Best ASEAN Sustainability Program: Sudamala Resorts, Indonesia

● Best ASEAN Tour Operator: CSL Travel & Tours, Cambodia

● Best ASEAN Travel Article: Shroff Travel, Philippines

ATF 2026 also featured a comprehensive programme of official functions, including a hosted lunch by Tourism Malaysia on Wednesday, 28 January 2026, at Dusit Thani Mactan Cebu Resort and on Thursday, 29 January, the reception and dinner hosted by Singapore Tourism Board as the host destination for ATF 2027. 

Singapore Tourism Board 

(Source: ASEANTA)

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