Philippine Airlines launched its first nonstop passenger service from Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila to Chicago O’Hare International Airport on Monday. The new route expands the carrier’s United States network to eight destinations, including five cities on the mainland.
Manila Chicago Flight Schedule
The airline operates the route three times a week on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Richard Nuttall, the president of Philippine Airlines, stated that the service creates vital links to key regional destinations and major Philippine domestic markets through the Manila hub. He noted that Chicago is a premier hub in the United States and that the entry into the city provides direct connectivity to the Midwest.
The westbound flight, designated PR132, departs Manila at 4:40 PM and arrives in Chicago at 4:55 PM local time. The block time for this leg is 14 hours and 15 minutes. The return flight, PR133, leaves Chicago O’Hare at 10:45 PM and arrives in Manila at 5:25 AM the following day. This return leg has a block time of 16 hours and 40 minutes due to strong transpacific headwinds.
Airbus A350-900 Configuration
Scheduling data from Cirium indicates that the 295-seat Airbus A350-900 will serve this route year-round. The monthly peak is set at 14 departures in March 2027. The aircraft features a three-class layout with economy seating in a 3-3-3 configuration. This differs from the larger A350-1000 used by the airline, which has a 3-4-3 layout with ten seats per row.
Philippine Airlines first announced plans to link Manila and Chicago on a nonstop basis in April. At that time, the carrier offered limited-time round-trip basic economy fares of $667 for bookings made until May 31. The airline targeted Chicago as a city with potential for end-to-end connectivity to Manila and for passengers looking to access other regional markets in Asia.
The addition of Chicago brings the total number of US mainland destinations served by Philippine Airlines to five. The other mainland routes connect to Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and Seattle. The carrier also serves three additional American destinations outside the mainland: Guam, Honolulu, and Saipan. The Saipan route is operated by PAL Express, the regional brand of the airline.
Source: Simple Flying
