HÀ NỘI — Philippine Airlines on Tuesday launched its first ever direct flight connecting Manila and Đà Nẵng as part of efforts to boost tourism and improve connectivity between the two countries.

The first flight, PR585, carried 193 passengers and landed at Đà Nẵng International Airport at 12.45pm. The outbound flight departed at 1.35pm.

The route will operate three times a week, on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, with the schedule expected to increase to four flights per week starting from November. The flight uses an Airbus A321 aircraft with a total of 199 seats, including 12 business class.

Nguyễn Thị Hoài An, deputy director of Đà Nẵng Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said the new route will make a big contribution to the central city’s push to diversify its market in Southeast Asia.

The launch increases the total flights between Manila and Đà Nẵng to 12 per week.

Official data showed that Đà Nẵng received more than 65,000 visitors from the Philippines in 2024. Arrivals surged to more than 49,000 in the first five months of this year, more than doubling from the same period last year.

Philippine Airlines is the national flag carrier of the Philippines with a fleet of Boeing, Airbus and De Havilland aircraft travelling to 31 domestic and 38 international destinations across Asia, North America, Australia and the Middle East.

The carrier currently operates 24 direct flights from Đà Nẵng, Hà Nội and HCM City to the Philippines per week. — VNS