China Airlines and Philippine Airlines (PAL) have strengthened their existing codeshare partnership. This updated partnership will include several new flight-shared destinations as the airlines look to take advantage of the robust post-COVID travel market between Taiwan and the Philippines.

The flag carriers of Taiwan and the Phillippines have codeshared on the Manila-Taipei route since 2015. The new additions include the five-weekly service between Taipei and Cebu, and the four-weekly service between Manila and Kaohsiung, both flown by China Airlines. Philippine Airlines (PAL) will add the China Airlines code to several domestic routes including Manila-Iloilo, Manila-Davao, Cebu-Davao, and Cebu-Iloilo

The existing codeshare agreement

Currently, China Airlines and PAL have an active codeshare agreement that connects Manila and Taipei, with each carrier operating 14 weekly flights. Under the codeshare, travelers can purchase China Airlines-operated flights directly through Philippine Airlines' sales channels and vice versa. The two airlines work closely to expand their local and transit market to provide passengers with more convenient and comprehensive travel options.

Photo: Thor Jorgen Udvang / Shutterstock

Taiwan, which is visa-free for Filipinos, aims to capture 320,000 Filipino tourists annually. At the same time, the Philippine Department of Tourism is targeting to welcome 200,000 Taiwanese tourists each year to the Philippines.

The updated codeshare agreement

With the updated codeshare agreement, China Airlines passengers can access PAL's domestic network by placing their "CI" code on select domestic flights operated by the carrier. These include flights from Manila to Davao, Cebu, and Iloilo, as well as from Cebu to Davao and Iloilo, offering several options for travelers arriving from Taiwan on either carrier.

Moreover, travelers departing from the Philippines can now take advantage of Taiwan's efficient and well-connected transit hub in Taoyuan International Airport while en route to destinations across North America, Europe, Asia, or Australia/Oceania. From its hub in Taipei, China Airlines operates 1,400 weekly flights to over 100 destinations across the globe.

Photo: Adomas Daunoravicius | Shutterstock

Gains for both carriers

For China Airlines, this is a strategic move to increase its presence in the Southeast Asian region and further solidify its position as the Taiwanese carrier with the most comprehensive network in the expanding nation.

PAL is the largest international and the only full-service airline in the country. The expanding codeshare will open up key transpacific routes to North America and European destinations thanks to the Taipei (TPE) hub.

Jeremy Chang, Vice President of Corporate Development Officer at China Airlines, spoke about the updated agreement saying,

"China Airlines has been focusing on the Filipino market as part of our ongoing efforts to expand the Southeast Asia network in recent years. The Taipei-Cebu route flown by the new A321neo aircraft was introduced at the end of 2022 alongside the existing Taipei-Manila and Kaohsiung-Manila services to further expand the travel network between Taiwan and the Philippines. Philippine Airlines is a long-standing China Airlines partner, and the latest expansion to the codesharing arrangement will not only strengthen collaboration between the two airlines but also promote business and tourism between the two regions."

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