ANKARA: Turkish Airlines will soon market to its clients Philippine Airlines’ (PAL) domestic flights.
In a statement, PAL said it has entered a codeshare agreement with Turkish Airlines. Under their agreement, PAL will market Turkish Airlines’ thrice-a-week Manila-Istanbul flights, while Turkish Airlines will sell PAL’s Manila-Cebu and Manila-Davao routes.
The codeshare deal follows an expansion in the air services agreement between Manila and Istanbul. From three previously, Manila-Istanbul flights will be made available seven times a week.
The new air agreement also allows 14 flights a week between Turkey and other Philippine international airports outside the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).
Turkish Airlines is PAL’s ninth international codeshare partner. The flag carrier also has codeshare deals with Westjet, Cathay Pacific, Etihad Airlines, All Nippon, Malaysia Airlines, Vietnam Airlines, Garuda Indonesia and Air Macau.
This partnership, which provides our passengers an expanded menu of travel options, will further drive demand for tourist and business travel between the Philippines and Turkey,” Jaime J. Bautista, PAL president and chief operating officer said.
Passenger traffic to the Philippines from Turkey rose 19 percent to 3,731 visitors in 2013, according to Department of Tourism data showed. Philippine visitors to Turkey reached 3,581 in the same year.
We are extremely pleased to sign this code share agreement with Philippine Airlines and we aim to improve this partnership in order to maximize the travel opportunities of our passengers by offering a wider array of flight choices through the networks of both airlines,” Dr. Temel Kotil Ph.D., deputy chairman and chief executive of Turkish Airlines said.
