Flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) has brought back seasonal service linking Manila and Sapporo, Japan’s northernmost island, during the winter through early spring season.
The flights to Sapporo began on Nov. 24, 2025 and will run until March 27, 2026.
The new flight route operates thrice weekly – every Monday, Wednesday and Friday – through 168-seater Airbus A321neo aircraft.
The narrow body jet can accommodate up to 12 seats in business class and 156 seats in economy class, with extensive inflight entertainment options and Wi-Fi connectivity.
For flights coming from Manila, departure time is scheduled at 6:30 AM, which will arrive in Sapporo at 12:15 PM.
Meanwhile, Sapporo-originated flights depart at 1:15 PM and arrive in Manila at 6:15 PM.
Heeding demand
‘By relaunching this seasonal route, we are opening a gateway for travelers to experience Philippine Airlines’ world-class service, and signature heartfelt hospitality while supporting demand for flights between the two destinations,’ said PAL president Richard Nuttall.
‘The returning service expands PAL’s presence in Japan, boosting connections across the Japan region,’ he added.
PAL operates the largest destination points and routes between the Philippines and Japan, with nonstop services to Osaka (Kansai), Nagoya, Fukuoka, Tokyo (Haneda) and Tokyo (Narita), including direct flights from Cebu to both Osaka (Kansai) and Tokyo (Narita).
By December, additional roundtrip flights will be deployed to Narita, Osaka and Nagoya coming from Manila and Cebu as the airline anticipates higher passenger volume for the holiday peak season. /dda