Philippine Airlines (PAL) has entered into a strategic partnership with Qatar Airways after the launch of the latter daily flight to Doha Hub.
The Manila-based carrier will begin flights to Doha on June 16th, with Qatar Airways placing the code on the “first phase” flights of cooperation. PAL flights are operated by the Airbus A330-300S.
The two airlines will explore long-term cooperation opportunities, including joint promotion of additional points in each other's networks and frequent flyer program collaboration.
Stanley NG, president of PAL, said: “The decision to provide Doha with daily frequency will be made possible by an exciting strategic partnership with Qatar Airways and will help stimulate tourism, trade flows and business growth in the context of strong bilateral relations between the Philippines and Qatar.”
Separately, PAL parent company Pal Holdings reported a 2.8% increase in its net profit of PS4.7 billion ($83.5 million) for the quarter ended March 31. The company's quarterly revenue increased slightly to PS40.5 billion, with subsidized revenues resulting in an increase.
PAL says passenger yields softened in the quarter, with more capacity. This is also due to an increase in lukewarm water revenue during the peak travel period from March to April.
Group costs rose 8% year-on-year, due to rising airports and maintenance costs.
