MANILA — Flag carrier Philippine Airlines will again move the launch of its Manila-Sapporo route from Oct. 8 to Dec. 7.
PAL originally wanted to launch the new route on Sept. 10, but had to move this to Oct. due to the 6.7-magnitude quake that hit Hokkaido last month. There were power outages and blocked roads because of the earthquake.
In a social media post on Tuesday, PAL spokesperson Cielo Villaluna said the situation in Sapporo has normalized, and that transportation operations there have resumed since September.
She added that the Shin-Chitose Airport in Sapporo had reopened on Sept. 7. Expressways and regular roads also reopened since September.
Villaluna said no major damage has been reported in tourist sites across Hokkaido.
The Philippine News Agency (PNA) tried to reach Villaluna regarding PAL’s decision to extend the launch of Manila-Sapporo route despite normalcy in operations but failed.
Meanwhile, PAL President Jaime Bautista earlier said that offering the Sapporo route to and from the other airports in the country will not happen anytime soon.
He said adding the Sapporo route is PAL’s way to help the government attract more tourists from Japan.
PAL presently serves these Japanese destinations: Osaka (Kansai), Tokyo (Narita and Haneda), Fukuoka, and Nagoya. (Ma. Cristina Arayata/PNA)
