Philippine Airlines (PAL) is set to launch additional non-stop special flights to Medina (MED) this month, a service dedicated to carrying Filipino Hajj pilgrims. The holy city of Medina, nestled in Western Saudi Arabia, serves as the gateway to Mecca for those partaking in PAL’s unique flights. For this monumental task, the airline is utilizing the modern 363-seater Airbus A330, promising a comfortable journey for the pilgrims.
PAL President and COO Capt. Stanley K. Ng expressed the airline’s commitment to supporting this spiritual journey, “We at PAL acknowledge the significance of the Hajj for our Muslim brothers and sisters in the Philippines. As the nation’s flag carrier, we support this mission and look forward to serving them as they fulfill this religious tradition.”
First Flight Takes Off
The first of these special Hajj flights, PR 8654, departed at 12:12 PM on June 3, 2023. A total of 297 Filipino Muslims embarked on this spiritual journey on this day. The flight was under the competent leadership of the flight deck crew team – Capt. Peter Paul Basa, First Officer Herminio Paulo Disini, and Second Officers Zeres Mago and Paolo Padla, with Flight Purser Aries del Rosario heading the 10-member cabin crew.
Farewell at NAIA Terminal 1
The send-off of this inaugural flight at NAIA Terminal 1 was graced by several prominent figures. Capt. Ng, Secretary Guiling Mamondiong of the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF), NCMF Executive Director Tahir Ladisan Jr., and Special Assistant to the President Anton Lagdameo were all present to bid the pilgrims farewell.
PAL’s Commitment to Service
In addition to the Hajj missions, PAL continues to serve the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with daily flights to Riyadh and five weekly flights to Dammam. The airline also operates daily flights to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates and five weekly flights to Doha in Qatar.
A memorandum of agreement on the Hajj flights was recently signed at the PAL headquarters. The signatories were Capt. Ng, NCMF Secretary Guiling Mamondiong, PAL Senior Vice President for General Counsel Atty. Carlos Luis Fernandez, and NCMF Executive Director Tahir Ladisan Jr.
Extensive Flight Network
PAL takes pride in being the sole air carrier that operates non-stop services between the Philippines and North America. It also boasts the largest network of flights and routes from the Philippines to Japan, the Middle East, and Australia.
The new special flights to Medina for the Hajj pilgrimage underscore PAL’s dedication to serving the diverse needs of Filipino travelers.
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