MANILA -- Due to the 6.7-magnitude quake that hit Hokkaido Thursday, flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) moved the launch of its Manila-Sapporo route to Oct. 8 instead of the planned Sept. 10 schedule.
In a social media post, PAL spokesperson Cielo Villaluna said there were power outages and blocked roads because of the earthquake.
Currently, PAL serves these Japanese destinations: Osaka (Kansai), Tokyo (Narita and Haneda), Fukuoka, and Nagoya.
Aside from the growing demand for the Sapporo route, PAL president Jaime Bautista said offering this route is also PAL's way of bringing in more tourists from Japan.
Based on Department of Tourism records, Japan was among the top five countries with the most number of tourist arrivals in the Philippines in 2017. The department said there were 584,180 visitors from Japan last year.
Meanwhile, Villaluna said those who have already purchased tickets with travel period of Sept. 10 to Oct. 7 may rebook their flights within 30 days from October 8.
Rebooking, rerouting, and refund service fees will also be waived, since the cause of cancellation is force majeure. (PNA)
