Arkia Launches New Direct Flights to Manila, Philippines

Arkia Airlines announced on Tuesday that it will launch a new direct flight route to Manila, the capital of the Philippines, beginning January 3, 2027. This move positions Arkia ahead of El Al, which had previously declared its intention to fly directly to Manila in February but has not yet set a launch date. Initially, Arkia will operate one weekly flight on Sundays using a GullivAir Airbus A330, with economy class tickets starting at $750 one-way.

The route is scheduled to operate seasonally for four months, from January to April 2027, coinciding with the favorable dry season in the Philippines. Flights will depart from Ben Gurion Airport on Sunday afternoons and return from Manila on Monday mornings. The flight duration is estimated at approximately 11 hours to Manila and 12 hours and 20 minutes on the return journey.

Currently, there are no regular direct flights between Israel and Manila, requiring travelers to take connecting flights. The new Arkia service aims to eliminate these layovers, though the initial offering of one weekly flight is limited. The Airbus A330 aircraft features 268 economy seats and 19 business class seats, with business class tickets starting at $1,800 one-way.

This announcement is particularly significant given El Al's plans to introduce three weekly flights to Manila using Boeing 787 Dreamliners, though details on El Al's launch date and pricing remain undisclosed. If both airlines proceed with their plans, it could lead to competition on the route after years without direct air service between the two countries. Arkia's cautious, seasonal approach with one weekly flight makes it the first to launch.

The expansion by Arkia occurs amidst a broader increase in air traffic at Ben Gurion Airport. Wizz Air recently added 46 weekly flights, Delta Air Lines has resumed its New York to Tel Aviv service, United Airlines is set to restart its Newark route, Israir will launch a new route to New York on September 15, and SAS is scheduled to return to Tel Aviv on October 26 with four weekly flights to Copenhagen.

Arkia CEO Oz Berlowitz stated that the new route is part of the company's expansion into the Far East and is expected to create genuine competition and offer better prices for Israeli consumers.