MANILA - Philippine Airlines on Tuesday said it was looking at ramping up flights to Singapore to its pre-pandemic level of 4 flights per day as travel restrictions for both countries eased.

Currently, PAL flies 2 times a day from Manila to Singapore but a third flight could be added soon and potentially a fourth in the latter part of the year, the flag carrier's president and CEO Stanley Ng said.

Flights, which were greatly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, are expected to increase with both Singapore and the Philippines allowing entry of vaccinated travelers and the recent partnership between PAL and the Singapore Tourism Board.

"With this partnership, we’re looking forward, we’re looking at adding at third and fourth quarter we’re looking at pre-pandemic 4 flights daily," Ng said.

"We are determined to keep this link between Singapore and the Philippines strong. PAL is ready and eager to do our part to encourage fellow Filipinos to visit Singapore and rediscover its charm," he added.

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Under the partnership, there will be packages and joint marketing campaigns. Both the STB and PAL are also exploring the possibility of miles redemption, Singapore Tourism Board chief executive Keith Tan said.

Before the pandemic, there were over 820,000 visitors from the Philippines to Singapore in 2019, Tan said.

Philippines is Singapore's number 7 market, he added.

"I expect the numbers from the Philippines to increase sharply now that we relaxed our borders policies and the start of our partnership with Philippine Airlines," Tan said.

Tan assured travelers that hotels and tourist attractions in Singapore are keeping competitiveness in mind when it comes to pricing.

He also added that authorities should also be prepared for "surprises" when it comes to the "sly" COVID-19 virus.

Singapore is home to over 200,000 Filipinos while tourists from the Philippines go there for business, leisure and to visit family and friends.

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