Qatar Airways and Philippine Airlines have launched a strategic partnership in an effort to improve connectivity between each carrier’s respective hub in Doha and Manilla.
Beginning June 16, 2025, Philippine Airlines will launch daily nonstop flights between Ninoy Aquino International Airport (MNL) in Manila and Hamad International Airport (DOH) in Doha. Qatar Airways will codeshare on these flights in the first phase of this strategic partnership.
According to the press release, flights from Manila are timed to provide connectivity to over 170 destinations in the Qatar Airways network, including Africa, the Americas, Central Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. Eastbound flights between Doha and Manila are also timed for passengers connecting from Qatar Airways flights.
Flights will be operated using Airbus A330-300 aircraft which are arranged in a two-cabin configuration, featuring 18 Business Class seats in a dated 2-2-2 configuration and 341 Economy seats in a tight, 3-3-3 configuration.
This is an extremely high density cabin for an Airbus A330-300, and will likely be quite a shock for passengers connecting from Qatar Airways flights. Philippine Airlines also operates another A330 configuration with fewer seats. For reference, Qatar Airways has between 259 and 305 seats on the same aircraft.
Flights will operate on the following schedule:
| Flight | Departs | Arrives |
|---|---|---|
| PR684 (MNL-DOH) | 6:50p | 11:40p |
| PR685 (DOH-MNL) | 1:30a | 4:15p |
Qatar Airways Chief Commercial Officer, Thierry Antinori, said this about the partnership:
“At Qatar Airways, we continue to explore opportunities that strengthen our connectivity across the world, and our latest partnership with Philippine Airlines is a testament to this commitment. This strategic cooperation also aims to deepen the socio-economic ties between the Qatari and Filipino communities. We are proud of the new codeshare flights and look forward to delivering increased benefits to global travelers.”
Philippine Airlines President and Chief Operating Officer, Captain Stanley K. Ng, added:
“Our decision to offer daily frequency to Doha is enabled by our exciting strategic partnership with Qatar Airways and will help us stimulate tourism, trade flows and business growth in the context of the strong bilateral relationship between the Philippines and Qatar. Our vital Overseas Filipino Workers and their families will also greatly benefit from this new partnership.”
Both airlines have indicated that this is the first step of their partnership and they will look to identify additional collaboration opportunities including frequent flyer program cooperation.
Summary
Philippine Airlines and Qatar Airways have announced a strategic partnership. The first phase will see Philippine Airlines launch service between Manila and Doha, codesharing with Qatar Airways. The airlines have indicated that they are exploring additional collaboration opportunities including frequent flyer program reciprocity.