Philippine Airlines has announced the signing of a new strategic partnership and codeshare deal with Qatar Airways to coincide with the latter carrier starting new daily nonstop flights from Manila to Doha. The new services are due to commence on June 16, 2025, and the new agreement will enable “greater connectivity for passengers from the Philippines traveling to Qatar and onwards to other regions of the world,” say the carriers.
With the commencement of the Manila to Doha route, Qatar Airways will codeshare on the seven weekly flights operated by Philippine Airlines in the first phase of this strategic cooperation. The daily flights will depart Manila at 18:50 local time and arrive in Doha at 23:40 (flight number PR684). This arrival time will provide travellers from the Philippines with connectivity to over 170 destinations across the Qatar Airways network, spanning Africa, the Americas, Central Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.
Likewise, eastbound travellers arriving in Doha-Hamad International Airport (DOH) on Qatar Airways flights can connect onto Philippine Airlines flight PR685 that departs daily from Doha at 01:30 for an afternoon arrival at Manila-Ninoy Aquino International Airport (MNL) at 16:15.
“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,” said Qatar Airways’ Chief Commercial Officer, Thierry Antinori. “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 travellers.”
Philippine Airlines President and Chief Operating Officer, Captain Stanley K. Ng, added, “As Philippine Airlines expands its presence across the globe, we are delighted to forge new alliances that enable us to build new connections and give our business and leisure passengers more flexibility and seamless access in flying to their desired destinations.”
“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,” Captain Ng said
According to a Qatar Airways statement, the partner airlines “will explore further opportunities for long-term collaboration, including collaborating to promote additional destinations in the respective networks of Qatar Airways and Philippine Airlines as well as frequent flyer cooperation.”
The new daily nonstop flights will be operated on Philippine Airlines’ long-range Airbus A330-300 aircraft in a dual-class configuration, featuring 18 flat-bed seats in business class and 341 seats in the main economy class cabin. The airline currently operates 11 of this type in its fleet with an average age of 11.12 years. Each is powered by a pair of Rolls-Royce Trent 700 engines.
