Philippine Airlines seeks approval for Manila-Chicago nonstop service

Philippine Airlines (PAL), a Philippines-based carrier, is seeking approval to launch nonstop service between Manila and Chicago, opening what would be the first-ever nonstop link between the Midwest hub and the Philippines, according to Aviation Week.

In an application filed with the United States Transportation Department, PAL states it hopes to launch flights connecting Manila's Ninoy Aquino International Airport and Chicago O'Hare International Airport for the summer 2026 International Air Transport Association traffic season.

The carrier adds the proposed flights are authorised under the US-Philippines Air Service Agreement, which allows Philippine carriers to operate to Honolulu, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Guam, Saipan, and four additional points in the United States to be selected by the government of the Philippines.

The Manila-based airline states the service "will open an entirely new gateway for scheduled U.S.-Philippine services and will offer passengers traveling from the Philippines to Chicago and the Midwest an important new service option."

If approved, Chicago would become PAL's sixth United States destination and seventh in North America. The carrier currently operates 44 times weekly roundtrips between Manila and points in North America, serving Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, New York John F Kennedy, Honolulu, Vancouver, and Toronto.

PAL offers approximately 31,640 two-way weekly nonstop seats in the North America-Philippines market and accounts for roughly 68.5 per cent of capacity, according to OAG Schedules Analyzer data.

DOT records show there has never been scheduled nonstop service between Chicago and Manila. Sabre Market Intelligence data indicates approximately 118,200 passengers travelled between Chicago and the Philippines in the 12 months to June 2025, all via connecting itineraries.

Read the full story on Philippine Airlines' Chicago route application.