Philippine Airlines 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.
In an application filed with the U.S. Transportation Department (DOT), Philippine Airlines (PAL) says it hopes to launch flights connecting Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport (MNL) and Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) for “the summer 2026 [International Air Transport Association] traffic season and therefore seeks expedited approval of this request so that it might commence sales.”
The carrier adds that the proposed flights are authorized under the U.S.-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 says 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 U.S. destination and seventh in North America. The carrier currently operates 44X-weekly roundtrips between MNL and points in North America, serving Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, New York John F. Kennedy, Honolulu, Vancouver and Toronto.
In total, PAL offers about 31,640 two-way weekly nonstop seats in the North America-Philippines market and accounts for roughly 68.5% of capacity, according to OAG Schedules Analyzer data.
The broader U.S.-Philippines market is also served by United Airlines, which operates 14X-weekly San Francisco-Manila flights and daily Cebu-Los Angeles service via Tokyo Narita, and Air Canada, which flies Toronto Pearson-Manila 4X-weekly.
DOT records show there has never been scheduled nonstop service between Chicago and Manila. Sabre Market Intelligence data indicates about 118,200 passengers traveled between Chicago and the Philippines in the 12 months to June 2025, all via connecting itineraries. Taipei, Taiwan; Seoul; and Hong Kong were the largest one-stop gateways.
At 8,121 mi. (7,057 nm), MNL-ORD would rank as PAL’s third longest route and likely require deployment of its new Airbus A350-1000 fleet. The airline took delivery of Southeast Asia’s first A350-1000 in December 2025 and has eight more on order. The type’s advertised range of about 9,000 nm would comfortably cover the sector.
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