Emirates and Philippine Airlines (PAL) have signed an interline agreement which enables passengers traveling between Manila and Dubai to connect to a second destination in a single itinerary. 

As of March 3, Emirates passengers flying to the Philippines can connect with 19 PAL-operated domestic flights to locations such as Cotabato, Davao and Iloilo, while PAL customers landing in Dubai can transit to 21 cities operated by Emirates including Cairo, Casablanca and Frankfurt. PAL does not operate any services to Europe or Africa. 

Neither airline is a member of an alliance. 

“Philippines is one of our strongest consumer markets and we’re pleased to sign a new interline agreement with the country’s flag carrier. The partnership with Philippine Airlines will help open new links for trade and tourism that will drive more inbound traffic into the Philippines, and expand Emirates’ footprint in East Asia,” Emirates Chief Commercial Officer Adnan Kazim says. 

CAPA/OAG data shows there are currently 28,064 weekly one-way seats between Manila and Dubai, operated by PAL, Emirates and Cebu Pacific. PAL has 17.1% of the market, far behind Emirates which boasts 47.1%.

The Middle East is an important market for overseas Filipino workers (OFW). According to the Philippine Statistic Authority, of the 1.83 million OFW in 2021, 14.1% worked in the UAE and 24.4 % in neighboring Saudi Arabia.