WHAT’S BREWING, SEATTLE?
The Emerald City of Seattle has been a rising star in Philippine Airlines’ global network over the last three months, logging a successful peak holiday season marked by a healthy growth in travel across the Pacific.
This story of success and high potential began in April 2024, when PAL announced its plans to make Philippine aviation history by linking Manila and Seattle with nonstop flights – PAL’s first foray into the U.S. Pacific Northwest. It was the latest pioneer move by the airline that has served more gateways in the United States from Manila than any other carrier, starting with San Francisco, Guam, and Honolulu in 1946, Los Angeles in 1980, and New York in 1996 (with a comeback in 2015).
Last October 02, hope and optimism filled the NAIA T1 Gate 6 as passengers, industry stakeholders, and PAL personnel prepared to send off Flight PR 124 on its historic first flight to Seattle. The new service was lauded in the send-off remarks given by DOTr Secretary Jaime J. Bautista, DOT Assistant Secretary Sharlene Batin, and U.S. Ambassador MaryKay Carlson.
They were later joined by MIAA GM Eric Jose Ines, NNIC GM Angelito Alvarez, PAL Holdings Inc. President and COO Lucio Tan III, PAL President and COO Capt. Stanley K. Ng, and PAL Board Director Sheila Pascual for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially launch the new service.
At exactly 11:02 PM, with 308 passengers on board, RP-C7778 took off from Manila for the 12-hour journey to Seattle. Interestingly, RP-C7778 was the same Boeing 777-300ER aircraft this author picked up from Boeing’s Paine Field, just north of Seattle in Everett, on its delivery flight to Manila in 2016. This particular 777 would be a symbolic reunion with Seattle. For the PAL inaugural delegation on board, it was the start of a three day opportunity to bond with PAL’s newest destination and its people.
HELLO, SEATTLE
At 7:48 PM, PR124 landed at Seattle Tacoma International Airport. It was welcomed with a water cannon salute, a time-honored tradition celebrating the new transpacific connection. Capt. Jose Ramon Lozano, the company’s Chief Pilot for the Boeing 777 fleet, and his flight crew effortlessly directed the aircraft to gate S10.
Seattle community officials and a proud group of Filipino-Americans greeted the arriving passengers with welcome banners, treating them to cultural dances, Filipino snacks, and refreshments at the gate.
The following day was packed with fruitful activities for the PAL inaugural delegation. First, the delegates met with the Greater Seattle Partners (GSP), a public-private partnership group promoting jobs and investments in the Greater Seattle region. GSP President & CEO Brian Surratt had productive discussions with the PAL officials, who were joined by Philippine Consul General Neil Frank Ferrer and DOT Tourism Director/Attaché Marie Soleil Tropicales.
The PAL team then visited Boeing’s Customer Delivery Center at Boeing Field, where the manufacturer’s executives showcased the latest features of a Boeing 787, slated for delivery to another airline customer.
NIGHT AT THE GLASSHOUSE
The first day was capped with a glitzy inaugural gala for 200 guests at the Chihuly Garden and Glass Art Museum, situated just beneath the iconic Seattle Space Needle tower. Partygoers from various Seattle businesses and travel groups toasted the PAL Seattle-Manila route while partying to the tunes of the Side-A band under a stunning 100-foot glass sculpture by American artist Dale Chihuly. Lucky winners received golden tickets to fly to the Philippines, courtesy of PAL.
The PAL delegation met with Filipino Community of Seattle (FCS) at the Filipino Community Village.
CONNECTING WITH THE FILIPINO-AMERICAN COMMUNITY
The PAL team visited the Filipino Community of Seattle (FCS), one of the longest-standing, non-profit social service organizations in the United States. The FCS, established in 1935, supports Filipino and Filipino-American communities by promoting social justice and diversity while providing affordable housing, senior services, youth development, STEM programs, arts and culture programs, small business resiliency resources, and basic needs programs in food bags and warm meals. The group’s engagement and youth activities included courses to teach locals to speak Tagalog and cook Filipino dishes such as “lumpia” and “pan de sal.”
FCS Executive Director Agnes Navarro led a tour of the group’s Filipino Community Center (FCC) building, which provides affordable housing units to 326 individuals and offers weekly subsidized meals for seniors. Kristopher (Kris) Larsen, Director of IT & Workforce Development, was on hand to brief the group on a workforce development program for the formerly incarcerated. FCS is working to construct a Filipino Community Village to host 56 brand-new apartments to eradicate displacement in the Fil-Am community. The FCS works closely with the City of Seattle and other non-profit groups.
NEW LINK = NEW BONDS ACROSS THE SEA
The delegation’s three-day working visit to Seattle was short but very meaningful. By opening new friendships and working relationships that will help deepen collaboration between Filipinos and Americans, the inaugural activities capitalized on the airbridge opened by the new PAL Seattle service, uniting two dynamic cities ripe for trade, tourism, and healthy cultural exchanges.
See more photos from this story in this issue of The PALiner: https://thepaliner.philippineairlines.com/2025/01/23/the-paliner-january-2025-issue/
