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PAL to launch maiden flight between Cotabato, Tawi-Tawi

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<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/ancx/culture/2020/31/1pal.jpg" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/ancx/culture/2020/31/1pal.jpg"/></figure></div><p>MANILA — Philippine Airlines (PAL) will conduct its maiden flight from Cotabato City to Bongao, Tawi-Tawi on June 9, marking the first flight within the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).</p><p>In a statement Monday, PAL said that the new route will operate twice weekly, on Mondays and Thursdays.</p><p>Flights from Cotabato to Tawi-Tawi are scheduled to fly at 7:30 a.m., while Tawi-Tawi to Cotabato flights will be flying at 9:40 a.m., the airline said.</p><p>&quot;The new service connects BARMM’s mainland areas to its island region, with Cotabato’s Awang Airport and Tawi-Tawi’s Sanga-Sanga airport as travel gateways,&quot; PAL said.</p><p>With the new flights, travelers who wish to travel within BARMM will &quot;save several hours&quot; of travel, as they need not book a flight to Manila to get to their destinations.</p><p>“We are honored to make history by operating the first flight within the new Bangsamoro region, giving us a new opportunity to serve its 4.9 million people,” said PAL President and COO Capt. Stanley Ng.</p><p>“We look forward to contributing, in our own way, to the development of tourism and commerce in Bangsamoro through regular flights that help promote unity and economic activity in this dynamic region as well for the rest of Mindanao,&quot; he said.</p><p>For his part, BARMM Chief Minister Ahod Ebrahim said that his government is &quot;happy&quot; of the &quot;long-awaited service between Cotabato and Tawi-Tawi,&quot; which he said will support the region&#x27;s economic and tourism development.</p><p>The maiden flight comes 7 months after talks were initiated between PAL and the Bangsamoro government, its Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) said in a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/motcbarmm/posts/388946696609127">Facebook post</a>.</p><p>The Cotabato-Tawi-Tawi flight was first scheduled on December 20, 2021 but did not push through due to Typhoon Odette.</p><p>The maiden flight&#x27;s date was also pushed back further due to stricter travel restrictions brought by the coronavirus omicron variant, the May 9 elections, and Tropical Cyclone Agaton last April.</p><p>In line with the maiden flight, the ministry noted that it has coordinated with the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to develop the Sanga-Sanga Airport.</p><p>The project includes a new passenger terminal in the airport, which is expected to be completed in 2025.</p><p>The BARMM-MOTC said it has also requested the immediate completion of the new passenger terminal in Cotabato City&#x27;s Awang Airport.</p><div><strong>FROM THE ARCHIVES:</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Tmn_ucZPyRk?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>

The June 9 maiden flight will mark the first air link within the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, PAL said.