Philippine Airlines will operate its first-ever nonstop passenger flight from Manila's Ninoy Aquino International Airport (MNL) to Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) on Monday, November 9. The service will run three times a week, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays in both directions, using the Airbus A350-900. Chicago becomes the carrier's eighth US city and its fifth on the US mainland.
The outbound flight, PR132, is scheduled to leave Manila at 4:40 p.m. and arrive in Chicago at 4:55 p.m. local time after a block time of 14 hours and 15 minutes. The return flight, PR133, departs Chicago at 10:45 p.m.; facing strong transpacific headwinds, it has a much longer block time of 16 hours and 40 minutes, arriving in Manila at 5:25 a.m. the next day, a morning arrival that suits onward connections. Philippine Airlines first announced the route in April, when it offered limited-time round-trip basic economy fares of $667 for bookings made until May 31. Cirium scheduling data shows the flights operating year-round, with a monthly peak of 14 departures in March 2027.
The route will use the carrier's 295-seat A350-900 in a three-class layout: 30 business, 24 premium economy and 241 economy seats, with nine seats per row in a 3-3-3 configuration in economy. Chicago joins Los Angeles, New York JFK (JFK), San Francisco and Seattle-Tacoma as the airline's mainland US destinations; it also serves Guam, Honolulu and Saipan, the last of these through its regional brand PAL Express. Philippine Airlines president Richard Nuttall said that "serving the Chicago–Manila corridor will create vital links to key regional destinations and major Philippine domestic markets through our Manila hub," adding that "Chicago is considered one of the premier hubs in the United States, and our entry into this vibrant city will provide direct connectivity to the Midwest."