Philippines Airlines (PAL) plans to start services to Brisbane in March 2010.

The twice-weekly flights between Manila and Brisbane will operate via Melbourne, says the airline. It adds that it will operate an Airbus A330-300 on the route.

"The addition of a Brisbane service, our third destination in the country, is expected to boost PAL's market performance as the Australian economy remains resilient amidst the crippling worldwide recession," says the carrier's president Jaime J. Bautista.

The airline already flies to Melbourne via Sydney three times a week, and to Sydney via Melbourne four times a week, says an airline spokesman.

Source: Air Transport Intelligence news