Manila: Air India is set to roll out its non-stop flights from Manila to Delhi starting October 1, a highly anticipated development for the Philippine tourism sector as it aims to boost visitor arrivals from the Indian market.
According to Philippines News Agency, Air India's service to Manila will operate five days a week-on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays-using the airline's Airbus A321neo aircraft. This strategic move coincides with the Philippines introducing a visa-free entry for Indian tourists for up to 14 days.
The Indian Embassy in Manila, in a statement, highlighted the launch as a welcome development for both tourism and people-to-people links between the two states. "The Embassy welcomes the announcement by Air India, India's leading global airline, to launch its non-stop direct flight between Delhi and Manila starting 1 October 2025," it stated. The embassy emphasized that the direct flight would significantly boost tourism, business, and people-to-people contacts between the two countries.
Air India chief executive officer and managing director Campbell Wilson remarked on the new entry rules for Indian tourists, stating, "As outbound travel from India grows at an unprecedented pace, with Indian tourists ranking among the highest spenders globally, the new entry rules for Indian tourists are a shot in the arm to boost tourism to the Philippines." He expressed enthusiasm for the opportunities this presents for cultural exchange and economic collaboration between the two nations.
The tourism industry had been advocating for the direct flight to tap into the substantial Indian outbound market and to compensate for the decrease in Chinese inbound travelers. In 2024, around 79,000 Indian visitors traveled to the Philippines, marking over 12 percent growth compared to the previous year, but still fewer than the numbers recorded by other neighboring Southeast Asian states. ASEAN data indicated that more than 4.2 million Indians traveled to Southeast Asia alone in 2024.
Bookings for Air India's Manila-Delhi flights are open on all channels, including the airline's website.
