Philippine Airlines Launches Major New 17-Hour Nonstop US Route: See Map Now

Published Nov 8, 2026, 1:01 PM EST A graduate in German, Jake has a passion for history and regional aviation, and enjoys sampling new carriers and aircraft. He has visited OEM facilities as far and wide as Bristol, Toulouse, and Seattle, and recently enjoyed the milestone of flying his 150th sector as a passenger. Based in Norfolk, UK. Philippine Airlines will operate its first-ever nonstop passenger flight from Ninoy Aquino International Airport (MNL) to Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) on Monday. The launch of these flights, which top out at a planned block time of almost 17 hours on the westbound leg back to Manila, will expand the airline's US network to eight cities, five of which are on the mainland. In the run-up to the launch, Philippine Airlines has targeted Chicago as a city that will not only be fertile ground for end-to-end connectivity to Manila, but also for passengers from the 'Windy City' looking to connect to Philippine domestic markets. It also believes the flights will interest flyers looking to access other regional markets in Asia. Airbus A350s will serve this route. Chicago Bound Philippine Airlines first announced its plans to link Manila and Chicago on a nonstop basis back in April. These flights will operate three times a week, on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, in both directions. At the time of the announcement, Philippine Airlines was offering limited-time round-trip basic economy fares of just $667. These were available on bookings made until May 31. According to scheduling data from Cirium, an aviation analytics company, these thrice-weekly flights are set to operate year-round, with a monthly peak of 14 departures in March 2027. Richard Nuttall, the President of Philippine Airlines, said that "serving the Chicago–Manila corridor will create vital links to key regional destinations and major Philippine domestic markets through our Manila hub." Nuttall also spoke about the significance of the Chicago market. "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." Almost 17 Hours On The A350 Credit: Minh K Tran | Shutterstock Transpacific flights from Asia to the US are long at the best of times, even when flying to the West Coast. With Chicago being located much further inland, these flights are even more of a marathon, with the westbound leg from MNL to ORD, PR132, having a block time of 14 hours and 15 minutes. This flight will leave Manila at 4:40 PM and touch down in the Windy City at 4:55 PM local time. After just under six hours on the ground, the return flight, PR133, is set to leave Chicago O'Hare at 10:45 PM. Given the strong transpacific headwinds it will face on the way back to the Philippines, this leg has a much longer block time, with arrival in Manila not until 16 hours and 40 minutes later, at 5:25 AM the next day. The morning arrival makes it ideal for onward connections. Philippine Airlines' A350-900 Layout Class Seats Business 30 Premium Economy 24 Economy 241 Total 295 Cirium data shows the 295-seat A350-900 is the aircraft of choice on this route. As detailed in the table above, it has a three-class layout, with the economy cabin featuring nine seats per row in a 3-3-3 configuration. While this is typical for the A350, Philippine Airlines' larger A350-1000 has 10 seats per row in a 3-4-3 layout. Philippine Airlines' Fifth Mainland US Destination, Eighth Overall Chicago's arrival in Philippine Airlines' American network means the carrier now serves five destinations on the US mainland. The others are Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), San Francisco International Airport (SFO), and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA). These routes are served by A350s and 777s. These are not the carrier's only US links. Elsewhere, Philippine Airlines also serves three additional American destinations outside the mainland. These are Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport (GUM), Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL), and Francisco C. Ada International Airport (SPN). The latter of these routes is served by PAL Express, its regional brand.