MANILA, 6 May 2026: The Department of Tourism Philippines (DOT) welcomes Air China’s inaugural service from Chongqing to Manila (CKG-MNL) on Saturday, 2 May, marking a crucial step towards recovering the Philippines’ previously robust Chinese tourist arrivals.
This follows the recently restored visa-free policy for Chinese tourists entering the country via Manila and Cebu, DOT reported on its Facebook page. The new Air-China route makes travel more convenient for prospective tourists from one of China’s major metropolitan areas and outbound travel markets.
The aircraft from Chongqing landed in Manila at 0050, carrying 155 passengers, and was greeted by DOT through its National Capital Region (NCR) Office and Routes Development Unit.
Flights depart Chongqing four times weekly on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday using Boeing 737-800 aircraft with 167 seats. Flight time is four hours.
Meanwhile, the outbound MNL-CKG flight departed from the Philippines at 0150 local time, carrying 145 passengers.
The return flights depart Manila on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.
Air China already flies direct routes between Chengdu and Beijing and Manila. As of the first quarter of 2026, the airline had operated 131 direct flights to the Philippines, with approximately 34,000 seat capacity.
China is one of the Philippines’ top tourist markets, with 150,708 visitors recorded in the e-travel system as of 30 April 2026.
Flight schedule
CA481 departs Chongqing (CKG) at 2050 and arrives in Manila (MNL) at 0050.
CA482 departs Manila (MNL) at 0150 and arrives in Chongqing (CKG) at 0540.
(Source: Department of Tourism Philippines, plus online timetables)