Saudi Arabia’s newest flag carrier landed at NAIA this month, a year after Air India opened the first nonstop India link in over a decade. A running guide to Manila’s new international routes.
Riyadh Air’s first flight into Manila touched down at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) at 3:55 p.m. on September 9 carrying 43 passengers. The return leg to Riyadh left with about 205. That gap hints at who the route mainly serves: Filipinos flying out to work and family in Saudi Arabia, the visiting-friends-and-relatives traffic airlines have cited when opening routes on this corridor.
The route is the newest in a run of direct international links into Manila over the past year. This piece tracks them and will be updated as new ones open.
Riyadh Air: Riyadh–Manila
Riyadh Air is Saudi Arabia’s second official flag carrier, alongside the older Saudia. It began commercial flights in June 2026, and Manila is its thirteenth destination and seventh in Asia. The route runs four times a week for now and moves to daily service from October 19, on Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners seating about 290 passengers. Flight RX0873 leaves Riyadh at 1:05 a.m. and lands in Manila at 3:55 p.m. The airline says it aims to have about 30 routes on sale by the end of 2026.
It enters a crowded corridor. Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific and Saudia already fly direct between the two countries, and Cebu Pacific added its own Riyadh–Manila service in March, with four flights a week. The Department of Tourism (DOT) has said Riyadh Air’s entry should strengthen connectivity as well as trade and tourism ties with Saudi Arabia.
Air India: Delhi–Manila
Air India opened nonstop Delhi–Manila flights on October 1, 2025, the first direct air link between India and the Philippines in over a decade and the first by an Indian airline. It launched with five flights a week on the Airbus A321LR, a single-aisle jet with business, premium economy and economy cabins.
The route arrived alongside a policy change on the Philippine side: Indian tourists can now enter visa-free for up to 14 days. Indian arrivals had already grown 12.4 percent in 2024 to nearly 79,000. For Filipino travelers, the flight also opens one-stop connections through Delhi to Air India’s network in Europe and North America.
What’s Coming Next
The next India link comes from the Philippine side. Philippine Airlines (PAL), the country’s flag carrier, announced on September 25 that it plans nonstop flights from Manila to both Delhi and Mumbai in December 2026, pending approval from the Indian government. The Delhi route would run three times a week, leaving Manila on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 10:40 p.m. and landing at 3 a.m. The Mumbai route would run four times a week, leaving Manila on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays at the same hour. Both would use the Airbus A321neo, a single-aisle jet with 12 lie-flat business-class seats and 156 in economy. On Delhi, PAL would compete directly with Air India. Mumbai would be a new city on Manila’s map, since Air India flies only to Delhi. PAL says the flights will also carry cargo, and travelers arriving from India can connect in Manila to Cebu, Bacolod, Cagayan de Oro, Iloilo and Davao.
Israeli carrier Arkia Israeli Airlines will connect Manila and Tel Aviv from January 3, 2027, with one flight a week on an Airbus A330-200. It will be the only direct service between the two countries, and the trip will run more than 12 hours. Closer in, Chinese regional airline Air Changan is operating a series of charter flights between Manila and Yichang from September 15 to October 22.
Why New Routes Matter
Every direct route removes a connection, and connections are part of what makes the Philippines harder to reach than its neighbors. ElysPlanet has argued that the country is losing the regional tourism race partly on access. New nonstop links from the Middle East, South Asia and China won’t fix that alone, but each one widens the pool of travelers who can land in Manila without changing planes first.
Field Notes
Riyadh Air (Riyadh–Manila): four weekly, daily from October 19, 2026; Boeing 787-9.
Cebu Pacific (Riyadh–Manila): four weekly since March 1, 2026.
Air India (Delhi–Manila): since October 1, 2025; five weekly at launch; Airbus A321LR.
Philippine Airlines (Manila–Delhi, Manila–Mumbai): planned from December 2026, pending Indian government approval; Delhi three weekly, Mumbai four weekly; Airbus A321neo.
Arkia Israeli Airlines (Tel Aviv–Manila): weekly from January 3, 2027; Airbus A330-200.
Air Changan (Yichang–Manila): charter flights, September 15 to October 22, 2026.
Worth knowing: schedules and frequencies change often, so confirm on the airline’s own site before booking.