Qatar Airways to increase weekly flights between Doha and Manila by six

The aviation agreement will provide more flight options for the 200,000 Filipino expatriates in Qatar. Sarah Dea / The National

Qatar Airways will add six flights a week between Doha and Manila after the Philippines reviewed its aviation agreement with Qatar.

The agreement will provide more flight options for the 200,000 Filipino expatriates in Qatar.

The six additional flights augment the existing nine flights between Doha and Ninoy Aquino aiport.

It said the aviation agreement would allow Qatar to operate “an open number” of flights between Qatar and other cities in the Philippines.

Qatar Airways also operates seven flights weekly between Doha and Clark International Airport, north-west of Manila, according to the Philippines Civil Aeronautics Board.

The Filipino community makes up about 8.7 per cent of Qatar’s 2.3 million population, according to estimates.

Separately, there were no new developments regarding Emirates airline's third daily flight to Manila, said the board.

Emirates’ right to operate the third flight between Dubai and Manila expired last October, but the board granted an extension for the airline to operate until January 26.

Before the approval of the extension, Emirates was fined US$40,627 for selling airfares through March.

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