On November 14, Dragonair announced that it will launch a new service to Manila, the capital and economic hub of the Philippines and a popular destination for both business and leisure travellers from Hong Kong.

The new service will commence on December 15, 2008, with a five-times-weekly flight operated by an A320 aircraft. The launch of the destination will offer new opportunities for people travelling between Hong Kong and the Philippines.

"We are excited to announce our entry into the Philippines market to offer a wider choice of options for travellers. Traffic flow and demand between Manila and Hong Kong continues to grow and the new service will be a significant boon in terms of business and trading activities between Hong Kong and the Philippines," said Dragonair Chief Executive Officer Kenny Tang.

"The new addition reinforces Dragonair's long-term commitment to build on our network not only in our core Mainland market but also in Asia. Despite the current financial crisis, we are confident in the long-term prospect of the travel industry. We believe that the Manila service will perform well and will play an important role in our business in the years to come."

The flight schedule for the new service, subject to government approval, is as follows:

Manila (MNL)

The schedule is designed to give travellers from Hong Kong a convenient departure after office hours and also offers passengers from the Philippines an early afternoon arrival in Hong Kong.

Manila is the ninth new destination Dragonair has added to its network since becoming part of the Cathay Pacific Group in September 2006.