Philippine Airlines (PAL) has restored nonstop service between Manila and Chicago after a 38-year hiatus, adding a three-times-weekly link to the United States Midwest as the flag carrier broadens its North American network.

The service began on Nov. 9, with departures scheduled every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, the carrier said in a statement issued on Wednesday.

Chicago becomes PAL's eighth destination in the United States and its territories, joining Honolulu, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, New York, Guam, and Saipan. The addition makes Chicago the carrier's first US Midwest gateway, extending a network that otherwise spans the West Coast, Hawaii, the East Coast, and US territories in the western Pacific.

"For Philippine Airlines, this is a strategic addition to our North American network. It expands our presence to the Midwest and provides more convenient access to one of the largest regional economies in the United States," PAL Executive Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer Carlos Luis L. Fernandez said.

The new route links Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila with Chicago O'Hare International Airport, giving travelers a nonstop option between the Philippines and the US Midwest. PAL last served the city from November 1985 to April 1988.

"We know that many Filipinos and Filipino-Americans in Chicago, Illinois, and neighboring states have long looked forward to a direct and more convenient connection to the Philippines. We are proud to finally make this possible," Mr. Fernandez said.

According to the airline, the service is designed to strengthen connectivity for passengers traveling between the Philippines and Chicago as well as nearby states, with the Midwest gaining a direct link to the carrier's Manila hub for onward journeys.

The route launch comes as the carrier's listed parent, PAL Holdings, Inc., recently disclosed an attributable net loss of P8.06 billion for the third quarter, a reversal from the P1.37-billion profit posted in the same period last year, as higher fuel costs and operating expenses weighed on earnings. Third-quarter gross revenues rose 8.2% to P46.15 billion from P42.67 billion a year earlier, while gross expenses increased 30.3% to P52.37 billion from P40.19 billion. The Chicago debut adds network capacity at a time when expenses are growing faster than revenues, a gap the flag carrier's latest results laid bare.

Shares in PAL Holdings fell four centavos, or 0.93%, to close at P4.27 apiece at the local bourse on Wednesday. — Ashley Erika O. Jose