Tourism and trade are expected to flourish between Cebu and Baguio City as a local airline company mounts a new route connecting these two tourism destinations beginning December 16, 2022.

Philippine Airlines (PAL) will mount four weekly flights between Cebu and Baguio City.

"This will be PAL's comeback to the very first destination we served nearly 82 years ago, so we are happy to be flying back to where it all started," said  PAL president and chief operating officer Capt. Stanley K. Ng.

Meanwhile, the Department of Tourism (DOT) sees the move as introducing Baguio to the international market, noting that Cebu is an international gateway.

Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia-Frasco said PAL's new Cebu-Baguio route would certainly provide new opportunities that would propel closer interaction between two of the most prominent tourist destinations in the country.

She added that this new route would increase arrivals, spur economic activities, and create demand for investments and employment not only for the two destinations but for their neighboring cities.

Baguio City is home to popular tourist spots – Burnham Park, Camp John Hay, Baguio Cathedral and Mines View Park among many others – and to the Baguio City Economic Zone, hosting major multinational firms in the electronics, technology, business process management and clothing industries.

PR 2230 will depart Mactan-Cebu International Airport at 8:50 a.m. and arrive at Baguio Loakan Airport at 10:50 a.m. every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday. Its return flight via PR 2231 will depart Baguio at 11:10 a.m. and arrive in Cebu at 1 p.m.

PAL's Cebu-Baguio route is the latest addition to the flag carrier's Cebu hub, a network of domestic flights connecting Cebu to various cities in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.