Air China has launched a direct Chongqing–Manila route, offering four weekly Boeing 737 rotations and expanding the carrier’s Philippine network to 15 round trips per week. The service, announced on 6 May by the Civil Aviation Administration of China, comes less than four months after Manila introduced a 14-day visa-free regime for Chinese nationals. Chongqing is western China’s largest manufacturing centre and a key logistics node on the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor. The new flight reduces door-to-door travel times to Metro Manila from 11 hours (via Beijing or Guangzhou) to under five, a boon for auto-parts exporters and electronics suppliers with plants in the Clark Freeport and Subic Bay. For Philippine tourism officials the route is equally strategic. China was the archipelago’s second-largest source market before the pandemic, and the Department of Tourism hopes easier access will revive visitor numbers to pre-2020 levels by year-end. Inbound capacity now covers Beijing, Shanghai and Chongqing, with Guangzhou expected to follow in June. Mobility managers moving project engineers between Chongqing’s shipyards and Philippine ship-repair zones should note that the Philippines’ visa-free stay cannot be extended in-country; overstays incur fines of US$100 per day. Chinese expatriates on longer assignments must still apply for 9G pre-arranged employment visas and Alien Employment Permits.
![Air China inaugurates Chongqing–Manila service as Philippines waives visas for Chinese visitors]()
Travelers who want a hassle-free way to keep track of those requirements can tap VisaHQ’s China portal (https://www.visahq.com/china/), which provides real-time updates and hands-on assistance for tourist, business and 9G employment visas alike—ideal for companies shuttling staff between Chongqing and the Philippines on short notice.
The route also illustrates a wider Southeast-Asia bounce-back. Singapore Airlines, Philippine Airlines and Xiamen Air have each restored frequencies to second-tier Chinese cities, betting on pent-up demand as corporate clients accelerate regional diversification of supply chains.
Travelers who want a hassle-free way to keep track of those requirements can tap VisaHQ’s China portal (https://www.visahq.com/china/), which provides real-time updates and hands-on assistance for tourist, business and 9G employment visas alike—ideal for companies shuttling staff between Chongqing and the Philippines on short notice.
The route also illustrates a wider Southeast-Asia bounce-back. Singapore Airlines, Philippine Airlines and Xiamen Air have each restored frequencies to second-tier Chinese cities, betting on pent-up demand as corporate clients accelerate regional diversification of supply chains.
