Dubai-based Emirates Airlines is planning to open a new route in the Philippines as it seeks to expand flights between the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the country, the Department of Tourism (DOT) said Tuesday.

Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco disclosed the plan days after a productive meeting with executives from UAE’s flag carrier on the sidelines of the just concluded Arabian Travel Market 2025 (ATM) in Dubai.

“Emirates is now looking to expand its presence in the country in terms of flights as well as the number of destinations. At present, they are in Manila. They also land in Cebu and in Clark, and they have committed that these flights will continue,” she told reporters in an interview in Makati City.

“And they are looking at another destination as well that they will land in,” she added but declined to give specifics.

During the ATM on April 28, officials of the DOT and Emirates Airlines, the world’s largest international airline, signed a memorandum of understanding to partner on the promotion of the Philippines as a destination.

This new partnership, Frasco said, is in line with the DOT’s goal to “elevate the stature of the country as a preferred tourism destination” among travelers from the Middle East as well as Europe.

“Napaka-ganda ng partnership ng DOT at Emirates dahil sa pamamagitan nito ay magkakaroon tayo ng improved access and connectivity to the Philippines (This partnership between the DOT and Emirates is great because it will be able to improve access and connectivity to the Philippines). We’re highly dependent, almost entirely dependent on air travel, which is why we are doing our very best to really expand connectivity for the country,” she added. (PNA)