MANILA - Flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) said Saturday it would resume direct flights to the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur after a five-year absence.

Beginning Sunday, PAL is to fly to Kuala Lumpur four times weekly.

The service was originally planned to begin in May, but was put off because of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak which decimated air travel throughout the region.

Suspended in 1988

PAL first flew to Kuala Lumpur in 1977, but the service was suspended in June 1998 after operational and financial difficulties forced the airline to restructure its route network.

PAL's return is expected to boost two-way traffic between the Philippines and Malaysia, which is forecast to expand by an average of five percent annually, the airline said.