An Asian airliner will ferry Manny Pacquiao and his family and training team to Macau, site of the Filipino star’s showdown with unbeaten Chris Algieri on Nov. 23, according to Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum.
Arum said Pacquiao is expected to touch down in Macau on the night of Nov. 17 after a three-hour flight from his training headquarters in General Santos City.
The airline company’s decision to ferry Paquiao to Macau is part of its goodwill gesture, said the 82-year-old Arum, who will be on hand to welcome his No. 1 fighter.
Arum is traveling to Hong Kong first before taking a short ferry ride to Macau.
Algieri will be the first to arrive in the former Portuguese colony and he and his team and Lee Samuels, the head of Top Rank’s publicity department, are expected to check in at The Venetian on Nov. 14.
Owing to his lofty status, Pacquiao has gotten used to flying either private or chartered although he still does commercial most of the time.
Recently, The Venetian dispatched a 13-seater jet to General Santos City and picked up Pacquiao for a media gig in Hong Kong. That same plane brought Pacquiao back to General Santos City after three days.
Over the last six years, Pacquiao has toured Asia, the US and Mexico on board a private jet, dropping by New York, Chicago, San Antonio, Dallas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Mexico City, Singapore, Shanghai and Beijing as part of his promotional duties.