Air Travel Opens June 1

PAL, CEB Announces International, Domestic routes resumption

30 May 2020

Air travel in the country is scheduled to resume regular commercial operations following the Philippine government decision to upgrade Manila and Cebu to General Community Quarantine (GCQ) status beginning June 1.

Secretary Arthur Tugade disclosed Friday that airport facilities across the country is prepared to accept travelers under the new normal scheme adopted by the government.

Tugade said MIAA (Manila International Airport Authority) will determine terminal usage depending on the number of flights that will be mounted. However, only flights duly approved by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) will be considered for slotting.

According to DOTr International operations shall continue subject to the 400 passengers a day cap imposed by the IATF for inbound flights.

DOTr said that out of twenty six (26) airlines operating in Terminal 1, twenty one (21) already submitted their flight plans. Most of these though will not be happening in the immediate future due to travel restrictions abroad.

Terminal 1 shall remain to service international commercial flights while Terminal 2 caters to all repatriation and sweeper flights and commercial domestic flights of Philippine Airlines. Terminal 3 will be used by Cebu Pacific and Air Asia for domestic flights while Terminal 4 shall remain closed.

Philippine Airlines (PAL) said they will reopen with 5-10 percent of its international network and 20-30 percent of local flights by June.

“We will slowly ramp up as demand picks up,” PAL President Gilbert Santa Maria said, noting that destinations will include transpacific flights to Los Angeles beginning June 1 and Singapore on June 3.

In the latest advisory, PAL said it will resume flights to the USA, Canada, Guam, Vietnam, mainland China, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Taipei, Singapore, Japan, the UAE, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. London and Sydney are being evaluated for resumption by the last week of June 2020.

It will not be operating any regular scheduled flights for the month of June to Auckland, Bali, Bangkok, Beijing, Brisbane, Busan, Fukuoka, Guangzhou, Hanoi, Macau, Melbourne, Phnom Penh, Perth, Port Moresby, Quanzhou (Jinjiang), Sapporo, Seoul (Incheon) and Shanghai.

Meanwhile, PAL will resume its domestic operations from Manila to Basco, Laoag, Legaspi, Puerto Princesa, Busuanga, Kalibo, Caticlan, Bacolod, Tacloban, Roxas, Tagbilaran, Cebu, Iloilo, Dumaguete, Butuan, Davao, General Santos, Cagayan de Oro, Ozamiz, Pagadian, Dipolog, and Zamboanga beginning June 8.

For Cebu hub, PAL will resume flights between Cebu and Davao.

Cebu Pacific (CEB) on the other hand will resume operations on June 2, 2020, with a limited number of domestic flights out of NAIA Terminal 3 on the following routes as approved by CAAP upon recommendations of IATF:

June 2-4 Manila-General Santos-Manila
June 3-4 Manila-Naga-Manila, Manila-Cagayan de Oro-Manila, Manila-Cebu-Manila

CEB international flights remain suspended from June 1 to 30, 2020.

Air Asia Philippines are likewise preparing flight resumptions on June 3 upon approval by DOTr and CAAP. Routes flown will be Manila to Cebu, Tacloban, Tagbilaran, Cagayan de Oro, Bacolod, and Davao. The airline will also fly Clark to Davao, Tacloban, and Cagayan de Oro. Other routes remain suspended.

1 comment:

  1. While NAIA opened already destination airports are closed because different LGUs prevent passengers from coming in. What they are allowing are repatriation flights were passengers will undergo 14 day quarantine, swab and blood test and X-ray. Apparently, mayors have the power to do this. That is what happen to the 5J General Santos flight yesterday. Regular flight was converted to special restricted flight.

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