Local Carriers To Increase Flights To The Middle East

Quarantine for Passengers from Yellow List Countries Only 

22 November 2021

Local carriers Philippine Airlines, Inc. (PAL) and Cebu Pacific (CEB) has announced it will add more flights from the Middle East to the Philippines in the next two weeks after the government approved easing of quarantine restrictions for returning overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and leisure travelers from green-listed countries last week.

PAL on its part said it will also increase flights to various Asian countries listed on the green  zone as more overseas Filipinos are expected to fly home next month.

 PAL said it recently brought in more than 10,000 overseas Filipinos by using alternate gateways such as Cebu, Bohol, Subic and Davao to prevent the cancellation of their flights.

“These include our recent rerouting of flights from Bangkok to Panglao; Dubai to Subic, Davao or Cebu; Los Angeles and San Francisco to Cebu; Kuala Lumpur to Laoag; Doha to Subic; and other routes,” the flag carrier said in a statement.

The airline however said that increase flights to the United States, Canada and Australia may be possible in December as the Inter Agency Task Force for Emerging and Infectious Diseases (IATF) removed quarantine protocols to fully vaccinated passengers from green listed countries who test negative from covid19 infections on their arrival to the country under Resolution No. 149-A.

With the easing up of quarantine protocols from green countries, more passengers from yellow listed countries can be accommodated to quarantine facilities in Manila, Cebu, Davao, Clark, Subic, Laoag, and Panglao.

Manila quarantine facility capacity has been raised last week from 4,000 passengers to 6,000 passengers per day to accommodate additional flights from yellow listed countries. Meanwhile, Cebu, Davao, Clark, Subic and Panglao quarantine facilities were also increased to 4,000 from the previous 2,000 to address passenger traffic from yellow listed countries such as the United States, Canada, and Australia.

Passengers from green listed countries does not count from quarantine limit beginning 22 November as they will not undergo facility-based quarantine restrictions, unlike those from yellow listed countries.

Local airlines previously lament that more alternative gateways in the country need to be opened due to the Manila arrival limits. This has been addressed by the IATF last week, requiring facility-based quarantine protocols only for passengers arriving from yellow list countries.

Travel from red-list countries, such as Amsterdam