Cebu Pacific also canceled their domestic flights to and from Metro Manila. However, they will still continue to operate flights from their hubs in Manila, Clark, and Cebu.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 13) – Philippines Airlines, Cebu Pacific and AirAsia will begin a new round of flight suspensions in compliance with the current administration’s new travel limitations, which aim to slow the spread of the coronavirus disease or COVID-19.
The air carriers will be cutting domestic flights to and from Manila from March 15 to April 14.
“Our international flights and domestic flights on routes to and from Cebu, Clark and Davao (other than Manila) shall continue to operate within the period,” PAL said in a statement Thursday, shortly after President Rodrigo Duterte announced the fresh round of travel restrictions.
PAL’s international flights from Manila will continue during the period, it added.
“Flights not bound for Manila out of other AirAsia’s hubs in the Philippines–Clark, Cebu, and Kalibo–will continue their normal operations,” AirAsia said in a statement Friday.
Affected customers of the two budget airlines may also rebook with no additional fees or get a refund.
On Thursday, Duterte, upon the recommendation of experts from the Department of Health, quarantined Metro Manila, the region with the highest number of COVID-19 cases. For thirty days, trips by land, domestic air, and domestic sea will be suspended in an effort to reduce close contact between people. The disease is spread though small droplets from the nose or mouth when people infected with the virus cough or sneeze.
Duterte also expanded the country’s COVID-19-related travel ban. Non-Filipinos who come from countries with local transmissions of the virus will not be allowed entry into the Philippines, except Filipino citizens, their foreign spouse and children, permanent residents and holders of diplomatic visas.
Prior to the new restrictions, the country only denies entry from foreign travelers coming from China, Hong Kong, Macau and the South Korean province of North Gyeongsang.
Three more COVID-19 patients have died, the Department of Health announced Thursday, bringing the death tally in the Philippines to five. The number of COVID-19 cases in the country now stands at 52.
