COVID-19: Several Philippine Airlines flights between Dubai and Manila cancelled

Dubai: Several flights operated by Philippine Airlines (PAL) between Dubai and Manila have been cancelled due to continued travel restrictions imposed by the Philippines government in view of the prevailing COVID-19 pandemic, a PAL official in Dubai confirmed to Gulf News on Monday.

PAL operates five weekly flights (PR658/659) between Dubai and Manila. However, there are no flights on April 27 and on May 1, 3, 6, 8, 13, 15, 20 and 27.

The Philippines flag carrier has been cancelling flights since last month after the Philippine government imposed a daily 1,500 cap on the number of incoming passengers to Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila as part of stringent measures to control the rise in daily COVID-19 cases.

Passenger options

PAL said those affected by the flight cancellations can avail of any of the following options: Rebook on the same cabin class (with rebooking service fees waived); get a refund against their tickets or convert an existing ticket into a travel voucher for future use.

PAL had earlier issued a statement on its website, saying: “If your flight is cancelled, we wish to assure you that your current tickets are safe and remain valid. If you need to take another RT-PCR test for your new flight schedule, you may undergo RT-PCR testing at PAL’s own testing facility at PAL Learning Center or PAL Gate 3.”

Speaking to Gulf News, Geoffrey Salatan, retail sales manager at a travel agency in Dubai, added: “It must be noted that airlines and travel agencies have no control on flight cancellations as they are obliged to abide by the protocol mandated by the government. It is indeed difficult as people travel not only for leisure, but to see their families and some go home on emergencies, for medical reasons and other important work. Passengers should also be aware that when rebooking, seat availability is a challenge.”