Emirates
Emirates said it has restricted capacity on Dubai-Manila route following a directive from Philippines’ aviation regulator Image Credit: Gulf News Archive

Dubai: Emirates airline on Wednesday said it has restricted flight capacity on the Dubai-Manila route following a directive from Philippines’ aviation regulator.

“We continue to follow the Philippine Civil Aviation Authorities’ directive to restrict capacity on inbound international flights,” said an Emirates spokesperson.

Emirates said that while flights from Dubai to Clark and Cebu will operate normally, capacity will be restricted on the Manila route until April 18.

“Our outbound flights from the three points in the Philippines remain unaffected - while we cannot accommodate all with their preferred flight schedule, we are working hard to minimise disruption as much as possible,” the airline’s spokesperson said.

In order to prevent the spread of new COVID-19 variants in the country, the international inbound arrivals at the Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) will be limited to a maximum of 1,500 passengers from March 18 to April 18, 2021, according to Philippines Civil Aeronautics Board.

Etihad limits numbers

Following regulations being updated by the Philippines authorities, a further limit on the number of passengers per flight allowed to disembark at Manila International Airport has been applied, said an Etihad spokesperson.

“As a result, Etihad Airways is temporarily restricting the number of passengers carried between Abu Dhabi and Manila from March 18 until April 18,” the spokesperson added. “We will work closely with impacted guests and travel agents to notify them of the changes to their itineraries and re-accommodate them on alternative flights