Flag carrier Philippine Airlines on Monday announced it is cancelling all domestic flights to and from Manila (MNL) from August 4 to 18. The move, according to PAL spokesperson Cielo Villaluna, came after the government placed Metro Manila or the National Capital Region under Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ) area for two weeks.
"Domestic flights between Clark, Cebu, Davao and cities other than Manila are not affected and shall remain operational," she said. Budget carrier Cebu Pacific also canceled all its domestic flights to and from Manila during the two-week MECQ to be reinstated starting Tuesday. In an advisory, CebPac said all its flights, including those of its subsidiary Cebgo, to and from Metro Manila are canceled from August 4 to 18.
It noted, however, that it will continue to operate flights between Clark and Cebu, and between Clark and Davao, all every Tuesday. Villaluna said PAL's international flights to and from Manila shall continue to operate, but subject to further guidelines from the authorities in line with quarantine capacity and related arrangements. Domestic passengers of these canceled flights have options to rebook, refund or convert their ticket into a travel voucher.
"We seek the understanding and full cooperation of our passengers as we make these necessary changes to comply with the government directives and above all to support public safety," Villaluna said. Cebu Pacific also noted that it intends to continue operating its overseas flights between Manila and Dubai and Manila and Singapore. It also plans to continue with flights from Manila to Seoul, from Tokyo to Manila, and from Osaka to Manila.
"Flights between Manila and Taipei, along with all other Cebu Pacific international flights, are also canceled during this time," it said. Affected passengers can choose to rebook their flights within three months of the original flights, place the ticket cost in a travel fund, or be fully refunded.