BUDGET CARRIER Cebu Pacific said more than half of the domestic destinations on its network are now open for leisure travel.
“To date, 21 out of the 33 destinations are already accepting vacationing guests,” the budget carrier said in an e-mailed statement on Nov. 5. The company told BusinessWorld on Monday that it had yet to check if any changes occurred over the weekend.
The budget carrier’s latest list includes destinations that no longer require a coronavirus testing for fully vaccinated travelers, including Bohol, Butuan, Cebu, Clark, Dumaguete, Manila, Misamis Oriental, Ozamis, Roxas, San Jose, and Tacloban.
Destinations that still require coronavirus testing regardless of vaccination status are Boracay, Camiguin, Cauayan, Coron, Cotabato, Legazpi, Puerto Princesa, Siargao, Surigao, and Tuguegarao.
“We firmly believe domestic tourism is the way to go — and we remain cautiously optimistic as we gradually ramp up our network to pave the way for domestic travel recovery,” said Candice A. Iyog, Cebu Pacific vice-president for marketing and customer service.
“We’ve said this before, and we want to say it again — making travel easier for the public will encourage them to fly during this time. On top of ensuring safe travels, we call on the industry to continue working together so we inspire more people to travel responsibly and fly easy,” she added.
AIRASIA
Meanwhile, Philippines AirAsia, Inc. announced on Monday the resumption of its Singapore and Hong Kong flights to service overseas Filipino workers and business travelers.
“AirAsia Philippines is set to return to Singapore and Hong Kong this December to service overseas Filipino workers who will be coming to the Philippines for the Christmas break,” the low-cost airline said in an e-mailed statement.
Starting Dec. 4, the airline’s weekly Manila-Singapore flight will depart from Manila every Saturday at 8 a.m. and arrive at Changi Airport at 11:40 a.m.
Its return flight will depart Singapore at 12:25 pm and is expected to arrive in Manila around 4 p.m.
Philippines AirAsia’s bi-weekly Manila-Hong Kong flight will take off on Sundays from Manila at 8:35 a.m. and is expected to arrive at Hong Kong International Airport at 10:55 a.m.
The airline said its return flight will leave an hour after and is expected to land in Manila at 2 p.m.
“There are 165,000 overseas Filipino workers in Hong Kong and 30,000 in Singapore,” the low-cost carrier said, citing latest data from the Department of Labor and Employment. — Arjay L. Balinbin
