BUDGET carrier Cebu Pacific said it recently resumed thrice weekly flights to Bangkok, as well as weekly flights to Fukuoka and Jakarta.
This in response to the Philippine government’s decision to make it easier for travelers to come to the country amid a global health crisis, the airline said in a statement e-mailed to reporters on Tuesday.
“Fully vaccinated passengers from visa-free countries can [now] visit the [Philippines] for business or leisure purposes, and are no longer required to observe mandatory facility-based quarantine upon arrival, as long as they present a negative RT-PCR (reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction) test result taken 48 hours prior arrival,” the budget carrier noted.
The airline also intends to resume flights to other international routes from Manila in March, including Ho Chi Minh (Saigon) on March 1 and Taipei on March 2.
At the same time, it plans to resume its daily Dubai-Manila flights starting March 1 after the United Arab Emirates lifted capacity restrictions.
“We continue to bank on the rebound of domestic tourism this year while remaining agile in addressing demand for international travel as well,” Cebu Pacific Chief Commercial Officer Xander Lao said.
“We are encouraged that with these positive indicators, more OFWs (overseas Filipino workers) can also fly back home easily and safely to their families,” he added.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has said the Philippine government’s move to open its borders to fully vaccinated foreign travelers will help facilitate the recovery of the aviation industry and the tourism sector.
But it also noted that more measures are needed to boost passenger confidence in air travel.
“We urge the Philippine government to take the following additional actions: make permanent the standardization of measures and exemption of quarantine, improving from the current temporary suspension; accept antigen tests for pre-departure testing; recognize digital vaccination certificates and testing certificates that are presented on digital platforms, such as the IATA Travel Pass,” Philip Goh, IATA’s regional vice-president for Asia-Pacific, said in a statement. — Arjay L. Balinbin
