INTERNATIONAL arrivals at the main gateway airport have fallen more than 16.7% since late January due to travel disruptions caused by the outbreak in China of the coronavirus, which is formally known as Covid-19.
In a briefing Wednesday, Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) General Manager Ed V. Monreal said the decline is equivalent to 300,000 tourists.
“We have tracked down since Jan. 25 up to two days ago, February 17, ang kabawasan po ng mga pasahero sa international base sa aming pagtatala ay umabot na ng over 16% in that particular period (the decline in international passengers was over 16% during the period),” Mr. Monreal said.
Jan. 25 was the date of Lunar New Year in 2020, peak travel season for Chinese holidaymakers.
Foreign arrivals over the period amounted to 1,352,692, down from 1,624,698 a year earlier.
Mr. Monreal said aircraft movements — the combination of takeoffs and landings — were down over 22% after Philippine carriers cancelled service to China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan after the government banned travel to and from those destinations.
The virus continues to depress travel activity overall. The World Health Organization estimated as of Feb. 18 there were over 73,000 confirmed cases worldwide, with 99% are in China. — Gillian M. Cortez
