PAL to mount special flights for stranded passengers to and from China due to nCoV
MANILA, Philippines — Philippine Airlines (PAL) announced Thursday that it will be mounting special flights to ferry stranded passengers after flights going to and from mainland China set for February were suspended due to the threat of the 2019-novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV).
“Philippine Airlines will be mounting special flights on FEBRUARY 10, 2020 MONDAY to assist passengers stranded as a result of the cancellation of all PAL flights to and from mainland China for the month of February, amidst the ongoing coronavirus (nCoV ARD) situation,” PAL management said in its advisory.
The flag carrier’s management said the special flights will serve the Manila to Xiamen route and vice versa.
PAL said they will use the 199-seater Airbus A321 aircraft for the special flights.
The outbound flight from Manila will assist Chinese and other foreign nationals to travel to mainland China through the Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport. The inbound flight from Xiamen meanwhile will help Filipino citizens and holders of Philippine permanent resident visas to return to the Philippines.
The schedule of special flights are as follows:
Flight PR 334 will depart Manila for Xiamen at 7:30 AM on February 10, (Monday) arriving at 9:55 AM.
The returning PR335 flight will depart Xiamen at 11:05 AM and will arrive in Manila at 1:50 PM on February 10 (Monday).
PAL said the special flights are still subject to final government approval.
“These special flights are subject to final government approvals, including the waiver of the Filipino travel ban for concerned pilots and cabin crew, who will have to submit to home quarantine for 14 days after their return to the Philippines,” read the advisory.
It can be recalled that PAL canceled flights to mainland China on Feb. 2 after President Rodrigo Duterte ordered a travel ban to China.
Duterte’s travel ban came after a 44-year-old Chinese man died due to severe pneumonia caused by novel coronavirus acute respiratory disease (2019-nCoV ARD).
