CAAP records 367 sweeper flights for stranded passengers

MANILA, Philippines — The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) has documented a total of 367 sweeper or special flights that catered stranded passengers nationwide from March 14 to 28.

According to CAAP spokesman Eric Apolonio, the sweeper flights fetched stranded travelers from various domestic airports and brought them to different international airports for their final flight home or out of the Philippines.

Meanwhile, 4,008 commercial flights were also recorded by CAAP during the period as it maintains operability under the enhanced community quarantine. The information was posted on CAAP’s Facebook page on Sunday.

https://www.facebook.com/caaphilippines/photos/a.1024655484252954/3118701111515037/?type=3&theater&_rdc=1&_rdr

“Continued service for cargo flights have been carried out, with 51 cargo flights being completed, in order to ensure that transport of goods is sustained,” the agency added.

In total, 8,335 flights were recorded by CAAP from March 14 to 28, including commercial, sweeper, general aviation, cargo, medevac, sweeper, utility or maintenance, weather mitigation, government, and military flights.

The national government has placed the entire Luzon under enhanced community quarantine to help curb the spread of the coronavirus disease, which has claimed the lives of 71 individuals and infected 1,418 in the country as of Sunday. A total of 42 patients have recovered from the illness.

The World Health Organization has declared COVID-19 a pandemic. Worldwide, the virus already infected more than 723,300 people and killed more than 33,990 as of March 30. On the other hand, over 151,800 people have recovered so far from the disease.

KGA