Decision to suspend also made to ensure all OFWs in quarantine are well taken care of
(Eagle News)–The decision to temporarily suspend commercial flights in some airports in the country was made in a bid to decongest the quarantine facilities in Metro Manila, and to ensure that Overseas Filipino Workers required to undergo the 14-day quarantine are well taken care of.
This is according to Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., who issued a statement on Sunday, May 3.
According to Galvez, as of today, there are approximately 20,000 OFWs undergoing mandatory quarantine in Metro Manila.
He said the suspension was only temporary and would only be for one week.
He said exempted from the suspension are:
(1) Emergencies while enroute
(2) Cargo Flights
(3) Air Ambulance and medical supplies flights
(4) Weather mitigation flights
(5) Maintenance flights
“Also allowed to continue are sweeper flights for foreign nationals repatriating back to their respective countries,” Galvez said.
While all domestic air arrivals and departures at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport will remain suspended, Galvez said according to the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, international flights wishing to land and depart must request exemption with the CAAP “at least 36 hours before the scheduled departure from their place of origin.”
“Further updates will be provided by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) and the NTF Against COVID-19,” Galvez said.
Earlier, CAAP issued a notice to airmen on the suspension of commercial flights in nine airports.
MIAA also made its announcement on the suspension but did not give a period of time within which the suspension would last.
