PAL monitoring US flights situation

Flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) on Saturday said it is closely monitoring air traffic situation in the United States after all flights were ordered grounded.

“PAL flights to and from US airports are being monitored on a per-flight basis,” the airline said in a statement.

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grounded all departing flights nationwide on Friday after a communications failure hit air traffic control centers across the country, disrupting thousands of flights, according to a report by Reuters.

The announcement meant planes in the air may land, but those on the ground cannot take off. Flight tracking service FlightAware said nearly 7,000 flights were delayed or canceled due to the nationwide ground stop.

PAL said that “flights already airborne and bound for the United States are allowed to proceed to their destinations.”

“Passengers are advised to check their flight status through PAL’s official communication channels for the latest updates,” it said.

The US FAA later lifted the nationwide ground stop after more than four hours.

More than 4,700 flights were canceled and 10,000 delayed on Friday, Reuters reported.

According to aviation analysts, it may take days for airlines to restore their schedules.

In a statement, PAL said it is monitoring the situation.

"Philippine Airlines continues to monitor its U.S. flights as operations normalize. Passengers are advised to check their flight status through PAL’s official communication channels for the latest updates," the company said. —KG, GMA News