PAL to mount special flights to fly stranded passengers to and from China

Flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) said Thursday it will be deploying special flights to ferry passengers to and from China who were stranded amid authorities’ efforts to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus acute respiratory disease (nCoV-ARD).

PAL said the special flights will be deployed on Monday, Feb. 10, 2020 to assist stranded passengers resulting from the cancellation of flights amid the nCoV threat.

“The special PAL flights serving the Manila-Xiamen and Xiamen-Manila routes will be staffed with pilots and cabin crew who volunteered for the service,” the airline said.

The flag carrier said it plans to use its 199-seater  Airbus A321 aircraft for the planned mission.

The inbound flight from Xiamen will enable Filipino citizens and holders of Philippine permanent resident visas to fly back to the Philippines. 

The outbound flight from Manila will allow Chinese and other non-Filipino nationals to return to mainland China via Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport, which is a gateway to other points in China.   

To recall, PAL was compelled to cancel its mainland China flights beginning February 2, after the Philippine government imposed a ban on travel of Filipinos to mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau, along with restrictions barring foreign nationals from China from entering the Philippines —except for those holding Philippine-issued Permanent Resident Visas.

Flight PR 334 will depart Manila for Xiamen at 7:30 a.m. on February 10, arriving at 9:55 a.m.

The return PR335 leg will depart Xiamen at 11:05 a.m., and arrive in Manila at 1:50 p.m. on February 10.

“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,” PAL said.

At present, 64 PAL crew members are undergoing the mandated 14-day quarantine after flying in from China prior to the imposed travel ban, the airline noted.

All PAL crew members are Filipino nationals, the carrier said. — RSJ, GMA News