PAL, Cebu Pacific monitoring Taiwan situation amid US-China tensions

Philippine Airlines (PAL) and Cebu Pacific are monitoring the situation in Taiwan as tensions rise amid China’s plan to conduct military exercises around the island.

"We are closely monitoring the situation in Taiwan. We have received the Notice to Airmen from Taiwan aviation authorities regarding a specific airspace closure from 12 noon August 4 to 12 noon August 7,” PAL spokesperson Cielo Villaluna said.

“Our flight to and from Taipei today, August 4 -  PR890/892 - operated as scheduled utilizing a designated cleared flight routing. Philippine Airlines assures that regular coordination is being carried out with Taiwan authorities,” she added.

Cebu Pacific said it is only accommodating essential travel between Manila and Taipei on a once-weekly flight.

“We are monitoring the situation but there are no changes in our network as of now,” the company said.

Beijing is planning its biggest-ever exercises around Taiwan in response to US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to the self-ruled island, according to a report by Agence France-Presse.

China, which considers Taiwan a part of its territory to be reclaimed one day, by force if necessary, was enraged by the trip by Pelosi—the highest-profile elected US official to visit the island in 25 years.

Meanwhile, ministers from the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) meeting in Phnom Penh warned against "provocative action."

The situation "could lead to miscalculation, serious confrontation, open conflicts and unpredictable consequences among major powers," the ministers said in a joint statement published Thursday. —VBL, GMA News