PAL mounts flight to Beirut to bring home 361 OFWs

Flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) said Friday it mounted a chartered flight to Beirut, Lebanon to ferry overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) back home.

In a statement, PAL said 361 OFWs flew to Manila from Beirut through a flight chartered by the Department of Foreign Affairs.

To accomplish the repatriation mission, the carrier said it deployed its 370-seater Boeing 777-300 (RP-C7778) for the Manila - Beirut - Manila flight.

“PAL flight PR8680 departed Manila on September 2 and arrived in Lebanon's capital city after a 12 hour 9 minute journey. After a two-hour ground stop and passenger boarding at Beirut's Rafic Hariri International Airport, the flight took off for its 12 hour 9 minute journey to Manila,” it said.

The said flight landed in Manila at 8:11 p.m. on Thursday, September 3.

“Upon arrival, passengers were briefed by the Bureau of Quarantine, Philippine Coast Guard and PAL representatives on the required testing and quarantine protocols,” PAL said.

“They were given the RT-PCR covid19 tests and were assisted with land transfers to their designated quarantine facilities where they will stay until test results are released,” it added. —Ted Cordero/KBK/AOL, GMA News