Major carriers of the UAE, Etihad and Emirates halted their flights to Manila, following the decision of the Philippine government expanded its travel ban on all travellers going to the Philippines from Oman and the UAE starting May 15 until May 31.
The Philippine government on Thursday temporarily restricted passenger entry from United Arab Emirates, Oman and other countries, from May 15 until 31, 2021 to manage the threat of Indian coronavirus variant.
The Inter-Agency Task Force also decided to extend a travel ban on all passengers from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka for two more weeks until May 31.
Etihad
In a statement, Etihad Airways said passengers from the UAE and Oman will not be accepted for travel to Manila (MNL) effective Friday 14 May at 23:59 UAE time until further notice, with the exemption of Filipino citizens who are part of the government repatriation program.
Meanwhile, Etihad said flights for transit passengers from non-restricted countries and flights from Manila with passengers travelling to Abu Dhabi and across its network will continue.
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“Etihad will continue to operate flights to Manila carrying transiting passengers from non-restricted countries and flights from Manila with passengers travelling to Abu Dhabi and across our network. These passengers will be subject to acceptance and quarantine conditions,” the airline said.
Etihad added it is working closely with impacted guests to notify them of the changes to their itineraries.
More information is available on etihad.com/destinationguide, through the mobile app, or by calling the Etihad Airways Contact Centre on +971 600 555 666 (UAE). A list of other local Etihad contact centres is available at etihad.com/contacts
Affected passengers may manage their bookings at: https://www.etihad.com/en/manage
Emirates
Emirates also cancelled flights to Manila following Philippine government’s travel ban decision.
“Restrictions on the carriage of passengers into the country will be in effect from 15 to 31 May 2021. Passengers whose journey originates from the UAE, including Filipino nationals, will not be accepted for travel to all points in the Philippines. During this time, flights will continue to operate as scheduled and passengers transiting in Dubai and those returning to the Philippines under the government repatriation programme will be allowed to travel. We regret the inconvenience caused, and affected customers should contact their booking agent or Emirates call centre for rebooking,” the statement read.
Passengers may opt to rebook or refund their bookings at:
https://www.emirates.com/ae/english/manage-booking/change-flight/
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Philippine Airlines
The Philippines flag carrier, Philippines Airlines said that they were awaiting for advice from Philippine authorities regarding travel restrictions.
“Our flight schedules are subject to change to comply with the evolving travel and government restrictions,” it said.
Affected passengers are encouraged to check details on passenger options:
https://www.philippineairlines.com/en/ph/home/covid-19/passengeroptions
They may also submit rebooking, refund, or travel voucher requests through https://mypal.vip/url/RequestHub.
If the ticket was purchased from a travel agency, passengers will have to contact their travel agent for further assistance with booking.
Cebu Pacific
Cebu Pacific released an advisory to its passengers on Thursday announcing the suspension of flights to Dubai.
” CEB has cancelled its flights to and from Dubai starting May 15 to 31, 2021,” the carrier said in a statement.
“Affected passengers are being informed via the contact details provided in their booking,” it furthered.
Cebu Pacific said guests may select their preferred option (Unlimited rebooking or 2-year Travel Fund or Refund) through the Manage Booking portal on the Cebu Pacific website (http://bit.ly/CEBmanageflight) up to two (2) hours before their flights.
The airline noted it permanently removed Change Fees in March.
Cebu Pacific added that it will continue to operate its domestic and international flights as scheduled.
“Passengers are strongly advised not to proceed to the airport without a confirmed flight,” the airline said.
Passengers were advised to visit the carrier’s website for more information. http://bit.ly/DXBflightsuntilMay31
(RA)
