Dubai-based Emirates Airlines has yet to confirm if they will be mounting special repatriation flights called ‘Bayanihan flights’ for the month of August.
“Currently we don’t have any confirmed special repatriation flights confirmed for August but will let you know if the situation changes,” Emirates Airlines told The Filipino Times in an email reply to our query.
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So far, only Philippine Airlines (PAL) has confirmed that they have indeed filed for the special ‘Bayanihan flights’ and are waiting for approvals. PAL, in a phone call to The Filipino Times, confirmed that they have applied for three flights a week from UAE to the Philippines.
Earlier, the Inter-Agency Task Force in the Philippines outlined that the airlines who will apply for the ‘Bayanihan flights’ should provide low rates for tickets and should allow and prioritize passengers whose flights have been affected by the travel ban since May.
READ ON: PAL confirms application for ‘Bayanihan flights’ from UAE to PH this August
“Airlines that provide the lowest economy rates and those capable of accommodating passengers with previously bought/confirmed tickets shall be prioritized,” read the statement from IATF as per a tweet from the Department of Foreign Affairs Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs, Sarah Lou Arriola.
Flight frequency will depend on the availability of identified hotels as quarantine facilities.
All special commercial flights will have a lead time of one week and shall be endorsed to the Department of Transportation – One Stop Shop.
