Flag carrier Philippine Airlines has cancelled a number of flights over the lack of a decision from the Philippine government on whether to lift or increase the cap of 4,000 in airports.
PAL cancelled a Manila-Singapore flight PR507/508 on Dec. 21. It also rescheduled a Manila-Damman flight after reaching the cap at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.
RELATED STORY: PH urged to lift travel cap for OFWs’ Christmas homecoming
“We seek the public’s understanding over this unfortunate situation. We are a vital air bridge to bring families together, and we try to do all we can to fly our countrymen home, hence the flights we had arranged to serve their urgent travel needs,” Dexter Lee, senior vice president and chief strategy and planning officer of PAL, said in a statement.
“However, we have to abide by the latest limits and we regret that this will prevent us from serving many travelers,” he added.
PAL has been pushing to increase the daily airport cap to 10,000 ahead of the Christmas season to accommodate more balikbayans coming home.
READ ON: ‘The cap jacked up ticket prices to $7,000’: Locsin wants travel cap for returning OFWs lifted
PAL adds that with the present limit on arrivals, this might prevent thousands of Filipinos from returning home.
“The flag carrier is left with no choice but to cancel certain flights to comply with the stricter limits on certain days. An unplanned shortage in quarantine hotel rooms allotted for OFWs has limited the ability of Owwa to absorb arrivals from OFW-heavy countries,” PAL said. (AW)
