On Wednesday, national flag carrier Philippine Airlines announced the extension of the cancellation of flights to the Middle East, specifically between Manila, Philippines, and Dubai, United Arab Emirates until June 30, 2021.
In a travel advisory, PAL said the airline has been “compelled” to cancel flights between the two destinations due to the travel ban imposed for arriving passengers from the UAE. The restrictions are in place for the rest of June.
Flight PR-658 Manila-Dubai and PR-659 Dubai-Manila will both be canceled on June 16, 23, and 30. However, PAL said its flights to and from Doha (Qatar), and Riyadh and Dammam (Saudi Arabia) remain operational.
“Our flights to and from Qatar (Doha) and Saudi Arabia (Riyadh and Dammam) are continuing, and we fully intend to operate all of these flights to cater to the pressing travel needs of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs),” the airline said.
PAL reminded passengers that the airline is occasionally compelled to cancel flights to comply with capacity limitations in Manila. These cancellations sometimes happen when there is a shortage in the allocation of hotel rooms intended for OFWs, the airline explained.
Due to the shortage in quarantine accommodations and other limitations, PAL canceled 12 flights to Dammam, Doha, and Riyadh from June 1 to 15. The flag carrier estimates the cancellations, including the suspension of the Manila-Dubai route, affected 10,000 passengers.
“We sincerely regret the inconvenience to our passengers, and seek their kind understanding that this is a situation beyond our control,” PAL said.
PAL reassured it has been working with the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to arrange repatriation flights for affected passengers who wish to return home from the Middle East. Last June 14, PAL dispatched a repatriation flight from Dubai.
Passengers on these canceled flights may avail of travel vouchers, unlimited rebooking, and refund options. Guests may request these options through MyPAL Request Hub at https://bit.ly/myPALRequestHub.
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