Philippine Airlines (PAL) earlier scheduled additional special flights from Los Angeles (LAX), USA to Manila (MNL), Philippines intended for Filipino nationals (Philippine passport holders), their foreign spouses and children, and accredited officials of foreign governments and international organizations.
However, due to the Philippine Government’s announced closure of international arrival facilities at all Philippine airports from May 3 (Sunday) at 8:00 AM for a one-week period, the airline had no choice but to cancel the LAX-MNL flights scheduled on May 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9, 2020.
The airline said that those previously booked on any of the canceled flights will be rebooked to another special flight operating after the airport closure period. Of course, all of these special flights are subject to government approvals.
Last Sunday, 03 May 2020, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) through the Department of Transportation (DOTr) received a letter from Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) Chief Implementer Secretary Carlito Galvez, Jr. requesting the suspension of commercial/passenger flights in all of the international airports in the country effective 8:00 AM of Monday, 04 May 2020 until 8:00 AM of Sunday, 10 May 2020.
The move was called for “to help further mitigate the spread of the deadly Corona Virus in the country” according to IATF-EID.