PRESS RELEASE

March 26, 2020, Pasay City - As more and more air carriers suspend operations due to COVID-19, the International Airport Authority (MIAA) is streamlining its operations concentrating remaining flights in just one terminal.

Beginning 0001H (12:01AM) of March 28, 2020, the following airlines will be operating to and from NAIA Terminal 1:

Gulf Air, Korean Airlines, , , Air, Eva Air, , , , , Airways and Airlines and Royal .

Oman Air will cease operations beginning today while and Royal Brunei have announced suspension of flights to and from Manila beginning March 29, 2020.

MIAA General Manager Ed Monreal made this announcement after due consultation with the Airline Operators Council (AOC) and following the instructions of DOTr Secretary Arthur Tugade to explore ways to minimize exposure of airport workers while ensuring continuous operations in NAIA.

Flag carrier has also announced suspension of international flight operations starting March 26. PAL made their last flight out yesterday (March 25) of their MNL-SFO (PR104) and MNL-LAX (PR102). Return flights of these two will be on Friday, March 27, 2020 in NAIA Terminal 1. After these arrivals, PAL will cease to operate for the meantime.

As of press time, the following local and foreign airlines have ceased international flight operations:

Cebu Pacific, Philippine Airlines, Air Asia, Delta Airlines, , Airways, , Airlines, KLM, , Air New Guinea, China Eastern, China Southern, , Jet Star Asia, Airlines, Malaysian Airlines, Airlines, , , Tiger Airways, Xiamen Airlines.

It may be recalled that the MIAA has earlier closed NAIA Terminal 4, Terminal 2 domestic wing and Terminal 3 domestic, after a ban on domestic air travel was issued by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID).

As of date, landing and take-off have dramatically dropped from the usual 768 flight movements per day to 50 movements as air carriers began suspending their operations after foreign governments enacted closing down of their borders to curb the spread of the dreaded coronavirus.

The MIAA’s move to streamline airport operations is a three-pronged approach to

1) support government in its ECQ efforts because less personnel will have to report for work and will be confined to their homes thereby reducing exposure to the virus; 2) reduce cost on utilities by closing down NAIA T2, T3 and T4 and, 3) afford groundhandling companies with a cheaper way of managing their logistics.

A Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) has also been issued informing pilots around the world that only NAIA Terminal 1 remains in operation for the duration of the ECQ.

The MIAA vowed to continue servicing sweeper flights and has designated NAIA Terminal 2 for the purpose. Sweeper flights and repatriation flights to help foreign nationals return to their home countries, are jointly undertaken by the Department of Tourism and the Department of Foreign Affairs in collaborarion with the embassies.

On the other hand, government repatriation efforts to bring home OFWs continues to this day.

DOTrPH

#DisipliNAIA

#AviationSectorWorks

#BAHAYmunaBUHAYmuna