PAL retrieves airplanes to resume flights

CEBU, Philippines - Philippine Airlines is gradually resuming operations starting with the arrival of flights from Los Angeles, Seoul and Singapore starting at noon after waiting out the typhoon at different foreign stations.

 All other domestic and international flights that spent the night at outstation airports, including aircraft evacuated to various provincial destinations, are now being recalled to Manila. The arriving flights will carry passengers stranded by typhoon Santi.

 Those being recalled are flights coming in from Cagayan de Oro, Kalibo, Zamboanga, Davao, Bacolod, Laoag, Cebu, Jakarta, Hong Kong and Bangkok.

 Upon arrival in Manila, the aircraft will be dispatched to replace earlier cancelled flights. The other afternoon and evening flights will encounter slight delays due to reshuffling of aircraft assignments.

 PAL cancelled more than 50 domestic and international flights today and last night, including those bound for 17 domestic and eight international destinations.

 To escape the typhoon’s strong winds, PAL evacuated yesterday six of its aircraft to Cebu, Davao, Puerto Princesa, General Santos, Iloilo, Bacolod and Zamboanga. Last night, a total of 15 flights that were able to depart Manila were put on hold at various domestic and international destinations to await weather improvement.

 Today’s cancelled domestic flights are those scheduled to leave this morning bound for: Davao, Cebu, Bacolod, Cagayan de Oro, Zamboanga, Iloilo, Roxas, Tagbilaran, Tacloban, Legaspi, Dumaguete, General Santos, Kalibo, Puerto Princesa, Laoag, Ozamiz, Butuan and Cotabato.

 The nine cancelled international flights this morning are those bound for Seoul, Singapore, Jakarta, Saigon, Xiamen, Hong Kong, Taipei, Fukuoka and Bangkok.

 All trans-Pacific flights last night were able to depart on schedule, although flights arriving from the US this morning were delayed.

Passengers scheduled to take any morning flights are advised not to proceed to the airport and await further announcement of resumption of operations. Passengers with confirmed tickets for October 30, 31 and November 1 whose flights were among those cancelled may rebook for the next available flight without incurring any rebooking penalty through PAL’s 24-hour Reservations – 855-8888 and 855-9999, any PAL ticket office or log on to philippineairlines.com. — /MEEV   (FREEMAN NEWS)