Philippines revises travel rules, allows entry of all Filipinos
MANILA, Philippines — The National Task Force Against COVID-19 has revised its rules on suspension of entry into the Philippines, now allowing all Filipinos, including those who are not migrant workers, to return to the country beginning March 22.
“All Filipino citizens whether a returning Overseas Filipino or overseas Filipino worker shall be allowed to return to the Philippines,” a memorandum circular issued Friday read.
In a revised memo signed by Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, entry of most foreign nationals will be suspended from March 22 to April 21. The following are exempted:
- Diplomats and members of international organizations, and their dependents provided they hold a valid 9(e) visa or 47(a)(2) visa, as the case may be, at the time of entry;
- Foreign nationals involved in medical repatriation duly endorsed by the Department of Foreign Affairs-Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, provided that they have a valid visa at the time of entry;
- Foreign seafarers under the ‘Green Lanes’ program for crew change provided that they hold a 9(c) crew list visa at the time of entry;
- Foreign spouses and children of Filipino citizens traveling with them provided they have valid visas at the time of entry; and
- Emergency, humanitarian and other analogous cases approved by the chairperson of the NTF COVID-19 or his duly authorized representative, provided the foreign nationals have valid visas at the time of entry.
Between March 22 and April 21, the entry of Filipinos and exempted foreigners will be subject to the arrival quota of only 1,500 passengers per day.
This comes as the country battles another surge of COVID-19 infections a year after the pandemic began. The Philippines reported Thursday 5,290 new COVID-19 infections, the second highest daily count in 2021, taking the caseload to 640,984.
Aside from temporary suspension of entry into the Philippines, the government is also implementing granular lockdowns in hotspots, imposing curfews and liquor ban, and banning minors from going out of their homes. — Gaea Katreena Cabico
Find the latest travel and tourism news from around the world amid the coronavirus pandemic. Main image by AFP/Romeo Gacad
Airlines will fly 4.35 billion passengers this year, close to the 2019 record as the industry bounces back from the Covid pandemic, an industry group said on Monday.
The sector will also be back in the green, with net profits forecast to reach $9.8 billion in 2023, or double previous estimates, boosted by the end of China's Covid restrictions, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
The association added that its 2022 losses were half as bad as previously estimated at $3.6 billion.
"Airline financial performance in 2023 is beating expectations," IATA director general Willie Walsh said in a statement during the association's annual general meeting in Istanbul.
"Stronger profitability is supported by several positive developments. China lifted Covid-19 restrictions earlier in the year than anticipated," Walsh said. — AFP
Hong Kong carrier Cathay Pacific reports its first annual operating profit since 2019 as the airline fights to return to pre-pandemic flight capacity.
"Cathay Pacific has experienced three challenging years due to the Covid-19 pandemic, with 2022 very much being a year of two halves," chairman Patrick Healy says in a statement announcing the results..
Cathay is still trailing regional rivals such as Singapore Airlines, with Hong Kong's axing of harsh pandemic curbs -- including mandatory hotel quarantine and strict testing requirements -- only beginning in the fall of last year.
The airline operated at one-third of pre-pandemic passenger flight capacity in December but expects to reach 70% of that figure by the end of 2023, the company says. — AFP
German airline giant Lufthansa says Friday it returned to annual profit in 2022 after two years of losses, its fortunes lifted by rebounding demand as economies reopened after COVID-19 shutdowns.
The group reported a net profit of 791 million euros ($839 million) for last year. This compares to a net loss of 2.2 billion euros in 2021 and 6.7 billion euros in 2020.
"Lufthansa is back," says the company's CEO Carsten Spohr. — AFP
People hoping to take advantage of a Hong Kong scheme to give away half a million free airline tickets face hours-long online queues on Wednesday, as the Asian financial hub bids to woo tourists back.
The city last month launched a campaign to reboot its reputation as "Asia's world city", after years of strict pandemic-related travel restrictions and a crackdown on sometimes violent pro-democracy protests.
On Wednesday, Hong Kong became one of the last places in the world to drop its outdoor mask mandate, which city leader John Lee said was a sign that it was "resuming normalcy". — AFP
Australian airline Qantas says Thursday it bounced back into profit in late 2022, hailing a "huge turnaround" after swallowing massive losses throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
The national carrier posted a second-half profit of Aus$1.43 billion (US$974 million) before tax, after accumulating Aus$7 billion in losses across the previous three years.
Chief executive Alan Joyce says surging demand for flights had boosted the company's fortunes while announcing a plan to buy back Aus$500 million in Qantas shares. — AFP
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