PAL eyes Bohol-Panglao airport as alternate international gateway

MANILA, Philippines — Flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) will utilize the Bohol-Panglao International Airport as an alternate gateway for its international arrivals.

A PAL flight from Bangkok carrying 118 passengers touched down at the Bohol-Panglao International Airport on Wednesday afternoon.

“We reiterate our thanks and appreciation to the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and Panglao local government for enabling PAL to utilize Panglao International Airport as an alternative gateway for international arrivals,” the airline said.

PAL is ramping up its international and domestic flights, and is now operating at 40 percent of its pre-pandemic flight frequencies or an average of 120 a day.

The national pandemic task force added new overseas destinations to be served by the flag carrier until the end of the month.

The DOTr, through the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), launched a one-stop shop at the Bohol-Panglao International Airport to assist passengers of the PAL Bangkok flight.

“The government has repatriated a lot of OFWs (overseas Filipino workers) displaced by the COVID-19 pandemic since last year,” CAAP director general Jim Sydiongco said. ”More of them are expected to return, which is why DOTr and CAAP aim to prioritize not only their safety and security in our airports, but more importantly their convenience in our terminals.”