THIRTEEN airlines that temporarily moved to Terminal 1 of the the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) are expected to return and start operating at Naia 3 after three months’ closure due to lack of airplanes, flights and passengers as countries shut borders against the spread of Covid-19.
According to Jess Martinez, Manila International Airport Authority (Miaa) Media Affairs Division chief, the restart of operations at Naia 3 by these airlines would begin on July 8.
Martinez said the affected airlines are: Air Asia (Z2), All Nippon Air (NH), Cathay Pacific Airways (CX), Cebu Pacific Air (5J), Delta Airlines (DL), Emirates Air (EY), KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (KLM), Qantas Airlines (QF), Qatar Airways (QR), Singapore Airlines (SQ), Turkish Airlines (TK), United Airlines (UA) and PAL Express.
“The airlines based at NAIA 3 temporarily moved to NAIA 1 last April due to travel restrictions implemented by the Philippine government including several countries due to the Covid-19 outbreak,” Martinez said.
He, however, clarified that only foreign nationals stranded in the country when the restrictions were implemented, “such as diplomats―including their spouses and children―and other nationalities with a permanent residence visa, can depart at NAIA 3 on board an airline of their choice.”
On the other hand, only returning Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), stranded Filipinos in other countries and other nationalities with permanent residence visas and students will be allowed to arrive at the NAIA 3 on board commercial flights, Martinez added.
Despite the resumption of international flights, limited arrivals will be allowed at NAIA terminals, according to him.
Martinez said only 2,400 passengers per day; that includes 1,200 repatriated OFWs and 1,200 commercial passengers under the restrictions being implemented by [government], are allowed to come in.
“Some international airlines like Cathay Pacific have six flights per day from Hong Kong,” he explained. “Now they will operate only once a day if there are enough passengers per flight.”
Martinez said despite the resumption of flights, many international airlines are expected to be unable to make a flight to Manila because of the lack of passengers.
On the other hand, the Bureau of Immigration, Bureau of Customs and other government agencies that scaled down their operations and downsized their workforce will be back to normal operations starting July 8.
In April, government decided to concentrate all flight operations at Naia 1, enabling the Miaa to save on the cost of running four passenger terminals, according to Martinez.
Image credits: Nonie Reyes