Flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) will be cancelling 115 domestic and 96 international flights at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) from November 15 to November 20 to give way to the arrival and departure of world leaders attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit.
In an announcement, PAL “assures affected passengers that the airline will reschedule their flights, with rebooking and penalty charges waived.” Passengers with confirmed flights have the option to rebook before or within 30 days of their original flight date or refund the full ticket cost at no charge.
The airline said it may cancel more flights as new information comes in on the flight movements of the APEC leaders.
Budget carrier Cebu Pacific and sister airline Cebgo earlier announced it will cancel 146 domestic and international flights from November 16 to November 20, also due to the same event, and that flight schedules may also change.
These planned cancellations come after the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) had advised airlines of scheduled closures at the NAIA as runways will be closed periodically to ensure the security of arriving and departing heads of states and business leaders participating in the APEC meetings from November 18 to November 19.
However, in response to the Cebu Pacific and Cebgo flight cancellations, Transport Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya said the cancellations “will be the call of the airlines,” as the government had not mandated carriers to cancel their flights.
On the APEC 2015 website, it said security measures will be stricter at all NAIA terminals and a no-fly zone imposed on November 17, November 19, and November 20.
Truck ban from Nov 16-20
Land side, rerouting schemes are to be put in place within Metro Manila. APEC lanes will be established along EDSA and Roxas Boulevard, while a “stop and go” scheme will be implemented from November 15 to November 20 along parts of EDSA, Roxas Boulevard, Skyway, South Luzon Expressway, and roads around NAIA. Whenever economic leaders pass by, all traffic along these roads will be stopped, to resume only after the entourage has passed.
A truck ban on Roxas Boulevard and on the South Truck Route from November 16 to November 20 will likewise to be enforced.
For the public sector, work will be suspended in the National Capital Region will be observed from November 17 to November 20; however, government frontline and basic services will continue operating.
For the private sector, work in the NCR is suspended on November 18 and November 19, while classes in all levels are suspended from November 17 to November 20.
Image courtesy of tratong at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
