Qantas to resume Manila flights

MANILA, Philippines - Australia-based Qantas Airlines is set to resume operations in Manila tomorrow after an Australian tribunal ordered an end to a month-long labor dispute that grounded its international and domestic flights.

Qantas flies four times a week (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday) from Manila to Sydney and Brisbane using Airbus 330 aircraft.

The flag carrier advised passengers to check the Travel Alerts page on qantas.com for the latest information.

The grounding of Qantas planes on Saturday stranded over 68,000 passengers worldwide and canceled 447 flights, prompting the Australian government to mediate between the airline management and unions.

Fair Work Australia reconvened on Sunday to consider the Federal Government’s application for termination or suspension of the industrial disputes between Qantas and the Australian Licensed Engineers Union (ALAEA), Transport Workers Union (TWU) and the Australian and International Pilots Union (AIPA).

Meanwhile, QantasLink flights continue to operate as normal.

Jetstar, the airline’s low cost carrier, continues to operate with very limited capacity.

“Jetstar is working to accommodate as many affected Qantas passengers on its services as possible. Unsold seats on Jetstar flights are being made available to Express Freighters Australia and Atlas Freighters will also continue to operate,” Qantas said in its website.

“Customers booked on Qantas flights should not go to the airport until further notice. A full refund will be available to customers who choose to cancel their flight. Full rebooking flexibility will be available to customers who wish to defer their travel,” the airline added.