MANILA, Philippines (Updated 7:34 p.m.) — All airports in Luzon will be closed once the 72-hour window provided by authorities ends, the Department of Transportation said Tuesday.
According to a report by GMA News, no one will be allowed to depart and arrive at Luzon’s gateways once the window hour ends, including overseas Filipino workers and their families.
The window hour started upon the effectivity of President Rodrigo Duterte’s ‘Enhanced Community Quarantine’ of the entire Luzon island, which began 12 a.m. of March 17 to contain the spread of the new coronavirus.
According to guidelines issued by the Department of Transportation and by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, "the DOTr aviation sector shall let foreigners depart (outbound) from the Philippines within 72 hours upon the effectivity of the Enhanced Community Quarantine."
The guidelines also say that "airport operation shall be limited to outgoing flights carrying foreigners and tourists. Filipinos are not allowed to go outside the country" although the inter-agency task force on efforts against COVID-19 has since said that all passengers will be allowed to leave the Philippines within the 72-hour window.
"Inbound flights will only be for repatriating Filipinos," the DOTr guidelines also say.
Flights cancelled until April 13 at the earliest
Philippine Airlines, in an advisory, said all domestic flights between March 17 to April 12 have been cancelled and that it will only operate international flights until 11:59 p.m.of March 19.
"We will announce in due course the status of our international flights from March 20 up to April 12, as we are presently coordinating with government authorities on the relevant implementing details," it said.
Cebu Pacific has already announced that flights scheduled from March 19 until April 14, 2020 have been cancelled.
"We are ensuring the safety of our passengers and operations teams, in compliance with the stricter quarantine measures, land travel restrictions and regulations in place," it said in its advisory to passengers.
"The last day of operations will be on March 18, 2020 where Cebu Pacific will operate the following flights from Manila Bangkok, Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Ho Chi Minh, Singapore, Taipei, Bali, and Jakarta. Please check the flight status through bit.ly/CEBflight-status," it also said.
It said passengers on cancelled flights may rebook with waived fare difference, credit the full amount to a travel fund, or get a full refund.
Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles told reporters Monday night that the enhanced community quarantine in Luzon could be extended or expanded.