Airlines cancel Taipei flights over nCoV travel ban

Credit to Author: Benjamin L. Vergara, TMT| Date: Tue, 11 Feb 2020 01:12:53 +0000

FOLLOWING a travel restriction imposed by the Philippine government amid an outbreak of the 2019-novel Coronavirus Acute Respiratory Syndrome (2019-nCoV ARD), another airline cancelled four Taiwan flights starting on Tuesday.

“In support of the efforts by the Philippine government to manage the risks from the novel coronavirus, and the inclusion of Taiwan in the travel ban, all Cebu Pacific flights between Taipei and Manila are cancelled effective February 11 until further notice,” Cebu Pacific (CEB) said in a statement.

The cancelled flights are:

Manila-Taipei
5J312
5J310

Taipei-Manila
5J311
5J310

The travel restrictions bar Filipinos from travelling to Taiwan, including flight and cabin crew, bar entry of foreign nationals, except Permanent Resident Visa holders who come directly from Taiwan, or have been there within 14 days immediately preceeding arrival in the Philippines.

CEB management said passengers on cancelled flights between Taipei and Manila were being notified through the contact details provided upon booking.

Philippine Airlines (PAL) cancelled Manila-Taipei flights:

PR890 Manila-Taipei
PR891 Taipei-Manila
PR894 Manila-Taipei
PR895 Taipei-Manila

“We advise passengers with flights to and from Taiwan from February 11 onwards to await the lifting of the ban. If your flight was cancelled, you may refund your ticket at any time, with refund fees waived. Once the travel ban is lifted and we reinstate our flights, you may rebook, reroute, or refund your ticket within your ticket’s validity period, with rebooking, rerouting or refund fees waived.

Meanwhile, PAL on Monday afternoon issued a travel advisory for passengers departing Manila for the United States.

“Please note that upon check-in, you will need to accomplish a Public Health Declaration Form which must be submitted to our airport personnel to complete the check-in process for your flight to the USA,” the travel advisory said.

PAL said the declaration forms were a new regulatory requirement of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

All foreign carriers, it said, were required to collect and submit the forms, along with certain data regarding passengers and crew to the US authorities, as part of a public health reporting system.

“Rest assured that all information required will be used only in accordance with applicable laws. We seek your kind understanding and cooperation as we carry out this new procedure, along with other required screening procedures prior to check-in, all of which are intended for your safety,” the PAL advisory said.  BENJAMIN L. VERGARA

 

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