KALIBO, Aklan – Airlines suspended incoming passenger flights to Kalibo and Caticlan airports from Manila and Cebu beginning April 5.
The suspension will be until April 11 unless extended or lifted earlier.
Three local carriers – Philippine Airlines, AirAsia and Cebu Pacific – issued travel advisories during the extension of the enhanced community quarantine in the National Capital Region (NCR) and its surrounding provinces of Laguna, Rizal, Bulacan, and Cavite.
Airlines typically inform passengers of cancellations and flight changes, and offer options for rebooking.
The Civil Aeronautics Board also directed airline companies to suspend travel to Western Visayas due to rising COVID-19 cases in the so-called NCR Plus bubble.
“Apektado ang flights sa Aklan dahil sa pagdami ng kaso sa NCR Plus,” said Kalibo airport manager Engineer Eusebio Monserate Jr.
Ten daily commercial flights to the Kalibo airport were affected by the sudden halt of daily inbound travel.
However, military and government flights, cargo flights, flights to transport medical supplies and air ambulances will continue flying in and out of Kalibo and Caticlan airports.
Essential travel is allowed from Kalibo to Manila, but, the airlines were forced to suspend domestic air travel as the number of passengers was very low.
Last week, Kalibo flights took off with only two or one passengers on board as a result of enhanced community quarantine declaration of the NCR Plus bubble from March 29 through April 4.
Boracay Island’s tourism is also impacted by the flight suspensions.
The famed tourist destination registered daily arrivals average of 50 tourists during the first four days of April./PN
