Flag carrier Philippines Airlines (PAL) yesterday urged the government to ease quarantine restrictions and increase the air passenger cap in Manila to help the airline industry recover from the severe impact of the pandemic.
“What we are asking for is the restriction of travel of human (vaccinated) within our island and from countries like US and Canada as well as the Middle East eased to reflect scientific reality as well maintain prudence,” Gilbert Santa Maria, PAL president and chief operating officer, said at a virtual forum.
Santa Maria said the government should consider increasing the 2,000 daily travel limit into Ninoy Aquino International Airport for international flights as it is relatively small compared to the pre-pandemic daily passenger count of 40,000.
“What we are asking for is some reasonable restrictions be lifted and they be done across the archipelago so all carriers can fly. It’s important in the survival of PAL,” Santa Maria added.
PAL has proposed piloting a new quarantine protocol, based on the learning that can both reduce the risk and the cost to passengers for international flights.
Under the proposal, passengers will be tested 72 hours before departure and will undergo quarantine upon arrival and take a reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction test on the third day. If the result is negative, they can go out of the quarantine facility on the fifth day and continue home quarantine.
PAL also proposed to reduce the current 10 days quarantine to five days to reduce the passengers’ expenses from P53,000 to P28,000 for the hotel accommodation and swab test.
“I beg our decision makers to listen to our economy and look at what’s going on… and set up a prudent policy that are very supportive to our economy,” Santa Maria said.
At present, PAL is operating 27 percent of its pre-pandemic operations, said Dexter Lee, PAL senior vice president and strategic and planning officer.
Lee added PAL needs to resume 50 to 60 percent of its operations to break even in cash operating cost.
