CEBU CITY, Philippines —Two hundred forty stranded foreign passengers were flown to Manila Thursday from the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA), according to an emailed press release from the GMR Megawide Cebu Airport Corp. (GMCAC).
The stranded passengers were flown to Manila via recovery flights mounted by Philippine Airlines (PAL) and the Department of Tourism Region 7 (DOT-7) in coordination with the Philippine Air Force (PAF) and the Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority, GMCAC said in the press release.
MCIA has been assisting more than 600 foreign passengers affected by the government-imposed travel restrictions and cancellations of domestic flights in Cebu.
The passenger service agents provided assistance with regards to hotel bookings and by addressing passenger concerns while foreign embassies have been providing assistance and food packs.
Today, Thursday, March 19, F&B operator SSP UK Mactan Cebu Corporation (SSP) and the Office for Transportation Security also provided free food for the stranded passengers.
“MCIA private developer GMR MEGAWIDE Cebu Airport Corporation, together with MCIAA, thanks PAL for mounting the special sweeper flights, and DOT-7 for coordinating with the PAF. We also commend all our airport employees and stakeholders who have been relentlessly assisting the foreign passengers, including the Office for Transportation Security and SSP Mactan Cebu,” the company added in its statement.
More flights were expected to bring the remaining passengers to Manila, it added.
The MCIA developer will continue to serve the needs of the Filipinos and foreign travelers as one airport community, through good and challenging times.
Meanwhile, the Department of Health Region-7 (DOH 7) and the Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ) will implement the mandatory 14-day quarantine for all passengers arriving via international flights in Terminal 2 effective March 20, 2020. This is in compliance with the mandate of the Cebu Provincial Government.
According to an MCIA advisory posted on its Facebook page, the arriving international passengers, Filipinos and foreign nationals, will undergo the 14-day quarantine either at home or in a designated quarantine facility identified by the DOH 7./rcg