Source: abs-cbnnews.com
-- Flag-carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) on Saturday said it will slowly resume its operation to fly passengers stranded by typhoon Santi (international codename Mirinae) to Manila.
In a press statement, PAL said flights from Los Angeles, California; Seoul, Korea and Singapore will arrive at noon Saturday. The flights went to different foreign stations to avoid the typhoon.
Weather bureau PAGASA on Saturday morning lowered the storm signal in Metro Manila from number 3 to 2 as the typhoon started its movement out of the Philippine area of responsibility.
PAL said domestic and international flights that spent the night in outstation airports, including aircrafts evacuated to various provincial destinations, are now being recalled to Manila.
Recalled flights will be coming in from Cagayan de Oro, Kalibo, Zamboanga, Davao, Bacolod, Laoag, Cebu, Jakarta, Hongkong and Bangkok.
Upon arrival in Manila, the aircrafts will be dispatched to replace flights that were cancelled earlier. The other afternoon and evening flights will encounter slight delays due to reshuffling of aircraft assignments, it said.
50 domestic, international flights cancelled
More than 50 domestic and international flights were cancelled on Friday night and early Saturday, including those bound for 17 domestic and eight international destinations.
Six of PAL’s aircrafts were evacuated to Cebu, Davao, Puerto Princesa, General Santos, Ilolilo, Bacolod and Zamboanga to escape the typhoon’s strong winds.
The typhoon made landfall in Quezon province past midnight Friday, affecting a large part of Luzon.
On Friday night, 15 flights that were able to depart Manila were put on hold at various domestic and international destinations to await weather improvement.
On Saturday morning, PAL cancelled domestic flights scheduled to leave Davao, Cebu, Bacolod, Cagayan de Oro, Zamboanga, Iloilo, Roxas, Tagbilaran, Tacloban, Legaspi, Dumaguete, General Santos, Kalibo, Puerto Princesa, Laoag, Ozamiz, Butuan and Cotabato.
Nine international flights bound for Seoul, Singapore, Jakarta, Saigon, Xiamen, Hong Kong, Taipei, Fukuoka and Bangkok were also cancelled on Saturday morning.
Meanwhile, all trans-Pacific flights last Friday night were able to depart on schedule, although flights arriving from the US on Saturday morning were delayed.
Passengers scheduled to take morning flights were advised not to proceed to airports and await further announcement of resumption of operations.
Those with confirmed tickets for Oct. 30, 31 and Nov. 1 whose flights were cancelled may rebook for the next available flight without incurring any rebooking penalty through PAL's 24-hour Reservations - 855-8888 and 855-9999, any PAL ticket office or log on to philippineairlines.com.
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