Airports Reopen and Domestic Flights Resume as Cities Shift to GCQ

Remember: it's not air travel for leisure.
by Ina Louise Manto | June 02, 2020

After a two-month period of strict quarantine, the government has started to ease restrictions, announcing the shift to GCQ in several cities across the country beginning June 1. More airports and commercial domestic flights are expected to resume its operations this month. However, the general community quarantine doesn’t necessarily mean Pinoys can travel for leisure again. As per guidelines, Pinoys can only go out for work and essential services like grocery shopping.

 

More airports reopen

Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) has been gearing towards the resumption of domestic flights in the month of June. Although international flights in NAIA have resumed operations in May, domestic flights continued to be on hold as cities were still under ECQ. According to NAIA General Manager Ed Monreal, GCQ to GCQ flights will only be allowed as domestic flights slowly return to operations.

The following are the assignments for NAIA’s four terminals:

• Terminal 1 – international flights
• Terminal 2 – sweeper and repatriation flights including Philippine Airline’s commercial domestic flights
• Terminal 3 – for flights by Cebu Pacific and AirAsia
• Terminal 4 – will remain closed

The Department of Transport announced they will be opening more airports across the country to help decongest NAIA. International gateways like Clark, Cebu, and Davao will reopen in the month of June. They’re looking to reopen airports in Bohol, Bacolod, Iloilo, and Zamboanga.

 

Local airlines reopening commercial domestic flights

The following airlines have announced the resumption of their domestic flights in June:

Cebu Pacific will resume its operations on Wednesday, June 3, with limited domestic flights out of NAIA Terminal 3:

AirAsia Philippines will resume domestic flights on Wednesday, June 3. As Terminal 4 will remain closed, these flights will be moved to Terminal 3:

• Z2 775/776 Manila – Cebu – Manila
• Z2 613/614 Manila – Davao – Manila
• Z2 331/332 Manila – Tacloban – Manila
• Z2 691/692 Manila – Cagayan de Oro – Manila
• Z2 605/606 Manila – Bacolod – Manila
• Z2 358/359 Manila – Tagbilaran – Manila
• Z2 975/976 Clark – Tacloban – Clark
• Z2 911/312 Clark – Cagayan de Oro – Clark
• Z2 480/481 Clark – Davao – Clark

Meanwhile, AirAsia’s international flights will resume on July 1.

Philippine Airlines (PAL) will resume its domestic flights next Monday, June 8.

 

‘New normal’ in the resumption of domestic flights

With the gradual resumption of flights, Philippine airports have been adopting different measures for the new normal.

The normal in the airline industry include wearing of face masks when entering airports, mandatory temperature checks, social distancing, and “no contact” security measures. Moreover, passengers with valid travel documents will only be allowed entry in airports.

Clark International Airport also shared its new guidelines:

 

Some helpful articles: 

Modified ECQ, GCQ, and Modified ECQ Explained: What Does This Mean for Travelers?
These Countries Are Planning to Gradually Open Their Borders to Tourists in June and July
International Travel Might Not Go Back to Normal Until 2023, Experts Say