Iloilo Airport reopens next week but…

By Joseph B.A. Marzan

Commercial flights to and from Iloilo will resume soon, but only for Locally-Stranded Individuals (LSIs) and Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), according to Governor Arthur Defensor Jr.

The decision was reached after meeting with officials of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), Iloilo International Airport, and airlines on June 18, 2020.

Defensor, together with other provincial government and Iloilo City officials, discussed the re-opening of the airport to commercial activities with the CAAP, Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific, and AirAsia, after regular operations were suspended on March 18 due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Since the suspension, local and national government offices have organized sweeper flights to and from Iloilo for tourists, OFWs, and LSIs, as well as special flights for government officials.

Cargo operations also continued at the airport, but with limited personnel and strict observance of minimum health standards such as physical distancing and wearing of masks, and other protective equipment.

After a meeting with the governor last week, CAAP said he had the discretion on the re-opening of the airport for regular operations.

The governor said that flights will resume next week but will be limited only to LSIs and OFWs due to the Modified General Community Quarantine (MGCQ).

“Once we open, passengers can buy their tickets and go to the airport, like a regular flight. But of course, there are limitations, because we are still under MGCQ. We still have border restrictions, where the rules are the same, that you cannot enter the province of Iloilo unless you fall under the exceptions, which right now, are OFWs and LSIs,” the governor said.

He said that the flights will also be limited in number to discourage people from booking tickets immediately and avoid the risk of COVID-19 transmissions.

He added that he is looking to limit the number of passengers to 1,500 per week.

“We will also have limited number of flights per week, so that the province and the municipalities will not be overwhelmed, because LSIs and OFWs will still be quarantined and subject to [Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction] tests, and we handle it perfectly so that we can avoid transmissions. We talked about a maximum of 1,500 passengers per week. The airlines will decide among themselves on how to divide that,” he said.

The governor said that flights to the airport will not be limited to residents of the city and province.

He added that the province will only cater to commercial flights from Manila once the airport reopens, citing the growing number of cases in Region 7, particularly in the city and province of Cebu.

“We can open up to Aklan, Capiz, Antique and Guimaras, provided that there will be coordination of an advanced notice of passengers who will arrive two days before, so we can prepare well. Also, they will not sell tickets unless you have proof that you are really from here, or you can prove that you are an LSI from Manila. Only Manila, because we’re suspending Cebu flights due to their COVID-19 transmission being very problematic,” he said.

In case all LSIs and resident OFWs have returned to Iloilo, the governor said resuming flights for tourists and other visitors will depend on restrictions provided by the national government.

As to persons leaving the country, Defensor told Daily Guardian that they can do so if they already have tickets.

 

“For those who will be, for example, migrating out of the country, as long they have the tickets going to Manila, that is allowed. Outbound flights will be allowed for that purpose because airlines would also need to fill up seats once they arrive here,” he said.

Defensor is expected to issue an Executive Order on the airport reopening today, June 19.