PAL adds flights for Undas weekend

Flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) will add flights to 11 domestic and two international destinations for "Undas" weekend. PAL said it expects passengers to flock to airports as they go home to their provinces for the commemoration of All Saints' Day (November 1) and All Souls' Day (November 2). PAL expects a similar passenger influx from November 5 to 7, after Malacañang declared November 7 a holiday to mark Eid’l Adha. "PAL assures its passengers that the airline is prepared to handle the expected influx of passengers for the forthcoming weekend holidays. The expected load factor of flights is a high of 90 percent for the regional/international sector and a high of 80 percent for the domestic sector," it said. It said the added flights to domestic points will be to:

• Bacolod
• Cagayan de Oro
• Cebu
• Cotabato
• Davao
• Dumaguete
• Iloilo
• Kalibo
• Ozamiz
• Tagbilaran
• Zamboanga. The added international flights will be to Hong Kong and Singapore. PAL advised travelers to check its website www.philippineairlines.com; or its Facebook and Twitter accounts; or call the PAL Reservations Hotline at 855-8888 for more information. It also advised the public to book early, in anticipation of increased flight reservations for the two long weekends. Security measures PAL said it is closely coordinating with the Manila International Airport Authority, Mactan-Cebu International Airport and the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) and the PNP Aviation Security Group to ensure passenger safety. It added its internal security measures are well in place, 24/7. Also, it said its airport and flight operations remain normal as passenger and ground handling are being taken care of by third-party service providers and licensed technical personnel, respectively. While Lufthansa Teknik Philippines is handling the maintenance of all PAL aircraft, its trained flight deck and cabin crews are all considered “safety professionals." 125 flights daily PAL also said it will fly an average of 125 flights daily starting October 28. This represents close to 90 percent of PAL’S 140 average flights per day prior to September 27, when its ground crew held a surprise strike. "From a low of 40 percent capacity during PAL’s transition to third-party service providers from September 27-October 3, the flag carrier’s week-on-week capacity increases indicate that it is well on its way to full recovery in terms of number of flights by December," it said. - VVP, GMA News