Flights to Tacloban suspended during papal visit

MANILA, Philippines – (UPDATED) Commercial flights to and from Tacloban’s Daniel Z. Romualdez Airport will be suspended on the day Pope Francis visits the city, on January 17, 2015.

In a statement, Philippine Airlines Inc. (PAL), the official carrier for Pope Francis’ Philippine visit, advises passengers booked on flights to or from Tacloban on the said date, to “rebook their tickets” due to the closure of the airport for the papal visit.

PAL said the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) has issued a notice to airlines suspending operations at the city’s airport on the said date, due to security reasons.

PAL said: “Passengers with tickets to Tacloban on Jan. 17 should call PAL Reservations (02-855-8888) for rebooking or refund. Affected passengers will be accommodated on the next available flights.”

CAAP said the Tacloban airport will be closed to all air traffic from 6:00 am to 9:00 pm on Jan. 17, except the aircraft that carries the Papal entourage.

The NAIA runways are also closed from 7:45 am to 8:45 am and from 5:45 pm to 6:45 pm on Jan. 17 when the aircraft landed at NAIA from Tacloban.

Meanwhile, PAL will still fly to the city on that day: the airline will fly the Pope to and from the city on that date, where the pontiff is set to meet with victims of Yolanda and Ruby, as well as the victims of the Bohol earthquake.

On Friday, Dec. 19, CAAP updated its notice to state that the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) primary runway 06/24 and secondary runway 13/31 will be closed on Jan. 15 for all arriving flights.

Departing flights will be allowed to operate from 2:00 pm to 5:15 pm on the same date.

A no fly zone will also be implemented and no air traffic to be accommodated at the NAIA from 5:15 pm to 6:15 pm as Pope Francis is scheduled to arrive at 5:45 pm.

On Jan. 19, during the Pope’s departure to Rome, NAIA runway will only allow departing aircraft from 6:00 am to 9:30 am and a no fly zone will be in effect from 9:30 am until 10:30 where a PAL flight will carry the Roman Pontiff directly to Rome.

“PAL will also fly the Roman Pontiff directly to Rome, non-stop, at the end of his four-day visit to the Philippines,” the airline said.

During the visits of Pope John Paul II (1981 and 1995), PAL also served as the official airline.

The Tacloban airport, damaged heavily by 2013’s Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) and then partially damaged recently by Typhoon Ruby (Hagupit), is set to be fully repaired and operational by the time the Pope arrives. – Rappler.com

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