PAL, PAL Express flights to Zambo cancelled until Sept. 21

MANILA, Philippines–All flights to Zamboanga of Philippine Airlines and PAL Express have been cancelled until September 21, 2013 after the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippine (CAAP) extended the closure of the Zamboanga airport due to protracted security concerns in the city.

The announcement was contained in an advisory PAL issued on Friday.

Meanwhile, PAL is closely coordinating with government and the Philippine Air Force (PAF) in the ferry operations of stranded passengers out of Zamboanga to Cebu where they can be accommodated by PAL on any of the 12 daily flights to Manila.

On Friday afternoon, the first batch of 80 PAL passengers are arriving in Cebu on board a PAF C-130. More than 450 passengers from Jolo are Muslim pilgrims bound for Mecca via Manila.

PAL Cebu staff will be providing refreshments to arriving passengers while they process their onward connections.

More than 5,000 passengers have been affected since the closure of the Zamboanga airport last Sept. 9. PAL operates three times a day flights from Zamboanga to Manila while PAL Express flies from Zamboanga to Cebu, Davao, Jolo and Tawi-Tawi.