Philippine Airlines supports green lane proposal for vaccinated travellers

Philippine Airlines says shorter quarantine periods will aid the recovery of the battered aviation sector. Photo by Juliet Javellana

MANILA, Philippines – Philippine Airlines (PAL) supported shorter quarantine periods for arriving international travelers that had received COVID-19 vaccines, saying this would hasten the recovery of the battered aviation sector.

This would be possible under the “green lane” policy for fully vaccinated flyers that the Department of Tourism earlier proposed.

PAL president and chief operating officer Gibert Santa Maria said the policy would help open the Philippines to countries that have a higher rate of COVID-19 vaccination.

“A good number of our passengers flying in from the [United States] have completed their full vaccine doses,” he said in a statement on Wednesday.

“We could welcome more travelers from the US and other countries with favorable epidemiological situations, such as Singapore, Australia, Israel and Korea,” he added.

PAL cited the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which scaled back restrictions for fully vaccinated flyers.

As an example, the CDC noted that those travelers would no longer have to self-quarantine upon arrival in the US from an international destination.

Santa Maria said the green lane would bolster business while ensuring the safety of the flying public.

“Safe and convenient travel with access to prime tourist sites and no quarantine requirements can help encourage more people to have themselves vaccinated.” Santa Maria said.

“To fuel domestic tourism recovery, we should also strive for more air connectivity and a standardized set of travel guidelines and health protocols,” he added.

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