Philippine Airlines cancels flights to Middle East amid Iran-Israel conflict
[Editor's Note: Follow the KT live blog for live updates on the Israel-Iran conflict.]
Flagship carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) suspended six flights between Manila and Dubai, Doha, and Riyadh, on Tuesday, June 24, while budget carrier Cebu Pacific (CEB) advised their passengers that all flights between Dubai and Manila 'will continue to operate as scheduled.'
PAL announced: 'Due to the developing situation in the Middle East, the following flights have been cancelled on June 24:
PR 684 Manila - Doha
PR 658/659 Manila - Dubai - Manila
PR 654/655 Manila - Riyadh - Manila"
PAL also canceled flight PR 685 from Doha to Manila originally scheduled on June 25.
PAL said, "Affected passengers can rebook to another flight with available space within 60 days from the original flight, in the same booking class or higher within the same cabin class."
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"They could also opt to refund the ticket without penalties, excluding the ticketing service charge," they said.
Another option is to convert the ticket to travel credits equivalent to the unused base fare of the affected passenger's ticket. Voucher validity is one year from the date of issuance, PAL added.
Cebu Pacific operations unaffected
Meanwhile, Cebu Pacific assured their operations are not affected. 'Our route does not fly over conflict-affected areas in the Middle East, allowing us to operate safely. We continue to actively monitor the situation and will share further updates as necessary,' the budget airline added.
'However, for passengers traveling (between Manila and Dubai) who wish to reschedule their flights, (we are) offering flexible options—including free rebooking and travel fund conversion—for passengers booked on Dubai flights scheduled on June 24. These options are available online up to two (2) hours before the scheduled departure time,' CEB added.
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