09/04/2018
09/04/2018
Nearly 900 Filipinos repatriated free of on government calls to assist OFWs - Will continue to serve Kuwait through flights to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam MANILA April, 7: Philippine Airlines (PAL) will temporarily halt its “economically unsustainable” flights to and from Kuwait from May 16, the airline announced on Saturday. In a statement posted on its Facebook page, the airline noted that since earlier this year it has repatriated, free of charge, almost 900 “distressed” Filipino workers in response to president Rodrigo Duterte’s calls to assist overseas foreign workers living in the country. The airline noted that PAL will continue to serve Kuwait through flights to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam. Passengers affected by the suspension of flights are being given the option to reroute their flights through Abu Dhabi or Dubai and then through other airlines to Kuwait or Manila. PAL will shoulder the cost of flights on other airlines who avail of this option. It advised passengers with flights on May 16 and beyond to avail of any of the following options: 1. Rebook their flights to travel on or before 16 May. 2. Reroute their PAL Manila – Kuwait journey to fly on PAL to Abu Dhabi or Dubai or Doha, and then on Other Airlines (OAL) for the connecting flight to Kuwait. 3. Reroute their PAL Kuwait - Manila journey to fly on Other Airlines (OAL) to Abu Dhabi or Dubai or Doha, and then take the PAL flight home to Manila. 4. Refund their unused tickets. "PAL assures all affected passengers with confirmed tickets that refund/reroute/rebook charges will be waived accordingly." The flag carrier also said it will shoulder the cost of flights on other airlines for passengers who avail of option 2. Passengers in Kuwait may call PAL toll-free number 1-800 - 855 - 8888 and from the Philippines, hotline number (02) 855 - 8888 or visit the nearest PAL ticketing office or partner travel-agent, PAL said.
“With the repatriation effort now complete, the ongoing slowdown in OFW travel to Kuwait has made regular operations economically unsustainable, hence the need to suspend these flights to Kuwait until such time that market conditions on the route improve,” the statement said.