-
The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines extended limited operations at General Santos International Airport until June 14 following the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck off Sarangani in Mindanao on June 8
-
Landing and takeoff operations at the airport are limited to government, military, and humanitarian flights until 6:00 p.m. on June 14
-
As of June 10, Philippine Airlines (PAL) has extended the cancellation of all flights to and from the airport scheduled to June 14, while Cebu Pacific has cancelled flights until June 11
The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) has extended limited operations at General Santos International Airport (GES) until June 14 following the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck off Sarangani in Mindanao on June 8.
In a notice to airmen posted on June 11, CAAP said landing and takeoff operations at the airport are limited to government, military, and humanitarian flights until 6:00 p.m. on June 14.
The limited operation has been implemented since June 8 following the earthquake.
Passengers are also advised to coordinate with their respective airlines for updates on the status of their flights.
As of June 10, Philippine Airlines (PAL) has extended the cancellation of all flights to and from GES scheduled to June 14. PAL said affected passengers may rebook their flights, reroute the flights via Davao (free rebooking or rerouting within 60 days, subject to availability), convert the value of their tickets into travel credits, or request a full refund without penalties, subject to applicable policies.
Cebu Pacific as of June 10 also cancelled flights to and from GES until June 11. Affected passengers have the option to free rebooking without fare difference for travel up to 30 days from original flight date; store the amount in a virtual Cebu Pacific wallet and use this to either book a new flight or pay for add-ons; or a full refund of the ticket.
The Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) has earlier requested local airlines operating at GES – Cebu Pacific, PAL, PAL Express – to provide “flexible and compassionate passenger flight options, such as but not limited to full refund, rebooking without fee, waiver of cancellation fees, or conversion of ticket to travel fund/voucher to all affected passengers.”
READ: CAB asks airlines to give flexible options to quake-affected passengers
CAB also requested airlines to support response operations by allocating available cargo space for the free transport of relief goods, subject to safety, operational limitations, and airline procedures. CAB said this is to help speed up the delivery of critical aid and ease the hardship of affected communities.
On the maritime side, operations at General Santos port have been suspended pending completion of inspection and safety assessment of facilities following the earthquake. Transactions with the Port Integrated Clearance Office will, however, continue at the port’s covered court until further notice, the PPA said in an advisory.
READ: Shipping lines offer free transport of relief goods to quake-hit areas
Other ports in affected areas, while sustaining some damages, are operational, according to the Philippine Ports Authority. Transportation acting secretary Giovanni Lopez earlier directed the immediate start of rehabilitation in port facilities to ensure the safety and continued operations of ports.
The earthquake hit at 7:37 a.m. on June 8 at the southern-central coast of Mindanao, with its epicenter off Sarangani province. It triggered tsunami alerts in the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Palau, Japan, Taiwan and Papua New Guinea, which were cancelled or downgraded hours later.
As of June 11, at least 47 people died, 688 persons were reported injured, while 31 others remain missing,according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered concerned government agencies to act immediately in addressing issues arising from the Mindanao earthquake.
