The largest carrier in the Philippines, Cebu Pacific, said in a website statement today all flights would remain suspended until May 31, after the government extended its restriction of movement rules in Metro Manila, Cebu City and Laguna Province to May 31. Read More » The LCC had planned to resume flying domestically on Saturday, the date previously nominated for lockdown laws to be eased. The airline said it was targeting resumption of operations on June 1, “depending on government mandates and regulations” in the destinations it served.
AirAsia said it also had cancelled all domestic and international flights in the Philippines until May 31 following the government's extension of restriction of movement rules. The LCC, like Cebu Pacific, had planned to restart flying in the Philippines on May 16.
Qatar AirwaysGroup CEO, Akbar Al Baker, said in Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post today he was open to increasing the airline’s equity in Cathay Pacific Airways. "If Cathay Pacific was to approach us for an equity injection, we will definitely support them," he said. Qatar Airways is the third largest shareholder in Cathay Pacific, with a 9.99% holding, behind Swire Pacific and Air China at 45% and 29.99%, respectively.
The Doha-headquartered carrier has offered 100,000 complimentary economy class tickets to healthcare workers around the world. Those eligible included medical practitioners, nurses, paramedics, pharmacists, lab technicians and clinical researchers. Tickets would be distributed from May 12-18, Qatar Airways said in a statement.
Japan Airlines (JAL) said on Tuesday it had cut 8,509 domestic flights in the final two weeks of May due to the coronavirus. The schedule change from May 18-31 represented an average of 608 cancelled flights a day. It included nine flights between Tokyo Haneda and Osaka Itami, 10 flights on the Haneda-New Chitose route and 11 from Haneda to Fukuoka.
JAL rival, All Nippon Airways (ANA), said this week it had cancelled 2,297 international flights across 70 routes from June 1-15, including the delayed launch of Tokyo Haneda-Shenzhen and Haneda-Milan nonstop flights to a yet-to-be-decided date.
The airline also has pushed back the start of Haneda-Moscow and Haneda-Istanbul nonstop flights, scheduled for the beginning of July, with new dates for the routes to be decided.
A proposed rescue package for Thai Airways International (THAI) has yet to be presented to cabinet, the Bangkok Post newspaper reported on Tuesday. Thailand’s Prime Minister, General Prayut Chan-o-cha, said the State Enterprise Policy Committee's rehabilitation plan for the loss-making carrier, including a 54 billion baht (US$1.7 billion) loan guaranteed by the state, would be sent to the Transport Ministry for review before submission to cabinet.
Auckland Airport said today it would restrict access to the domestic terminal for passengers travelling on that day only. It has placed more than 1,000 signs across the terminal precinct, such as in bathrooms, security queues and at baggage claim, to remind people of the need for social distancing ahead of travel restrictions being lifted.
Under New Zealand's Alert Level Two, which will come into effect at 2359 local time today, people will be free to travel domestically.
Hong Kong chief executive, Carrie Lam, said this week the governments of mainland China's Guangdong province, Hong Kong and Macau were working to establish a safe travel zone. Lam told Hong Kong's Ta Kung Pao newspaper she hoped details of the scheme, which would exempt eligible people travelling within the three regions from 14-day quarantine, would be finalised later in the month.
