All international and domestic flights from and to the Iloilo International Airport are suspended for for almost a month.
The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP-Iloilo) ordered the suspension of “all aircraft operations starting March 18 to April 14, 2020.”
The suspension is in compliance with Executive Order (EO) No. 028-C, which imposes “general community quarantine” to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
Part of the province-wide quarantine is the closure of Iloilo’s borders.
Under the EO issued by Governor Arthur Defensor Jr., common carriers are directed to “advice persons intending to travel to Iloilo about the quarantine; refuse issuance of any public transport contract/ticket; and/or refuse boarding on public transport, in so far as applicable.”
Acting Airport Manager Manuela Luisa F. Palma said the suspension exempts health workers responding to an emergency; members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and all the branches of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP); persons traveling for urgent humanitarian reasons; and persons traveling into the province on common carriers and transport for the conduct of trade, deliver of social or humanitarian services, fishing marine activities, scientific or academic pursuits, and such other essential purposes.
CAAP-Iloilo Terminal Supervisor Art Parreño, in a report by the Philippine News Agency, urged everyone to comply.
“We all have to do our share. This is temporary hopefully as we are facing an extraordinary situation,” he said.IMT
Photo of the Iloilo International Airport by Luis Ganchero
