ILOILO – It is not yet certain when international flights will resume at the Iloilo Airport in Cabatuan town.
According to Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr., the provincial government has yet to receive requests to resume international flights particularly from airlines that used to have direct flights from Iloilo to Singapore and vice versa and from Iloilo to Hong Kong and vice versa.
International flights were halted in 2020 due to the coronavirus disease 2091 (COVID-19) pandemic.
“We are ready to resume anytime. We are prepared for that,” said the governor.
The provincial government even conducted simulation exercises a few months ago to ensure that health protocols against COVID-19 and monkeypox are in place.
Among those who took part in the simulation exercises were the Iloilo Provincial Health Office (IPHO), Department of Health, Bureau of Quarantine, and Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP)-Iloilo.
During the exercises, incoming passengers were screened to ensure safety and reduce risks.
Should international flights resume, according to IPHO chief Dr. Maria Socorro Colmenares-Quiñon, all arriving airline passengers, whether local or foreign, will be monitored for monkeypox signs and symptom such as skin lesions.
The screening team of the provincial government will spearhead the monitoring at the airport.
In September, Defensor confirmed one airline expressed interest to resume international flights but withdrew after the first confirmed monkeypox case in the province was recorded in August.
Three airline companies operating domestic flights at the Iloilo Airport are Philippine Airlines (PAL), Cebu Pacific and AirAsia.
PAL and Cebu Pacific used to have direct flights to Singapore and Hong Kong from Iloilo and vice versa./PN
