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Long-haul carrier Emirates will operate special commercial flights this month to repatriate Filipino expatriates back to their home country.
The so-called “Bayanihan” flights on EK332 will fly from Dubai to Manila on October 2, 5, 9, 16, 23 and 30, the airline said in a statement on Sunday.
Hundreds of overseas Filipino workers have been unable to return home due to the travel restrictions imposed by the Philippine government on flights originating from several countries, including the UAE.
Flights from the UAE were first suspended last May due to concerns over the Delta variant. The ban was lifted only last month.
The Philippines is a major market for the Dubai-based carrier. With the lifting of the ban, the airline has resumed daily services to and from Manila. It also operates five weekly flights to Clark and twice weekly flights to Cebu.
Special flights
In its latest statement, Emirates said only Filipino citizens currently in the UAE will be eligible to book seats on the repatriation flights.
However, passengers will be subject to a ten-day facility-based quarantine upon arrival. This will be followed by a four-day home-based quarantine.
Allocations of quarantine facilities at designated hotels will be coordinated by Emirates along with the Philippines’ Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) and/or the Department of Tourism (DOT).
(Writing by Cleofe Maceda; editing by Seban Scaria)
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