Cebu Pacific to add more Dubai-Manila flights from October

Dubai: Flights to Manila on Cebu Pacific (CEB) will become thrice weekly from the current two times a week beginning October, the Philippine budget carrier announced on Tuesday.

“Once regulatory approval is secured, CEB’s Dubai-Manila flights will be operating every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, while its Manila-Dubai service will be every Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday,” read a statement from the low-cost carrier.

“With this added frequency, Filipinos who are currently in the UAE have access to more options and can find it easier to make plans for their essential travel to the Philippines,” it added.

Meanwhile, CEB said it has adjusted its passenger options and included flexibility in booking, including unlimited free rebooking for new bookings (but may be subject to fare difference), waived rebooking fees for three months of existing booking (subject to fare difference) and extension of the Travel Fund validity up to two years. Passengers can manage their bookings on Cebu Pacific website.

Cebu Pacific reminded its passenger of the travel regulations being implemented by the governments of the Philippines and the UAE.

The airline noted passengers flying from Manila to Dubai must still apply for and receive approval from the UAE’s General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs prior to travel

They should also have a negative PCR test result within 96 hours before departure and they must have a valid health insurance that can be used in the UAE.

All Philippines-bound passengers, on the other hand, are required to undergo a reverse transcript polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test for COVID-19 test upon arrival at the Philippine airport.

Passengers must pre-register and complete the E-CIF (electronic case investigation form) before they depart for the Philippines. They must also prepare to upload a picture of their passport’s bio page.

Once registered, travellers must print or save the QR code on their mobile phones, so they can skip some steps as they go through the testing procedures.

Cebu Pacific added: Non-OFW (overseas Filipino worker) flying to or transiting through Manila are recommended to pre-book their accommodation in government accredited facilities, where they will be quarantined as they wait for their RT-PCR COVID-19 test results.