Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific turned back flights bound for Dubai and Riyadh on February 28 and cancelled several others due to the security situation in parts of the Middle East.
In an advisory issued last night, Philippine Airlines said Flight PR654 from Manila to Riyadh and Flight PR658 from Manila to Dubai, both of which departed on Saturday, returned to Manila.
PR654 was scheduled to arrive back in Manila at 10:40 p.m., while PR658 was set to arrive at 9:52 p.m.
The airline also cancelled PR684 from Manila to Doha, PR655 from Riyadh to Manila, and PR659 from Dubai to Manila on February 28. On March 1, PR685 from Doha to Manila was likewise cancelled.
Philippine Airlines said the adjustments were made in light of operational restrictions in certain Middle East stations as it continues to monitor developments in the region.
It said it is coordinating with aviation authorities, airport operators, and relevant government agencies regarding airspace and operational advisories.
The airline said affected passengers are being assisted with rebooking, rerouting, or refunds in line with company policies and advised travelers to check flight status before going to the airport.
Cebu Pacific also announced a flight diversion and cancellations late Saturday.
In an advisory issued also last night, Cebu Pacific said Flight 5J 14 from Manila to Dubai, which departed on February 28, would return to Manila and was estimated to arrive at 10:45 p.m. Its return service, Flight 5J 15 from Dubai to Manila, was cancelled.
Flights 5J 14 and 5J 15 scheduled for March 1 were also cancelled.
Cebu Pacific said it is closely monitoring developments related to the security situation and may review flight operations to and from the Middle East in the coming days.
The airline said affected passengers were informed via email and given options that include free rebooking within 30 days, conversion of the ticket cost into a travel fund, or a full refund.
It is also offering free rebooking and travel fund conversion to passengers who wish to postpone flights to and from Dubai on March 2 and Riyadh on March 1 and 2.
Both airlines said safety remains their top priority as the situation continues to develop.
The flight disruptions are part of a wider shutdown of airspace and airport closures in the Middle East after a major military escalation involving the United States, Israel, and Iran.
On February 28, several countries in the region closed their skies or imposed heavy restrictions on flights to protect civilian aircraft from the risk of missiles and military action.
Airspace over Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Israel, Qatar, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates was closed or severely restricted, leaving large areas of the region’s skies almost empty.
Dubai International Airport and Al Maktoum International Airport in the United Arab Emirates suspended flights after the country closed its airspace. Abu Dhabi’s Zayed International Airport also halted departures and arrivals.
In Qatar, Hamad International Airport grounded flights when Qatari airspace was temporarily shut.
The closures forced airlines around the world to cancel flights, reroute aircraft, or turn planes back mid-air as a safety precaution.
