Cebu Pacific resumes Dubai-Manila flights: what you need to know about flying between the UAE and Philippines

The low-cost airline has resumed flights to the UAE after Filipino authorities eased outbound travel restrictions

Travellers must wear face masks on all Cebu Pacific flights. Courtesy Cebu Pacfic

Travellers hoping to fly to Dubai from the Philippines can now travel with Cebu Pacific.

The Filipino airline has resumed its regular weekly passenger flights between Dubai and Manila. The low-cost airline will fly every Sunday from the Philippines to the UAE, and on Mondays from Dubai International Airport to Manila.

The first flight is scheduled to leave Manila Ninoy Aquino International Airport on Sunday, July 12, and will land at Dubai International Airport just after midnight.

On Monday, the first outbound Cebu Pacific flight from Dubai will depart Terminal 3 at 3.30am bound for the Filipino capital.

Travellers flying into Dubai must obtain relevant travel insurance before arrival. Passengers who do not have this may be denied boarding or will be asked to sign a waiver in the UAE that holds them responsible for any costs related to treatment for the coronavirus if they contract it while overseas.

All travellers must also register on the Covid-19 DXB app before flying.

At Dubai International Airport, all arriving passengers who do not have a valid negative certificate of testing for Covid-19 will be given a Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test. This will be carried out free of charge.

Both Etihad and Emirates have also reinstated the Manila to Dubai and Manila to Abu Dhabi routes.

Re-check your flights before travel

For passengers flying to the Philippines, government quarantine and travel regulations apply. All arriving travellers are subject to testing and mandatory 14-day quarantine.

Passengers should re-check travel information ahead of flights as schedules are liable to change with little notice.

Some recent flights bound for Manila were re-routed to Cebu, about 500 kilometres away, in a bid to ease congestion in the capital.

All travellers must follow newly implemented safety rules on Cebu Pacfic flights. These include wearing face masks, checking in online and being at the airport three hours ahead of flights to ensure enough time for all screening processes. Hand baggage is limited to one piece per person and travellers must abide by social distancing policies whenever possible.

Easing of travel restrictions

Authorities in the Philippines recently eased outbound travel restrictions in the country that had been in place since March 17. Non-essential travel abroad is allowed for Filipinos.

Outbound travellers must observe restrictions in place at their final destination and will have to undergo a Covid-19 test and a mandatory quarantine period on return to the Philippines. Travellers must also submit confirmation of return tickets, visas, and health insurance prior to travel,

On July 8, a second terminal at Ninoy Aquino International Airport was reopened to handle the increase in international flights.

The Philippines has yet to open to inbound tourism, with only returning Filipino nationals, their families and foreign diplomats among those allowed to enter the country.