Department of Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade said authorities should “seriously consider” to reopen the airports in GCQ (general community quarantine) areas.
Tugade said reopening the airports would help the domestic tourism amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.
The Department of Tourism (DOT) earlier said it is looking at allowing domestic travel after the ECQ and GCQ to help the tourism industry in the Philippines.
“The reopening of airports in GCQ areas to commercial aviation will gradually jump-start airline operations now hard hit by the Covid-19 pandemic. This will plant the seeds for domestic tourism. This should seriously be considered,” Tugade said.
General Jim Sydiongco, Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) Director, said airlines are now capable of mounting inter-island flights to and from areas under general community quarantine.
“We want to operationalize this approach before the end of next week but of course without compromising health and safety protocols set by the IATF (Inter-Agency Task Force) and the Department of Health. Pag-iisipan namin kung paano ito maisasagawa ng maayos at mabilis,” Tugade said.
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