Two repatriation flights dispatched by Philippine Airlines (PAL) to Crete, Greece, arrived within hours of each other this morning (March 10, 2011) carrying a total of 731 Filipinos, including 15 infants.
PAL President Jaime J. Bautista and PAL executive vice president Vivienne K. Tan joined government officials in welcoming 368 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) onboard PR 009 which arrived at 1:00AM and 363 passengers on PR 011 which arrived at 11:46AM. For a complete list of Filipino repatriates who boarded the two PAL flights, please log on to www.palfliesyouhome.com.
PAL’s two extended range Boeing 777s touched down at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport 10 hours apart after their non-stop, 11-hour journey from Heraklion Airport, Crete. Both flights were manned by two sets of pilots, management cabin attendants and technical crew.
“As the Philippine flag carrier, PAL is happy to be of service to our countrymen, especially in times of crises,” Bautista told returning OFWs at the arrival area of NAIA Terminal 2.
PAL, in close coordination with the departments of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and Labor and Employment (DOLE), was able to deploy its two long-range B777 aircraft to repatriate OFWs after securing special permits for humanitarian reasons from different countries to overcome a prevailing ban on all Philippine carriers from flying anywhere in Europe imposed in March 2010 by the European Union.
Since the Libyan crisis erupted, PAL prepared immediately for the repatriation flights chartered by DOLE, securing necessary overfly and landing permits, including ground handling arrangement, while waiting for government’s final instructions where and when to pick up the distressed Filipinos.
Flight PR 008/009 were manned by Capt. Francis Gregory Narciso, Capt. Armistes Cruz, Capt. Edgardo Diaz, F/O Hilario Lagmay, F/O Emmanuel Lacson, F/O Mark Anthony Fernandez and S/O Onofre Alzate. The management cabin crew includes: Muniera Santos, Ena Penaverde, Ruby Manzano, Wesley Calfoforo, Nancy Diago, Thea Tee, Anna Zuniga, Loida Teopaco, Divine de Gracia, Oliver Samala, Steve Teves, Elsa Yuzon, and Ed Regencia; and GO Team Orlando M. Rodriguez and Ross Fuentes.
Meanwhile, PR 010/011 were handled by Capt. Florendo Aquino III, Capt. Jose Ramon Lozano, Capt. Efren Enverga, F/O Mark Lagmay, F/O Archimedes Masigla and S/O George Galza. Management cabin crew – Cristina Padilla, Gerardo Santos, Raul Ludovico, Edna Princesa, Marinette Punzalan, Rosario Jocson, Rose Ann Guanlao, Ana Alvarez, Aaron Restua, Patrick Reyes, Paula Cabrera, Junko Tomiie Seramimi and Jean Artuz; and GO Team Agripino Hirondo and Marlon Malabanan.
As the pioneer national flag carrier, PAL had operated on many occasions special flights to evacuate Filipinos in troubled areas, including, among others: the 2008 social unrest in Bangkok, Thailand; the 1990 first Gulf War – the largest todate encompassing 30 flights and more than 10,000 evacuated Filipinos; the 1989 war in Lebanon; and the 1980 Iran-Iraq war that displaced more than a thousand Filipinos who fled to Jordan and Kuwait.
PAL President Jaime J. Bautista and PAL executive vice president Vivienne K. Tan joined government officials in welcoming 368 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) onboard PR 009 which arrived at 1:00AM and 363 passengers on PR 011 which arrived at 11:46AM. For a complete list of Filipino repatriates who boarded the two PAL flights, please log on to www.palfliesyouhome.com.
PAL’s two extended range Boeing 777s touched down at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport 10 hours apart after their non-stop, 11-hour journey from Heraklion Airport, Crete. Both flights were manned by two sets of pilots, management cabin attendants and technical crew.
“As the Philippine flag carrier, PAL is happy to be of service to our countrymen, especially in times of crises,” Bautista told returning OFWs at the arrival area of NAIA Terminal 2.
PAL, in close coordination with the departments of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and Labor and Employment (DOLE), was able to deploy its two long-range B777 aircraft to repatriate OFWs after securing special permits for humanitarian reasons from different countries to overcome a prevailing ban on all Philippine carriers from flying anywhere in Europe imposed in March 2010 by the European Union.
Since the Libyan crisis erupted, PAL prepared immediately for the repatriation flights chartered by DOLE, securing necessary overfly and landing permits, including ground handling arrangement, while waiting for government’s final instructions where and when to pick up the distressed Filipinos.
Flight PR 008/009 were manned by Capt. Francis Gregory Narciso, Capt. Armistes Cruz, Capt. Edgardo Diaz, F/O Hilario Lagmay, F/O Emmanuel Lacson, F/O Mark Anthony Fernandez and S/O Onofre Alzate. The management cabin crew includes: Muniera Santos, Ena Penaverde, Ruby Manzano, Wesley Calfoforo, Nancy Diago, Thea Tee, Anna Zuniga, Loida Teopaco, Divine de Gracia, Oliver Samala, Steve Teves, Elsa Yuzon, and Ed Regencia; and GO Team Orlando M. Rodriguez and Ross Fuentes.
Meanwhile, PR 010/011 were handled by Capt. Florendo Aquino III, Capt. Jose Ramon Lozano, Capt. Efren Enverga, F/O Mark Lagmay, F/O Archimedes Masigla and S/O George Galza. Management cabin crew – Cristina Padilla, Gerardo Santos, Raul Ludovico, Edna Princesa, Marinette Punzalan, Rosario Jocson, Rose Ann Guanlao, Ana Alvarez, Aaron Restua, Patrick Reyes, Paula Cabrera, Junko Tomiie Seramimi and Jean Artuz; and GO Team Agripino Hirondo and Marlon Malabanan.
As the pioneer national flag carrier, PAL had operated on many occasions special flights to evacuate Filipinos in troubled areas, including, among others: the 2008 social unrest in Bangkok, Thailand; the 1990 first Gulf War – the largest todate encompassing 30 flights and more than 10,000 evacuated Filipinos; the 1989 war in Lebanon; and the 1980 Iran-Iraq war that displaced more than a thousand Filipinos who fled to Jordan and Kuwait.