AirAsia reacts to foreigner trapped 110 days in NAIA, lifting of non-essential travel ban
MANILA, Philippines — Budget carrier AirAsia on Wednesday confirmed that the Estonian tourist Roman Trofimov flew back to his home country yesterday after being stranded at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) for 110 days.
Related: Real-life 'The Terminal': Foreigner trapped in NAIA for 110 days finally flies home
The implicated airline, however, clarified its position in the foreigner’s story.
“[Trofimov] arrived in Manila from Don Mueang (DMK), Thailand, in March and was denied entry by the Philippine Bureau of Immigration. In such cases, the guest is either flown back to the exact same point of origin or his/her home country. The guest arrived in the Philippines when strict travel restrictions were imposed by the government and airlines started suspending flights,” AirAsia said in a Wednesday statement sent to Philstar.com.
The carrier said that it covered costs for his accommodation and meals three times a day while his exit flight was arranged in coordination with the Estonian Consulate General in Manila.
The company also said that it still does not have international flights despite the government's lifting of restrictions on non-essential travel abroad in the middle of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
Related: Non-essential trips, tourism abroad now allowed — Palace
“We welcome the easing of restrictions in the Philippines for international travel. As this is a fairly new development, we continue to review our international routes to see how we can adjust accordingly, depending also on the demand... The earliest that we may mount international flights is in August. As the current health situation remains fluid, we will release necessary travel advisories to inform guests of our updated flight schedules,” the company explained.
“The safety and wellbeing of our guests and Allstars remains our top priority. We comply with advice and regulations from the government, civil aviation authorities, and global and local health authorities, including the World Health Organization.”
