Despite the impact of Typhoon Gaemi and the southwest monsoon, which brought heavy rainfall to the Philippine capital region and surrounding provinces on Wednesday, flights between the UAE and Manila continue to operate as usual. Philippine Airlines (PAL) confirmed to Khaleej Times that their flights to and from Dubai remain unaffected, with one daily service between the two cities. Similarly, budget airline Cebu Pacific (CebPac), which also runs a daily flight to and from Manila, has not issued any suspension notices.
Etihad Airways, based in Abu Dhabi, also stated that their flights between Abu Dhabi and Manila are currently operating without disruption. The airline is closely monitoring the situation in the Western Pacific region due to Typhoon Gaemi and strong monsoon conditions, and will make necessary adjustments to ensure passenger and crew safety. Emirates, based in Dubai, has not yet released an official statement.
However, several domestic flights operated by both PAL and CebPac have been canceled. The Philippine government has responded to the tropical storm by suspending classes at all academic levels and work in most government offices in Metro Manila, which includes 16 cities and is home to approximately 13 million people. Typhoon Gaemi, locally known as Carina, with winds up to 155 kph and gusts reaching 190 kph, did not make landfall but has intensified the southwest monsoon, leading to heavy to intense rainfall in Luzon over the past three days.
The Philippine Coast Guard reported that 354 passengers and 31 vessels were stranded in ports, while airlines canceled 13 domestic flights on Wednesday, according to Manila's airport authority.
