Philippine Airlines said Thursday all flights from New York JFK and Toronto to Manila are temporarily being rerouted to avoid flying through Russian airspace.
“As a result of the longer routings, our JFK-Manila and Toronto-Manila will need to stop over briefly in Vancouver for refueling before proceeding to Manila,” PAL said.
“We are taking this precautionary measure in view of airspace closure concerns related to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict,” it said.
The airline said a one-hour refueling stop and the longer routing over the North Pacific Ocean will increase travel time. “We seek the kind understanding of our passengers for this necessary step, as safety and operational integrity remains the cornerstone of our operations,” PAL said
“However, our eastbound flights from Manila will continue to operate nonstop Manila to New York JFK, and nonstop Manila to Toronto. These flights do not overfly Russian territory,” it said.
