Three airlines began flying anew from Cebu to Bacolod and vice versa on Tuesday, some eight months after commercial flights between the neighboring islands were suspended due to the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic.

An advisory of the Bacolod-Silay Airport in Negros Occidental for December showed said that these are sweeper flights intended for residents, locally stranded individuals (LSIs), and authorized persons outside of residence (APORs).

Cebu Pacific has scheduled flights for all five Tuesdays, including Dec. 1, 8, 15, 22, and 29.

The Cebu-Bacolod flight is set to leave the Mactan Cebu International Aiport at 12:05 p.m. and arrive at 12:55 p.m. at the Bacolod-Silay Aiport. From Bacolod, it will fly back at 1:25 p.m. and land in Cebu at 2:15 p.m.

On Dec. 2, Wednesday, as well Dec. 4, 11, and 18, all Fridays, the Philippine Airlines will fly from Cebu at 11 a.m. and will arrive in Bacolod at 12 p.m. then leave Bacolod at 12:30 p.m. and reach Cebu at 1:20 p.m.

Meanwhile, Philippines Air Asia will have Wednesday flights on Dec. 16, 23, and 30.

The plane will leave Cebu at 1:45 p.m. and land in Bacolod at 2:30 p.m., and fly back to Cebu at 3 p.m. and arrive at 3:45 p.m.

Provincial administrator Rayfrando Diaz said earlier these flights were approved by Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson for “humanitarian considerations”.

He added that the airline companies requested one flight per week for the Bacolod-Cebu route.

Diaz said that for December, Lacson told the three airlines to maintain only two flights each per week, including the Bacolod-Manila route, with a limit of 199 passengers per flight.

Upon the request of front-liners, there will be no flights on Dec. 24 and 25, as well as on Dec. 31, Diaz added. (PNA)