Philippine Airlines (PAL) is mounting sweeper flights to ferry stranded foreigners out of Cebu, its spokesperson said on Thursday.

“Sweeper flights are being carried out to ferry stranded foreign nationals out of our domestic hub Cebu which has the most number of stranded (PAL passengers). Today we have sweeper flights bound for Manila — that’s two round trips,” PAL Cielo Villaluna told the Philippine News Agency (PNA) in a message.

Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines spokesperson Eric Apolonio said sweeper flight is not necessarily just for the foreign nationals.

Despite the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine, foreign nationals are allowed to leave the Philippines any time, provided that a proof of international travel itinerary scheduled within 24 hours is presented. Sweeper flights that would bring passengers to the airports have been allowed by the government to operate.

Meanwhile, Villaluna added that PAL will also have a sweeper flight from Cebu to Tokyo Narita on Friday.

She said PAL has more than 300 stranded foreigner passengers in Cebu. The Cebu-Manila flight would carry 120 foreign nationals, while close to 150 passengers are expected in the Cebu-Narita sweeper flight. (PNA)