Flights canceled to Philippines without notice

Flights canceled to Philippines without notice

By Ben Garcia

KUWAIT: Kuwaiti employers and workers are complaining that flights to the Philippines have been canceled without notice. The dropped flights create a major problem for domestic helpers and other Filipino workers who show up at the airport, with their residencies already canceled, ready to return home.

Sami, a Kuwaiti employer, took his housemaid this week to Kuwait airport for a flight to Dubai – the first leg of her journey home. At the airport however, both sponsor and worker were surprised to find that the flight had been canceled without notice. “I received no information or notice about the cancelation. So at 3 am, I took my housemaid to the airport for her scheduled flight, but when we reached there, they said the flight was canceled,” Sami said. “This is improper; the only thing I heard from the airline is that this wasn’t the only flight that was canceled, and no explanation was given,” he said.

Mila, the Filipino domestic helper, said her family expected her to return to Manila, but because of the cancelation, she doesn’t know when she will now get a flight home. “Thank God my boss managed to extend my visa, so I am safe. I