* Airlines seek emergency credit lines, waiver of airport
fees
* Due to lockdown, airlines suspended operations till April
14
* Minister to ask central bank to support lenders to
airlines
(Adds details of the requests made)
By Karen Lema
MANILA, March 31 (Reuters) - Philippine Airlines PHL.UL
and other domestic carriers have written to their government
seeking help, saying measures imposed globally to contain the
coronavirus pandemic threaten their survival.
In a March 25 letter sent by the Air Carriers Association of
the Philippines that was seen by Reuters, the airlines said they
were not seeking handouts, but emergency credit lines and the
waiver of navigation and airport fees. They also cited examples
of other governments assisting carriers.
"The Philippine carriers are facing an existential threat to
their survival," said the letter addressed to the ministers of
trade, economics, transport, finance and tourism.
The Philippines took drastic measures to contain the spread
after its first domestic case on March 7, becoming the third
country after China and Italy to put its people under a
month-long home quarantine, suspend transport, work and
commercial activity.
As a result of the lockdown, the association said its member
airlines have shut down passenger operations until April 14,
translating to 30,000 cancelled flights and affecting five
million people who were scheduled to fly.
"What is being sought for is ready access to working capital
which is required to restart and sustain viable operations," the
association said.
In response, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez told
reporters the government will ask the Philippine central bank to
support the banks that help their clients, including airlines.
The association's members include Cebu Air Inc CEB.PS ,
Philippine Airlines PHL.UL and the local unit of Malaysia's
AirAsia Bhd AIRA.KL .
In the United States, the government is preparing to quickly
hand out $25 billion in cash assistance, designed to cover
payroll costs. Airlines may also apply for a separate $29
billion in government loans.