More flights of Philippine Airlines (PAL) have been canceled as its dispute with a group of pilots who resigned for higher-paying jobs abroad has yet to be resolved.
A meeting called by President Benigno Aquino III to end the dispute ended in a deadlock Monday night. Another meeting is scheduled for Tuesday in Malacañang.
PAL on Monday said two to three domestic flights would be canceled every day for the rest of the week due to the lack of pilots for the carrier’s fleet of Airbus A320 and A319 jets.
Since Friday, around 35 domestic and international flights have been disrupted after 25 pilots left PAL.
Thousands of passengers, including one who almost missed his wedding in Iloilo, were among those affected.
Businesswoman Beverly “Pangging” Rosales said she was among the Iloilo-bound passengers forced to stay overnight in Manila on Sunday after PAL Flight PR-147 set at 6:35 p.m. was canceled.
Two more round-trip flights, to Iloilo and Bacolod from Manila, were again canceled on Monday due to the pilot shortage.
“Most passengers are being accommodated in later flights,” said Jaime Bautista, PAL president and chief operating officer.
Bautista said the early announcement of the “planned” cancelations was meant to minimize the inconvenience that the labor dispute has caused passengers.
The string of cancelations, affecting over 1,300 passengers every day, has prompted the government to intervene to help thresh out the issues between the pilots and the airline’s management.
Takeover possible
Because of the deadlock, Malacañang is seeking to resolve the conflict within the week, indicating that government can take over the airline in case discussions bogged down.
“I think they are aware of that without us having to say it,” Transportation Secretary Ping de Jesus said at a briefing in Malacañang shortly after the meeting ended at around 6:30 Monday night.
Asked how long the government was willing to wait until it took a more drastic action, he said: “Let’s wait.” source: Inquirer
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