PAL reduces Bacolod City flights for ‘lean season'

By Carla Gomez
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 22:25:00 08/10/2010

BACOLOD CITY—Philippine Airlines has reduced the number of daily flights between Manila and Bacolod from five to only three.

The suspension of two flights was due to the lean season and would be revived on Dec. 1 during the peak season, PAL spokesperson Jonathan Gesmundo said at a press conference in Bacolod City on Monday.

Gesmundo said the suspension of the two flights was not related to the shortage of pilots brought about by the resignation of pilots from PAL.

The new schedule for PAL flights from the Bacolod-Silay Airport to Manila are 10:25 a.m., 3:45 p.m. and 6:45 p.m. daily, PAL Bacolod manager Fernando Bermejo said.

The suspended Bacolod-Manila flights were those scheduled at 6:25 a.m. and 7:45 p.m., he added.

But Gesmundo said PAL would look into increasing the number of flights should there be a demand for more during the MassKara Festival.

Gesmundo said the resignation of 26 pilots who left for better-paying jobs in other airlines was resolved with management and administrative pilots tapped to take on flying assignments.

Based on the list submitted by PAL and Civil Aeronautics Board, routes with reduced frequencies include Iloilo, Cagayan de Oro, Ozamiz, Dipolog, Puerto Princesa and Cebu, he added.

The Cebu-Davao and Davao-Cebu service would be suspended temporarily but would resume during the peak season, Gesmundo said.

He said PAL is facing stiff competition in the domestic sector and, this month, the airline would offer several more promo flights.

Cebu Pacific flies five to six times between Bacolod and Manila daily, while Air Philippines flies twice daily, Bacolod Silay-Airport manager Felizardo Toralba said.

Zest Air has one flight a day three times a week but plans to go daily by Aug. 22, Toralba added.