Caap ensures smooth airport operations

Business Mirror
September 26, 2011

THE continuing mass protest of the Philippine Airlines Employees Association (Palea) against the spin-off of three noncore units of the flag carrier scheduled to start on October 1 has prompted the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (Caap), over the weekend, to take measures to ensure smooth operations at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) and other airports in the country.
Over the weekend, Caap Director General Ramon Gutierrez directed all Caap-owned and -operated airports, international airport authorities, government law enforcement and airport private security agencies to keep a tight watch on those who might sabotage or interfere with airport operations and communications and related facilities.

He ordered that his directive be distributed to all airport managers, officers in charge and other ranking officials in all of the more than 80 Caap-operated airports in the country.

The Caap charter states that “any person who destroys or seriously damage the facilities of airports shall be subjected to imprisonment or a fine of not less than P50,000.”

Also, persons who “interfere with air navigation faces imprisonment of not more than three years and a P50,000 fine.”

Gutierrez said any incident related to the above offenses must be documented and immediately reported to the Caap for possible filing of criminal charges.

The Palea continues to defy the offer of the airline management to accept the spin-off of its noncore unit airport services, inflight catering, and call-center reservations in a bid to make the airline lean and mean in the face of the continuing economic slowdown and high fuel prices eating into the airlines’ profit.

But defiant Gerry Rivera, Palea president and vice chairman of the party-list Partido ng Manggagawa, insists that the labor dispute can only be resolved if the present and any future owners of PAL “maintain and retain” all those affected by the spin-off.

Palea members continue to hold mass protest rallies at the Naia Terminal 2, where PAL maintains operations, and some eyewitnesses noted that some airline employees has had some verbal tussles with PAL volunteers who help during peak traffic hours at the airline counters.

Airline President Jaime Bautista said the PAL management has to adopt the restructuring plan to save the airline and ensure the continuous employment of its remaining 5,000 employees. “The spin-off is meant to ensure the survival of our 70-year-old institution.”

He cited the case of Japan Airlines, one of the world’s largest carriers, which filed for bankruptcy protection in 2010, prompting the Tokyo government to infuse fresh funds into the state-backed carrier.