PAL truly back to normal

Manila Bulletin
November 28, 2011

Philippine Airlines (PAL)'s operations are truly back to normal, just as they were before the flag carrier implemented its outsourcing program almost two months ago.

On, October 1, PAL's spin-off led to the separation of more than 2,300 workers, forcing the airline to reduce domestic flights by 30 percent while international flights were down 12 percent.

PAL used to mount 45-50 domestic and 80 international flights daily. Starting last Thursday, Nov. 24, PAL's daily domestic flights averaged 50 to 60 while international flights remained at 80, for average daily flights of 140.

As before, all PAL flights are now departing from and arriving at its exclusive hub at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 2.

Prior to October 1, the effectivity date of PAL's outsourcing program, some flights were temporarily housed at NAIA Terminal 3 to decongest the Centennial Terminal.

PAL also resumed full in-flight meal service after a brief interruption caused by the transition to third party service providers and the protest camp of former PAL workers at the airline's Inflight Center in Pasay City.

PAL's cargo operations on both domestic and international flights have also returned to former levels.

PAL has also intensified its tourism promotion campaign immediately after the restoration of its flights and frequencies to pre-outsourcing levels.

So far, cebu remains on top of the priority list of 26 destinations which the flag carrier promotes in international roadshows to boost tourist arrivals in the Philippines.

PAL flies eight times a day between Manila and Cebu using mostly wide-body jets like the Boeing 777ER, B747-400 and the Airbus A330.

The flag carrier also flies directly from Cebu to Narita, Japan six times weekly and thrice a week to Incheon, South Korea. Effective December 2, flights to Incheon will double to six times weekly.

"cebu continues to enjoy positive load factors despite the recent tsunami in Japan and other natural calamities," confirmed Glenn Vallecera, PAL AVP-visayas Sales.

"Even during the height of PAL's spin-off/outsourcing program, flights to Cebu were largely unaffected with load factors of more than 80 percent." (EVA)