ZestAir: 7,000 passengers affected so far by suspension

(Updated 6:40 p.m.) Some 7,000 passengers have been affected by the suspension of domestic and international flights of Zest Airways by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, the budget airline said Sunday.

In an advisory on its Facebook page, Zest Airways said it is working to have the suspension lifted, but asked its passengers to bear with it for the moment.

"As of today, August 18, there are about 7,000 affected passengers due to the cancellation of our domestic and international flights following a regulatory order," it said.

ZestAir said most of its passengers "have already been transferred to other airlines and we shall continue to assist everyone."

Last Friday, the CAAP suspended Zest Airways for its supposed failure to comply with flight standards, as it was operating without an accountable manager.

CAAP officer-in-charge John Andrews noted that the suspension was handed down in light of the results of “heightened monitoring and surveillance” of the airline “after serious deviations and infractions of rules and standards under the Philippine Civil Aviation Regulations (PCAR).”

Under PCAR, an accountable manager ensures that all flight operations and maintenance activities can be financed and carried out to the highest degree of safety standards.

AirAsia sends 2 flights for Malaysia-bound passengers

Meanwhile, air carrier AirAsia dispatched two flights to fly more than 100 of ZestAir's stranded passengers bound for Malaysia, the New Straits Times reported Sunday.

In May, Malaysia's AirAsia Group, through Philippines’ AirAsia, acquired an 85-percent economic interest and 49-percent voting rights in ZestAir.

The report added that ZestAir's suspension left many passengers stranded at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, with hundreds lining up at its ticketing office outside NAIA-4. — BM, GMA News