Authorities to check if CebuPac planes have maintenance issues following flight cancellations

An official of the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) on Tuesday said authorities will check if budget carrier Cebu Pacific has safety or maintenance issues on its planes following the cancellation of over 40 flights.

"Actually, tinitingnan po natin 'yan kung 'yan ang isa sa mga dahilan na ibinigay nila for the cancellation. Saklaw ho 'yan ng Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, kasama namin ang CAAP ho sa mga pagpupulong at titingnan po ng CAAP 'yan, titingnan po namin 'yan kung totoo 'yan," said Attorney Wyrlou Samodio, CAB legal division chief, in an interview on Dobol B sa News TV.

Samodio clarified that it was the budget carrier who had cited the maintenance issue as the reason for the cancellation of flights.

"Sa pagkakaalam ko isa sa mga bagong fleet ang Cebu Pacific, so bago ang mga eroplano. Kung may concern na ganyan, definitely titingnan po 'yan ng CAAP para malaman kung air worthy pa rin. Again, it's a reason given by Cebu Pacific. Ang trabaho namin bilang regulator ay alamin kung totoo," Samodio said.

In an advisory, the airline said a total of 58 round-trip flights will be cancelled until May 10 as part of its "ongoing effort to improve on-time performance and reduce inconvenience" among passengers.

Affected passengers will be allowed to get a refund or rebook their flights, free of charge, within 30 days from the original date of departure.

Samodio said passengers may request the airline to endorse them to another airline with the same route provided that there is still space available on the another flight.

"Sa Air Passenger Bill of Rights, isa po 'yan sa puwedeng hingin ng mga pasahero sa airline," he said. "Pag po ang cancellation ay kasalanan ni airline, puwede po kayong magpa-endorse sa ibang airline. Pero po pag ang cancellation ay due to force majeure, hindi po natin maaano si airline."

Samodio reiterated that concerned agencies already met to discuss the matter. Authorities are collecting pertinent data about the affected passengers as part of the probe.

"Nag-umpisa na po kami nung weekend pa lang, 'yung mga ahensya, at nakikipag-coordinate na rin kami sa mga tao namin sa airports at pati na rin sa Cebu Pacific kasi weekend pa lang mino-monitor na namin 'yung mga cancellations," Samodio said.

"Binigyan po nila ako ng instruction na hingin 'yung mga data na kailangan natin sa pagiimbestiga, like halimbawa ilan 'yung actual na number ng pasahero na naapektuhan, ilan 'yung mga pasaherong nabigyan ng hotel accommodation kung totoong may nabigyan tapos ano 'yung mga hotel ng mga taong 'yun," he added.

"Ilan 'yung mga pasaherong nag-rebook at nag-refund ng walang additional charges kasi dapat po talagang wala 'yan at ilan 'yung inendorse nila sa ibang airline."

Cebu Pacific has apologized for the inconvenience the cancellations have caused. —Anna Felicia Bajo/KBK, GMA News