PAL back to normal flight operations Thursday

MANILA, Philippines—Philippine Airlines (PAL) is resuming full operations today (Thursday) with the restoration of flights and frequencies to pre-outsourcing levels at its hub in Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) Terminal 2 just in time for the onset of the holiday season.

Also restored starting Thursday is PAL’s full in-flight meal service which was briefly interrupted by the transition to third party service providers and by the protest staged by former PAL employees at the airline’s In-flight Center in Pasay City.

All PAL flights will be consolidated at the airline’s home base in Naia 2. Flights from Manila to and from Bacolod, Dipolog, Dumaguete, Ozamiz and Zamboanga will now depart and arrive at Naia 2. These flights were temporarily housed at Naia 3 to decongest the Centennial Terminal.

Earlier, PAL resumed its cargo operations on both domestic and international flights.

4 flights to Davao

Davao, one of PAL’s major destinations, has returned to its normal four-daily-flight schedule exactly a month after the airline embarked on its outsourcing program. PAL uses its flagship Boeing 747-400 for its twice daily flights to Davao.

“As PAL’s service providers gradually fill up their manpower complement, all operational requirements, from passenger handling to ground handling of all PAL flights, shall now be done in PAL’s home base at Terminal 2,” PAL spokesperson Cielo Villaluna said.

Villaluna added that PAL’s signature meals presentation and its wide array of complimentary drinks are also back on board.

“We thank our loyal passengers for bearing with us during these difficult times. We promise to exceed your expectations the next time you board a PAL flight,” she said.

PAL used to mount 45-50 domestic and 80 international flights daily.

Starting today, daily domestic flights will average 50 to 60 while international flights will remain at 80, for an average daily flights of 140.

After it implemented its outsourcing program on Oct. 1 that led to the separation of more than 2,300 workers, PAL had to reduce domestic flights by 30 percent, while international flights were down 12 percent.

Work stoppage

The flight reduction came shortly after protesting workers staged what management called an illegal work stoppage prior to the implementation of the airline’s outsourcing plan.

In-flight operations were likewise hampered when separated workers encamped at the gates of PAL’s In-flight Center along MIA Road, Pasay City, blocking the access of PAL employees and service providers to the facility.

PAL filed criminal charges of grave coercion against 41 of its former employees before the Pasay City prosecutor’s office after they blocked a PAL truck from leaving the facility’s premises on Oct. 29.

Members of the Philippine Airlines Employees Association began their blockade of the In-flight Center on Sept. 28 to protest the airline’s outsourcing program. The facility houses the airline’s cabin services department and in-flight kitchen where meals for all PAL flights are prepared.