Lack of Pilots forces PAL to cancel flights

[chua_riwap]

Magulo na naman sa PAL.........


http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/07...e-resignations

MANILA, Philippines (1st UPDATE) - Flag-carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) cancelled 11 domestic and international flights on Saturday after several of its pilots "indiscriminately" resigned.

A radio dzMM report said 4 of the cancelled domestic flights were bound for Cebu (PR 843), Cagayan (PR 181), Bacolod City (PR 133) and Iloilo (PR 147).

The other 4 cancelled domestic flights were supposed to arrive from Cebu (PR 344), Cagayan (PR 182), Bacolod (PR 134) and Iloilo (PR 148).

Two flights from Hong Kong to Manila (PR 313 AND PR 319) and another flight bound for Hong Kong (PR 318) have also been cancelled.

In an interview on cable news channel ANC, PAL spokesman Jonathan Gesmundo said all of the cancelled flights involve A320 aircrafts.

"Unfortunately we have had recent indiscriminate resignations of A320 pilots, and we are now faced with inadequate flight deck crew to man A320 aircrafts," Gesmundo said.

He would not say how many pilots have resigned, but assured that "it's just a small number."

Vic Lima, host of radio dzMM program "Tandem", said he received reports that at least 7 pilots resigned from PAL.

Gesmundo said the pilots' resignations had nothing to do with the management's ongoing labor dispute with the Philippine Airlines Employees' Association (PALEA).

He explained that only "ground" personnel are members of the PALEA.

He said the A320 aircraft pilots left PAL because they were poached by foreign-owned airlines. He said the pilots were offered bigger salaries "that we cannot match."

Charges against resigned pilots

In a statement released after the interview, Gesmundo said indiscriminate resignation is a violation of the pilots' contract with PAL, as well as "pertinent government regulations."

Gesmundo said that the pilots should have given PAL 6 months to train their replacements.

"PAL will soon be filing appropriate charges against those pilots who chose not to report for work immediately after submitting resignation letters," he said.

He added: "Most of the pilots still owe PAL the cost of their aviation school training, which run into millions of pesos per pilot."

Gesmundo said that because of the indiscriminate resignation of the pilots, PAL is thinking of temporarily grounding some of its A320 aircrafts.

He said it would take "several months" before other pilots get trained to fly A320 aircrafts.

"It will take several months to train pilots. We have our own school, the PAL Aviation School in Clark," he said.

Meanwhile, Gesmundo said the PAL management has been trying to advise all passengers of the cancelled flights.

He said that the passengers affected by the flight cancellations may be able to leave on Sunday morning flights.

He added that they are thinking of using "bigger" aircrafts for Sunday's flights to accommodate the affected passengers.

"PAL is currently adjusting its schedules by merging some flights or upgrading the aircraft to a bigger type in order to lessen the inconvenience to affected passengers,"

[CVT]

Kawawa talaga ang Pilipinas.... Ginagawang training grounds lang....

10.4K:shazam:

[uls]

people have no loyalty

loyalty lang sa sarili

well, ganyan talaga

people look after their own interests first

mas mataas ang kita ng mga pilots sa ibang airline

[chrismarte]

another "exodus" ba eto?i think di lang PAL ang may problema nang ganito even our Armed Forces meron din. Coz of "greener pasteur" ika nga kaya nag aalisan ang mga piloto.

[chua_riwap]

Around how much ba salary ng isang PAL pilot, compared sa foreign airlines?

Sana yung mga suplada at "matronic" na flight attendants na lang ang magsipag-resign.......

[_Cathy_]

^OO nga ang tatanda ng FA nila sa International Flights. Hinda ba dati hanggang 30s lang ang FA sa PAL tapos nagkaron ba ng Union?

[ghosthunter]

What can PAL do to the pilots? Charges? They have already resigned (for another job). The only thing PAL can do is withhold the final paycheck.

If PAL did not require the pilots to sign a contract to have a "minimum" employment holding period (for the cost of the training), the "charges" are just empty threats.

[chrismarte]

^^at yung mga maintenance na bogus...

OT: nasa news ngayon yung resolution about some PALEA member, parang yung decision ng Supreme Court in favor sa PAL management.

[ghosthunter]

OT: nasa news ngayon yung resolution about some PALEA member, parang yung decision ng Supreme Court in favor sa PAL management.

I am just waiting for the resignation of PAL's ground crew after that decision.

[Monseratto]

Maraming kasi excess baggage yung PAL.