Probe Cebu Pacific promos – Davao solon

MANILA, Philippines – The promotional campaigns of Cebu Pacific – often resulting to overbooking and overworked pilots and in-flight crews, and thus compromise the safety of passengers – should be investigated.

This was proposed on Tuesday, June 4, by Karlos Nograles, congressman of Davao City, where the a Cebu Pacific plane overshot the driveway Sunday night.

“Cebu Pacific is endangering the safety of their passengers because they practically turned their airline company into a sari-sari store. With so many flights to cover, their pilots and in-flight crews could hardly take a rest. That is definitely an invitation to disaster,” Nograles said.

He wants Congress to conduct a probe on the lapses supposedly committed by the airline crew in the Sunday incident. The Davao International Airport has been closed to public since Sunday evening after aircraft RPC-3266 or Flight 5J-971 from Manila to Davao overshot the runway.

Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) Deputy General John Andrews said in a press conference Tuesday that they have gathered evidence that could tell that pilot error may have caused the mishap.

Although none of the 165 passengers was injured, most of them complained about the slow response of the crew onboard the said flight.

Nograles said he personally talked to one of the “shaken” passengers who told him that it took 10 minutes before the pilot said anything after the plane accident.

The lawmaker said he was also told that upon touchdown, the plane landed not on the runway but on the ground so the pilot stepped hard in the brakes—an indication, Nograles thinks, that the pilot miscalculated his landing.

Nograles said the incident reflects the lack of training of Cebu Pacific’s personnel in handling emergency situations. This points to a deeper review as well of the standards and qualifications for airline crews.

“In other words, Cebu pacific is not equipped to respond to emergency situations such as a plane crash. The in-flight crew should know how to handle actual emergency situations and not just good at making a demo during pre-flight procedures,” Nograles said.

Bayan Muna Rep Neri Colmenares meanwhile said that Cebu Pacific’s apology for the Davao runway mishap is unsatisfactory.

“No, that is not enough. They should be open to a complete investigation of the incident as well as a full review of their policies. Cebu Pacific should also shoulder all the expenses and damages incurred not just of their passengers but those of other airlines as well who were stranded,” he said. – Rappler.com