Philippine Airlines prepares measures to protect passengers from possible flight disruptions

Philippine Flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) has lined up various measures to protect its passengers from the inconvenience that might ensue should its ground and cabin crew unions push through with their plan to go on strike.

These measures include the deployment of administrative staff and other personnel to help in case of emergency. The passengers will also be transferred to PAL's 134 interline partners12 airlines in Southeast Asia; 11 in the USA and Canada; 25 in Europe; 12 in the Middle East; 3 airlines in Japan; and 10 airlines in China -- in case of flight disruptions, PAL president Jaime Bautista said on Friday.

"As part of our conditions of carriage, we commit to our passengers that we will bring them to their destination whether through extra flights or through PAL's domestic and international interline partners," he said.

Both the 2,600 members of the PAL Employees Association (PALEA) and the 1,600 members of the Flight Attendants and Stewards Association of the Philippines (FASAP) have threatened to go on strike amidst the labor dispute pending before the labor department.

But Bautista is hopeful that the management will find a peaceful and amicable solution to PAL's labor problems, noting that they continue to talk with the union representatives.

PALEA threatened to go on strike if the PAL management pushes through with its plan to outsource its non-core units, while FASAP is pushing for a new retirement age of its flight attendants. FASAP described the compulsory 40-year mandatory retirement age currently imposed as "discriminatory" and "unreasonable."

Earlier this month, PAL canceled at least 11 of its flights due to the shortage of pilots after some 25 of them resigned from the airline for flying jobs abroad because of higher pay.

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