PR/via Stephanie Sevillano – PTV News
PASAY CITY — The On-Time Performance (OTP) of flights of Philippine Airlines (PAL) and Cebu Pacific have significantly improved in just two weeks after airlines signed a Pledge of Commitment to the Department of Transportation (DOTr) Aviation and Airports Sector.
PAL Vice President for Flight Operations Captain Stanley Ng reported that PAL’s monthly average OTP improved from below 60% in April 2019 to nearly 80% in June. For the month of July, the running average OTP for PAL sits at 82%.
For Cebu Pacific, Chief Operations Officer (COO) Michael Ivan Shau noted that from 60% in June, their flight OTP improved to 77% in July, with peak days reaching 80%.
OTP rating for airports is measured by the number of departures and arrivals that take place in less than 15 minutes after scheduled departure / arrival times, including cancellations.
Both airlines stated that the improvements came on the heels of the signing of the Pledge of Commitment on 26 June 2019, wherein top officials of five local airlines inked their support for initiatives on air sector improvements with the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA), Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), and Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB).
Under the commitment, airlines pledged to aid in the decongestion of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) through improved on-time flight performance, support the development of other gateways including Sangley Airport in Cavite, and improve the travel experience of air passengers.
“I can confirm that our participation in the Pledge of Commitment really helped improve our OTP. At the same time, we will continue to improve our internal processes and collaborate with CAAP, MIAA and CAB to make sure that our passengers will have a better experience when traveling to the Philippines,” PAL’s Ng said.
“Coordinated and concerted efforts from all stakeholders resulted in OTP improvement at the NAIA, and we will remain in cooperation with the government under the Pledge of Commitment to ease the travel of the public,” Shau of CebuPac expressed.
Airline officials added that the daily publication of OTP, which commenced in mid-May as ordered by DOTr Secretary Arthur Tugade, has been helpful in pushing for improved performance and promoting the airlines’ accountability to the air-riding public.
Noting the swift progress, Secretary Tugade commended the airline operators and encouraged them to improve further for the comfort and convenience of travelers.
“I thank PAL and Cebu Pacific for their efforts to improve OTP. It is my hope that this be increased, and that more and more airlines follow suit,” Secretary Tugade said.
For his part, MIAA General Manager Ed Monreal welcomed the upward trend of airline OTPs as a sign of effective collaboration and cooperation between the government and the private sector to improve aviation services for the Filipino people.
“I laud the airline operators for doing their part to give Filipinos a comfortable life through improved on-time flight performance. We shall continue in this direction as we work on a number of solutions to decongest the NAIA,” GM Monreal said.
