DOTr to release report on Cebu Pacific cancelations – Tugade

DOTr Secretary Arthur Tugade. INQUIRER PHOTO/JOAN BONDOC

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Transportation (DOTr) will release in 10 to 14 days its report on its investigation on the series of flight cancelations by Cebu Pacific, Transport Secretary Arthur Tugade said Wednesday.

Tugade said he already talked to the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB), Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), and the Manila International Airport Authority (Miaa), to look into the issue.

“May imbestigasyon, nasimulan na,” Tugade said in an interview over CNN Philippines.

“Give me 10 days to 2 weeks, lalabas yan [report],” he added.

Tugade said transport authorities would be thorough in their investigation to determine the cause of the cancelation of Cebu Pacific flights.

“They [Cebu Pacific] should equally understand our mandate to ensure that the traveling public is safe, secure and convenient. Kailangan balansyado yon so sinisilip at sinisipat namin yun” the Transport secretary said.

Cebu Pacific has canceled about 160 one-way flights from April 28 to May 10, affecting thousands of passengers.

READ: LIST: Cancelled Cebu Pacific, CebGo flights from April 28-30

READ: 116 Cebu Pacific, Cebgo flights canceled until May 10

The airline company offered affected passengers free local roundtrip tickets to compensate them for the inconvenience.

This is on top of the passengers’ option to rebook or refund their existing flights.

READ: Passengers of cancelled Cebu Pacific flights to get free local roundtrip ticket

Cebu Pacific earlier explained that the flight cancellations were due to a “choked” network caused by several factors. /cbb

READ: Cebu Pacific: Flight network ‘choked,’ cancelations needed