Training to focus on wet runway landings, ‘go-arounds’

Cebu Pacific pilots have undergone more training in the Philippine Academy for Aviation Training (PAAT) after the June 2 accident where the airline’s Airbus A320 aircraft from Manila missed the runway in Davao airport.

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) recently ruled that the Davao incident was caused by pilot error.

Candice Iyog, CEB vice president for marketing and distribution, said in a statement that they would comply with all the recommendations indicated in the Notice of Decision of CAAP.

“Safety has always been the highest priority for Cebu Pacific. We aim to provide the safest airline service possible for the millions of passengers who travel with us every year,” she said.

Iyog said that their pilots have undergone enhancement of their current training curriculum in PAAT to include additional focus on wet runway landings, “go-arounds,” specific training for inclement weather and non-precision approaches.

They will also be doing an independent review of their flight operation systems and processes by Airbus Industries, which will deploy a team of Safety, Flight Operations and Human Factor experts to Manila for this review.

“Overseeing these initiatives is Capt. Jim Sydiongco, Cebu Pacific’s Vice President – Flight Operations. His experience in the aviation industry spans over 37 years. Capt. Sydiongco previously headed the Flight Standards Inspectorate Service (FSIS) of the CAAP. He also served as Chief Pilot for Safety Standards and Systems at Philippine Airlines (21 years); and as the Senior Safety Supervisor of EVA Air (16 years). His expertise is invaluable to CEB’s pilot management team as he oversees all aspects of flight operations, including pilot training,” she said.

Moving forward, as we further grow and fly to new destinations using new aircraft, CEB will continue to find ways to serve our passengers better, she said.

Improve Customer Service

Philip N. Tan, Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry, however, advised Cebu Pacific Air management to start looking at how they could improve more on their services and not to take their customers, who had helped them grow to become a top airline company in the country, for granted.

Tan, who claimed to have three unfavorable experiences with the airline, said the company should improve the quality of their people.

When you cost cheap, there’s always something to compromise and in CEB’s case, Tan said it is the quality of people they have in the company.

“I think they have grown so much but their people did not grow along with them. Their customer service people at the airport except the supervisors or managers I think are minimum wage earners and are employed by agencies. What quality of service do you expect from them then?” he asked.

Iyog, however, said that the Cebu Pacific introduced low fares and new planes to make flying accessible to everybody.

“To keep fares low, we remove costs that have nothing to do with safety, such as newspapers, blankets and food. More importantly, we acquire new planes that consume less fuel, an airline’s single biggest cost item,” she said in a statement.

“Our kind of service empowers every Juan to do things themselves, including booking flights on their own, bringing food and newspapers, or checking in online. Making these items optional gives passengers lower fares and more travel options, not poor service,” she said.

“CEB follows the low-cost carrier business model, which is different from full-service airlines, and continues to save people a lot of money on air fares. We focus on what matters most to our millions of passengers, and we continue to look for ways to improve, particularly in attending to the needs of our passengers at the terminal. We want every Juan to be happy with us before and after each flight,” she said.