Delayed flights strand 6,000 passengers

More than 6,000 passengers were affected after their Cebu Pacific (CEB) flights were delayed on Friday for varied reasons such as prolonged maintenance of aircraft, prolonged change of aircraft and technical glitch, the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) said.

Delayed were 41 flights bound for the cities of Butuan, Legazpi, Davao, Tacloban, Cagayan de Oro and Dumaguete, among others.

The MIAA said that of the 41 delayed flights that affected 6,150 passengers, 18 flights were delayed because of an airline technical glitch.

In a statement, Cebu Pacific said it encountered “issues” in the course of an “upgrade to a new operations system… which is preventing us from dispatching flights on time.”

“We are working on normalizing our operations as soon as possible,” it said.

The airline added: “For today, however, we expect consequential flight delays and cancellations, and perhaps even tomorrow. We will issue updates to keep the public and our passengers informed as they become available.”

The statement added: “We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience. We will provide for the requirements of the affected passengers, including meals, refreshment, and accommodation on other airlines.”

It said: “Passengers traveling between Oct. 1 to 8 may refund or rebook their flights for travel within 30 days without fees.” Kristine Felisse Mangunay and Miguel Camus