Tag: cebu

Philippine low-cost carrier Cebu Pacific has attributed its series of flight cancellations to engine manufacturer Pratt and Whitney, citing the delay of jet engine deliveries as the reason for operational disruptions.

This was the essence of the airline’s explanation before a Senate hearing held on June 21, 2023. The hearing was prompted by mounting customer complaints about the airline’s widespread cancellation of domestic and international flights.

“The global aviation industry has been impacted by Pratt & Whitney engine issues,” Cebu Pacific chief commercial officer Alexander Lao told the senate.

Lao said that the airline had anticipated the global shortage of jet engines, so it had already placed its order with Pratt and Whitney back in 2022.

Lao claimed that in March 2023, the American engine manufacturer advised them that “there were no more engines”, as a result of which the airline made adjustments to its flight schedules.

In a statement published by various local media, the airline said: “While Cebu Pacific provisioned double the level of recommended spare engines as early as last year, we were advised in March 2023 that we would no longer receive the spare engine support that Pratt and Whitney had previously indicated. Immediately upon receiving such advice, we sought to adjust our flight schedule accordingly to minimize the impact. A number of flights, which were scheduled and sold months in advance, inevitably had to be disrupted.”

One of the senators presiding over the hearing went on to question why the airline continued to aggressively market airfare promos when it knew about the jet engine shortage and limitations.

Cebu Pacific is known to entice consumers with cheap ticket promotions such as PHP 1.00 fares ( $0.018).

Over the past few months, frustrated passengers have uploaded video clips showing disgruntled customers dealing with Cebu Pacific’s flight cancellations.

Low-cost carrier Cebu Pacific (CEB) on Tuesday announced the retiming and cancellation of 31 flights, saying these are the affected flights during the memorial rites for former President Fidel Ramos.

Spokesperson Carmina Romero said a notice to airmen (NOTAM) restricting the movement from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. was issued for a planned showering of petals.

An advisory posted on its Facebook page showed the carrier has canceled 28 domestic flights, and has retimed three international flights because of the activity.

“We cannot reschedule all (the flights). We can only consolidate so much,” Romero told the Philippine News Agency as to why CEB had to cancel flights instead of retiming them like these three:

• 5J273 Hong Kong – Manila New ETD 11:15 a.m. /New ETA 1:25 p.m.
• 5J188 Manila – Seoul (Incheon) New ETD 3:40 p.m. / New ETA 6:50 p.m. KST
• 5J189 Seoul (Incheon) – Manila New ETD 9:05 p.m. KST / New ETA 12:05 a.m.

The 28 canceled flights are:

• DG6041/6042 Manila – Coron – Manila
• 5J659/660 Manila – Tacloban – Manila
• 5J851/852 Manila – Zamboanga – Manila
• 5J641/642 Manila – Puerto Princesa – Manila
• 5J483/484 Manila – Bacolod – Manila
• 5J963/964 Manila – Davao – Manila
• 5J453/454 Manila – Iloilo – Manila
• 5J553/554 Manila – Cebu – Manila
• 5J911/912 and 5J919/920 Manila – Boracay – Manila
• 5J643/644 Manila – Puerto Princesa – Manila
• 5J621/622 Manila – Bohol – Manila
• 5J327/328 Manila – Legazpi – Manila
• DG6029/6030 Manila – San Jose – Manila

“As the situation remains fluid, other flight schedules may also be affected,” the advisory read.