BUDGET carrier AirAsia Philippines (AirAsia) has proposed the rescheduling of at least 34 flights and the cancellation of six flights in preparation for the airspace shutdown on May 17.
Under the proposal, 21 of the affected flights are originally scheduled on May 16, while 13 flights are on May 17.
“Included in the proposed rescheduling are flights to and from Taipei, Incheon, Bangkok (Don Mueang), Kota Kinabalu, and Incheon for international and Cebu, Bacolod, Davao, Puerto Princesa, Cagayan, Iloilo, and Tacloban for domestic,” the airline said.
Meanwhile, AirAsia said that it had proposed six flights that will be canceled during the shutdown.
“Canceled flights include those flying from Manila to Davao, Cebu, and Bacolod and its corresponding return flights which cover the 6-hour repair on May 17,” it said.
These flights are just proposals that AirAsia presented in a consultative meeting with representatives from the Department of Transportation, Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) and Manila International Airport Authority and other industry leaders.
AirAsia said that it will update the list as soon as it receives approval from the slot committee.
Meanwhile, corrective maintenance and repair of the uninterruptible power supply of the Communication Navigation System-Air Traffic Management (CNS-ATM) are scheduled on May 17 from 12 midnight to 6:00 a.m., the CAAP.
“The repair of the CNS-ATM system is a positive development towards ensuring safer skies for all, especially within the Philippine Flight Information Region,” said Steve F. Dailisan, communications and public affairs country head of AirAsia.
“We’ve been working closely with them since the beginning to mitigate any inconvenience among our guests. This involves our request with the slot committee for the retiming of our flights that will be affected due to the repair,” he added.
As part of its preparations, AirAsia said that it has notified guests in advance through text message and registered email of the flight schedule changes. It is also planning for a massive information dissemination campaign through its quad media partners and social media pages. — Justine Irish D. Tabile