PAL, Cebu Pacific ready to fly to Bangkok anytime

Philippine Airlines (PAL) has expressed readiness to fly to Bangkok anytime but said the problem lies not with them but in Thailand’s airport management.

Suvarnabhumi International Airport, Thailand’s premiere airport, has been closed since Tuesday after it was occupied by thousands of anti-government protestors forcing the cancellations of all flights in and out of Bangkok.

“On our part, Philippine Airlines is not really losing revenues because the seats were already paid in advance,” Rene Solaiman, corporate communication manager said.

“We just diverted the plane to other destinations like Shanghai and other Asian destinations kaya wala kaming lugi (we didn’t lose anything) except for the refund of some passengers who do not want to board PAL anymore,” he added.

Solaiman clarified that PAL is not required to give hotel accommodation to stranded passengers because it was not their fault.

“The airplanes are there ready to fly. We have two flights a day to Bangkok, one in the morning using a wide body aircraft A330 with some 302 passengers, and another flight at night using A320 with 156 passengers and with turnaround flights,” he said.

Sources from Cebu Pacific said they are also ready to fly to Bangkok anytime and are just waiting for the go signal from Thai airport management.

NAIA on red alert

Meanwhile, Manila International Airport Authority general manager Alfonso Cusi ordered assistant general manager for security and emergency services chief Angel Atutubo to place the terminals of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) on “red alert status” following the terrorist attack in Mumbai, India and the anti-government protests in Bangkok.

Cusi said he already instructed Atutubo to dispatch the airport police bomb squad with bomb sniffing dogs to patrol the airport vicinity to protect people from lawless elements.

“We don’t want it to happen here,” Cusi said.

Atutubo, for his part, instructed other security forces at the NAIA, especially the Philippine National Police aviation security group, to be more alert at checkpoints.

“We don’t want to compromise the safety of all travelers. As far as possible, we are ready in case of eventuality,” Atutubo stressed.

Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) commandant Vice Admiral Wilfredo Tamayo, on the other hand, ordered its 5,000 personnel to intensify monitoring and tighten its security around the country.

Tamayo said the Coast Guard Headquarters has directed all units around the country to intensify security checks of ports and ships “in view of the recent bombing incident in Mumbai, India.”

He also alerted the Coast Guard sea marshals, anti-terrorist unit and the K9 units to ensure the safety of ship passengers. The boarding teams were directed to increase their vigilance, visibility and preparedness against possible threats or acts of maritime terrorism.

In a related development, diocesan priest Fr. Santosh Digal told Radio Veritas that there are about 200 Indian priests, nuns and missionaries in the Philippines who are praying for the safety of those who are still being held captive by the armed men in Mumbai.

He said the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India condemned the attack and said they “are praying for the souls of those who died and all those who were injured.”

“The Indian bishops also remember in a very special way those who were held hostage in a hotel and hopefully they soon be freed.”

The Indian bishops said they are also hoping that the people of Mumbai would maintain the peace and harmony in the area.                    – With Evelyn Macairan