Zest Air grounded due to safety violations

MANILA, Philippines - The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) has grounded the fleet of Zest Airways Inc. and the Philippine unit of low cost carrier giant AirAsia for various aviation safety violations.

CAAP acting head John Andrews informed Alfredo Yao, chairman of ZestAir, of the decision to suspend the air operator certificate of the airline.

Andrews said ZestAir violated several safety rules, including missing fuel coupling cap and refueling while passengers were onboard aircraft.

Andrews stated ZestAir violated several provisions of the Philippine Civil Aviation Regulations (PCAR) after airworthiness inspectors conducted heightened monitoring and surveillance last July 31.

“It is informed that your air operator certificate is suspended and hereby precluded to engage in air carrier operations, which shall take effect upon the receipt of this notice, and shall remain in effect until this authority is assured that the necessary corrective actions and compliance with aviation safety standards have been undertaken by your airline,” Andrews told Yao.

Andrews said ZestAir aircraft bound for Manila would be allowed to fly after which all its flights would be terminated.

“In the course of this monitoring, this agency is alarmed of ZestAir’s series of serious deviations and infractions of the rules and standards prescribed under PCAR,” Andrews said.

ZestAir has a fleet of 10 Airbus A320 and one A319 serving nine domestic destinations and five international routes using the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) as well as hubs in Kalibo and Cebu.

The airline flies to Shanghai, Jinjiang, Incheon, Kota Kinabalu, and Kuala Lumpur as well as Bacolod, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Davao, Iloilo, Kalibo, Puerto Princesa, Tacloban, and Tagbilaran.

In a report submitted to Andrews by CAAP enforcement and legal service head Deo Deocampo, the agency’s Flight Standards and Inspectorate Service noted ZestAir’s non-conformance to PCAR and deficiencies affecting flight operations.

The violations include the absence of a qualified account manager after the official tendered his resignation last July 19 in violation of several provisions of the PCAR.

The account manager ensures that all flight operations and maintenance activities are financed and carried out to the highest degree of safety standards.

Deocampo also stated in the three-page report that ZestAir failed to check aircraft logs, flight manifests, weather, among others.

Missing fuel cap

Inspectors revealed the flight crew of ZestAir failed to notice that the aircraft log – hold items list where the fuel coupling cap was logged – was not installed since March this year.

“This resulted to the initial report that the fuel coupling cap was missing, eventually leading to aircraft on ground status. This should have been replaced upon first discovery back at main base,” Deocampo stated in the report.

Inspectors also noted a series of occurrences that affected several flights to Kalibo, Tagbilaran as well as refueling while passengers were on board in violation of the PCAR.