MANILA, Philippines - Cebu Pacific (CEB) announced yesterday that it is suspending its four-times weekly Manila-Catarman (Northern Samar) service starting this Friday because of unresolved airport safety issues.
Candice Iyog, CEB vice president for marketing and distribution, said there have been three runway incursions by both people and vehicles since the airline started flying to Catarman last February.
“Since these incidents remain unresolved despite our repeated request for action by government agencies, we have decided to suspend our flights to Catarman in the interest of passenger safety,” she said.
Iyog said the CEB’s Catarman operations will resume once flight safety is assured and the runway is properly secured for commercial operations.
The CEB began its ATR72 service to Catarman last Feb. 14 with flights every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.
Meanwhile, the CEB will increase its Manila-Calbayog flights to thrice weekly to accommodate the affected passengers.