CebPac sorry for false pilot claim
A top official of Cebu Pacific Air apologized to Vice President Leni Robredo after one of its pilots falsely claimed that she caused flight diversions at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) last month.
Captain Sam Avila, vice president for flight operations of Cebu Pacific Air, said the pilot had admitted that “he had no basis for his claim and was purely speculative and careless on his part.”
“While the pilot posted his commentary on his own accord, a post he has since removed, on behalf of Cebu Pacific, and as Head of our Pilot Group, I take command responsibility and apologize unreservedly to the Vice President and the general public for the actions of our pilot,” Avila said through a statement Tuesday morning.
“As professional aviators and free citizens of this country, we are free to express opinions, but we are also expected to carry out our roles and duties with utmost discernment and caution,” he added.
Avila did not identify the pilot in his statement, but he said the latter would undergo disciplinary review in accordance with rules and standards of Cebu Pacific Air.
A certain Van Rañoa drew flak on Monday night over a Facebook post claiming that an aircraft, in which Robredo was supposedly aboard, requested priority landing last month.
He even claimed that an Australian envoy on board his flight was inconvenienced by Robredo’s supposed order.
Hours after Rañoa’s post had gone viral, Cebu Pacific Air said the pilot’s allegations violated the company’s Code of Discipline, noting that “sensitive company information and operational details must not be disclosed publicly” although employees are allowed to post on their personal social media accounts.
“We also have a robust Social Media Policy which has clear guidelines on how our employees should behave on social media because they are stewards of our brand and everything that we value as a company,” it said.
The embattled pilot has since deleted his post.
In a tweet, Senate President Tito Sotto pointed out that the “pilot does not know there are three persons in (government) that are given landing and takeoff priority in all PH airports as CAAP (Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines) knows,” namely the president, vice president, and Senate president.
CAAP would like to clarify that Air Traffic data, sourced out from the Air Traffic Service are included in the Authority’s confidentiality clauses as this information has its security implications.
A memorandum was issued by CAAP on Presidential movements in 2016, ensuring smooth and safe operations in all CAAP-managed airports and including NAIA.
As professional aviators and free citizens of this country, we are free to express opinions, but we are also expected to carry out our roles and duties with utmost discernment and caution.