IN an effort to further strengthen its operational resiliency and ensure the safety of passengers and airport ground personnel in the event of a Red Lightning Alert (RLA), Cebu Pacific (CEB) announced having partnered with the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) in installing mobile lightning shelters at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3.
It was learned from the airline’s chief marketing and customer experience officer Candice Iyog that CEB is set to install five units of lightning shelters, of which two have already been deployed at the terminal’s remote parking bay and one at Ramp 2.
The airline expects to complete the installation of all lightning shelter units by the end of April, she said.
Iyog also explained that the said shelters were installed in strategic locations to provide ramp workers with quicker access to their assigned aircraft, speeding up flight recoveries and resumptions after RLAs are cleared.
As a supplementary initiative, CEB has also provided wireless headsets for its ramp workers, ensuring their safety from potential lightning strikes and granting them easier mobility while an RLA is in place, she added.
For her part, Lei Apostol, CEB Vice President for Customer Service Operations, assured that “consistently ensuring safety and expressing care for our stakeholders has always been Cebu Pacific’s top priority.”
“Our lightning shelters and wireless headsets don’t only mitigate the impact of lightning alerts on our operations, but they also help safeguard the welfare of NAIA ground personnel during the monsoon season,” she said.
Apostol added: “This will ultimately allow us to recover from flight delays and cancellations at a much faster rate, ensuring least disruptions to our passengers affected by Red Lightning Alerts.”
Meanwhile, MIAA general manager Eric Ines lauded CEB’s initiative to uphold the safety of its stakeholders ahead of the lightning season.
Ines said: “These initiatives are aligned with our objective to promote ramp safety at all times. We look forward to more partnerships with Cebu Pacific.”
An RLA is raised when there is an expected thunderstorm five kilometers and below from the aerodrome.
PAGASA said that with the El Nino season weakening, climate models are now suggesting a 55 percent chance of the La Nina season developing by June, which brings heavier rains and thunderstorms.
RLAs are advisories issued by local airport authorities which halt all ground operations and aircraft movements at the airport like boarding, disembarkation, aircraft parking, baggage handling and all other support activities.
