Wednesday, November 05, 2008 PAL assures strict plane inspections
PHILIPPINE Airlines' Vice President for Mindanao Domingo Duerme assured their passengers that all aircraft undergo a stringent inspection before given a go signal to fly.
"We are very strict on the maintenance of our aircraft," Duerme said in an interview.
"If the ground crew will not give the go signal, then the aircraft is grounded. We do not fly the aircraft," Duerme added. "We cannot sacrifice the safety of our passengers."
Duerme added that it is the policy of the country's premier airline to put the safety of the passengers at the top of the list.
"We do not mind spending for the meals, hotels, and transportation of the passengers in case the flight gets cancelled," Duerme said.
There is an interval of one hour between the arrival and the departure of the aircraft. An hour has been allocated in order to provide the ground crew ample time to properly check the aircraft before it can take off again.
Concern for flight safety was high anew when the small hydraulic cover of a passenger plane fell just as it was about to land at the airport fairly recently. The airplane of another airline, however, was able to travel back to Manila even without the cover.
Meanwhile, airlines have added more flights coming to and from Davao as the holiday season nears. (CPM)
