PAL cancels 32 int'l, domestic flights 'until further notice'

Facing an increasingly heated labor row with its ground crew union, flag carrier Philippine Airlines on Thursday canceled "until further notice" at least 12 flights in the Asian region. In an announcement on its Twitter account, PAL said the affected flights include:

• Manila to/from Busan
• Manila to/from Guam
• Manila to/from Ho Chi Minh
• Manila to/from Jakarta
• Manila to/from Macau
• Manila to/from Singapore

Since Tuesday, PAL had to scale down its operations following a sit-down strike by members of its ground crew union, the PAL Employees' Association. PAL also accused some of the strikers of damaging its ground handling equipment. The strike started days before PAL was to outsource three of its non-core businesses effective October 1. PAL has promised that employees will find work with the contracted service providers, but striking workers are protesting the supposedly lower wages and loss of benefits due to the change. Flights to be canceled In another advisory on its Twitter account, PAL said the 20 domestic flights are to be canceled "until further notice." These include:

• Manila to/from Bacolod
• Manila to/from Butuan
• Manila to/from Cotabato
• Manila to/from Dipolog
• Manila to/from Dumaguete
• Manila to/from General Santos City
• Manila to/from Kalibo
• Manila to/from Legazpi
• Manila to/from Ozamiz
• Manila to/from Zamboanga

Earlier Thursday, PAL said 12 domestic flights would start operating at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3. PAL normally flies from NAIA Terminal 2, or the Centennial Airport, where the ground crew work stoppage is ongoing. In an advisory on its Twitter account, PAL said the flights include:

• Manila to Cagayan de Oro and back
• Manila to Iloilo and back
• Manila to Roxas and back
• Manila to Puerto Princesa and back
• Manila to Tacloban and back
• Manila to Tagbilaran and back

A separate report by radio dzBB's Manny Vargas said passengers will be brought from NAIA Terminal 2 to Terminal 3 by shuttle bus. — LBG/HS, GMA News