Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 21) – A House lawmaker on Wednesday urged Congress to suspend Cebu Pacific’s legislative franchise due to its “lousy and terrible” service.
“Congress should temporarily withdraw such privilege from Cebu Pacific until such time that it can provide satisfactory service to the riding public,” Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez added a franchise should not be used and enjoyed at the expense of the public.
His call comes after a number of passengers raised complaints against the low-cost carrier for overbooking, offloading, and booking glitches.
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In a Senate hearing on Wednesday, Xander Lao, president and chief commercial officer of Cebu Pacific, apologized to passengers affected by flight delays and cancellations.
His presentation at the hearing showed Cebu Pacific’s on-time performance for the month of May went down to 58%.
“We expressed our sincerest apologies to our passengers for the disruptions and assure you that we are committed to resolving these challenges,” he said.
Lao attributed the disruptions to engine and supply chain issues facing the global aviation industry, the effects of which the airline began to feel as early as March.
“The global aviation industry has been impacted by Pratt & Whitney engine issues which powered the Airbus A321neo and A320neo,” Lao explained.
Apart from Pratt & Whitney engine issues, he also said the airline is encountering delays from Airbus aircraft deliveries.
“These delivery delays necessitate changes to our flight schedules, including flight cancellations and equipment changes from larger to smaller aircraft – which may cause some passengers to be disrupted and cause the perception of overbooking,” Lao added.
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Rodriguez added: “The airline says, ‘Every Juan can fly.’ I say with their kind of deteriorated service, every Juan cannot fly.\"
Cebu Pacific was granted a 40-year franchise to operate in 1991. According to the law, Congress may amend or repeal the franchise when the common good requires.
Rodriguez also urged President Ferdinand Marcos to allow foreign airlines to operate locally, saying it is allowed under the Public Service Act.
