Airlines urged to give special rate to OFWs affected by ‘glitch’

Senator Raffy Tulfo on Wednesday, Jan. 4, urged airline companies to give special rates for returning overseas Filipino workers affected by New Year’s Day technical glitch at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

Tulfo made the call to Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific to consider offering a preferential pricing system in favor of the country’s modern heroes following reports that prices of airfare surged after the Jan. 1 air system fiasco.

He said some OFWs have sought his assistance because the prices of airfare doubled when they tried to rebook their flights. Some have even complained that a one-way flight from Manila to Japan now costs between P90,000 to P140,000, which, he added, is too costly for an ordinary OFW.

The senator said OFWs should not suffer the consequence of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines’ (CAAP) failure to keep in good shape its Communications, Navigation, and Surveillance Systems for Air Traffic Management (CNS/ATM).

“It would be unfair for our OFWs to absorb the fault or negligence of CAAP for the maintenance of their CNS/ATM system,” he said.

“Marami sa kanila isang beses lang o mas malimit pa makauwi sa isang taon. Ang pera na sana pang pasalubong o di kaya pang suporta sa kanilang pamilya ay pilitang napunta na lang sa pamasahe,” (Many of them visit the country only once a year. The money supposedly for their family was instead used for the fare) Tulfo said in a statement.PNA