Still Waters
mavila@theguidon.com

Finally, after years of waiting, people can now use the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal III (NAIA-3). One would think that, because of the long time that passed since the facility was built, airlines would exert extra effort to utilize the relatively new airport.

The huge mess caused by the transfer of Cebu Pacific Air to NAIA-3, however, says otherwise. There were many mistakes during the first few days in the new terminal. Mistakes which, when put together, made for an incredible frustrating flying experience.

Mistake number one: Flights scheduled during the first week of August were extremely delayed, with some delays extending for around five to 10 hours. Mistake number two: The airline failed to indicate which terminal gates the passengers should board at; airline and airport officials were still fixing flight schedules and gate assignments. And mistake number three: There were too few personnel to go around, leaving many passengers’ needs unattended.

Needless to say, the disorganized process made flying Cebu Pacific more of a burden than a convenience.

While part of the problem stemmed from bad weather and maintenance of several of their aircrafts, a more significant cause of the problem was the airline’s inability to adjust to the new airport. Cebu Pacific apologized, pointing out that this happens all the time when moving to new surroundings.

But using that excuse is invalid, as the consequences of their actions were far too major to be simply condoned. Besides, if these situations truly do occur often, shouldn’t they have prepared for it beforehand?

The situation seems to show a lack of foresight on their part. Cebu Pacific clearly overlooked the things that come with moving from one airport to another, such as increasing manpower to adjust to the space. Most of all, they seem to have forgotten that there are hundreds of people who depend on them to bring them to their destinations on time.

Perhaps they were excited. They were so blinded by the shiny surroundings that they were unable to properly adjust to their new home. But that doesn’t excuse the fact that they are a major airline with many domestic and international flights flying daily. One small act of neglect can translate into one big catastrophe for many.

Thorough preparation is important. While some mistakes cannot be avoided, they can be minimized. In the case of Cebu Pacific, they could have increased the number of their employees working at the new terminal to help assist passengers in boarding. They could have lessened the number of flights beforehand, as they already knew that some of their planes were being maintained.

There were so many ways that they could have prepared. They should have anticipated the possibilities that can come their way, especially when many are counting on them to work well.

As unfair as it is, mistakes are only pardoned when they’re committed by the obscure. While it can be said that people can learn from their mistakes, it’s a bit difficult to bounce back when all their mistakes affect the majority and is published in the news for all the world to see.

Unfortunately for Cebu Pacific, their mistakes are immortalized in print, television, and even the Internet. They may be able to fix their problems and adjust, but the public may have already lost trust in their company. For a disgruntled passenger, simply saying “this happens all the time” is not enough.