Cebu Pacific installs lightning shelters
By the end of April, all the lightning shelters would have been installed.
To safeguard travelers and airport staff during a Red Lightning Alert (RLA), budget airline Cebu Pacific and the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) have partnered to install mobile lightning shelters at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3.
Five lightning shelters are being installed, with two already placed in the terminal’s remote parking area, and one will be found at Ramp 2. By the end of April, all the lightning shelters would have been installed.
Furthermore, the shelters were positioned in strategic locations to accelerate flight recoveries and restarts after RLA approval and make it easier for ramp staff to reach their assigned aircraft.
Along with this effort, CEB provided their ramp workers with Bluetooth headsets, which shield them from lightning strikes and make it easier for them to move around while an RLA is in place.
“Consistently ensuring safety and expressing care for our stakeholders has always been Cebu Pacific’s top priority. Our lightning shelters and wireless headsets don’t only mitigate the impact of lightning alerts on our operations, but they also help safeguard the welfare of NAIA ground personnel during the monsoon season,” Lei Apostol, CEB vice president for Customer Service Operations, said.
Cancellation deterrent
“This will ultimately allow us to recover from flight delays and cancellations at a much faster rate, ensuring the least disruptions to our passengers affected by Red Lightning Alerts,” she adds.
Eric Ines, general manager of MIAA, lauded CEB for taking the initiative to ensure stakeholder safety in advance of the lightning season.
“These initiatives are aligned with our objective to promote ramp safety at all times. We look forward to more partnerships with Cebu Pacific,” Ines said.
RLAs are advisories that the local airport authority issues, suspending all aircraft movements and ground operations at the airport. An RLA is raised whenever a thunderstorm is predicted to occur five kilometers or less from the airfield.