Cebu Pacific Air (CEB) in cooperation with the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) are now installing additional mobile lighting shelters or lighting arresters at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 to allow the airline to recover from flight delays and cancellations at a much faster rate, ensuring least disruptions to our passengers affected by Red Lightning Alerts (RLA).
The additional lighting shelters at NAIA Terminal 3 were installed to ensure the safety of passengers and personnel especially the workers at the ramp area as it strengthened its operational resiliency during RLA.
CEB will install additional five (5) units of lightning shelters, of which two (2) have been deployed at the terminal’s remote parking bay and one (1) at Ramp 2. The airline expects to complete the installation of all lightning shelter units by the end of April.
Further, the shelters were installed in strategic locations to provide ramp workers with quicker access to their assigned aircraft, speeding up flight recoveries and resumptions after RLAs are cleared.
CEB has also provided wireless headsets for its ramp workers, ensuring their safety from potential lightning strikes and granting them easier mobility 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,” said Lei Apostol, CEB Vice President for Customer Service Operations.
“This will ultimately allow us to recover from flight delays and cancellations at a much faster rate, ensuring least disruptions to our passengers affected by Red Lightning Alerts,” she adds.
MIAA General Manager Eric Ines said these initiatives by CEB to uphold the safety of its stakeholders ahead of lightning season are aligned with our objective to promote ramp safety at all times. We look forward to more partnerships with Cebu Pacific.
MIAA said that NAIA has a total of twenty (20) lightning arresters which were upgraded in 2016 to ensure better protection coverage. These devices are checked every three (3) years in adherence to internationally prescribed standards on lightning protection for vital facilities.
MIAA through PAGASA will issue “yellow and red lightning alert” at the airport during intense thunderstorms and lightning to protect ramp workers.
