PAL: Civil cases filed against pilots

Flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) has already filed civil cases against some of its pilots for supposed breach of contract, abandonment of duty, and failure to pay the airline for their training, an official of the nation’s largest carrier told GMANews.TV Sunday. The official, who declined to be named, said PAL filed some time last week formal charges against more than 20 pilots at a regional trial court in Makati. The cases sprang up after 26 pilots suddenly resigned from the airline in July to work at higher-paying foreign carriers in the Middle East and Asia, where they reportedly receive as much as $10,000 a month. "We are still preparing the case against the other pilots before going to the court," the PAL official said. This forced the flag carrier to cancel several domestic and international flights. Earlier, PAL president Jaime Bautista said that the charge sheet would show that the pilots violated the 180-day provision or the period when the pilot resigned when he or she actually stopped working. Considered “Mission Critical Skills," pilots are required by to give their local employers at least 180 days or six months to find suitable replacements before taking another job abroad. The PAL pilots, who used to operate the Airbus 320 fleet, also breached the training agreement, the official added, saying the airline wants the lower court to order defendants to pay back the airline the cost of their training at almost P2 million per pilot. The agreement requires pilots to work for PAL for five years after completing their training. —VS, GMANews.TV