Over the past several years, the need for humanitarian aid has dramatically increased on the back of major natural disasters, conflict or biohazards such as the spread of the Novel Coronavirus. Aviation plays a critical role in the fast and reliable movement of humanitarian assistance such as food and medical supplies, especially when time is of the essence.
Amidst travel restrictions that came with the imposition of Community Quarantine across Luzon and many other provinces across the Philippines, Cebu Pacific (CEB) has continued to operate all-cargo flights to ensure that food, medicines and vital supplies are transported from one island to another across the archipelago.
Throughout the quarantine period, Cebu Pacific has been in constant coordination with the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) and other government agencies for cargo transport—especially those that are intended for humanitarian aid.
So far, CEB has operated almost 170 cargo flights between Manila, Bacolod, Cebu, General Santos, Cagayan de Oro, Tacloban, Iloilo, Tuguegarao, and Davao using its fleet of Airbus jets and ATR turbo-prop aircraft. It is the only carrier in the Philippines with a dedicated ATR Freighter, capable of carrying as much as seven tons of cargo in one uplift.
CEB’s cargo services include airlift support for local governments, humanitarian and aid organizations as well as other entities who are sending much-needed Personal Protective Equipment and medical supplies to help health workers and front liners in the provinces.
As of end-April 2020, CEB has carried 34 tons of humanitarian aid, amounting to P1.9 million. To date, CEB has provided airlift support for humanitarian aid sent through Vice President Leni Robredo’s Angat Buhay Program, the Department of Health, the Philippine Red Cross, the Philippine Army and the TOWNS Foundation, among others.
