Philippine Civil Aviation Authorities Order Suspension Of Operations

Budget carrier Zest Air has been grounded by aviation authorities in the Philippines due to numerous safety violations. The order to suspend flying operations came Friday.

Among the safety violations noted were refueling with passengers on board and failure on the part of pilots to check aircraft logbooks, according to Civil Aviation Authority Deputy Director General John Andrews. The Associated Press reports that Andrews also noted flying time in excess of the hours allowed.

Andrews said that one pilot requested a takeoff clearance with a fuel cap missing from his plane. An investigation found that the cap had been missing for three months. He said that the airline had not taken any steps to correct the deficiencies even after it had been placed under increased surveillance in late July.

Malaysia-based AirAsia said it acquired an 85 percent voting stake in Zest Air in May. Andrews said he had only been provided documents approving a marketing arrangement between the two airlines, but had not seen documents approving the transaction.

FMI: www.caap.gov.ph