AirAsia Philippines teamed up with the Bureau of Immigration, Manila International Airport and the Philippine National Police in anticipation of the upcoming peak holiday season to ensure the highest levels of safety and wellbeing for all guests.
The collaboration with key industry stakeholders aims to strengthen security at the country’s primary gateways, especially when it comes to important issues such as human trafficking during the busy travel period.
Hundreds of AirAsia Allstars including ground staff, security and flight crew received specialized training to spot, profile, and provide assistance to trafficking victims, the company said.
It said the initiative also aims to support government authorities in closely monitoring the growing numbers reported by the Bureau of Immigration which, as of September this year, included about 700 intercepted human trafficking victims.
“The comfort and wellbeing of our guests and crew is always our top priority. Our strong collaboration with relevant authorities and stakeholders through proper reporting channels and robust safety/security management systems contribute to protecting Filipinos when they choose to fly with AirAsia,” said AirAsia Philippines head of communications and public affairs Steve Dailisan.
The proactive approach, in conjunction with the Bureau of Immigration, was recently put into action in alignment with AirAsia’s strict procedures when a potential trafficking incident occurred and was intercepted.
“As many Filipinos prepare for the end of year holiday travel, traffickers may try to use this time to pass victims off as tourists. Our highly trained Allstars [employees] stay vigilant against trafficking networks that might exploit this season’s excitement, working closely with authorities to ensure our travelers’ safety in order to protect vulnerable individuals from exploitation,” Dailisan said.
