Avaya said the local carrier will now be able to replace its old telephone system and at the same time increase the customer calls it handles on a daily basis.

Observers have often said that dialling into Cebu Pacific, which offers both budget and regular airfares for domestic and international flights, can be difficult.

Cebu Pacific said it needed to upgrade its old telephone system to be able to accommodate some 12,000 calls a day.

Executives of the airliner said this is a significant increase from the 5,000 to 6,000 calls it used to receive.

Cebu Pacific also said it will invest 12 million pesos for the project, according to Marilyn Basa, director of information services for the company.

Cebu Pacific did not disclose a time-table to recoup its investment in the new system.

Basa said the new system went "live" a few weeks after the implementation begun.

The executive further said the new system will also allow Cebu Pacific to put in more customer services personnel to handle more calls.

She said the firm will eventually increase its current customer services unit to some 120 seats as well as increase call handling capacities.

Basa said the increase in the volume of calls has compelled Cebu Pacific to acquire the Avaya solution.

Avaya partner Jebsen & Jessen Communications Inc., a global firm with presence in most ASEAN countries, have conducted the systems integration.

Cebu Pacific, according to Basa, is also set to upgrade its online customer web site.

While this project is totally separate from the Avaya solution, Basa said Cebu Pacific will soon integrate the two systems.