Travel industry leaders are calling on the Philippine Airlines and the government to act immediately on the labor dispute between pilots and the airline to avoid further flight cancellations.

In a meeting with tour operators in Dumaguete Monday, National Association of Independent Travel Agencies (Naitas) Chairman Emeritus Robert Lim Joseph said the tourism industry is hurting as travel bookings, meetings, and flow of goods and people have been hampered by PAL flight cancellations.

“The pilots and PAL management should sit it out and solve the problem. These pilots cannot just resign and not mind their responsibility to the passengers,” said Joseph, who is also the founding chairman of the Tourism Educators and Movers (TEAM) Philippines.

The effects on tourism would be very bad, said Joseph, adding that tourists will surely be turned off by flight cancellations.

PAL said it rejected the resignations of more than two dozen pilots and gave them a week to return to work or face civil and criminal charges.

At least 16 domestic and international flights have been cancelled, including three to Hong Kong, after 13 captains and 12 first officers flying its Airbus A319s and A320s that form the backbone of its fleet quit.

In Cebu, business leaders have also appealed to the government and the management of the flag carrier to immediately solve the row as businesses are already affected by flight cancellations.

Former Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Robert Go said traders are now feeling the effects of the cancellations as goods and produce are stocked up in airports due to cancellation of flights.

"The government should act on the problem immediately because businesses are losing money every day," said Go.