DOTR Opens Upgraded MNL Runway 13-31

17 February 2021

DOTR Opens the newly rehabilitated and upgraded runway 13-31 of Manila International Airport today.




Sale of Private Air Transport Soars

16 February 2021


Private Aviation solutions company PhilJets Group reported yesterday a 20% increase in aircraft sales in the Philippines in 2020 despite the Covid19 pandemic as commercial airline operations were halted to contain spread of the virus.

The sale were mostly private small to medium sized jets and helicopters.

According to PhilJets Chairman Thierry Tea, business travelers have turned to private flights due to travel restrictions imposed on airlines resulting to limited commercial flights.

“Basically, they are business people who need to fly for business or other activities,” Mr. Tea said.

Tea disclosed that Citation jets and Bell helicopters are among the most preferred aircraft because they are “low-cost, cost-efficient, low maintenance aircraft.”

Philjet, which is also involved in private charter business and Grab Helicopter Taxi service, was likewise gravely affected by the pandemic shutdown as it lost more than 50% of its overall business in 2020, with the charter segment contributing the most due to travel restrictions.

“We lost more than 50% of our charter business,” Mr. Tea said.

“It was a very challenging time for us, especially in the first three to four months of the year. If we were only doing a charter business, probably we’re already dead or bankrupt,” Tea added.

Philjet founded in 2006, is engaged in aircraft sales, rental, management, as well as maintenance, repair and overhaul of business jets and helicopters.

LTP Axes 20% of Work Force


15 February 2021

Lufthansa Technik Philippines (LTP) has announced that it would cut 20 percent of its workforce, or 300 employees beginning April, saying downsizing is necessary amid the impact of the Covid19 pandemic that hit the aviation industry.

LTP said its "rightsizing program" would be carried out in 2 phases: first by voluntary separation, then by retrenchment, if necessary.

LTP president and CEO Elmar Lutter said layoffs would be "temporary until our industry fully recovers," and that rehires in the future would prioritize outgoing workers.

Some 2,700 will remain after the layoffs. The company had as many as 3,400 employees before the health crisis. 400 Contractual workers were earlier let go because of the pandemic.



PAL To Transport Covid19 Vaccines

Pfizer First To Arrive

9 February 2021

Flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) has secured contract from US drug maker Pfizer and its German pharmaceutical partner BioNTech, to transport Covid19 vaccines manufactured in Belgium and the United States which starts arriving Friday.

PAL also secured contract to carry Pfizer vaccines to Cebu and Davao, as well as other major cities across the country. The contract amount was not disclosed.

PAL President and COO Gilbert Santa Maria said the airline will deploy Boeing 777-300ER plane to fetch the vaccines as it can take the largest quantities that satisfy the maximum safety limits as it include the carriage of dry ice.

Pfizer would initially shipped 117,000 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which would require -70 degrees temperatures for storage. The vaccine shipment is part of Covax Facility commitment together with the World Health Organization (WHO) to the Philippines.

They would be kept in the Department of Health (DOH) warehouse before being distributed to COVID-19 referral hospitals across the country.

The Philippines will begin nationwide vaccination drive on Monday, February 15.

PAL Registers 102% In Flight Increase

As Compared To November Figures


24 December 2020

Flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) has ramped up its domestic flights on various domestic and foreign routes in line with its network restoration plan to the delight of its creditors.

The airline said it has restored services to 15 additional destinations increasing the PAL network to a grand total of 25 domestic and 32 international flights, equivalent to 102 percent increase in PAL flights vs. November 2020 levels. It however loses London, and Saudi Arabia bound flights as a result of government mandated travel restrictions.

PAL has doubled its services  between Manila and Cebu, from 14 to 28 round-trip flights weekly since December 1. Flights between Manila and Cagayan de Oro also increase to three times daily, while flights between Manila and Tacloban were doubled to two times a day.

The airline resumed services to Antique, Basco, Boracay, Catarman ,Coron, Panglao, Siargao and Bacolod.  While its Cebu hub continues to expand with flights to Clark, Puerto Princesa, Legazpi, Bacolod, Davao, Butuan, General Santos and Siargao.  PAL is likewise operating regularly from Davao to Zamboanga and vice versa.

PAL is also slowly increasing flight frequencies on most domestic routes, from Manila to Laoag, Legazpi, Puerto Princesa, Kalibo, Iloilo, Cotabato, Butuan, Dipolog, Ozamiz, Pagadian and Zamboanga.

The airline is also adding more flights to New York, Honolulu, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Vancouver, Toronto, Guam, Jakarta, Bangkok, Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Hong Kong, Taipei, Dubai and Doha.

Meanwhile, PAL has secured contract to transport vaccines in Asia Pacific as it reactivates its fleet of widebody aircraft for the task of transporting life saving vaccines around the region.

PAL has also set up a One-Stop-Shop center at Naia Terminal 2 that augments the national government’s existing facilities to conduct mandatory RT-PCR swab testing for arriving passengers raising NAIA capacity to 5,000 per day from the previous 3,000 capacity.

PAL also continues to operate repatriation flights that transport stranded OFWs and other Overseas Filipinos home from all over the world, along with all-cargo charter flights to transport essential goods in Asia and North America.

PAL Suspends London Until February

 Due To New Covid Strain

23 December 2020


Flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) said on Wednesday it is suspending flights to and from London from Thursday after the Philippine government joins the rest of the world and orders its temporary cessation effective midnight of December 24 to December 31, 2020 due to new coronavirus strain.

PAL however said it will suspend flight up to the end of February as Britain sorts out strategy to contain the new virus strain. 

The airline said it supports all measures that seek to curb any potential increase in COVID-19 cases during the holiday season and beyond. Philippine Airlines operates a Manila-London-Manila service once a week.The airline flies every Thursday to the British capital.

SMC Submits Bid To Operate NAIA

 


17 December 2020

San Miguel Corporation has submitted proposal to run the Ninoy Aquino International Airport for the same terms submitted by Megawide Group.

“Yes, NAIA... [to] operate and maintain only,” Ang said in a text message.

San Miguel’s bid came after the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) revoked the original proponent status (OPS) of Megawide Construction Corp. and its Bangalore-based consortium partner GMR Infrastructure Ltd. to rehabilitate NAIA.

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) earlier awarded in August 2019 the contract to build and operate the New Manila International Airport Project to San Miguel Holdings Corp., SMC's infrastructure unit.

Both parties signed the concession deal for the New Manila International Airport on September 18, a month and four days after SMC received the notice of award for the contract.