PAL Wins Gov't Contract

26 April 2016

Flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) has won 10.3 billion air travel contract with the Philippine government for official government trips of officials and employees.

The General Fares Agreement (GFA) on domestic airline travel comprising 23 government agencies was sealed today by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and Philippine Airlines (PAL).

“Under the said agreement, all official domestic trips of government officials, employees and personnel will be given 8 percent discount for all economy class reservations, 10 percent discount for business class, additional baggage allowance, and waiver of processing fee worth P250 per ticket, and waiver of fees for first rebooking, among others,” the DBM said in a statement.

“Our partnership with Philippine Airlines will greatly impact government transactions for domestic airline travel. As part of the government’s common requirement which we will aggregate, we can purchase domestic airline tickers faster and easier,” Procurement Service (PS) executive director Jose Tomas Syquia said.

The Philippine government owns 4.3% of the national carrier through Land Bank of the Philippines and other government non-bank financial intermediaries.

CEB Selects Recaro For New Seats

16 April 2016


Philippine based low-cost carrier (LCC) Cebu Pacific has ordered 6,600 Recaro SL3510 seats for its new 30 Airbus A321neos, making it the first airline in the Asia-Pacific region for the new seat model.

Recaro earlier installed 30,000 SL3510 seat order from easyJet last year to retrofit the carrier’s existing 56 A320s with the new seats, and to provide seating for easyJet’s upcoming deliveries of 100 A320neos on order.

The A321 aircraft are scheduled for delivery from next year and will seat 220 single-class layout.

The SL3510 seats use netting rather than a solid foam material in the seat back to reduces weight and allows a thinner seat back for greater seating density.

PAF's Newest Herc

10 April 2016

The Philippine Air Force (PAF)’s fourth operating Lockheed C-130T aircraft has landed at Benito Ebuen Airbase, Mactan, Cebu Tuesday, one of two orders from the United States.

“It landed around 11:25 p.m. last Tuesday night at Benito Ebuen Air Base in Mactan from Guam,” PAF spokesperson Col. Araus Roberto Musico said.

The C-130T, the first out of a pair acquired through the US Excess Defense Articles Program worth PHP2.5 billion (US provided $20 million in Foreign Military Financing for the purchase).

It was flown by Filipino pilots headed by Col. Alejando Baclayon, Lt. Col. Ian Earth Lamzon, Major Ian Dexter Danes, Major Anthony Amora, and Major Ramil Daet. The aircraft took off from Tucson, Arizona early this week and made stopovers in California, Hawaii, Wake and Guam Islands before heading for the Philippines.

It will join the 220th Airlift Wing by April 13. Musico said second aircraft is expected to arrive in October.

Arrival of these planes will boosts the PAF’s heavy lift capability. “Remember if we need to move a big number of troops and supplies (especially) heavy equipment for rapid deployment, it will be much easier as we have additional (C-130) aircraft,” Musico pointed out.

Originally, these two C-130Ts were configured for tanker missions and were later converted for transport missions before being acquired by the Philippines.

Aside from the C-130s, the PAF has three Airbus Military C-295 medium tactical military transport aircraft and three Fokker F-27 transports for its logistics and lift missions. PNA

Air New Zealand Secures Manila Slots

7 March 2016

Arrives in December

Air New Zealand (ANZ) has secured landing slots to Manila after adjusting its preferred arrival and departure slots before being taken by a gulf carrier paving the way for the airlines arrival to the country beginning summer season. See our very much earlier report here

As reported, the non-stop flight services will operate thrice weekly using B767-300 aircraft. Summer season in the southern hemisphere starts in October. The airline will use NAIA's terminal 1.

ANZ Chief Executive Officer Christopher Luxon expects the route to be popular among Filipinos considering that it is a direct flight.

Luxon said the Filipino community in New Zealand has more than tripled since 2001 and the third largest Asean Ethnic group with 40,000 Filipino residents.

Traffic between New Zealand and the Philippines has grown 10% each year for the last three years while Philippines to New Zealand grew 19% each year for the last three years. 

There will be a total 71,800 seats that will be offered between these sectors operated by PAL and ANZ. 

Air New Zealand said flight schedules will be release soon and tickets for the Manila-Auckland flight will go on sale by June 2016, pending government and regulatory approvals. 




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