Xian Y-20 Delivers PH First Covid19 Vaccines

 28 February 2021 

A Xi'an Y-20 of the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) carrying 600,000 FREE doses of Sinovac vaccines landed at the Villamor Airbase on Sunday afternoon, culminating start of its vaccination program against the deadly covid19 virus. 

According to Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian, vaccine delivery is particularly important to Chinese President Xi Jing Ping as he personally orders delivery of vaccines to the Philippines, as compared to other nations where the countries which received similar grant secured it from China, unlike the Philippines where it was personally delivered by government plane. 

President Rodrigo Duterte said he was very pleased with the gesture of China and disclosed he will visit Beijing and personally thank the Chinese President before the end of the year.

Maya-2 Satellite Launched Into Orbit

22 February 2021

The Philippines on Sunday marked another historic moment with the launching of its second cube satellite (cubesat) Maya-2 to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard the S.S. Katherine Johnson Cygnus spacecraft at 1:36 a.m. Philippine time.

Science Secretary Fortunato T. de la Peña said the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) is “very proud of this achievement.”

 

The satellite was powered by Antares launcher as it rocketed into orbit from the Eastern Shore of Virginia, deploying a Northrop Grumman Cygnus supply ship carrying nearly 8,400 pounds of cargo to the International Space Station, the the most massive collection of payloads ever flown to the research outpost on a U.S. commercial freighter.

The Joint Global Multi-nation “BIRDS-4 Satellite Project” is a cross-border interdisciplinary CubeSat (cube satellite) project  hosted at Kyushu Institute of Technology in  Japan, in collaboration with the development of satellites of three (3) nations: the Maya-2 CubeSat of the Philippines, the GuaraniSat-1 CubeSat of Paraguay, and the Tsuru CubeSat of  Japan). 

The Maya-2 CubeSat, which weighs 1.3kg, and is 10cm on each side, is meant to stay in low earth orbit (at an altitude of 400km and orbit inclination of 51.6 degrees) and has radio and imaging payloads similar to its “sister” satellites. 

Maya-2 was developed by Filipino students coming from different Philippine universities, and will follow the earlier satellites Diwata-1 and Maya-1 launched in 2016 and 2018, respectively. 

Maya-2 is one of the Satellite Projects under the Stamina4Space Program by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and University of the Philippines Diliman.

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.