DOTr To Bid 10 Regional Airports

 21 April 2023

Transport Secretary Jaime J. Bautista bared government plans to privatize operations and maintenance of 10 regional airports across the country.

Airports prepared for privatization are Bohol-Panglao, Laguindingan, Bicol, Iloilo, Puerto Princesa, Davao, Bacolod, Kalibo, Busuanga and Siargao.

Sec. Bautista also disclosed at the Management Association of the Philippines meeting Wednesday, a plan to create Philippine Airports Authority (PAA) to manage all other airports, and the National Transportation and Safety Board (NTSB) to investigate transport related accidents, be it in the air, land, or sea.

"we also need legislative action to separate the regulatory and operator functions of airport authorities," Bautista said.

"We also need an independent body to perform standard aviation investigations." Bautista adds.

Currently, both regulatory and airport operator functions are managed by the Civil Aviation Authority.

Bautista said the two conflicting functions should not be dispensed by the same agency and the country needs a law to delineate them.

"A new agency should regulate airport users while another operates the airport," the Secretary points out.

Revenues generated from the lease of operations and maintenance services of the airport will be use to expedite the improvement of other airports that needs major infrastructure investments.

Among the airport beneficiaries are four regional airports in Dumaguete, Siargao, Zamboanga and Masbate which will be improved and transferred to a new location.

"We are also fast-tracking the airside improvement at Bicol International Airport, the country's newest international gateway." he said.

Bukidnon Airport Takes Shape

 20 April 2023

Mindanao's newest airport of international standard in Bukidnon is  due for completion on April 3, 2024

New Manila International Airport Take Shape

 14 April 2023

The Philippines new premier airport is taking shape in Bulacan ahead of schedule as Boskalis expects to finish reclamation project in the third quarter of 2023 instead of the last quarter. The new Manila International airport is expected to open to the public in 2026 with two runways and initial terminal capacity of 35 million passengers per annum.

Ceb Connects Naga From Cebu

13 April 2023

Low-cost carrier Cebu Pacific (CEB) has inaugurated direct flights between Cebu and Naga beginning March 26, flying every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday using ATR 72-600 turboprop.

 

PAL Perth Inaugural Flight

 9 April 2023

Philippine Airlines (PAL) has finally landed in Perth on March 27, three years after it was originally scheduled to commence in March 2020 until the Covid pandemic intervened.

The inaugural flight was skippered by Philippine Airlines’ President and Chief Operating Officer Captain Stanley Ng and was welcomed with a traditional Fire Truck Water Arch.
The Philippine Airlines’ service between Perth and the Filipino capital.

The airline will operate the service with an A321neo three times weekly, on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays using A321neoLR. The flight time will be approximately seven hours. Philippine Airlines last served Perth almost a decade ago, operating a one-stop service from Manila via Darwin (DRW), the capital of Australia’s Northern Territory. The 4X-weekly route launched in June 2013 but was axed just three months later.

 

PH-TK Grows ASA

 8 April 202

The Philippines and Turkiye have signed an amended air agreement that resulted in the doubling of air passenger service entitlements between the two countries, according to the Department of Transportation (DOTr).

Roberto Lim, DOTr undersecretary, and Dr. Kemal Yüksek, Turkish Civil Aviation acting director general, signed the memorandum of understanding (MOU) that improves the bilateral air services regime between the Philippines and Turkiye, following consultations between the two countries’ air panels last March 28 to 29 in Istanbul, Turkey.

The two countries first executed an air services agreement in 2010.

DOTr said in a statement the recent air talks resulted in a doubling of air passenger service entitlements for the Philippines and Turkiye on the Manila-Istanbul and vice versa route – from the previous seven flights per week on each side to 14 flights per week – that may be operated by the designated carriers of both contracting parties.

Pursuant to the government’s policy to develop the country’s other gateways, the Philippine Air Panel persuaded the Turkish side to operate half or seven of the total Turkish entitlements to Manila on a co-terminal basis with Cebu.

Starting this International Air Transport Association (IATA) summer season 2023, Turkish Airlines (TK) will be allowed to fly 12 times a week from Manila to Istanbul, five of which will also have a stop in Cebu as a co-terminal before flying back.

This will increase to 14 weekly flights in the IATA summer season 2024, seven of which TK should co-terminalize.

Philippine Airlines, the designated carrier of the Philippines, will continue to codeshare with TK on the latter’s flights between Istanbul and Manila.

To help stir the growth of direct traffic, both sides agreed to allow third-country codesharing, in which Philippine and Turkish carriers can put their airline code and sell flights on third-country carriers that have the right to operate and carry traffic on international routes that include the territories of the Philippines and Turkey.

Meanwhile, the MOU likewise looks to tap into Turkiye’s potential as a trading partner, improving the air services agreement’s all-cargo regime by removing the route limitation and increasing the entitlements.

From three flights weekly between Manila to Istanbul, the flights have been increased to seven between all points in Turkey and all points in the Philippines.

Finally, a proposal to update the air services agreement’s carrier designation provision to align with the Philippines’ amendment of the Public Service Act was also received by the Turkish Air Panel, which committed to advise the Philippine side after review.

The Philippine air consultation panel is composed of Lim as chairman, Civil Aeronautics Board executive director Carmelo Arcilla as vice chair and Foreign Affairs OIC-assistant secretary Roussel Reyes, Tourism undersecretary Shalimar Tamano, Trade assistant secretary Mary Jean Pacheco and Labor assistant secretary Lennard Serrano as members.

 

CEB To Flyback LAOAG

8 April 2023

Low cost carrier Cebu Pacific (CEB) is set to resume flights to Laoag starting May 22 after sorting out differences with Ilocos Norte government.

CEB will fly daily flights using Airbus 320 aircraft from its hub in Manila, making it the 35th domestic destination in the airline’s network.

The airline last flew to Laoag six years ago on January 14, 2017.