Alphaland Graduates Charters, Applies Scheduled Flights

7 November 2016

Charter airline Alphaland Aviation, Inc., is spreading its wings beyond Balesin airport as it files petition before the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) to be granted authority (CPCN) to operate domestic scheduled air transportation services to the entire country. It currently operates Royal Star Aviation license.

The airline flies a pair of ATR 72-500 planes, two British Aerospace (BaE) Jetstream 32’s, and DO328's out of Manila and Clark airports with the aims of having regular scheduled flights not only to E.L. Tordesillas airport but also to other resorts.

"During the upcoming holiday season, we expect to have at least five Manila to Balesin - Balesin to Manila flights per day, i.e., two in the morning, one in the afternoon, and two in the evening," Alphaland Chairman Roberto V. Ongpin said.

"This will total 340 passengers per day and, if the demand is greater, we can schedule additional flights from Clark." adds Ongpin.

Alphaland Aviation possesses a pair of morning departure slots and evening arrival slots at Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

Alphaland Showcases Brand New ATR72

3 March 2016

Alphaland Aviation has bought its first brand new Avions de Transport Régional (ATR72-500) turboprop aircraft ferried Tuesday from Toulouse Blagnac to Manila.

The brand new ATR plane is valued US$8 million and seats 68 passengers to service the exclusive Balesin Island Club Resort. It will be the second ATR on its fleet of 5 aircraft.

SEAIR taps AAG for Pilot Training

By Lawrence Agcaoili
The Philippine Star

October 09, 2012

MANILA, Philippines - Budget carrier Southeast Asian Airlines (Seair) has tied up with UK-based Alpha Aviation Group (AAG) for the training of its pilots in anticipation of a surge in demand for pilots over the next 20 years.

Seair chief executive officer Patrick Tan said the tie-up would help the airline meet safety demands for international and domestic passengers.

“This partnership will help Seair meet the demands for safer travel requirements for local and international passengers. To keep pace with industry growth, we are currently expanding our aircraft fleet and working to equalize the supply and demand of pilots in our company,” Tan stressed.

A report from Boeing showed that the need for pilots would skyrocket, with the demand for 465,000 new pilots in the next 20 years to sustain the airline industry. The biggest demand would come from the Asia-Pacific region, where almost 185,600 new pilots will be required.

With continuous growth in air traffic of low-cost carriers, prospects for pilots and technical professionals look bright.

AAG Philippines general manager Nigel Harris said the agreement with Seair would provide training to the airline’s pilots.

“Filipino pilots have competitive advantage in the global aviation industry. This is why we are focused on the development of highly trained and certified pilots,” Harris said.

Last August, Tiger Airways Holdings Ltd., through Road Aviation II Pte Ltd, completed the purchase of a 40 percent stake in Seair for a total consideration of $7 million.

Seair operates two Airbus A319s and three A320s and more aircraft are expected to arrive to beef up its fleet. It has been in operating in the Philippines for 17 years and now flies to four regional and nine domestic destinations.

AAG Philippines is one of three academies under AAG, which delivers specialist training solutions to the international commercial aviation community. AAG Philippines is also an approved training organization (ATO) and a certified type rating training organization (TRTO) for the Airbus A320. It operates and maintains an A320 Level D full flight simulator at its training center in Clark, Pampanga.

“Pilots will find the flexible use of AAG’s training devices, instruction material, and examination tools optimally aligned to their needs. AAG will continue to champion talent development in the face of demand in the aviation industry,” he added.

Earlier, AAG also entered into an agreement with Zest Airways Inc. to train the airline’s pilots.

Demand for Pinoy pilots increasing

Alpha Aviation Shows Why it is investing $10 million more

By Rainier Allan Ronda 

December 10, 2011

MANILA, Philippines - Seeing continued strong demand for pilots worldwide, leading global aviation training services company Alpha Aviation has beefed up the capacity of their Clark-based Philippine unit to train more pilots with another Airbus A320 simulator.

Kunal Sharma, chief operating officer of Alpha Aviation Group (AAG) Philippines, said that with local Philippine carriers especially the low cost carriers (LCCs) aggressively expanding with the continuously growing air traffic, even the prospects of well-trained Filipino pilots looked bright.

Just looking at the Philippine airlines, there was a demand of 250 new pilots each year, he added.

Sharma said looking at the global job prospects for commercial pilots, the prospects get brighter with other foreign LCCs modernizing their fleet to address the growing air traffic unleashed by low fares offered by budget carriers.

They have data showing that there was a demand for 183,200 pilots over the next 20 years, Sharma added.

Sharma said Filipino pilots have a big advantage in the global job market.

“The Philippines has an advantage because of their young energetic students with excellent command of English,” Sharma said.

Filipino pilots have also built an excellent reputation over the past several years, Sharma said.

AAG Philippines local unit, formerly known as the Clark International Aviation, is gearing up to address this demand for new pilots by boosting their capacity to train more pilots with a new Airbus A320 Level D simulator that will be added to an existing Airbus A320 simulator in their Clark facility.

“This is a multimillion US-dollar investment that demonstrates our commitment to the Philippines, Philippine aviation, and training Filipinos for high-paying, professionally fulfilling jobs,” Sharma said.

AAG Philippines has secured a credit facility with Malaysian bank Maybank to finance their purchase of the new Airbus A320 Level D simulator.

Manuel Castañeda III, Maybank Philippines senior vice president and head of its Global Wholesale Banking Group, said they were firmly behind AAG Philippines in its bid to take advantage of an expected surge in pilot training demand in the Philippines.

“We’re very honored to finance this simulator and we’re looking forward to (financing) the next one,” Castañeda said yesterday in a press conference held in Makati to announce the Maybank credit facility for AAG Philippines.

Launched in 2006, AAG Philippines is currently the world’s largest provider of multi-crew pilot license (MPL) pilots. AAG Philippines is one of three academies under the Alpha Aviation Group, a UK-based provider of specialist training solutions to the international commercial aviation community.

The CAE 5000 Series A320 FFS for Alpha Aviation Group will be delivered to its training academy at Clark Freeport Zone in the Philippines. Formed by UK-based C&C Alpha Group Limited and Singapore-based Prescient Systems & Technologies Pte. Ltd. (an associate company of Singapore Technologies Engineering Limited), Alpha Aviation Group Limited has aviation academies in the UK, UAE and the Philippines. Alpha Aviation Group (Philippines) Inc. is an Approved Training Organization (ATO) and a certified Type Rating Training Organization (TRTO) for the training of A320 commercial pilots for airlines in the Asia Pacific region.

AAG Philippines is also an Approved Training Organization (ATO) and a certified Type Rating Training Organization (TRTO) for the Airbus A320.