Pacific Flier re-organizes

Re-Launch unknown

August 19, 2010

Clark - With new ownership and new organization, Pacific Flier intends to operate a regular scheduled flights soon with new type of aircraft, said to be either a Boeing 737-800 or an Airbus 320, from the butchered charter service they previously had.

It is now clearly considered an Australian Airline operating in Micronesia whose majority owner is Australian Grant Vickers, the airline’s executive chairman and president.

Vickers previously share ownership of the airlines with another Australian Reginald Free and New Zealander Rex Banks who was listed then as CEO of the airline before he left.

Pacific Flier admitted that they don't have traffic rights to Guam and Manila except the regular charter certificates they hold which restrict operations of their business.

The Philippines' Civil Aviation Board (CAB) confirmed that there is no traffic rights between Clark and Guam, and there is no air talks scheduled within the year for such services.

CAB said the airline may have to fly to Manila where slots are available if it secures the approval from the US DOT to fly Guam and Koror in Palau.

The carrier said the “difficulties in securing traffic rights led to substantial trading losses.”

"it has not been able to secure traffic rights for its scheduled flights since it began regular charter flights in April." the statement adds.

The airline also admitted that it “launched operations prematurely” and that it is “foolhardy to continue to operate on parameters now proven to be inappropriate.”

“The launch was done at the time to meet the requirements of major potential tuna shippers and alleged confirmed rights to Asia. History will show that the necessary traffic rights were not forthcoming nor were the perishable shipments.” the statements said.

The airline said it will continue to pursue applications with U.S. and Philippine authorities for scheduled traffic rights.

“A complete review of the schedule, timetable and route structure is currently being carried out,” Pacific Flier said.

The carrier, which had been in service for four months, cancelled all its flights last week “until further notice.”

The date of the re-launch is unknown.

Pacific Flier going, gone...

Calls it Quits?

August 17, 2010

Koror – Palau-based airline Pacific Flier of Aviation Matters has suspended all flights operations to and from Koror last week on account of poor passenger sales and operating losses after it failed to secure landing rights to Guam.

President Johnson Toribiong of Palau said that the airline which has only been in service for four months has cancelled all flights “until further notice.”

Its last flight was made to the Philippines' Manila-Clark airport on friday, August 13, 2010 with resumption to its service likely to be nil.

The airline has been asking the US DOT for a foreign air carrier permit otherwise known as the "402 permit" to provide non-scheduled charter flight from Koror to Guam, as well as request for exemptions to title 49 USC §40109, which codifies the US Federal Aviation act of 1956.

Generally, a charter flight should not exceed 6 flights for the duration of the year, thus, an exemption is filed to mount more than 6 flights.

Its exemption permit was provisionally granted by US DOT on February 25, 2010 with flight scheduled on June 15 to Guam, until DOT found discripancies to its ownership structure who is mostly Australian nationals.

But the airline has said on its website that it was merely suspending its operation due to some traffic rights and access issues at Koror.

Neil Hansford, Vice President for operations, does not state further what those restrictions were. Instead, the airline "merely awaits the approval to sell all sectors without compromise", which is already in doubt considering the DOT recall of authority for Guam charter flights.

Pacific Flier applied to the US DOT on July 1 to begin scheduled services between Palau and Guam. The application is still pending and the time for its resumption uncertain as these are totally dependent on US regulators approval.

The airline's website however states that it is confident on the resumption of the service.

Hansford said it will pursue applications with U.S. and Philippine authorities for scheduled traffic rights. The airline was previously operating regular charter flights between Palau, Brisbane, Guam and Clark starting in April.

"Services will be relaunched with new equipment as soon as regulators in all jurisdictions agree to the new aircraft fleet to be operated on their routes. Hopefully co-operation will be forthcoming with the 3 regulators involved" the airline statement said.

Currently, Continental Micronesia operates a triangular Boeing 737-800 service along the sectors applied by Pacific Flier and will most likely have an equivalent aircraft type if their service is approved.

"Should satisfactory operating environments not be able to be negotiated PacificFlier will consider changing its route network or the level of planned rotations to some ports". the statement adds.

"Replacement aircraft have been sourced and applications will be made to regulators to place the new aircraft on the charter and scheduled programmes. There will be a change in aircraft type," says PacificFlier.

The airline operates a single aircraft, Airbus A310-300 (CS-TEI) with 18 business and 176 economy passenger seats, wet leased from Hi Fly-Transportes Aereos, S.A registered in Portugal.

To stay afloat, the company has been operating mostly cargo flights to Manila- Clark to reduce operating losses and has cancelled some flights in the past months due to poor passenger and cargo loads. But its cost saving measure was still not enough to save the airline from economic collapse due to regulatory issues.

Pacific Flier said the “difficulties in securing traffic rights led to substantial trading losses.”

The airline initially flew three times a week to Koror from Clark but later on was reduced to two times a week until the suspension announcements.

PacificFlier ships tuna to Clark

June 6, 2010

By Rendy Isip

Palau’s PacificFlier airline has started delivering tuna shipments to the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport as part of the carrier’s regular flights to the Philippines.

“It only shows that to the cargo world that the airport [DMIA] can handle such kind of cargo operations and we have the capability to do this,” Asia Foundation director captain Ben Solis said in an interview, after PacificFlier delivered at least 15 tons of tuna fish through the airport on May 27.

PacificFlier offers from Palau to Manila, Guam and Brisbane, Australia. It started its regular flights to Clark, Pampanga every Thursday and Sunday and committed to ship in 15 to 20 tons of tuna fish from Koror, Palau for distribution to Metro Manila.

“This is an important element that DMIA can handle this kind of operations, which makes it very accessible to Metro Manila because of the modern expressways that makes travel faster and convenient,” Solis said. “The cargo world will recognize DMIA as an important part of their cargo operations in the Asia-Pacific Region.”

Solis said DMIA serves international and local commercial flights as well as cargo operations.

“Clark is fully equipped to take these perishable items, even transit them to Metro Manila and we have ground handlers to do this,” Solis said.

About 50 to 60 tons of tuna fish are available for shipment to Japan daily and for transit to other countries, Solis said.

Pacific Flier Readies Take-Off

Launches Flight on March 30

March 28, 2010

Clark- Palau's newly designated national airline, Pacific Flier announced recently that it is ready to take off on March 30 for Koror, the islands' capital.

Shane Styles, the airline’s marketing chief said the airline is offering a special promotional rate of $339 round trip fare for the first three flights. The regular airfare is pegged at $399.

“A long time in the planning and making, PacificFlier has been able to inaugurate a schedule of charter services with the full backing of the government of the Republic of Palau. PacificFlier wants to acknowledge its appreciation for the support it has received from the Government of The Republic of Palau,” said Styles in a statement.

"The airline is also offering connections to Brisbane in Australia via Koror and additional services to Guam will start in May" adds Styles.

For the inaugural Brisbane flight on March 31, the airfare is $399. For the April 11 flight, the airline is offering an airfare of $499 and after that the regular price will be at $599.

Pacific Flier Airline is supposed to start flight on January 15, however Federak Aviation Administration (FAA) failed to grant the airline an air carrier’s permit due to ownership issues.

The airline uses an Airbus A310 aircraft for its fleet, with registry CS-TEI, and has 18 business and 176 economy passenger seats.

Pacific Flier also offers its passengers living in Manila free shuttle bus service to and from the airport. Two check-in baggage, weighing 70 lbs. each are also allowed by the airline for each passenger.

The airline departs every Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday from Palau to Manila Clark at 7:00 AM with arrivals at 10:35AM for a travel time of 2 hours and 30 minutes. Schedule for departures from Manila-Clark is every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday leaving at 5:40PM arriving Koror at 7:10PM Local time.

The plane will then leave for Brisbane in Australia at 11:45PM with arrival the following day at 4:50AM. It will then fly back to Koror before proceeding to Manila in that rotation.

Pacific Flier, up and almost away!

Ownership issues defers flight plans!

January 11, 2010

Koror- Newly formed airline Pacific flier suffered a stumbling block in its bid to launch international flight services to the Philippines after the FAA refused to grant it a foreign air carrier's permit.

The FAA decision prompted the Palau-based carrier owned by Aviation Matters to suspend and defer its flight plans from Koror to Brisbane, Manila and Guam scheduled for January 12 launch due to ownership issues as found by the FAA, an airline executive said Monday.

"We are still waiting for the FAA's approval but unfortunately they wont be coming any time soon due to some technical and legal issues with them" says Eckert Seamans, Legal representative for the airline.

Pacific Flier Airline is supposed to start flight on January 12 using an Airbus A310-300 from Hi Fly-Transportes Aereos, S.A, a Portuguese-based leasing firm. But Continental Micronesia protested said application on grounds of ownership as effective control of the airline belongs to HiFly, a charter airline based in Lisbon Portugal.

The FAA said that while Aviation Matters, the holdidng company of Pacific Flier, is incorporated in Palau, majority of its owners are not citizens of the island making it a foreign controlled airline. Due to ownership issues, the operators permit was denied killing the airlines hope of flying the pacific skies under the current corporate regime.

"We already filed a petition to the FAA for an exemption to the CFR (Code of Federal Regulations) for a foreign air carrier permit and they are pending resolution" says Seamans.

While the airline waits for its approval, they were prevented from selling airline tickets for the proposed destination until a permit is issued.

The leased aircraft (cn495) with registry CS-TEI is capable of accommodating 18 business and 176 economy passengers says Shane Styles, the airline’s marketing head.

"The Airbus 310 is supposed to arrived from Lisbon to Clark airport in Manila via Dubai tomorrow as it start scheduled flight to Koror" says Styles. One way fare from Clark has been pegged at $230 per person and $459 return, exclusive of government taxes.

Pacific flier scheduled departure every Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday from Palau to Manila Clark at 7:00 AM with arrivals at 10:35AM for a travel time of 2 hours and 30 minutes. Schedule for departures from Clark is every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday leaving at 5:40PM arriving Koror at 7:10PM Local time. It was then scheduled to leave for Brisbane in Australia and back to Koror before proceeding to Guam and back to Koror then Manila in that rotation.

Styles said that flyers were already circulated to travel agents in a 16-page brochure offering packages in Guam and Palau but the airline's booking engine was disabled by FAA preventing them to take online bookings.