PAL Registers 102% In Flight Increase

As Compared To November Figures

24 December 2020

Flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) has ramped up its domestic flights on various domestic and foreign routes in line with its network restoration plan to the delight of its creditors.

The airline said it has restored services to 15 additional destinations increasing the PAL network to a grand total of 25 domestic and 32 international flights, equivalent to 102 percent increase in PAL flights vs. November 2020 levels. It however loses London, and Saudi Arabia bound flights as a result of government mandated travel restrictions.

PAL has doubled its services  between Manila and Cebu, from 14 to 28 round-trip flights weekly since December 1. Flights between Manila and Cagayan de Oro also increase to three times daily, while flights between Manila and Tacloban were doubled to two times a day.

The airline resumed services to Antique, Basco, Boracay, Catarman ,Coron, Panglao, Siargao and Bacolod.  While its Cebu hub continues to expand with flights to Clark, Puerto Princesa, Legazpi, Bacolod, Davao, Butuan, General Santos and Siargao.  PAL is likewise operating regularly from Davao to Zamboanga and vice versa.

PAL is also slowly increasing flight frequencies on most domestic routes, from Manila to Laoag, Legazpi, Puerto Princesa, Kalibo, Iloilo, Cotabato, Butuan, Dipolog, Ozamiz, Pagadian and Zamboanga.

The airline is also adding more flights to New York, Honolulu, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Vancouver, Toronto, Guam, Jakarta, Bangkok, Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Hong Kong, Taipei, Dubai and Doha.

Meanwhile, PAL has secured contract to transport vaccines in Asia Pacific as it reactivates its fleet of widebody aircraft for the task of transporting life saving vaccines around the region.

PAL has also set up a One-Stop-Shop center at Naia Terminal 2 that augments the national government’s existing facilities to conduct mandatory RT-PCR swab testing for arriving passengers raising NAIA capacity to 5,000 per day from the previous 3,000 capacity.

PAL also continues to operate repatriation flights that transport stranded OFWs and other Overseas Filipinos home from all over the world, along with all-cargo charter flights to transport essential goods in Asia and North America.

PAL Suspends London Until February

 Due To New Covid Strain

23 December 2020

Flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) said on Wednesday it is suspending flights to and from London from Thursday after the Philippine government joins the rest of the world and orders its temporary cessation effective midnight of December 24 to December 31, 2020 due to new coronavirus strain.

PAL however said it will suspend flight up to the end of February as Britain sorts out strategy to contain the new virus strain. 

The airline said it supports all measures that seek to curb any potential increase in COVID-19 cases during the holiday season and beyond. Philippine Airlines operates a Manila-London-Manila service once a week.The airline flies every Thursday to the British capital.

Christmas Travel Huge Decline

 18 December 2020

SMC Submits Bid To Operate NAIA

 

17 December 2020

San Miguel Corporation has submitted proposal to run the Ninoy Aquino International Airport for the same terms submitted by Megawide Group.

“Yes, NAIA... [to] operate and maintain only,” Ang said in a text message.

San Miguel’s bid came after the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) revoked the original proponent status (OPS) of Megawide Construction Corp. and its Bangalore-based consortium partner GMR Infrastructure Ltd. to rehabilitate NAIA.

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) earlier awarded in August 2019 the contract to build and operate the New Manila International Airport Project to San Miguel Holdings Corp., SMC's infrastructure unit.

Both parties signed the concession deal for the New Manila International Airport on September 18, a month and four days after SMC received the notice of award for the contract.

 

Cebu Airport Found To Be Owned By GMR

 Megawide Acted As Dummy!

17 December 2020

Mactan Cebu Airport Operator GMR Megawide Cebu Airport Corporation (GMCAC) was found by the government of the Philippines to have broken its Constitution and Laws, according to the Justice Department, as the Office of the Ombudsman suspends Mactan  Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA) General Manager Steve Dicdican for allowing Foreigners to run Mactan Airport.

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) earlier filed before the Department of Justice a case against Mactan  Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA) General Manager Steve Dicdican and 15 others, including 11 foreign nationals, for Anti-Dummy Law provisions, risking the cancellation of the consortium license and permit to run Mactan Airport and forfeiture of its security deposits.

GMCAC is a consortium between Megawide Construction Corporation (Megawide), a company incorporated under Philippine laws, and GMR Group, a foreign airport operator based in India.

The  NBI-Anti-Fraud Division (NBI-AFD) claimed that the respondents “connived, colluded, schemed and acted together to violate the 1987 Constitution and the Anti-Dummy Law.”

NBI-AFD Officer-in-Charge (OIC) Director Eric B. Distor said this is not about the Concession Agreement Dicdican claims but concerns about violation of "Anti-Dummy Law".

Distor said MCIAA Officials allowed foreign contractors to take over the management of the airport which they are expressly prohibited to do under Philippine Laws. 

NBI said airports are industry invested with national interest that no foreigners should run it other than Filipinos. That is not the case of Cebu Airport operator. 

Under the Concession Agreement signed by Megawide and MCIAA, the airport operator should not be violating the Constitution or any Philippine Laws, otherwise they lose the right to operate the airport and pay government damages for fraud and misrepresentation.

Aside from Dicdican, named respondents in the complaint were GMR Megawide Cebu Airport Corporation (GMCAC) Filipino officers Manuel Louie Ferrer, Edgar Saavedra, Oliver Tan and JZ Dela Cruz.

The foreign nationals named in the complaint were eight Indian nationals Srivinas Bommidala, Vivek Singhai, Ravi Bhatnagar, Ravishankar Saravu, Sudarshan MD, Kumar Gaurav, Magesh Nambiar and Rajesh Madan.

The other foreigners mentioned in the complaint were Singaporean national P. Sripathy, Ghanaian Andrew Acquaah-Harrison and Irish national Michael Lenane.

Based on the evidence obtained by the Office of the Ombudsman, the MCIA is operated, administered, and managed by non-Filipinos more particularly by an Irish, a Ghanaian and several Indians who have profound control, enjoyment, and control over a Philippine public utility, with the knowledge and approval of the Filipino officers of CMIAA and GMCAC.

“Evidence submitted by the complainant and gathered by the investigators showed that the foreign nationals were actually performing executive and managerial positions, contrary to the provisions of Article XII of the Constitution,” the NBI said.

Russian Helicopters To Arrive Next Year

17 December 2020

While the Philippine Air Force (PAF) receives its first Combat Utility Helicopter from Poland last month, another set of new Russian-built heavy helicopters are on their way to the Philippines according to Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Delfin Lorenzana at the sidelines of the Philippine Navy fleet review and wing flyby held off Morong, Bataan on Wednesday. 

The Philippines will receive 16 new medium-lift helicopters from Russia in a Government to Government deal worth US$268.7 million (₱12.797 billion), and slated for delivery on the fourth quarter of next year. 

DND formally approved the Mi-171 acquisition through the issuance of a ‘Notice of Award’ document to Russia last month. 

The Russian government will also donate one brand new Mi-171 to the Philippines in VIP configuration, upon directions of President Vladimir Putin.

 

Lorenzana said the value and capability of the Russian helicopter was seen first hand by the Philippine Air Force at the height of Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) when the United Nation (UN) brought a pair of Mi-17 to aid in relief distribution efforts in November of 2013.

“Contrary to reports, the purchase of Russia made helicopter was already in the minds of the AFP Technical Working Group (TWG) since 2013 as it was very effective in humanitarian assistance,” says Lorenzana.

Lorenzana disclosed that government saw logistics difficulty in bringing relief supplies to Typhoon hit areas of Northern Luzon and Bicol region in November after it was hit by three successive and strong typhoons.

“The PAF has detailed data on EU and US made helicopters. So comparison was made on those data readily available. It didn't have enough technical data with Russian helicopters then, referring to the revised modernization program. But now everything changes after Russia provided it to them in 2016, so it was one of the recommendation.”

Lorenzana stressed that AFP Modernization program can be changed.

“Nothing is set in stone.  As a matter of fact, the black hawks was not there in the revised plan. It was supposed to be the Bell 412, yet here they are, ” says the Defense Chief.

Meanwhile, the PAF will complete its acceptance of 16 units Sikorsky S-70i Black Hawk combat utility helicopters acquired from Polish company Polskie Zaklady Lotnicze Sp.z.o.o and manufactured under license from Sikorsky USA for a contract price of USD241 million. 

Polskie Zaklady Lotnicze started delivery last month of six Sikorsky S-70i Black Hawk combat utility helicopters. The remaining 10 orders will arrive in the country in the first quarter of next year.

Cathay Pacific To Fly Davao

17 December 2020

Cathay Pacific (CPA) has filed with the Civil Aviation Board (CAB) Permit to fly Hong Kong-Davao-Hong Kong beginning next year with A321 aircraft as it consolidate its operations with subsidiary Dragon Air.

 

SMC Awards Royal Boskalis Westminster NV To Build Bulacan Airport

Boskalis Wins Contract To Build NMIA

16 December 2020

San Miguel Corporation (SMC) has awarded  the US$1.73-billion contract for land development works of Bulacan airport to Dutch firm Royal Boskalis Westminster N.V., through its wholly-owned subsidiary Boskalis Philippines Inc. 

Royal Boskalis will commence construction of the P740-billion New Manila International Airport project in Bulacan in the first quarter of 2021.The airport contractor is expected to complete preparatory works on land development at the airport site in Bulakan, Bulacan by 2024. 

Boskalis, a global dredging contractor withl track record spanning more than a century, is known for projects, such as the ongoing development of Singapore’s Tuas Terminal Phase 2 port and its Tekong Polder projects.  

“Boskalis has committed to ensure that the area will be suitable for development. It will be designed with the highest technical and environmental standards, so it can withstand potential large earthquakes, local typhoon conditions, and even future sea level rise,” according to SMC president and COO Ramon S. Ang.

SMC chose Boskalis after a rigorous selection process that included the world’s biggest and best dredging companies, announced SMC president and chief operating officer Ramon S. Ang.

 “Our selection of a global giant in dredging shows how committed we are to make sure this airport project is developed properly and sustainably,” he elaborated.

Boskalis’ workplan and methodology includes measures to prevent soil liquefaction in the entire area.