Zamboanga Airspace

 We Figure What GMA7 doesn't Figure

14 September 2013
[Updated]

PAF PZL-W3 Sokol 250 PAW

USAF C130 carrying USAID relief goods from Okinawa.

Another USAF C130

SF-260M

Bell 214ST  N787SR

There were four Hueys flying at this time yesterday but only two Hueys together with Pilatus spy plane fit in frame.

USAF Pilatus U-28B planes 80718

The other pair of Hueys

USAF C-130 arrived at the Edwin Andrews Airbase in Zamboanga City bringing relief supplies from US Aid being taken out by members of the U.S. Joint Special Operations Task Force.                                                          .Photo by: JSOTF-P

PAF C-130 4704

PAF C-130 3633

USAF Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) Fleet EAAB flying precision reconnaissance for PAF

Special Hajj flight to Cebu on board PAF C130 from Zamboanga

5J Prepares EU Clearance for November

14 September 2013

Cebu Pacific Air president and CEO Lance Gokongwei (left) walks with his father John Gokongwei, chairman emeritus of JG Summit Holdings Inc. ABS-CBN

Cebu Pacific will ask the European Union(EU) in November to lift the carrier's ban on its flights says the airline top official.

The The EU Air Safety Committee second meeting is scheduled on November  29. The Air Safety Committee convenes twice a year.

Cebu Pacific President and Chief Executive Officer Lance Gokongwei will send the airline’s team together with officials from Civil Aviation Authority (CAAP) to present progress on its implementation of safety measures consistent with ICAO regulations as well as make applications to fly to EU country.

“We are likewise working toward a certification to be able to fly to Europe,” Gokongwei said at the sidelines of the delivery of Cebu Pacific’s second Airbus A330 aircraft Thursday.

Philippine Airlines was the first airline to be stricken off the lists maintained by the European Union that are not allowed to fly to EU airspace effective July 12, three years after the EU imposed ban on all Philippine-based airlines.

Cebu Pacific wants to be the only other airline off the lists.

PH to hold air talks with Israel, Russia next month

13 September 2013

By Lenie Lectura 

The Philippine Air panel will hold air talks with Israel and Russia next month, officials from the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) said on Thursday.

“The air talks in Israel are scheduled on November 4 and 5. We were the ones that initiated the discussion,” said Wyrlou Samodio, CAB legal head.

An Air Services Agreement (ASA) between the Philippines and Israel is long overdue for an amendment and the CAB official said, “We have existing bilateral agreement with Israel forged in the 1960’s or 1970’s. It’s time to amend it because there is only one frequency under that agreement.”

Samodio said Philippine Airlines (PAL) is interested to mount flights to Israel.

Also, the panel will seek to amend its ASA with Russia. “Manila will host the air talks with Russia. PAL is also interested to fly there,” added the CAB official.

The CAB forms part of the air panel, which negotiates for air entitlements with other countries.  It is an attached agency of the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC), mandated to regulate the economic aspect of air transportation, and shall have the general supervision, control and jurisdiction over air carriers, general sales agents, cargo sales agents and air freight forwarders.

Aside from the CAB, other members of the panel include the DOTC, Department of Foreign Affairs, Department of Tourism, Department of Trade and Industry, and representatives from airline companies.

Early this month, the Philippines successfully negotiated an amended ASA with Italy.

“We got 14 flights per week between the Philippines and Italy,” said CAB Executive Director Carmelo Arcilla. The previous agreement dated 1969 only allowed one frequency per week.

“There are 170,000 Filipinos in Italy. Rome and Milan can also be a jump-off point for traffic between Southern Europe and the Philippines,” said Arcilla.

PAL Secures LHR

Abandons Gatwick

13 September 2013

Philippine Airlines (PAL) has secured daily landing slots at London's Heathrow Airport, data from Airport Coordination Limited (ACL) disclosed.

Airport Coordination Limited (ACL) is responsible for slot allocation, and schedules facilitation at London Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, London City, London Luton and Manchester airports within the UK.

Approved slots are as follows:
LHR arrival   at 14:15
LHR departure at 17:50

PAL has applied the following winter schedules:
MNL-LHR       08:20 - 14:15
LHR-MNL       17:15 - 13:50(+1)

PAL secured the landing slots via slots trading valued between 2-5 million US dollars. Commencement of flight is expected to be launch on 4 November 2013 subject to regulatory approvals.

Following the recent LHR slot grant, PAL scrapped its earlier plan to fly Gatwick and code share deals with Etihad Airways to Manila. Instead, the airline will fly direct to the Philippines. It is expected to dock at Terminal 4.

PH Secures Daily Double Haneda Slots

PAL to fly Haneda beginning 2014

13 September 2013

The Philippines has secured double daily slots at Tokyo's Haneda airport, statement from the Civil Aviation Board disclosed.

CAB Executive Director Carmelo Arcilla said the air panel group from Japan's Department of Transport agreed to the increase in traffic rights between the two countries for total maximum flight of 400 frequencies per week from the previous 119 flights as both countries signed new Air Service Agreement (ASA).

"We also agreed on new traffic rights between Haneda Airport and Manila at 14 flights per week for each side, and unlimited traffic rights between points in the Philippines except Manila and points in Japan except Haneda," Arcilla said.

Fifth freedom traffic rights to the United States remain as previously agreed while Japan's fifth freedom traffic to Australia stays.

Philippine Airlines(PAL) manifested its intent to add capacity to Tokyo via Haneda Airport beginning summer of 2014, while Cebu Pacific plans to get a slot at Narita Airport, additional frequency to Osaka and flights to Nagoya.

E-Tickets now allowed in the Philippines

12 September 2013

The Bureau of Immigration and Deportation (BID) has allowed air passengers to present Electronic tickets, or e-tickets, as displayed on smart phones, tablets, and other mobile electronic devices to be accepted for entry and processing, other than printed copies of their tickets at the country's airports.

The Department of Justice has issued Operations Order No. 2013-003, titled "Removing the Requirement of Presentation of the Printed Hard Copy of Return and/or Onward Passage Ticket" announcing that electronic tickets will now suffice for entry and transit in the Philippines.

C130 to provide Ferry Flights out of Zamboanga

11 September 2013
[Updated]

The Philippine Air Force will ferry passengers out of Zamboanga City starting tomorrow using a single C-130 plane to General Santos City.

The Civil  Aviation  Authority of  the Philippines (CAAP) closed Zamboanga  International Airport Monday due  to reported firing incidents by Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) members to approaching civil and military aircraft landing from the east.

CAAP Director General William Hotckiss III issued a NOTAM (Notice to Airman) closing commercial air operations of Zamboanga International Airport to all carriers except military aircraft.

US and PAF Military planes are currently doing approach landing and departure at runway 09.

The lone PAF C-130 plane is currently stationed in Edwin Andrew Airbase which brought military reinforcements from other regions.

Ferry schedules are as follows:

• 9:00 am  Philippine Airlines ticket holders
• 1:00 pm  Cebu Pacific ticket holders

Return flights of the C-130 is expected to carry relief goods carried by airlines.

Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific will provide connecting flights from General Santos to Manila.

PH Secures Double Daily To Italy

PR to fly Milan and Rome

6 September 2013

The Philippines has secured more landing rights to Italy after it was allowed 14 weekly frequency to the country following negotiations made on September 4 and 5.

Carmelo Arcilla, Executive Director of the Civil Aeronautics Board, said talks with Italy is long overdue since its 1969 ASA deal which allows one flight per week. Philippine Airlines last flew to Italy in 1994.

The negotiation was made possible after Philippine Airlines (PAL) requested the government for talks since they have plans to launch flights to Italy, home to more than 170,000 Filipinos, with new generations A330-300's.

“Negotiations were needed because our existing air agreement with Italy does not grant access to Milan or any Italian points outside Rome and we want to fly there,”PAL senior vice president for external affairs Socorro Gonzaga said.

Meanwhile, Gonzaga said its daily flight to Paris will have to wait until 2014 after France scheduled the talks first quarter of next year.

Philippine Airlines hopes to fly Paris in November, London by December 2013, and add Rome and Milan to their route network in the summer of 2014.