Air Asia X To Open Philippine Hub

Takes Over Clark Operations 
as short haul subsidiary invades NAIA

12 October 2013

After failing to make its low cost carrier brand worked in Clark International airport, Malaysia-based Airline AirAsia Berhad is preparing to bring into the Philippines its long haul subsidiary brand Air Asia X for flights to Australia, the Middle East and the United States.

AirAsia Zest chairman Michael Romero said AirAsia X will operate from Clark airport in two years time after they consolidated the operations of its short haul subsidiary out of Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 4.

“Our business model of making Clark our regional hub is not working for us. But Clark is now becoming a long-haul facility for airlines, and we are taking their cue” Romero said.

Earlier, the Malaysia based company infused another $100 million into Zest Airways operations to expand its fleet operations.

Owners of Air Asia Zest include AirAsia Berhad which hold the majority share of 40% while the rest belongs to Michael Romero, Antonio Cojuangco Jr., Marianne Hontiveros and Alfredo Yao.

“We will formally relaunch as Air Asia Zest. We will acquire more planes. Right now, we have 13 planes. We’ll go to 16 planes before the end of the year,” Romero said.

Air Asia Philippines will fly the Air Asia X brand while Air Asia Zest will take charge of its short haul operations feeding traffic to the former.

Romero, who is vice chairman of AirAsia Philippines, explained the necessity of building its domestic and regional network from AirAsia Zest as it would pool traffic from Manila's short-haul flights and transfer them to Clark for AirAsia X long haul flights.

Air Asia X intends to operate a mix fleet of 5 Airbus 330-300 and pairs of Airbus 350-900 planes initially out of Clark Airport says Romero, with the A330 all being bound to the Middle East and Australia while the A350-900 is intended for US destination particularly Los Angeles.

The Air Asia group intends to  ferry passengers between the two airports from NAIA to Clark and vice versa.

UAE Opens Clark, PAL Opens Abu Dhabi, CEB to Starts Dubai Next Week

2 October 2013

Abu Dhabi Airports welcomed yesterday evening the inaugural flight of Philippine Airlines (PAL), Asia’s first airline, arriving from Manila. The first flight marked the commencement ofa five-times weekly service between Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH) and Manila.PAL will fly to Abu Dhabi five times a week (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday), departing Manila at 4:25 PM and arriving at 9:45 PM.  The returning flight leaves Abu Dhabi at 11:15 PM and arrives in Manila at 12:25 PM the next day.

Dubai-based Emirates Airlines flew for the first time at 4:40 a.m. at DXB this morning as EK 338, bound for Manila-Clark in the Philippines with Boeing 777-200LR aircraft arriving at 4:40 p.m. The return flight EK 339 departs at 6:35 p.m. The airline which flies daily to Clark will be Emirates’ 135th destination worldwide and second gateway into the Philippines after Manila. The airport is located 80 kilometres north of the capital, in Angeles City. With a catchment area of 17 million people, the region is poised to become a new tourism and commercial hub. The flight will also help connect the sizeable Filipino communities around the world.

Cebu Pacific inaugural flight arriving Dubai on October 7. Dubai is the first long haul destination for the airline. (Updated)

Airbus Grants 5th A330 Delivery Slots To PR in 2013

5th Delivery to arrive in December

28 September 2013

RP-C8782 departing Toulouse for Manila. It is expected to arrive in the Philippine capital at 11:15 in the morning Saturday

Toulouse - Philippine Airlines (PAL) gains delivery slots after the European plane maker decided to raise the production rate for its A330 Family to ten aircraft a month beginning April in 2013.

As a result, one more A330 is destined for PAL in 2013 after Airbus approved its request to amend delivery slots for one more aircraft arising from increase in production schedules.

Airbus turns out eight A330 Family aircraft each month when PAL entered its orders for initial 10 high gross variant new generation A330s. This monthly rate was increase to nine in early 2012, before reaching rate ten in the second quarter of 2013.

"We are now starting the next phases of our fleet renewal, anchored on new generation A330-300s. This aircraft opens up new frontiers in our rapidly growing networks as well as in service innovations for our passengers," Ramon S. Ang, PAL President said in a statement.

Ang said the new A330 will be used for the inaugural flight to Abu Dhabi on October 1, marking the flag carrier's re-entry to the Middle East after 3 years.

"The A330 is earmarked for our Middle East route" Ang said.

Ismael Augusto Gozon, PAL Senior Vice President For Operations  said PAL expects to receive five more A330-300s in the fourth quarter instead of the original four, with the 5th frame to be delivered in December after Airbus offered the slot to the airline Wednesday.

Gozon said that with the new delivery schedule its expansion to the Middle East will proceed as scheduled.

The new A330HGW powered by Trent 772B-60 engine from Rolls-Royce accommodates 414 passengers, configured into two classes —Premium Economy, with 39 seats, and Economy, with 375 seats.

The Premium Economy Class is fitted with the Spectrum 1st seat from B/E Aerospace.  With a pitch of 34 inches, this mechanical seat is ergonomically designed to provide more knee and legroom, plus lumbar support and multi position adjustable headrest.

Economy Class seats, are likewise, from the Spectrum line, offering a pitch of 30 to 31 inches and an ergonomic design to enhance comfort.

Gozon said they intend to fly the 5 new A330s for delivery this year all to the Middle East, with the last Middle East bound aircraft to be delivered in February next year. The remaining four frames to be delivered in 2014 are for services to Korea, Japan, and Australia.  

The next tranche of A330 deliveries for 2015 will be the 242t variant for services to Europe, Hawaii and Canada.

Airbus expects the newest 242t variant of the A330 to reach London and Vancouver comfortably with the MTOW range of 6,100nm at 300 passengers configuration.

PR Takes First A321 Delivery With Sharklets

28 September 2013

RP-C9903 (5787) Second A321-200 plane to be fitted with sharklets delivered to the Philippines on 27 September 2013

Clark Fails AirAsia

Relocates to Manila

19 September 2013

Clark Airport doesn't work. At least for Air Asia Philippines(PQ) which learned it the hard way after operating barely two years at Clark despite backings from Air Asia Berhad, Asia's biggest low cost carrier.

Air Asia will suspend all flights out of Clark effective 8 October said airline CEO Marianne Hontiveros last week.

Hontiveros disclosed the airline's scaling back operations was necessary because the company was reassessing its strategy and needs to cut unprofitable routes.

To survive competition it bought Zest Airways to gain access at Manila's Ninoy Aquino International Airport valuable airport slots where it is diverting financial and manpower resources to support its affiliate's operation.

Despite this setback the Transportation Department (DOTC) remains keen on putting up a new budget terminal for Clark International Airport in Pampanga as it implements the dual airport system strategy.

Transport Secretary Joseph Abaya said the government was keen on supporting both Ninoy Aquino International Airport and Clark with the addition of new terminals catering to the fast-growing budget airline segment.

DOTC will build budget terminals for Clark and NAIA which could be built over the next two to three years.

The budget terminal for Clark would expand its capacity by about 4.5 million passengers while NAIA capacity will accommodate about 10 million passengers more from the present 25 million passengers per annum.

Zamboanga Re-opens with Caution

18 September 2014

CAAP Director General William K. Hotchkiss lll has authorized the re-opening of Zamboanga International Airport at least for flights to Manila enabling the airlines to mount two commercial flights starting Thursday, one each for PAL Express and Cebu Pacific, and two each on Friday.

The flights schedule remains confidential but the airport will open to commercial traffic beginning 1am tomorrow morning. Military flights are not affected with the closure.

On Tuesday, both DG Hotchkiss and DDG John C. Andrews went to Zamboanga City to assess the situation of Zamboanga Airspace.

CAAP Officials chartered a private plane owned by PAL president Ramon Ang to land at Zamboanga airport and consulted with the Crisis Management Committee headed by Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas and Mayor Beng Climaco.

The decision to open Zamboanga airport was made after security briefing was presented by the Philippine Air Force regarding the security situation on the ground of the approach path.

As briefed, airlines will need to do the approach, landing and departure procedures on runway 09 which is on the western side of the City.

Deputy Captain John C. Andrews will board the first flight out of NAIA tomorrow to Zamboanga City to oversee the preliminary flight. Regular scheduled and special flights is expected to resume Saturday.

Airline passengers permitted to fly will only be allowed to carry one hand-carried luggage on the flights.

SMC Enters Aircraft Leasing Business

To Support Trans-continental PAL Fleet

18 September 2013

Southeast Asia's largest conglomerate San Miguel Corporation opens an off-shore aircraft-leasing company to support the long haul fleet requirement of Philippine Airlines.

San Miguel Leasing plans to put up in its book an aircraft order for four Boeing 777-300ER, ten 777-900s and ten Airbus A350-900's aircraft from both manufacturers.

SMC President Ramon S. Ang said the Cayman-based company has market capitalization of 1 billion US dollars. 

Initial investments of $500 million was put up by SMC while the another $500 will come from the undisclosed buyer of Lucio Tan's 51 percent stake at Philippine Airlines. 

SMC admitted earlier that they are in talks with Japan's largest carrier, All Nippon Airways, for a 40% stake. Japanese Company, like Kirin Brewery owns substantial share of SMC shares. The remaining PAL shares is expected to be offered to the stock market.

“We intend to come up with another $500-million equity for the aircraft-leasing company that will be 100-percent owned by PAL,” Ang said during the sidelines of the re-launching of the airline’s flight to Europe.

Meanwhile, Ang said that PAL will lease from Airbus six more A340s over the next five years to cover services to Europe before the new long haul twins from Airbus and Boeing are delivered to them.

PAL will start Manila - London route on November 4 after 15 years of absence. The airline last flew to London Heathrow in 1998.

PAL Unveils New Mabuhay Lounge

17 September 2013

By Recto Mercene

Gracing the occasion are (from left), Ismael Augusto Gozon, senior vice president for Operations; Andrew Balde, assistant Terminal 2 manager; Iñigo Zobel, president, PALExpress; and Francisco Alejo III, San Miguel Purefood Co. Inc., president. (Recto Mercene)

PHILIPPINE Airlines (PAL) on Tuesday unveiled its latest major improvement in world-class in-flight service on the ground for Mabuhay Class passengers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 2 (Naia 2).

The award-winning interior design by Warren Foster-Brown from FBEYE International, a Singapore-based company, is a 520-square-meter lounge, with all the amenities, such as a buffet table, library, mini-theater, minibar and dining area meant to give passengers “exceptional rest and dining experience.”

The company that Foster-Brown founded is focused on hospitality interior design that includes luxurious hotels, unique destination resorts, celebrity restaurants, spas, private residences, mega yachts and commercial offices. Foster-Brown won the prestigious award “Wave of the Future 2009” in Miami, Florida.

The Mabuhay Lounge was inaugurated by Iñigo Zobel, president, PalExpress; and Ismael Augusto Gozon, PAL senior vice president for operations.

Gozon, who delivered the speech in place of Pal President Ramon S. Ang, said the new ultramodern International Mabuhay Lounge “reflects the new vision and new identity of the PAL Group” and is the latest of many service enhancements PAL has made over the past year.

The PAL Group, he said, envisions “a full-service global carrier, with a fast expanding international network, utilizing the youngest and most modern fleet, with a focus on providing customers the best value, service and choices.”

The new lounge design features a combination of different lounges around the world, has the look and feel of the lounge that coincides with PAL’s growth strategy, warm and contemporary, rich and inviting.

LED lights provide the illumination, with less power consumption and most of all, give passengers that “exclusive” feeling that they have paid for.

Walking through toward the lounge, an illuminated sunbeam reminiscent of PAL’s logo on the ceiling welcomes visitors to the reception area. Similar to a hotel’s front desk, the new reception area gives a warm and inviting vibe. A storage area at the left side of the room is big enough for both coat and bags.

The dining area that could seat 80 has been revamped and made more spacious to diners to move around, even with their carry-on luggage. Leather-covered seats in beige give a touch of elegance, while the long table is great for passenger interaction. It has been dubbed the most popular place for tête-à-tête.

The focal point is a marble buffet table offering a wide selection of food that has been especially designed by PAL in partnership with San Miguel Purefoods Corp.