The Exciting Centennial of Philippine Aviation

Zamboanga-Cotabato Inaugural

29 July 2017

Cebu Pacific subsidiary CebGo inaugurates Cagayan de Oro and Cotabato flights from Zamboanga on July 26 and 27. Photocourtesy Dean San Juan

Flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) will relaunch a direct flight between Okinawa and Manila 4 times a week from December 2017 with Airbus A321 aircraft. The direct flights between Naha and Manila would be the first flight since July 2007 when the regular flights were suspended due to airline's financial problems.

US Donates Surveillance Aircarft

PAF Receives 2 Cessna 208B ISR

28 July 2017

The Philippines became a beneficiary of Two Cessna 208B Caravan EX aircraft (N320ZZ and N322ZZ) purchased by the U.S. Department of Defense in behalf of the Philippine Air Force (PAF) and modified to perform airborne intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions.

The equipment was officially transferred yesterday , July 27 at Villamor Airbase to the Philippine government and deployed to the 300th Air Intelligence And Security Group of the Philippine Air Force.

The two aircraft were procured by the US government in early May 2016 under separate DoD contracts funded under section 2282 of the fiscal 2016 National Defense Authorization Act and the Counter-terrorism Partnerships Fund for the capacity-building of foreign military.

The two new aircraft, valued at ₱ 1.67 billion were delivered to the Philippine Air Force through the U.S. National Defense Authorization Act Building Partnership Capacity Program.

It is expected to be used in maritime or border security and counter-terrorism tasks that benefit the national security interests of the Philippines and its allies.

The Cessna 208Bs is two of six aircraft registered by the U.S. Air Force’s Life Cycle Management Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, up for modifications. The other four were bound for Cameroon and Chad.

The six aircraft are fitted with the L3 WESCAM MX-15 high-definition imagining and electro-optical/infrared sensor for airborne full-motion video surveillance in a central housing. The sensor is integrated with an on-board airborne operator sensor console and will also have Harris ultrahigh/very-high frequency and high frequency radios for air-to ground and air-to air communications.

North American Surveillance Systems of Titusville, Florida, was awarded a $39.98 million contract for modification and integration of ISR capabilities into six Cessna 208B aircraft together with training and support services.

The aircraft were installed with extended-range fuel system designed by Weaver Aero International, for extra loiter time.

Currently,ISR capability has been provided by Lockheed Martin P-3 Orion aircraft from the U.S. Navy and Australia, together with Japanese TC-90 and U.S. UAVs over the battles in Marawi City.

The United States government has allocated more than ₱ 15 billion ($272 million) of grant funding to provide the AFP with up-to-date equipment and training in the last five years.

The two aircraft will be stationed at Zamboanga's Edwin Andrews Airbase for tactical deployments to Marawi by August 1.

PAF's Biggest Air Evacuation

28 July 2017

The Philippine Air Force (PAF) has airlifted the biggest air evacuation of wounded soldiers in its entire history when it's 220th Airlift Wing transported 78 wounded soldiers in July 26, 2017 through the use of a single C-130 aircraft from Laguindingan Airport to Villamor Air Base.

Airport Expenditures For 2018

27 July 2018

AIRPORT IMPROVEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT PROJECT
2018
ITEM	AIRPORT	ALLOCATION	REMARKS
1	ALAMINOS	28.8	Lot Acquisitions
2	ANTIQUE	110	Runway Ext
3	BASCO	145	Rwy Ovrlay, PTB Rehab
4	BICOL	899.6	PTB
5	BILIRAN	7	Perimeter Fence
6	BISLIG	9.5	Perimeter Fence
7	BORONGAN	22.2	Lot Acquisitions
8	BUTUAN	184	Airside (Rwy ovrlay,SGC)
9	CALAYAN	10	Airside (Rwy Ext, SGC)
10	CALBAYOG	245	Landside, Airside
11	CATBALOGAN	10	Perimeter Fence
12	CAUAYAN	306.4	ILS & Navaids
13	CARABAO	24
14	CLARK	2,746	PTB, Navaids
15	COTABATO	161	ILS & Navaids
16	DIPOLOG	182	Airside (Rwy overlay,SGC)
17	DUMAGUETE	300	Lot Acquisitions
18	IPIL	18	Runway Ext
19	JOLO	30	Runway Ext
20	KALIBO	920	New Apron & Taxiway
21	LAOAG	368.5	ILS & Navaids
22	LUBANG	17	PTB Exp
23	MAASIN	122	Landside
24	MAMBURAO	35.7	Landside, Airside
25	MARAMAG	425	Lot Acquisition
26	MARINDUQUE	10	SGC
27	MLAMG	38	Runway Ext
28	NAGA	200	Lot Acquisition
29	ORMOC	128	PTB
30	OZAMIZ	192.2	ILS & Navaids
31	PAGADIAN	84.2	Airfied Lights
32	ROXAS	169	Airside (Rwy overlay,SGC)
33	SAN VICENTE	50 +24	CTRTower, Powerhouse
34	SURIGAO	200 +113	Rwy Rehab & Overlay
35	TACLOBAN	716	PTB
36	TUGUEGARAO	61	Control Tower
37	TAWI-TAWI	100	PTB
38	VIRAC	50	Runway Ext
39	ZAMBOANGA	221	Rwy Overlay, SGC
	TOTAL (Millions)	9,545.90
FOREIGN ASSISTED
1	PANGLAO	386
2	CNS-ATM (Phase III)	122.2
GRAND TOTAL	(In Billions)	10.5

Source: Department of Transportation (DOTr)

AirAsia Connects DVO-KUL

Flight Begins December 21

23 July 2017

Malaysia’s Low-cost airline, AirAsia Bhd (AirAsia) will introduce its latest route to Davao, Philippines from Kuala Lumpur, with four times weekly direct flights commencing Dec 21.

The new route marks the airlines' fourth direct route from Malaysia to the Philippines after Manila, Cebu and Kalibo.

“Next on the line is Puerto Princesa and Kota Kinabalu” AirAsia chief executive officer Anthony Francis “Tony” Fernandes said after announcing the airlines' latest route at the Fourth Davao Investment Conference 2017 in Davao City.

Fernandes said the launch of this new air connectivity came after his meeting with President Rodrigo Duterte who urged him to open a new flight from the Davao City to Malaysia during their meeting in Cambodia last May 2017 for the World Economic Forum on Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

the airline's Philippine subsidiary has launched new flights from Davao to Cebu, Palawan and Boracay, and enabled fly-thru via Cebu to international destinations such as Singapore, Taipei and Seoul.

Fernandes added that Davao will become an international hub of Air Asia in the future for direct flights to China, Japan and Korea and that Kuala Lumpur was just a start for something big.

AirAsia owns 40 per cent stake in AirAsia Philippines Inc, with the remaining 60 per cent shared between Filipinos investors. AirAsia Philippines offer nine destinations within the country including Clark, Manila, Caticlan, Kalibo (Boracay), Tacloban, Palawan (Puerto Princesa), Cebu, Tagbilaran and Davao.

Air Asia is the fourth carrier to offer international flights out of Davao.

Malaysia Delivers HADR To Marawi

ASEAN Closed Ranks, Sends Aid

21 July 2017

Malaysia has send 19 tonnes of Human And Disaster Relief (HADR) assistance to Marawi City on Friday ferried by Royal Malaysia Air force A400M transport plane.

The airlift operation arrived at Laguindingan airport this morning and was the first humanitarian mission of the air force that involves the A400M operation.

The A400M is piloted by Lieutenant-Colonel Baharin bin Mohamad assisted by Major Wan Azrul bin Wan Azmi as his co-pilot. The aircraft arrived around 6am and was on the ground for nine hours unloading the cargo before it left for Kuala Lumpur at 3pm this afternoon.

Likewise, eleven personnel from the Special Malaysia Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (SMART) are also deployed in Cagayan de Oro to assist in the distribution of the aid.