Megawide Offer Hit Wall For Financial Inadequacy

21 August 2020

Megawide Construction Corp. and partner GMR Infrastructure Ltd. of India hit a wall Wednesday when National Economic and Development Authority Investment Coordination Committee(NEDA-ICC technical Board) flagged down consortium's propose US$3 billion dollars investment for the rehabilitation, operation and development of Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) for 18 years.

NEDA noted a problem on the proposed financing plan as it does not show how Megawide consortium could adequately meet the Construction cost as well as the operating and maintenance costs requirements of the project.

Megawide said the funds will be provided by their partners GMR, but their proposal does not speak of joint liability.

“There are issues on financial capacity and the joint and several liability agreement of the consortium,” Transportation Undersecretary for Planning & Project Development Ruben S. Reinoso said.

“There appears to be a liquidity shortfall,” the Transport official said.

Reinoso disclosed he is meeting again with the proponent next week to discuss the outstanding issues raised by the NEDA-ICC and if this was complied already before it can continue talks on swiss challenge.

The Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) earlier approved the Aéroports de Paris SA’s (AdP) acquisition of a 49 percent-stake in GMR Airports Limited (GMR) valued at US$ 1.4 billion for its investment in the Philippines and Asia Pacific.

The transaction involve a 24.99% indirect stake purchase in GMR, plus another 24.01% direct acquisition of the firm.

Groupe ADP completed payment to GMR Airports of €532 million in July 2020. Part of this fund is expected to be earmarked for Manila airport offer.

Gov't Charters A380 For OFWs

19 August 2020

The Philippine Government charters Airbus A380-800 of Emirates Airlines to bring 405 Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) and their families from around the Middle East home. The plane landed at Clark International Airport around 3:26pm from Dubai.

The flight arrival coincided with the 30th Anniversary on the establishment of Emirates Airlines route to the Philippines.

Airlines Ground MNL Domestic Flights

4 August 2020

Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific, Air Asia, its affiliates and minor carriers has suspended all domestic flights to and from Manila from Aug. 4 to 18 in line with the government's declaration of Metro Manila under the Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine for 14 days.

Domestic flights between Clark, Cebu, Davao and other cities outside Manila are not affected and shall remain operational according to the airlines subject to further guidelines relating to quarantine capacity and related arrangements.

Airlines said passengers of canceled flights have the option to rebook, refund or convert their ticket into a travel voucher.

International flights to and from Manila shall continue to operate subject to government regulations and quarantine restrictions.

PAL Trims Widebody Fleet

Intends To Return 10 Planes

3 August 2020

Flag Carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) announced Thursday that it intends to trim down its wide-body fleets of Boeing 777-300ERs, Airbus A350-900s and A330-300 fleet beginning this month as it failed to generate passenger traffic due to local and international flight restrictions brought by covid19 pandemic.

PAL President and COO Gilbert Santa Maria said they are looking to return four B777-300ER planes, three A350-900s and three A330-300 planes this month. It will also let go on long furlough about 100 flight crews and terminate their services if conditions don't improve by December.

The airline were only able to operate 123 regular flights in June, about 18 percent of its plan to mount 682 limited flights that month.

“These challenges did not deter us from operating 222 sweeper and repatriation flights and 640 all-cargo flights since March 2020,” Santa Maria said.

Sta. Maria disclosed it's final decision to pre-terminate leases will depend on the destinations that is likely to pick up in the coming months as it intend to axe some long haul flights serviced by these airplanes.

“For example, flights to destinations that are not likely to pick up in the coming months may be scrapped and, thus, the wide-bodied carriers may not be needed anymore” Santa Maria adds.

PAL is also preparing to downsize its narrow body fleet of Airbus A320s and A321. It already deferred deliveries of new aircraft earlier this year.

Sta. Maria said “Nothing is final yet, but management is doing everything it can so PAL will make it through this difficult time”. No information was disclosed as to how many narrow-body aircraft is going to be return to lessor. Inside sources described them to comprise about 50% of the narrow-body fleet.

PAL Rolls Out Covid19 Test Facility At MNL

For Non-OFW Passengers

3 August 2020

PHILIPPINE Airlines (PAL) has rolled out a One-Stop-Shop (OSS) center at Terminal 2 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) on Saturday ( August 1), to administer the mandatory real time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test for returning overseas Filipinos and authorized foreign nationals.

PAL said its testing facility will significantly augment the Manila airport’s capacity to screen travelers and process quarantine requirements for passengers on PAL flights from North America, the Middle East, Europe, Oceania and across Asia.

“PAL’s One-Stop-Shop is capable of testing 1,200 passengers a day and producing test results within 48 hours,” said spokesman Cielo Villuna.


The new PAL facility will operate supplemental service to the existing government-run IATF One-Stop-Shop facility that will now exclusively serve arriving Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs). The government test facility allows testing of 3,000 passengers a day, with results from 48 to 72 hours.

PAL medical services will be provided by Detoxicare Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory, an accredited laboratory by the Department of Health(DOH),  National Task Force (NTF), and the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF).

Detoxicare will conduct the RT-PCR Covid-19 tests for non-OFWs, while the Philippine Coast Guard will administer the tests for all arriving OFWs.

The Department of Tourism and the Hotel Sales and Marketing Association (HSMA) will then assist arriving non-OFWs with their hotel bookings, bus transfers, and other concerns, while waiting for their RT-PCR test results .

Returning Overseas Filipinos (ROFs) and authorized foreign nationals, are required to register via the PALlink– https://bit.ly/3ffoAIK — and submit an accomplished electronic Case Investigation Form (e-CIF) at least three days before boarding their flight to the Philippines.

They also need to secure an advance booking at any government-accredited hotel in Manila for at least two nights, in line with the time expected to process and release their Covid test results.

“Travelers will need to pay the costs of the swab test and hotel accommodation,” PAL said.

On the other hand, OFWs need to register through the Red Cross Portal — https://e-cif.redcross.org.ph/ and submit an accomplished electronic Case Investigation Form (e-CIF) at least three days before boarding their flight home.

Family members traveling together with at least one OFW will likewise be considered OFWs.)

Land-based OFWs must also create or update their accounts on the OFW Assistance Information System (OASIS) at http://oasis.owwa.gov.ph/

The Philippine Government and/or manpower agencies will shoulder the costs of testing and quarantine accommodations for OFWs.

The OSS facility will help PAL avoid the costly and burdensome re-routing of some international flights to land in Cebu or Clark instead of Manila.

The PAL facility at Terminal 2 has been operating on a trial basis since June 27 and has successfully processed passengers arriving from San Francisco and other selected international flights.

PAL First Flight Across Pacific

1 August 2020

Philippine Airlines became the first Asian Airline to cross the Pacific Ocean on August 1, 1946. This non-scheduled flight from Manila to Oakland, CA, took 41 hours and stopped at Guam, Kwajalein, and Honolulu, flying a DC-4.