2 A320's collide at palawan Airport

April 11, 2012

A departing Cebu Pacific plane, (flight no. 5J 640) collided with a Zest Airways A320 plane while sitting on the tarmac of Puerto Princesa Airport in Palawan around 6:30 p.m. No one was injured in the collision.

The Zest plane's navigation light was broken forcing the airline company to cancel return flights to Manila.

PH and SK Amends ASA

By Lenie Lectura 

April 11, 2012

THE Philippines and South Korea last week agreed to amend an existing air pact by expanding the number of entitlements of designated carriers of each country by half or an additional 9,500 weekly seats.

At present, there are 19,000 weekly seat entitlements being utilized by carriers on both sides.  Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) Executive Director Carmelo Arcilla, in an interview, said this was increased by half for a total of 28,500 seats per week for each country.

“Now both sides can mount as much as 28,500 seats per week. These seats can be used at any points in the country and the CAB will allot them depending on the requirement of an airline who files an application with us because we are the sole authority that grants entitlements,” said Arcilla.

The amended air services agreement was signed last week during the two-day air talks in Seoul that ended on Tuesday last week.

The CAB is part of the Philippine air panel that negotiates for traffic rights with other countries. The other panel members include the Departments of Transportation and Communications, Foreign Affairs, Tourism, Trade and Industry, and representatives from the airline companies.

Arcilla said he expects all local airlines to apply for additional South Korea entitlements with the CAB.

“Tourists from Korea are our biggest market. Last year we had about 925,000 Korean arrivals in the country and we see that increasing to 1 million this year,” he said.

The CAB is now working to seek confirmed schedules for air talks with other countries that include Hong Kong, Myanmar and Indonesia, among others.

Airlines Reroute Flightplans to North Asia

April 10, 2012

Asian airlines plans to change their flight paths for several routes heading to and from Japan and Korea  to avoid a rocket North Korea is expected to launch anytime between 13th and 16th of April.

About 20 flights including Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific, All Nippon Airways, Japan Airlines, Korean Airlines, Garuda Indonesia and Delta Airlines will be rerouted between Thursday and Monday, when North Korea says it will launch a satellite.

Philippine Airlines said Monday that a dozen of its flights from the United States, Japan and South Korea will fly safely away from the rocket’s possible path.

Affected flights are PR 105, Guam- Manila; PR 105, San Francisco-Manila; PR 103, Los Angeles-Manila; PR 107, Vancouver-Manila; PR 431, Narita-Manila; PR 407, Kansai-Manila; PR 437, Nagoya-Manila; PR 465, Incheon-Manila, PR 434, Cebu-Narita; PR 111, Guam-Manila; and PR 425, Manila-Fukuoka.

Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways are also changing flight paths on routes connecting Tokyo to Manila, Jakarta and Singapore. Domestic flights will not be affected.

JAL said that it has four affected flights on the expected rocket launch dates. Airline official Norio Higashimine said each flight will carry more fuel in case of an unexpected route change.

ANA is making similar route changes on five flights.

Cebu Pacific also announced yesterday that their flights from Manila to Osaka, Japan, and back will be taking a different flight path from April 12 to16 based on the flight restrictions released last week by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines.

North Korea says it is launching a satellite between Thursday and April 16, depending on weather. It says the satellite will observe crops and natural resources and denies suspicions that the launch is intended to test long-range missile technology.

North Korea maintains that the launch is a scientific achievement intended to improve the nation’s faltering economy by providing detailed surveys of the countryside.

“Our country has the right and also the obligation to develop satellites and launching vehicles,” Jang Myong Jin, general manager of the launch facility, said during a tour, citing the U.N. space treaty. “No matter what others say, we are doing this for peaceful purposes.”

On Sunday, reporters were taken by train past desolate fields and sleepy farming hamlets to North Korea's new launch pad in Tongchang-ri in North Phyongan province, about 50 kilometers (35 miles) south of the border town of Sinuiju along North Korea's west coast.

The satellite is designed to send back images and information that will be used for weather forecasts as well as surveys of North Korea's natural resources, Jang said. He said a western launch was chosen to avoid showering neighboring nations with debris. He said two previous satellites also named Kwangmyongsong, or Bright Shining Star, were experimental, but the third will be operational.

Due to its limited capabilities to shoot down Pyongyang’s rocket once it enters the country’s airspace, the Philippine government will implement some restrictions, including a no-fly zone in affected areas, to minimize its impact.

Philippine officials have declared a no-fly zone and urged ships and fishing boats to avoid northeastern territorial waters where rocket debris may fall.

The restrictions will cover areas located east of Northern Luzon, particularly Sta. Ana in Cagayan province.

Source: SPACE.com: All about our solar system, outer space and exploration

Philippines Busiest Airport in 2011

BUSIEST AIRPORT IN 2011 BY NUMBER OF PASSENGER TRAFFIC
Ranking	Airport Code	Airport Name	2009 Passengers	2010 Passengers	2011 Passengers	Growth Percentile
1	MNL	NINOY AQUINO INTERNATIONAL APT	24,108,554	27,119,899	29,779,126
2	CEB	MACTAN CEBU INTERNATIONAL APT	4,394,823	5,791,387	6,215,946
3	DVO	FRANCISCO BANGOY INTERNATIONAL APT	1,967,945	2,664,210	2,828,682
4	ILO	ILOILO APT	1,324,148	1,581,304	1,707,969
5	CGY	LUMBIA APT	1,110,668	1,301,502	1,507,930
6	KLO(+2)	KALIBO INTERNATIONAL APT	639,797	1,005,845	1,378,535
7	BCD(-1)	SILAY APT	1,020,429	1,223,491	1,349,442
8	TAC(-1)	DANIEL RUMUALDEZ APT	831,650	859,938	1,015,797
9	PPS	PUERTO PRINCESA INTERNATIONAL APT	587,753	727,597	988,972
10	ZAM(+1)	ZAMBOANGA INTERNATIONAL APT	582,917	623,639	804,052
11	TAG(+2)	TAGBILARAN APT	562,787	573,299	756,197
12	MPH(+1)	CATICLAN APT	543,422	623,545	732,172
13	CRK (-2)	CLARK INTERNATIONAL APT	605,712	654,229	725,023
14	LGP (+1)	LEGASPI APT	412,875	435,151	514,630
15	GES (-1)	GENERAL SANTOS APT	404,859	477,535	492,572
16	DGT(+1)	SIBULAN APT	360,515	362,551	411,357
17	BXU (-1)	BUTUAN APT	385,331	382,843	385,420
18	OZC(+1)	OZAMIZ APT	161,058	206,428	228,956
19	CBO(-1)	AWANG APT	199,133	219,104	192,017
20	RXS(-1)	ROXAS APT	173,132	203,840	189,681
NOTES:		The fastest growing airport in 2011 is Puerto Princesa, followed by Tagbilaran, Zambaonga, Kalibo and Cebu.

Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines; Airport, Passenger and Cargo Database.Copyright © 2012 Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines.

Macau Ban to PH Airlines Imminent

MORE FIRE IN CAAP

 March 31, 2012

By Paul Gutierrez

Are foreign countries now apprehensive over the safety of Philippine air carriers in the light of another failed review by the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) on the country’s adherence to international aviation safety standards?

This is the question now worrying many industry stakeholders after the Autoridade de Aviacao Civil, the civil aviation authority of the Macau SAR (Special Administrative Region), demanded from the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) “information on safety oversight inspection of (Philippine) air operators,” specifically  Philippine Airlines (PAL) and Cebu Pacific Air.

The request by Chan Weng Hong, president of the Macau civil aviation authority, to CAAP director general Ramon S. Gutierrez, dated February 29, came more than a month after the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) of the United States reported that the Philippines has again failed to address at least 23 specific “safety concerns” and eight “critical elements” in relation to international aviation safety standards being strictly adhered to by civil aviation authorities all over the world.

Since the country has been downgraded to “Category 2” by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in 2007 due to safety issues, it has consistently failed in its efforts to remove the tag that has resulted in the banning of all Philippine-based air carriers from entering Europe and the United States since 2009.

“I am writing to request your provision of the records and results of safety oversight inspections of the Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific Air for the previous year (2011),” reads the letter of Hong to Gutierrez.

“As (PAL and Cebu Pacific) operate scheduled flights to and from Macau, your report of recent inspections and (safety) findings in the last 6 months can assist our authority to evaluate the operating standards of the above operators,” Hong said.

Hong further noted that the request is in compliance with Macau’s own “safety assessment of foreign aircraft” (SAFA) that it uses for surveillance of operations in the Macau special administrative region by any foreign carrier.

He said the information is necessary so that civil aviation authorities in Macau can “take appropriate action when necessary to preserve safety.”

Philippines' AirAsia finally takes off

March 30, 2012

CLARK FREEPORT ZONE, Pampanga - With the promise of revolutionizing air travel for Filipinos, AirAsia Philippines, the newest entrant in the Philippine aviation market, finally took to the skies on Wednesday, March 28.

With no less than AirAsia Group CEO Tony Fernandes leading the send-off party, the first AirAsia Philippines flight took off from Clark's Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) for Kalibo at 7 am.

This was followed by the first-ever flight from Clark to Davao, which departed at a little past 10 am and carried members of the press and government officials, led by Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte and Clark International Airport Corp. chief Victor Jose Luciano.

READY TO FLY. AirAsia Philippines Flight PQ7001, bound for Kalibo, at the tarmac of the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport, minutes before its inaugural flight, March 28, 2012. Photo by KD Suarez

"Weare here to revolutionize domestic and international air travel… our brand of air travel will be characterized by transparency, efficiency and high value service," said AirAsia CEO Marianne Hontiveros.

"Philippines' Air Asia maiden flights… will make air travel for Northern and Central Luzon passengers more convenient and comfortable. They can even be spared from the traffic of EDSA and the long queues of [Ninoy Aquino International Airport]," she said.

The new airline, the 6th carrier currently flying as a local carrier, promises it will be different from other low-cost-carriers in terms of service and travel experience.

Hontiveros cited as example how AirAsia Philippines is the only domestic carrier that offers the all-in-fare promo concept. She candidly said that -- unlike current promo fares of other airlines that only involve a few seats on a flight and tend to surprise ticket buyers with additional fees and surcharges -- AirAsia Philippines will only quote the total ticket cost "all the time."

Recently, AirAsia tried to beat Cebu Pacific's previously famous "Piso fares" (P1) by offering "zero-fares." After passengers complained that the total fare actually includes add-on fees, Hontiveros said they have made it a policy to quote only the all-in-fare from P275, which covers fuel surcharge, processing fee and government mandated fees such as aviation security fee and VAT.

Long wait

AirAsia Philippines is a 60-40 joint venture between a group of Filipino businessmen - Tonyboy Cojuangco, Michael Romero, and Hontiveros - and AirAsia International Ltd., led by Fernandes.
Fernandes met with President Aquino, the cousin of Cojuangco, a few months after the 2010 elections. Fernandes said he was taken by President Aquino's sincerity and goal to level the playing field. He was gung-ho to add Philippines in the growing Asian network of his budget airline in the region.

On Wednesday, March 28, he said making AirAsia Philippines come true is a testament to their confidence in the country.

"We are here because we are confident of its growth. With our pioneering flights and with the options we offer, millions of Southeast Asians will finally be able to easily access the Philippines from various parts of the ASEAN region," he said.

The venture was announced in December 2010, formally launched last March 2011, and was supposed to start flying in December 2011.

A brand new Airbus A320 straigth from Airbus's headquarters in France arrived in Clark in August 2011. However, it stayed mostly on the ground for almost 6 months due to the long wait for government-issued certificate that allows them to start operating.

The 2nd Airbus A320 arrived not long after, but both just sat unused in Clark as the airline executives waited for the government permits.

The long wait was largely due to being the first airline in the Philippines to pass through the new requirements instituted in 2008 after Philippine aviation was downgraded from Category 1 to Category 2 by the United States Federal Aviation Administration.

Nonetheless, Fernandes said he and the AirAsia executives have been patient--and want to be rewarded for it.

Excitement
Fernandes' excitement for the launch was evident in his tweets the day before.

"This airline is going to be big," the Malaysian businessman tweeted on his account, @tonyfernandes.

"Arrived in Philippines. Very cool to see airasia (sic) Philippines on the fids [Flight Information Display System] screen. Our first flights tomorrow," he tweeted upon arrival in Clark, the airline's hub, on Tuesday.

SEND OFF. AirAsia Group CEO Tony Fernandes waves Philippine flags infront of an AirAsia Philippines aircraft scheduled to fly to Kalibo, Aklan, at the tarmac of the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport, March 28, 2012. Photo by KD Suarez.

Fernandes added that the presence of AirAsia in the Philippines is another proof of their company's belief in ASEAN, saying that the country is the "last piece" of the regional jigsaw puzzle.

He said the launch now completes the regional network, with the Philippines being the easternmost and "most important" part, being it closest to the East Asian market where more than a billion potential customers live.

The businessman also emphasized that the country is ready to "explode" and present its offerings to the world.

The low-cost carrier, which had an initial investment of P468 million, currently has 2 Airbus A320 aircraft, and will initially operate flights from Clark to Davao and Kalibo. Flights between Clark and Puerto Princesa will commence next month, to be followed by other domestic destinations. Two more aircraft will arrive this year, according to the airline.

The new airline is the 6th Philippine-based commercial airline at present, and will be competing head-to-head with Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific Air, AirPhil Express, ZestAir, and SeaAir.
Prior to this, the original, Malaysia-based AirAsia has been flying to and from Clark to Kuala Lumpur.

From www.airasia.com

Connectivity

The new airline touted its connectivity to the AirAsia network, which includes companies in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Japan, with Fernandes boasting he could travel to 4 countries in one day.

Transpotation Secretary Roxas, speaking in behalf of President Benigno Aquino III, said that the launch really is about the start of interconnectivity among the different islands of the country and to the rest of Southeast Asia, which will boost trade and tourism.

Also present at the launch were top AirAsia executives from the Philippines and around the region, and the heads of Clark, Davao, and Manila airports.

The event also saw the signing of a "sister airport" agreement between the DMIA and Davao's Francisco Bangoy International Airport.

The agreement aims to promote the use of the two international gateways as alternative airports to the congested Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in Manila, and to boost the economy and tourism in the 2 cities. - Rappler.com

IndiGo Airlines taps LTP

For Maintenance Services

By: Paolo G. Montecillo
 March 29, 2012

MANILA, Philippines—IndiGo, India’s largest budget airline, has tapped the services of local aircraft maintenance provider Lufthansa Technik Philippines (LTP).

In a statement, LTP said it had been hired by IndiGo to conduct “lease return checks” on seven of its Airbus A320 aircraft. The first of the planes will arrive at LTP’s Manila hangar in June 2012.

“Our partnership with LTP, one of the leading maintenance, repair and overhaul providers in Asia, will enable IndiGo to use LTP’s proven competence, experience and expertise in on-time completion of lease return checks,” IndiGo said.

LTP is a joint venture between MacroAsia Corp., a sister company of flag carrier Philippine Airlines, and Germany’s Lufthansa, the world’s largest aviation conglomerate.

“We are very pleased to welcome India’s fastest growing airlines and largest low-cost operator to LTP this June,” LTP vice-president for marketing and sales Dominik Wiener-Silva said.

“We are fully committed in providing our expert support to ensure timely lease return of IndiGo’s A320 aircraft. We hope that this agreement is a start of a long-term partnership with one of India’s leading airlines today,” he said.

Earlier this month, LTP inaugurated its new $30 million hangar located at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport complex in Pasay.

The new facility is capable of providing maintenance services for Airbus A380 planes, the biggest passenger planes in the world. The A380, manufactured by the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company N.V. (EADS), can seat as many as 850 passengers.

With a fleet of 50 planes, IndiGo is the second largest budget airline in India with the second largest share of the subcontinent’s domestic travel, trailing behind Jet Airways.

IndiGo is also known to have placed one of the largest orders for planes in commercial aviation history during 2011, when Airbus won the $15-billion deal with the company for 180 aircraft.

CX still the country's biggest foreign carrier

As international passenger traffic grew 9.7%

March 27, 2012

Cathay Pacific (CX) remained the country's biggest foreign-based carrier carrying 1,377,184 passengers in 2011, data from Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) showed.

The Hong Kong-based carrier flies six (6) times a day to Manila and daily flights to Cebu using wide body aircraft into the country.

Singapore Airlines which flew four (4) flights daily is still in the second spot with 640,835 followed by Korean Air, 565,617; Emirates Air, 556,406; and Asiana Airlines, at 536,326.

The next five are Etihad Airways 464,856; Qatar Airways, 444,901; Delta Airlines, 364,101; Saudi Arabian Airlines, 332,634; and China Airlines, 263,413.

Jetstar Asia Airways carried 261,690; Gulf Air, 248,882; Japan Airlines, 229,390; Thai Airways, 222,021; and Qantas at 219,376.

Meanwhile, incoming international passengers went up by 9.5 percent from 7,065,927 to 7,737,327. Fueled by cheap air fares, international passenger traffic flow to the Philippines rose by 9.7 percent in 2011. There were more departures out of the country from OFW traffic when outgoing passengers went up from 7,217,178 to 7,930,719, equivalent to 9.9 percent growth.

Philippine Airlines (PAL) registered the highest number of international passenger flown with 3,905,728 last year. The airline's incoming passenger traffic stood at 1,928,999, while outgoing passenger traffic reached 1,976,729.

PAL was followed by Cebu Pacific registering 2,462,574 international passengers with incoming passengers at 1,209,000 and outgoing passengers at 1,253,574.

Zest Airways flew 223,010 international passengers, Seair 210,670 and Airphil Express 151,051.