EU Lifts PH Blacklist

Clears All PH-Based Airlines

26 June 2015

The European Union has lifted the ban on all airlines from the Philippines effective yesterday, and are therefore allowed to operate in the European airspace according to the european Commission.

"After 5 years of hard work we are finally able to clear the airlines certified in the Philippines from the European Air Safety List,"says Violeta Bulc, EU Commissioner for Transport.

Accordording to the EU commissioner, the Philippines is an important country with a sizeable and rapidly growing aviation sector.

"Today's result can serve as an example for other countries which have difficulty to match their safety oversight capabilities with the growth of their industry." she adds.

The European Union has been working in close cooperation with the Philippines to raise safety standards and improve airline compliance with essential and internationally recognised safety levels.

The European Commission – in close consultation with ICAO – decided to ban all airlines in the Philippines from operating in European airspace in 2010 because they are found to be unsafe and/or they are not sufficiently overseen by their authorities. However, recent inspection conducted in April of this year showed that they are already effectively monitored by Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines.

The positive review given by the five-man safety assessment team headed by Capt. Richard Miller, together with Per-Erik Oberg, Vincent Lambotte, Sebastian Zacharias and Mureil Belzunce all from the EU Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) from their oversight review conducted on April 16 to 24 opened the door for all Philippine commercial airlines to operate in European skies again should they wished to fly Europe.

The oversight review has led to the suspension of AOC of Seair International ang Skyjet which has already been restored following compliance with Philippine Civil Aviation Regulations (PCAR). -

More Like Gripen For The PAF

Gov't Sees Possible Lease Option as viable alternative

25 June 2015

Saab has disclosed last week that they are currently in talks with the Philippines for its Multi Role Fighter requirements slated for delivery in 2018.

Ulf Nilsson, Head of the Aeronautics division, said at the Paris Air Show that Saab is offering its JAS-39 Gripen C/D combat aircraft to the Philippines which it marketed as future proof jet fighter under its continuous upgrade programme to keep it at the forefront of military capabilities through to at least 2035.

The C/D aircraft which has an estimated price tag of US$61 million can be converted to the more advanced E/F models, according to a senior company representative.

"C/D frames is still, and will continue to be, a very capable aircraft which will be in continuous development. It really doesn't matter if the Philippines operates the C/D or with the new generation E/F, there will always be a way for us to grow its capability through incremental upgrades," he said.

London-based IHS Jane’s has compiled an independent report in March 2012 on a cost per flight hour of selected aircraft, which includes Lockheed Martin F-16, Boeing F-18 E / F Super Hornet, Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, Saab Gripen, Dassault Rafale and EuroFighter Typhoon, and the report concluded that the Saab Gripen was the least expensive of the aircraft under study in terms of cost per flight hour.

The aircraft is also the only jet fighter capable of landing in Philippine controlled Rancudo airstrip in the disputed Spratly Islands.

Saab Gripen reported that a possible government-to-government negotiations between Sweden and the Philippines is under way after it has submitted proposals to the Philippine government which include training and lease options of Gripen fighters, hinting the Philippines interest on a similar deal offered to Hungary and the Czech Republic and to recent offers made to Malaysia. The terms of the offer however remains confidential up to this date.

A senior Defence official of the Philippines has confirmed yesterday that they are currently in talks with Sweden for the country's first Multi Role Fighters. Defence Secretary Voltaire Gazmin however refused to comment on the deal.

But sources inside Malacanang Palace disclosed that President Benigno Aquino has plans to visit Sweden before his term ends in 2016 and the date of his visit is set tentatively suggesting that finer details are currently being ironed out prior to formal announcement like the ones they entered with South Korea and Japan. President Aquino went to Korea and Japan to announced major defence related acquisitions.

Saab has sold 75 Gripen C and 25 Gripen D aircraft mostly to Sweden, many of which were re-manufactured from the 105 Gripen A and 13 Gripen B aircraft already in service. Another 17 C and 9 D aircraft were sold to South Africa, another 8 C and 4 D to Thailand, and has leased 12 C and 2 D to Hungary, 12 C and 2 D to the Czech Republic.

PH Secures P-3 Orion

Radar Coming Soon!

24 June 2015

Japan has approved last week the transfer of four Japanese P-3C "Orion" maritime patrol and surveillance aircraft to the Philippines according to senior defence official.


Department of National Defence (DND) Secretary Voltaire Gazmin said that four Japanese P-3C "Orion" maritime patrol and surveillance aircraft are scheduled to be transferred to the Philippines within a year's time.

A Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force P3-C Orion surveillance plane is currently in Palawan for a joint military naval exercise with the Philippines and United States forces. The CARAT exercises began on Monday and are set to end on Friday and Saturday.


Gazmin however said that radar equipments for the aircraft that will be given to the Philippines, such as sensitive anti-submarine warfare and surveillance radar and other detection devices that are fitted in the plane will be temporarily removed as the US approval for the said transfer of military technology has not yet been secured.


According to Gazmin, the aircraft grant is separate from the radar grant and that only the airplane component was approved by Washington as the Philippine Air Force still doesn't have the necessary facilities to interpret data taken from the plane.

“Filipinos greatly impressed by the P-3C’s excellent ability to detect submarines” says Yomiuri Shimbun of Japan's MSDF

Cebu Pacific ATR Flies From Terminal 4

19 June 2015

Starting August 15

ATR operated flights of Cebu Pacific will be relocated to NAIA Terminal 4 beginning on August 15, 2015. Flight time remains the same.

Affected flights are those from Manila to Caticlan, Busuanga, Laoag and Naga.

Meanwhile, all Cebu Pacific flights to Kalibo are also relocated by the airline to Terminal 4 due to slot restrictions at Terminal 3.

Temporarily affected flights that will also move to Terminal 4 includes the following:
• 5J 557/556 Manila-Cebu-Manila on Wednesdays and Saturdays
• 5J 557 Manila-Cebu on August 24 only
• 5J 556 Cebu-Manila on September 10 only
• 5J 579 Manila-Cebu on October 3 only

PAL Orders B77W at Paris Air Show

19 June 2015

Le Bourget - Flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) has secured orders for two Boeing 777-300ER planes valued at US$640 million at the Paris Air Show.

The plane orders will be financed lease from Intrepid Aviation. PAL currently operates six Boeing 777-300ER's all operated for transpacific flights. Two frames are leased from GECAS while one unit was recently sold by the airline to Intrepid Aviation.

The PAL order adds to the six 777-300ERs the flag carrier currently operates, including one leased by Intrepid Aviation. The additional aircraft will be delivered in the same 370-seat configuration but with upgraded seats and IFEs.

“Today we celebrate our growing partnership with Intrepid Aviation,” says Philippine Airlines President Jaime J. Bautista.

"These additional 777-300ERs will be used to expand flight services to the United States and Canada,” adds Bautista.

“We are very pleased to expand our relationship with Philippine Airlines and to provide them with such an outstanding airplane,” added Franklin Pray, Intrepid Aviation President and CEO.

Airline delivery of the Boeing plane is expected to be on the last quarter of 2016, while the second one is set for delivery on the first half of 2017.

PAL Secures TK Codeshares

18 June 2015

After exhaustive negotiations, PAL finally secured code share deals with Turkish Airlines beginning July 1 initially with thrice weekly flights between Istanbul and Manila, Cebu and Davao, and vice versa to increase to daily flight services by October 2015.

The deal was signed by PAL President and Chief Operating Officer Jaime Bautista and Turkish Airlines Chief Executive Officer Dr. Temel Kotil during the recent International Air Transport Association (IATA) annual meeting in Miami, Florida.

Philippine Airlines will also be selling tickets soon from Antalya, Izmir, and Ankara to Manila, Cebu, and Davao while Turkish Airlines in turn will be selling on PAL’s domestic flights from Cebu and Davao to Turkey's other regional destination.

The expansion of the codeshare agreement will allow passengers to benefit from better connectivity and increased travel flexibility between the Philippines and Turkey and beyond the carriers’ respective networks.

Turkish Airlines is PAL's ninth international codeshare partner, along with Cathay Pacific, Etihad Airlines, All Nippon, Malaysia Airlines, Vietnam Airlines, Garuda Indonesia, Air Macau and most recently Westjet.

Philippine Airlines is currently reviewing options to fly Frankfurt via Istanbul to which it has fifth freedom rights. Frankfurt is the busiest international destination from Istanbul jointly served by Turkish Airlines and Lufthansa. Germany is also the second biggest source of European tourists in the country after the UK.

“We are extremely pleased to sign this codeshare agreement with Philippine Airlines and aim to improve our partnership to maximise the travel opportunities offered to our passengers through the networks of both airlines.  Additionally, we believe that this partnership with Philippines Airlines will bring enormous benefit to both airlines from a commercial perspective in rapidly growing relations between our countries.” Kotil said.

Turkish Airlines is the fourth largest carrier in the world by number of destinations as of 2014.

5J Orders New ATR

Upgrades Fleet to 18, with 10 Options

16 June 2015

Le Bourget, – Low cost carrier Cebu Pacific Air (PSE:CEB) has ordered 16 brand new ATR 72-600 from Airbus subsidiary Aerei da Trasporto Regionale(ATR), at the Paris Air Show.

The European Turboprop aircraft manufacturer said the order includes options to acquire an additional 10 ATR 72-600, valuing the total aircraft order at US$673 million, based on current list prices.

The airline said the new fleet will replace the existing fleet of eight ATR 72-500 which will be returned to aircraft lessors as the new aircraft enter service from August 2018.

The aircraft manufacturer said the new turboprop plane will feature the Armonia cabin consisting of 78 slim-line seats and wider overhead bins offering 30% more stowage space.

Cebu Pacific chief executive Lance Gokongwei said their expanded turboprop fleet is destined mostly to bridge thin routes in the Visayas and Mindanao regions.

The ATR 72–600 prototype first flew on July 24, 2009 and has 100 airframes flying around the globe.

Turkey Secures Daily Flight To MNL

Turkish Airlines to fly Daily by October 15

11 June 2015

The Philippines signed an expanded Air Service Agreement (ASA) with Turkey, increasing the number of flights between the two countries capital to daily services, Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) said.

CAB Executive Director Carmelo Arcilla said the two countries signed the new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on air services in Cebu Wednesday expanding the allowable number of flights per week between Manila and Istanbul to 7 a week from the current 3 flights a week.

Arcilla said the two parties agreed to allow 14 flights per week between Turkey and all other international airports in the Philippines such as Cebu and Clark, except NAIA in Manila. While cargo services remains at 3 times a week. At the same time, Philippine carriers would be granted seven fifth freedom rights to Frankfurt or Tel Aviv after being requested by Philippine Airlines.

Meanwhile, Turkish Airlines has announced that it will be boosting their Philippine operations to daily flights beginning October of 2015 after starting flights to Manila in March 30, 2015 using A340 aircraft.