I find it strange that Cebu has only 500K more pax than Davao, I would have thought there were more.

Also Clark still seems not to have registered at all.


I think chymera posted only the domestic passenger movement.



Check out the official website of the MCIAA.
http://www.mactan-cebuairport.com.ph/airport_profile.php

It's actually 2,106,380 for domestic passengers and 672,284 for international passengers.

A total of 2,778,664 for the year 2005.


.:.

^^ and the capacity of MCIA is actually 5 million passengers in a year... since we're almost there, i think it's high time to do the planning of MCIA's expansion aka MCIA T2

^^ Does MCIA have room for expansion, like for another terminal? By the way, are the international and domestic check-in desks together in one area of the terminal or are they separate, same with baggage claim? Haven't really seen a lot of interior shots of MCIA.

If it's 5-million per year then I guess it's not yet time to build a new terminal :lol:

I think the capacity of the MCIAA is only between 2.5-3 million. I read it somewhere.

Passenger movement is actually unevenly distributed in MCIAA. Obviously it hasn't reached it's capacity with regards to the number of international passengers. If the MCIAA is going to be expanded or a new terminal or wing built, it should be for the domestic passengers.



.:.

^^ Does MCIA have room for expansion, like for another terminal? By the way, are the international and domestic check-in desks together in one area of the terminal or are they separate, same with baggage claim? Haven't really seen a lot of interior shots of MCIA.

Separate Kiretoce. There's an international wing and a domestic wing. It's just a small airport actually with only 4 boarding bridges (2 for each wing).

The domestic wing looks like it's nearing its capacity while the international wing at times looks desolate although there are also days or times when it becomes busy.

Anyhow, there's really a need to add more boarding bridges for the domestic passengers :bash:

^^ and lots of space for expansion

If it's 5-million per year then I guess it's not yet time to build a new terminal :lol:

I think the capacity of the MCIAA is only between 2.5-3 million. I read it somewhere.

Passenger movement is actually unevenly distributed in MCIAA. Obviously it hasn't reached it's capacity with regards to the number of international passengers. If the MCIAA is going to be expanded or a new terminal or wing built, it should be for the domestic passengers.



.:.


actually bai, I've learned from DOT's promotional video that the airport's capacity is 5 million per year. i think this would be used as one of the bases to decide whether we need to expand the existing terminal or not. but first determining factor of course is the BUDGET! nothing else... hehe!1

Philippine Airlines steps up its game
By Nelson Alcantara November 16, 2006

Beaming with pride of Philippine Airlines’ achievements at the recently held World Travel Market in London was the vice president for the airline’s marketing support, Felix J. Cruz. And why not, Asia’s first airline recently posted earnings of profit of $28.7 million on revenues of $1.24 billion for its fiscal year that ended last March 31, 2006.

So what’s next for Philippines’ flag carrier? Cruz said the airline will be the sole carrier to offer business-class service on domestic routes with the launching of the flag carrier’s brand-new single-aisle fleet.

The first of the fleet’s 20 Airbus aircraft, an A319-100, was unveiled last month by Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in ceremonies at the main hangar of Lufthansa Technik Philippines in Pasay City.

That event marked the formal introduction of the A319, the first of 20 brand-new units belonging to the A320 family of single-aisle jets that will be delivered to PAL over the next six years.

Philippine Airlines said the package, costing upwards of $840 million, comprises a firm order for nine A320-200 aircraft plus options for five more A320s, all acquired from Airbus. In addition, PAL will lease two brand-new A320s and four A319s from GE Commercial Aviation Services, the world’s largest aircraft lessor.

The airline also said the new fleet will be deployed mainly on the airline’s extensive domestic network. It will also serve some Asian destinations. The new jets enable PAL to offer business-class service to all its 19 domestic points. Previously, only the major trunk routes to Cebu, Davao, Puerto Princesa and General Santos consistently enjoyed the service.

The aircraft’s interior design is based on the theme of the Philippines’ scenic coastal areas, from the deep-blue upholstery with accents that mimic flecks of sand, to the palm-tree landscape design of the laminates, to the undulating wave pattern of the carpet, the interior scheme evokes the sky, sand and seas of the country.

In addition, all aircraft are outfitted with plush German-made Recaro seats. Seat pitch is a generous 39 inches in business class (Mabuhay Class), which is equipped with Panasonic’s “eFX” inflight entertainment system, considered cutting-edge technology in the industry and capable of providing Audio/Video On-Demand (AVOD) to passengers, and 29 to 30 inches in economy class (Fiesta Class).

The airline added that its business class seats will feature personal TV and come with in-seat power supply that enables passengers to operate laptop computers continuously during flight.

The previous fiscal year was the airline's most profitable year in over a decade. PAL last reported a surplus exceeding $20 million in 1993, when it booked $40.5 million.

^^ What happened in the World Travel Market in London? :dunno:

^^ I don't know Markii, that's all what the article said.

i'm not feeling the colors...parang ang lola ng dating. i like the set up though.

it like these colors than thai's pink and orange eyesore look...

TG's A346 Economy Class
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b384/ianers_ianized/TG.jpg


TG's A345 Economy Class
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b384/ianers_ianized/TG1.jpg


All photos from airliners.net

The problem, Caticlan has a very limited amount of space. Both sides of the runway are bordered by communities and a national highway and the terrain is way to hilly.

That is why the government is also upgrading the airports in Iloilo and Kalibo (hopefully Roxas too) because of the influx of passengers going to and fro Boracay.

Megaworld Mcdonalds Group actually has an unsolicited BOT proposal to enalarge Caticlan to accept narrowbodies for direct flights from regional markets. Up to 373/320s. N otraction onthis as there is resistance from the province primarily kalibo of course!

PAL to settle P4-B fees with airport

Manila International Airport Authority and Philippine Airlines yesterday signed a compromise agreement to settle a long-standing dispute over some P4 billion in accrued fees.

According to MIAA general manager Alfonso Cusi, PAL owed his agency P2.96 billion which had ballooned to P3.96 billion due to the value added tax and interests that accumulated since 1995.

Under the agreement, the flag carrier committed to pay P2,932,799,274.676 representing aeronautical fees for the period of Dec. 1, 1995 to March 31, 2006, through monthly installments of P34,914,277.09 for seven years.

“This is a major milestone in MIAA’s collection history,” said Cusi in a statement.

PAL has long disputed the airport’s claim, foisting its exemption under Presidential Decree 1590, which MIAA debunked, clarifying that what were exempt were fees and charges imposed by the government or its agencies in the exercise of its taxing, regulatory and licensing authority.

The payment by PAL will help us pursue our mandate under Executive Order 778 and 341 on the supervision and control over other airport authorities in the country, Cusi said.
Good For them. This is a one of their kagulangan noon. Mabuit naman they're on their way to being better corporate citizens, or more importantly they need to conform to regular corporate governance if ever they have serious plans of going public!:)

If it's 5-million per year then I guess it's not yet time to build a new terminal :lol:

I think the capacity of the MCIAA is only between 2.5-3 million. I read it somewhere.

Passenger movement is actually unevenly distributed in MCIAA. Obviously it hasn't reached it's capacity with regards to the number of international passengers. If the MCIAA is going to be expanded or a new terminal or wing built, it should be for the domestic passengers.



.:.

I knew it that the figues for cebu were understated it's a much busier airport than DVao.

I understand though that there are plans already for an upgrade for MIA. 5mill may be a lot of room from 2.7 but it does not take long to reach 5 and more importantly it could take many years with e paperwork to build an annex! Also the peak period throughput may already be reached.

it like these colors than thai's pink and orange eyesore look...

TG's A346 Economy Class
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b384/ianers_ianized/TG.jpg


TG's A345 Economy Class
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b384/ianers_ianized/TG1.jpg


All photos from airliners.net

i don't like thai's either. i think they got the wrong shade of pink and purple. it looks like it was designed by barbie. they should've used a deeper and richer shade. i am liking singapore's though. the colors are bright but dignified.

^^

If you're a passenger on Thai, if you've got a ptv that big in your face, why would you even bother about the colour of the seat? :D

Fewer flights for new Iloilo airport
By Jeehan V. Fernandez

http://www.theguardianiloilo.ph/topstories/photo/topstories3.jpg
INTER/NATIONAL
Iloilo's new national airport boasts of international standards with fewer but bigger daily flights, sure to accommodate the peak volume of travelers. (Tara Yap photo)


THE opening of new airport in Sta. Barbara-Cabatuan area April next year will see fewer flights but bigger airplanes, Air Transportation Office (ATO)-6 Chief Alan Java said yesterday.

“When we have bigger airbuses, the number of flights will be reduced. The new airport will feature wide-bodied airplanes just like those in an international standard facility,” Java said.

Philippine Airlines (PAL) will be flying its Airbus 330 that can accommodate more than 300 passengers, while its sister company Air Philippines may be replacing its 737-200 and 737-400 planes with bigger aircrafts to accommodate more passengers.

Java said the old Iloilo airport in Mandurriao serves 1,200 passengers boarding 13 flights daily.

During peak seasons like summer and Christmas, the influx of daily passengers reaches 2,000.

The civil works – airport terminal, runway, earth-walk, embankment, pavement and drainage system and the three-kilometer access road linking the airport to the main high-way - is 92 percent complete.

Other utilities are also nearing completion such as the water supply (94 percent), water storage (100 percent), water distribution system (97 percent), electrical system (91 percent) and sewage treatment (81 percent).

The P6.187-billion New Iloilo Airport Development Project (NIADP) is financed by P5.259-billion loan from Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) while the Philippine government allotted a counterpart budget of P928 million.

Link : http://www.theguardianiloilo.ph/topstories3.php

http://mytkal10.freehostia.com/airporttower1.jpg
Kalibo Airport Tower

DOT Allocates P179-M for Kalibo Airport Development

By Ulysses Espartero


The sum of P179 million was allocated for the development of the Kalibo Airport, according to Tourism Secretary Ace Durano.
Durano was keynote speaker during the Western Visayas Tourism Forum held recently at Sarabia Manor Hotel and Convention Center, Iloilo City.
According to Durano, the development of the airport is ongoing. Its completion in April 2008 will allow the airline companies to launch its international flights in Kalibo town considered as a jump off point for tourists bound for the world famous Boracay Island.
"This is a welcome development for us officials not only of the capital town of Kalibo but also for Aklanons. For a long time, we have been dreaming of an airport of international standard," Kalibo Senior SB Member Mark Vega Quimpo pointed out.
"The completion of Kalibo Airport development is anchored on the belief that one of the tenets of tourism industry to be fully developed, highly successful and institutional is the assurance to local and foreign tour operators of a sufficient air capacity and flight schedule. Accessibility is a major and critical factor in the enhancement and promotion of tourism," Quimpo added.
In April this year, P56 million was released for the installation of the Instrument Landing System as a response to request of local officials in Aklan to enable the conversion of Kalibo Airport into a regional airport for direct flights from ASEAN countries.
Kalibo, where the world-renowned Sto. Niño Ati-Atihan Festival is annually celebrated, is about 216 air kilometers or approximately 50-minutes travel from Manila by plane. The Philippines Airlines and Cebu Pacific fly daily the Manila-Kalibo-Manila route.

^^

If you're a passenger on Thai, if you've got a ptv that big in your face, why would you even bother about the colour of the seat? :D

hmmm....i guess i would have to agree with you on that one. :lol: although, you must admit that when your eyes do get tired, those shades of pink and purple are not a pretty sight.

Since we are on the subject of seat colors. I recently attended a convention in Iloilo this week. My flight on the way to iloilo used the new A319. Here are my opinions regarding the new interiors.

1). I find the seat colors a bit bare and plain when compared to the previous indigo colored scheme, particularly the one in Mabuhay class which is dark blue with a few paint strokes that try to imitate the color of sand. The seat in Fiesta class is colored periwinkle blue with tan and light blue wavy patterns (I guess to mimic the waves in the sea).

2). There are no PTV's in fiesta class. However, the overhead screens are slightly larger than those on the older A320's.

3). The seat was fairly comofortable for the 1-hour flight. The pitch between rows of seats is larger than that of the older A320's.

4). Unlike the A320's, the tables in the new recaro seats are a pain as it is very difficult to twist the lever that secure the table. During the flight I found it extremely difficult to twist this lever, and I noticed that most of the other passenger did not bother to put up their tables when the plane landed. Also, this lever seems a bit flimsy as it is made out of plastic.

5). the partitions in the cabin with the coconut trees are similar to the partitions in the older airbuses (320's and 330's).

http://airplanemeals.net/images/meals/philippineairlines060.jpg

Route: SFO - MNL, 14 Feb 2006
Flight duration: 15h 15m
Class: economy
Aircraft: Airbus A340-300
Meal: Snack - Instant noodles
Drink: Sprite, water


:)

Cheese Curls na lang sana.... masarap with SPRITE.... :D

http://airplanemeals.net/images/meals/philippineairlines060.jpg

Route: SFO - MNL, 14 Feb 2006
Flight duration: 15h 15m
Class: economy
Aircraft: Airbus A340-300
Meal: Snack - Instant noodles
Drink: Sprite, water


:)

Cheese Curls na lang sana.... masarap with SPRITE.... :D
kc daw valentines day.. :lol: :D

i have some news.

someone on Airliners.net posted that the Aviation Magazine
"Aviation Daily" has said that PAL will be getting
..
...........................
.....................................


B777-300ERs
2009- 2 direct from Boeing
2010- 2 from unknown lessor
2011- 2 option pair.

2009 is a loong way away.

i don't like thai's either. i think they got the wrong shade of pink and purple. it looks like it was designed by barbie. they should've used a deeper and richer shade. i am liking singapore's though. the colors are bright but dignified.

i don't like thai's seat colors too.... the bright colors are eyesore, though big ptv's are there, visual stimulation of seat color is another factor to consider in inflight comfort.
I like singapores' combination of seat colors too, you'll feel luxury and comfort at the same time. Here it is, perfect colors of blue, violet and lavender.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b384/ianers_ianized/SQsYClass2.jpg

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b384/ianers_ianized/SQsYClass.jpg
All phtos from airliners.net


Since we are on the subject of seat colors. I recently attended a convention in Iloilo this week. My flight on the way to iloilo used the new A319. Here are my opinions regarding the new interiors.

1). I find the seat colors a bit bare and plain when compared to the previous indigo colored scheme, particularly the one in Mabuhay class which is dark blue with a few paint strokes that try to imitate the color of sand. The seat in Fiesta class is colored periwinkle blue with tan and light blue wavy patterns (I guess to mimic the waves in the sea).

2). There are no PTV's in fiesta class. However, the overhead screens are slightly larger than those on the older A320's.

3). The seat was fairly comofortable for the 1-hour flight. The pitch between rows of seats is larger than that of the older A320's.

4). Unlike the A320's, the tables in the new recaro seats are a pain as it is very difficult to twist the lever that secure the table. During the flight I found it extremely difficult to twist this lever, and I noticed that most of the other passenger did not bother to put up their tables when the plane landed. Also, this lever seems a bit flimsy as it is made out of plastic.

5). the partitions in the cabin with the coconut trees are similar to the partitions in the older airbuses (320's and 330's).

Lucky you, you have ride the newest plane of PAL, the seat color were fine but too bright like this color makes it less (just a little feel cozy to seat on). The coconut trees and tropical concept were also the concept of their partitions of their A340 and B744.

^hay nahihilo ako dyan, I prefer white, cream, deep red and deep blue shades.

http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r65/Alteeway/airport.jpg

http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r65/Alteeway/airport4.jpg

http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r65/Alteeway/airporttower1.jpg

http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r65/Alteeway/airport3.jpg

Ladies and gentlemen, PAL has made it's widebody decision...

Philippine Airlines to order Boeing 777s
By Nicholas Ionides

Philippine Airlines (PAL) is preparing to announce an order for Boeing 777-300ERs for delivery from 2009.

Industry sources say PAL has selected the twinjet over the four-engined Airbus A340-600 and purchase and lease agreements could be announced as early as next week.

The sources say the carrier will be taking two of the type through a purchase agreement with Boeing as well as two on lease from GE Commercial Aviation Services (GECAS).

It will also be taking two options from Boeing. The first aircraft from the order is due to arrive in 2009. Final terms of the Boeing portion of the deal have been finalised while the GECAS agreement remains in the form of a letter of intent.

PAL president and chief operating officer Jaime Bautista said in an interview at the annual meeting of the member carriers of the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines in Osaka, Japan that a widebody aircraft order announcement could come as early as this week. He declined to confirm, however, that the 777-300ER has been chosen over the A340-600.

The new aircraft will be used mainly for existing and new US services, he says, adding that they will be for both growth and replacement purposes.

PAL’s widebody fleet currently comprises eight Airbus A330-300s, four Airbus A340-300s and five Boeing 747-400s, and commonality with its existing Airbus fleet was originally seen as something working in the A340-600’s favour during the competition.

One of the leased 747-400s is due to be returned to its owner in 2009, says Bautista.

The purchase agreement with Boeing is believed to include the cancellation of four 747-400s from a more than 10-year-old order that PAL has long sought to walk away from.

PAL fell into serious financial difficulty in the late 1990s and tried to cancel the order but Boeing declined to agree to it without sizeable penalties being paid and it officially remains in the manufacturer’s orderbook.

tagal pa ng 2009...

darn...you beat me to it.:D Here's another (similar) article:

PAL to announce 777-300ER purchase and lease deals
By Nicholas Ionides

Philippine Airlines (PAL) is preparing to announce an order for Boeing 777-300ERs for delivery from 2009. Industry sources say PAL has selected the twinjet over the four-engined Airbus A340-600 and purchase and lease agreements could be announced as early as this week.

Sources say the carrier will take two of the type through a purchase agreement with Boeing, plus two on lease from GE Commercial Aviation Services (GECAS). It will also take two options from Boeing. The first aircraft is due to arrive in 2009. The Boeing portion of the deal has been finalised, while the GECAS agreement was still a letter of intent last week.

PAL president Jaime Bautista said at the annual meeting of the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines in Osaka, Japan last week that a widebody aircraft order may be announced this week, but declined to confirm the 777-300ER had been chosen. PAL's widebody fleet currently comprises eight A330-300s, four A340-300s and five Boeing 747-400s.

http://www.flightglobal.com/Articles/2006/11/21/Navigation/177/210658/PAL+to+announce+777-300ER+purchase+and+lease+deals.html

I'd have to say that im very surprised at their choice, since i've been predicting all along that they would go for the A340-600s. But nonetheless, i'm very happy with this choice since i've always favored Boeings over Airbuses (especially the 777 since its my favorite air frame). What a great day for Filipino aviation fans; i cant wait to see the 777 in PAL's colors. 2009 may seem far from now...but a lot can happen between now and then....maybe PAL could order more 777s or even order the 787, A350 or more A330s to add to its regional and long haul fleet. PAL is on a role lately, so lets see what happens.

I like both fleet B773 and A346. Both will be beautiful on PAL colors but the article says that it still unclear from Pres. Bautista bec. the official announcement is not yet made... it seems this article is made from a gossip. But since it look like PAL will add new 6 fleet, maybe they coud option to 3 A346 & 3 B773. I like both for PAL. Pero ang tgal pa pla 2009 na pa. Anyways still good luck on PAL.

Yeah, an announcement has yet to be made..but flightglobal is a credible source. It is not based on gossip.

Awesome! 2009 might be more than 2 years from now, but hey, at least we know that they are new and will be owned by PAL.

A340-600 would be a better choice if you'll look at commonality because PAL currently has 12 A340-family aircrafts. Are the engines an issue here? We all know that PAL's aircrafts all have GE engines; A340-600's engines are Rolls Royce Trent. :dunno:

awesome news! :) I was personally rooting for the A346 though, because aesthetics-wise, Airbus trumps Boeing in basically all aircraft families in my eyes. but oh well... the T7 does have nicer and more modern interiors.

so, currently, the PAL fleet end-2011 looks to be made up of 4 B747, 4 to 6 B777, 4 A340, 8 A333, and 15 to 20 A320/A319. if the expansion plans they are undertaking with the narrowbodies and the B777s performs well, we might even see the remaining widebodies refleeted as well! I would love to see the Dreamliner or A350 replace the A333...!

ummm... I was wondering about the capacity of the B777-300ER though. Boeing doesn't have standard seating capacities for bi-class configurations on its website. so approximately how many passengers could PAL's B773 accomodate? without that info, I can't seem to clearly place the routes they would likely be operated on...

i found this while surfing...

PAL's f/a's uniforms..

http://www.myaviation.net/search/photo_search.php?id=00818997

A320's interior

http://www.myaviation.net/search/photo_search.php?id=00352838

Wow great news, finally we know what planes we'll see in the future. I've never been on a T7 but hope it's as good a ride as a 346! Anyway congratulations to PR and Boeing. I guess they want to keep it a fair fight and keep the two suppliers on their field. This will mean less capacity for them in the long run though. Maybe we'll see 748's inthe 2010 timeframe!

tagal pa ng 2009....but i guess we all have to wait...wow they went with boeing after all........
i like both B777 & A346....
so no A346.....but based on reading that ..i wouldnt completely rule out A346 during that 2 year tme frame..

not to sound critical, but i was glad that A346 lost.
A346 is a very uneconomical aircraft that would have inflated PAL's costs.
epecially with the cost of fuel.
Also the stories of aircraft problems with the A346/A345 on weight as the well as the delays at Airbus because of the A380 doesn't really sound good to me.

really? for a 15 hr flight? :) what's the other meals?

http://airplanemeals.net/images/meals/philippineairlines060.jpg

Route: SFO - MNL, 14 Feb 2006
Flight duration: 15h 15m
Class: economy
Aircraft: Airbus A340-300
Meal: Snack - Instant noodles
Drink: Sprite, water


:)

Cheese Curls na lang sana.... masarap with SPRITE.... :D

can somebody post a picture of PALs A319 interiors? and a rendering of the B777-300ER in PAL livery. Also, can the B777-300ER fly nonstop from Manila to the US West Coast and/or Mid West like EWR, JFK, or ORD nonstop?

^^ this link might help you. :D it shows the interiors for PAL's A320 but i'm assuming the A319 doesn't look that much different from it.

http://www.myaviation.net/search/pho...hp?id=00352838

this is my dream airplane :lol:

http://philippe.typepad.com/philippe/images/a380.jpg

this is my dream airplane :lol:

http://philippe.typepad.com/philippe/images/a380.jpg

Ang ganda!!!:lol: :lol: sana ganyan lahat eroplano ng PAL :lol: kahit ano pang aircraft company, hindi kayang idesenyo yan:lol:

pwede ring gawing presidential plane... anyway, magkakasya naman siguro si ate glo sa eroplano :lol:

Ang ganda!!!:lol: :lol: sana ganyan lahat eroplano ng PAL :lol: kahit ano pang aircraft company, hindi kayang idesenyo yan:lol:

really? for a 15 hr flight? :) what's the other meals?

Tapsilog or longsilog and some sort of chicken or beef with rice na very bland ang lasa. well, if you are in first class, that's a different story.

can somebody post a picture of PALs A319 interiors? and a rendering of the B777-300ER in PAL livery. Also, can the B777-300ER fly nonstop from Manila to the US West Coast and/or Mid West like EWR, JFK, or ORD nonstop?

There would be restrictions. I'm not sure of PAL's ETOPS certifications for these routes, but surely they will use them for these long haul routes. A flight to JFK would require a stopover at YVR (PAL already has fifth freedom rights in YVR, though they would need to negotiate an expanded contract).


so no A346.....but based on reading that ..i wouldnt completely rule out A346 during that 2 year tme frame..


I agree. I dont think we should totally rule out the A346 in PAL's expansion agenda. My feeling is that they chose the 773ER to settle their downpayments on their decade old 744 orders. Should they require more widebodies in the near future, maybe just maybe they will acquire A346s instead. But who knows? The A346 as ewh1 mentioned is not an efficient plane, so PAL could prefer to buy more T7s in the future.


A340-600 would be a better choice if you'll look at commonality because PAL currently has 12 A340-family aircrafts. Are the engines an issue here? We all know that PAL's aircrafts all have GE engines; A340-600's engines are Rolls Royce Trent.

That is definitely a factor in their decision. Not only does PAL want commonality in their fleet, they would want commonality with their engines. Currently, they have no Rolls Royce engined frames so the GE powered 773ERs were good options. PAL's A343s are all CFM powered. Again, the 773ER probably won because of the engines, existing 744 Boeing downpayments, its proven efficiency and possibly faster delivery date (assuming PAL is not eligible for Emirates' cancelled A346 orders).

Airliners.net has a really good discussion about this (they are also more knowledgeable then I am): http://www1.airliners.net/discussions/general_aviation/read.main/3105845/

PAL has a good relationship with General Electric. If you look at their past aircraft they seem to have ordered GE Engines since the 70's.
and where does PAL lease aircraft from??
well what a coincidence that its from G.E. Capital Aviation Services

I think the relationship with General Electric has a lot of influence with PAL.

Finally the news we've been waiting for. I admit I'm a fan of Airbus, although the B747 will always be my top favorite. But all the same, I'm excited to hear this news! Can't wait till 2009. I'm sure that PAL will have more exciting news for us between now and then.

this is my dream airplane :lol:

http://philippe.typepad.com/philippe/images/a380.jpg

I want one of these for christmas:nuts:

With a bunch of these doing mati, davao oriental to okinawa, it could pole vault to number 500 of the world busiest air routes.:lol:

This was posted before but it deserves a re-run ..:lol:

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid219/pf7da86dbed4ea8455bd3152fd86da7b5/ebf32361.jpg

^^pare, ganyan pala hitsura ng bagong 777-300ER ng PAL, kaya pala tipid1

http://www.aviationnow.com/avnow/news/channel_aviationdaily_story.jsp?id=news/PHIL11206.xml
much more indepth article
heres a interesting quote.

"He said the carrier is considering the 787 for additional growth, although a decision will not come for several years."

There would be restrictions. I'm not sure of PAL's ETOPS certifications for these routes, but surely they will use them for these long haul routes. A flight to JFK would require a stopover at YVR (PAL already has fifth freedom rights in YVR, though they would need to negotiate an expanded contract).

Sorry, i was refering more on the capability of the B773ER to fly nonstop from Manila-the East Coast. I wasnt refering whether they have rights to do so or not. But if the plane itself can do it. :) :)

Airport runway refurbishing completed
By Bong Garcia Thursday, November 23, 2006

Refurbishing work has been completed at the Zamboanga International Airport (ZIA), which has started serving an international flight, linking southern Philippines and the northern state of Sabah in Malaysia.

The Filipino-Russian-owned Mosphil Aero, Incorporated took off with its first commercial flight from this city to Sandakan, Sabah, Malaysia on November 12 following a test flight in August.

The refurbishing of the ZIA runway answers the immediate need of the airline companies with flights serving this southern port from key cities of the country and Sandakan, Sabah, Malaysia.

The asphalt overlay was completed last week and was undertaken by the Teddie Construction firm based in Zamboanga City.

The national government has spent P33 million for the asphalt overlay covering 18 meters of the 45 meters wide runway and more than 900 meters of the 2,600 meters total length of ZIA runway.

"ZIA asphalt overlay project is not big but has responded to the initial critical needs of the airline companies," said Mindanao Super Region champion Jesus Dureza, who inspected the project.

Department of Transportation and Communication Director for Planning Service Ildefonso Patdu and Mindanao Economic Development Council (Medco) chair Undersecretary Virgilio Leyretana accompanied Dureza during the project inspection.

Patdu said the asphalt overlay is part of the P257 million projects to refurbish the ZIA including all other facilities like the control tower, terminal and others, which was programmed for completion within 2007 and 2008.

Local Air Transportation Office (ATO) manager Celso Bayabos informed Dureza that the control tower and fire rescue facilities are the priorities to be attended aside from the runway.

"We look forward to further expand the asphalt overlay of the runway," Dureza said as he disclosed that he and Patdu have already conferred where to source out the needed funds.

Aside from Mosphil Aero, the newest player in the airline industry, Zamboanga City is also being served by Philippine Airlines, Cebu-Pacific Air, Air Philippines and Southeast Asian Airline.

Dureza disclosed that the proposed transfer of ZIA from its present location is being outlined by the national government.

The proposal is to transfer ZIA to Barangay Talabaan, some 15 kilometers east of this city.

not to sound critical, but i was glad that A346 lost.
A346 is a very uneconomical aircraft that would have inflated PAL's costs.
epecially with the cost of fuel.
Also the stories of aircraft problems with the A346/A345 on weight as the well as the delays at Airbus because of the A380 doesn't really sound good to me.

From an economic perspective, the A346 would indeed be a rather ill-advised choice considering today's fuel prices along with the lack of engine commonality and irregardless of common cockpits.

From a perspective as an enthusiast I am somewhat disappointed. As much as I love both the 777 and A340 equally (still have yet to find a commercial aircraft to despise :lol: ), I also somewhat like diversity in the air which definitely wouldn't work well in today's industry of commonality and more efficient two-engined aircraft (bye bye Tritanics :() with airlines leaning more towards the 777 as their widebody choice. One example that comes to mind is PHX with their throngs of 737s (courtesy of WN) or DFW and it's loads of MD-80s (AA). I guess I am spoiled by diversity here when I do planespotting trips in LAX. I mean, I love seeing an A345 coming in from SIN one minute and a 773ER from TPE the other in between a pleathora of ERJs, CRJs, 737s, A320s, 757s, an occasional DC-10F...I'm sure you get the picture. ;)

That being said and over with, it's great to finally see Boeing's Singature Interior and those GE90 engines making it's way into PAL's fleet! :D

From an economic perspective, the A346 would indeed be a rather ill-advised choice considering today's fuel prices along with the lack of engine commonality and irregardless of common cockpits.

From a perspective as an enthusiast I am somewhat disappointed. As much as I love both the 777 and A340 equally (still have yet to find a commercial aircraft to despise :lol: ), I also somewhat like diversity in the air which definitely wouldn't work well in today's industry of commonality and more efficient two-engined aircraft (bye bye Tritanics :() with airlines leaning more towards the 777 as their widebody choice. One example that comes to mind is PHX with their throngs of 737s (courtesy of WN) or DFW and it's loads of MD-80s (AA). I guess I am spoiled by diversity here when I do planespotting trips in LAX. I mean, I love seeing an A345 coming in from SIN one minute and a 773ER from TPE the other in between a pleathora of ERJs, CRJs, 737s, A320s, 757s, an occasional DC-10F...I'm sure you get the picture. ;)

That being said and over with, it's great to finally see Boeing's Singature Interior and those GE90 engines making it's way into PAL's fleet! :D

I think PAL would not have a problem with A346 especially if they serve it in their busiest US routes becuase especially this month, they are always overbook. But maybe nga bec. of fuel charges it is really uneconomical. But I think they can still bring those fuel expenses back through bringing more passengers.

I also like both A346 and B773. But A346 looks much beautiful in air. And both will fit good in PAL livery.

I get ur point that you want diversity in seeing fleets bec. many of the planes nowadays are in B777s and seeing an A346 for PAL will be a good diversity for every airplane enthusiasts. After all only few planes are in A346 like TG, Iberia, SA, VS and LH...

I think PAL would not have a problem with A346 especially if they serve it in their busiest US routes becuase especially this month, they are always overbook. But maybe nga bec. of fuel charges it is really uneconomical. But I think they can still bring those fuel expenses back through bringing more passengers.


Indeed the A346 would be a perfect fit in terms of utilization when it comes to serving the American market especially in this Christmas season but why not get another plane that can do the same thing but with lower operating costs? Understandably, the airline seems to pay a hefty tag when it comes to fuel, especially when you factor in it's generous checked luggage allowance (I began to miss and appreciate this luxury when I flew another airline when I came home from Japan with my luggage full of books comparable to a cans of spam-filled balikbayan box) and ordering a plane that's a gas guzzler in compared to it's competition wouldn't be much of an economical investment (unless maybe Airbus really wanted to go low in the price tag ala 5J's decision for the A319/A320 vs the 717).

Ok, I hope I'm done with "slamming" the A340. Nevertheless, I still love their quieter interiors. :D

Indeed the A346 would be a perfect fit in terms of utilization when it comes to serving the American market especially in this Christmas season but why not get another plane that can do the same thing but with lower operating costs? Understandably, the airline seems to pay a hefty tag when it comes to fuel, especially when you factor in it's generous checked luggage allowance (I began to miss and appreciate this luxury when I flew another airline when I came home from Japan with my luggage full of books comparable to a cans of spam-filled balikbayan box) and ordering a plane that's a gas guzzler in compared to it's competition wouldn't be much of an economical investment (unless maybe Airbus really wanted to go low in the price tag ala 5J's decision for the A319/A320 vs the 717).

Ok, I hope I'm done with "slamming" the A340. Nevertheless, I still love their quieter interiors.

so you mean it is better to get B777 than A346 for PAL? Does A346 really cost a lot in operation... Could this be PAL's "scheme" to say that theyll be ordering boeing planes just make Airbus lower their cost offering to them?

so you mean it is better to get B777 than A346 for PAL? Does A346 really cost a lot in operation... Could this be PAL's "scheme" to say that theyll be ordering boeing planes just make Airbus lower their cost offering to them?

It would seem to be more economical for PAL to choose the 777. The cost difference between the 773ER and A346 is significant again with fuel prices as well as operational dispatch reliability factor. I'm not suggesting PAL is using the 777 order to have Airbus lower the price but the European consortium has been known to try to undercut Boeing by offering a better deal to airlines who's split between which aircraft to choose from either makers. When Cebu Pacific was looking for it's DC-9 replacement, Boeing was not willing to negotiate a lower price for the 717 while Airbus offered a sweet deal for the airline if it ordered the A320 family. With a better deal and getting a family with more flexibility (A318/A319/A320/A321 which can carry out a more diverse variety of short haul missions vs the 717-200 only), we all know who 5J chose...

I've not flown on a triple 7 but have heard that the A346 which I have flown are more comfortable. From what I've read the triple 7's though are much more efficient specially for most of the type of flying PAL is doing.

One thing I hope for is that the seating of the 777 is not 2 5 2 that would be really yucky i think.

^^Mine's opposite. I've flown on 777s, many times, hehe. Yes, that's what I always read as well, that Airbus aircrafts are more comfortable than Boeings. Makes me want to fly on an Airbus soon. Wide-bodied Boeings are comfortable enough for me, though.

I think 2-5-2 config is better than 3-3-3. With 2-5-2, for every row, there's only 1 seat that is 2 seats away from the aisle; with 3-3-3, there's 3. I have to say though that cabins with 3-3-3 feel more spacious than 2-5-2s.

What we wouldn't want PAL to have is a 3-4-3 config. We don't know. Probably, it's one of the reasons why they chose the 777. :dunno:

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a325/zyanz/bacolod/bacolodairport2gmaxbacolodcity.jpg

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a325/zyanz/bacolod/bacolodairportgmax.jpg

^^Mine's opposite. I've flown on 777s, many times, hehe. Yes, that's what I always read as well, that Airbus aircrafts are more comfortable than Boeings. Makes me want to fly on an Airbus soon. Wide-bodied Boeings are comfortable enough for me, though.



hmmm...my opinion is different. I find the 777 much more comfortable than the A340. Its more spacious because of the design of the overhead bins. But then again, maybe its because the 777 i flew was on SIA while the A340 was on PAL.

I was a 777 virgin until May when I flew KE on LAX-ICN. Seriously loved the Boeing Signature Interior. A340-wise, I love the quieter cabin. Still find both aircraft comfortable, it's just the preference if I want a more spacious cabin or a quieter one. :D

^^I didn't know KE fly their 777 to LAX.

How quiet is the A340 family? Hmm.. Maybe many people just find quieter cabins more comfortable. I'd still go with the more spacious cabin. Based on my experience, my 9-hour and 12-hour flights on 777s are more comfortable than my 4-hour flight on a 747. Was it really or am I just claustrophobic? :lol:

Also, I read somewhere that the 777 are more comfortable in areas of turbulence than the A340 family because of its wings.

Any news on Zamboanga Airport Development!?????
That airport is oooooooooooooolllllllllllllllldddddddddddddd!!!!!!!!!!!!!

^^I didn't know KE fly their 777 to LAX.

How quiet is the A340 family? Hmm.. Maybe many people just find quieter cabins more comfortable. I'd still go with the more spacious cabin. Based on my experience, my 9-hour and 12-hour flights on 777s are more comfortable than my 4-hour flight on a 747. Was it really or am I just claustrophobic? :lol:

Also, I read somewhere that the 777 are more comfortable in areas of turbulence than the A340 family because of its wings.

Indeed the 777-200ER operates Korean Air Flight 002 which is LAX-NRT-ICN. I flew on KE016 which isn't currently in the timetable. My experience with the A340 cabin was just once and that was with PR on LAS-YVR so I wasn't able to pay attention much to it (esp. when you're busy enjoying F and Martin Nievera's presence behind you. :nuts: ). What airline did you fly the 777 on as well as the 747? I guess the Signature Interior really did play a major part in the preference over the 777.

Airbus commercial promoting it's quieter A340 cabin (http://youtube.com/watch?v=zXwZ0N2MENU)

747-400 with the older overhead bins (http://www.airliners.net/open.file/1120099/M/)

777-200ER with the curvier bins of the Boeing Singature Interior (http://www1.airliners.net/open.file/1102469/M/)

747-400 with the Singature Interior (sorry couldn't find a pic but I guess you can enjoy CI's interactive tour) (http://www.navigon.net/ca747_tour/747VR4/index.html)

Oh that's why. I thought your flight was LAX-ICN because KE usually fly their 747s to Los Angeles from Incheon. Hehe, I remember that PAL First flight review that you wrote (I liked the part about the PTV :lol: ).

I flew on Korean Air's 777s and 747. The 747 had the older interior but the seats had PTVs. My mom is a Skypass member (I am not) that's why we always fly with them. Here's the view at my seat from one of my flights on the 777.
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a114/auen00/ssc/HPIM5081.jpg

Found a photo of a 747 with the Boeing Signature Interior in Airliners.net
http://www.airliners.net/open.file/0751681/L/

Indeed the 777-200ER operates Korean Air Flight 002 which is LAX-NRT-ICN. I flew on KE016 which isn't currently in the timetable. My experience with the A340 cabin was just once and that was with PR on LAS-YVR so I wasn't able to pay attention much to it (esp. when you're busy enjoying F and Martin Nievera's presence behind you. :nuts: ). What airline did you fly the 777 on as well as the 747? I guess the Signature Interior really did play a major part in the preference over the 777.



Could the passenger capacity between the 2 B773 and A346 have influenced their orders, wat's the difference bet. pax capacity and it could also be the range of flight that the fleet can reach, maybe B777 can fly longer than A346. Maybe these are the factors that PR considered in ordering their new fleet.

^^^

the plane has nothing to do with the comfort, the airline does. Cathay Pacific, for example, has ridiculously cramped A330s and A340s in economy, and yet their T7's seem to have an inch or two more in pitch, as well as an inch or two in extra width. There are airlines where the reverse is true.

Acrobatic pilot killed in crash
SunStar - Cebu
11/26/06

FOR Roy Bruce, the dream of flight came to a nightmarish end.

The British pilot and a Filipino aircraft mechanic died when a single-engine, two-seater plane crashed into the waters off the South Road Properties (SRP) in Cebu City past 5 p.m. yesterday.

Roy Bruce, a British national in his 50s, and Romy Otilla died instantly, said Cebu Coast Guard District Commander Manolito Malig-on.

Bruce also ran a furniture export company and had lived in Cebu for about 18 years.

The Coast Guard found their bodies less than an hour after the crash in the waters off Laray, Inayawan, Cebu City, about 100 meters from Gate 3 of the SRP.

Bruce, a licensed aerobatic pilot, still had his seatbelt on.

Witnesses said Bruce was practicing aerobatic stunts and had been doing loops and spirals several times before his plane crashed.

Alaine Tampusok, supervisor of the Air Transport Office tower operations, said Bruce’s Extra 300-L plane left from Mactan airport at 4:48 p.m.

He was scheduled to return at 5:48 p.m. since the plane, like most small aircraft, had no equipment for nighttime flights.

Tampusok said that shortly after Bruce and Otilla departed for a flight within SRP, they received calls that a plane crashed somewhere in Talisay City.

They tried to contact the pilot but got no response.

Tampusok said they alerted the Emergency Rescue Unit Foundation and the Coast Guard about the missing aircraft.

Malig-on sent a team from the Special Operations Group to look for the plane.

Reports said Bruce had been diving his plane close to the water. As he went for another dive, he failed to pull up and crashed into the water instead.

Cebu City Councilor Sylvan Jakosalem, a friend of Bruce, said Bruce’s death is “a great loss to the world of aviation in Cebu.”

“He will surely be remembered as a highly skilled aerobatic pilot who shared his dream of flying to all his friends and those who watch in awe at the maneuvers you thought would not be possible in an airplane, and those who flew with him. Those exhilarating moments will probably be the most unforgettable in their lives,” Jakosalem said.

He talked with Bruce only last Thursday.

Bruce was a co-owner of Flying Philippines, a flying school based in Mactan. He also owned Bruce Fossilstones International Corp., a furniture export company based in Tungkop, Minglanilla town in southern Cebu.

Ramon Ugarte of the Bureau of Immigration 7 said that Bruce was married to a Filipina and resided at North Town Homes in Mandaue City.

Bruce was a permanent resident in the Philippines and had been living in Cebu since 1988.

Transportation and Communications Assistant Secretary and ATO Chief Nilo Jatico said he already ordered an investigation on the accident. (EOB)

^^^

the plane has nothing to do with the comfort, the airline does. Cathay Pacific, for example, has ridiculously cramped A330s and A340s in economy, and yet their T7's seem to have an inch or two more in pitch, as well as an inch or two in extra width. There are airlines where the reverse is true.

Though of course in the end it's the airline and what it chooses to have in those cabins, features such as the overhead bins or maybe a quieter cabin (A340) are already in there by default. If I wanted to get into the seats, then I would've went into more detail and factored it in more but what I was concentrating on is more directed to the plane's default features itself. Sorry for the confusion. ><

nung umuwi ako sa manila galing davao pero gabi lang, ise-share lang

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b84/tigidig14/IMG_4596.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b84/tigidig14/IMG_4597.jpg
ako yung multo

bakit malabo yung isa? magkaibang cam ang ginamit?

manual yung malabo

^^Mine's opposite. I've flown on 777s, many times, hehe. Yes, that's what I always read as well, that Airbus aircrafts are more comfortable than Boeings. Makes me want to fly on an Airbus soon. Wide-bodied Boeings are comfortable enough for me, though.

I think 2-5-2 config is better than 3-3-3. With 2-5-2, for every row, there's only 1 seat that is 2 seats away from the aisle; with 3-3-3, there's 3. I have to say though that cabins with 3-3-3 feel more spacious than 2-5-2s.

What we wouldn't want PAL to have is a 3-4-3 config. We don't know. Probably, it's one of the reasons why they chose the 777. :dunno:


Is this possible. I've not heard of it, that would be really tight as the width is narrower than a 747/DC10.

One aspect of it's comfort ratio is that the four engines don't rev up as much as 2 engines when it compensates for wind factors during flight. My fights in the A340's are much more comfortable than A330's which is basically the same plane with 2 engines. I'm not uncomfortalble from a safety factor but can hear the rev of the big engines going up and down.:dance:

^^Yes, 3-4-3 configuration is an option on the 777. Emirates and China Southern have such configuration. Boeing's website says the seats would be 17 inches wide with this seat config; same as 737's seats.

^^Yes, 3-4-3 configuration is an option on the 777. Emirates and China Southern have such configuration. Boeing's website says the seats would be 17 inches wide with this seat config; same as 737's seats.


that's really tight then.....i don't want my elbows getting hit with those carts....... we'll see if they choose that.....which they probably will....more bang for their buck.

^^Yes, 3-4-3 configuration is an option on the 777. Emirates and China Southern have such configuration. Boeing's website says the seats would be 17 inches wide with this seat config; same as 737's seats.

Of course Emirates is well known for cramming in a middle seat in business class on it's A330s... ;)

Photos of EK's 3-4-3 config:

http://www1.airliners.net/open.file/1110757/M/
http://www1.airliners.net/open.file/1105821/M/

Just can't help but pity obese travellers with this config...:ohno:

Acrobatic pilot killed in crash
SunStar - Cebu
11/26/06

FOR Roy Bruce, the dream of flight came to a nightmarish end.

The British pilot and a Filipino aircraft mechanic died when a single-engine, two-seater plane crashed into the waters off the South Road Properties (SRP) in Cebu City past 5 p.m. yesterday.

Roy Bruce, a British national in his 50s, and Romy Otilla died instantly, said Cebu Coast Guard District Commander Manolito Malig-on.

Bruce also ran a furniture export company and had lived in Cebu for about 18 years.

The Coast Guard found their bodies less than an hour after the crash in the waters off Laray, Inayawan, Cebu City, about 100 meters from Gate 3 of the SRP.

Bruce, a licensed aerobatic pilot, still had his seatbelt on.

Witnesses said Bruce was practicing aerobatic stunts and had been doing loops and spirals several times before his plane crashed.

Alaine Tampusok, supervisor of the Air Transport Office tower operations, said Bruce’s Extra 300-L plane left from Mactan airport at 4:48 p.m.

He was scheduled to return at 5:48 p.m. since the plane, like most small aircraft, had no equipment for nighttime flights.

Tampusok said that shortly after Bruce and Otilla departed for a flight within SRP, they received calls that a plane crashed somewhere in Talisay City.

They tried to contact the pilot but got no response.

Tampusok said they alerted the Emergency Rescue Unit Foundation and the Coast Guard about the missing aircraft.

Malig-on sent a team from the Special Operations Group to look for the plane.

Reports said Bruce had been diving his plane close to the water. As he went for another dive, he failed to pull up and crashed into the water instead.

Cebu City Councilor Sylvan Jakosalem, a friend of Bruce, said Bruce’s death is “a great loss to the world of aviation in Cebu.”

“He will surely be remembered as a highly skilled aerobatic pilot who shared his dream of flying to all his friends and those who watch in awe at the maneuvers you thought would not be possible in an airplane, and those who flew with him. Those exhilarating moments will probably be the most unforgettable in their lives,” Jakosalem said.

He talked with Bruce only last Thursday.

Bruce was a co-owner of Flying Philippines, a flying school based in Mactan. He also owned Bruce Fossilstones International Corp., a furniture export company based in Tungkop, Minglanilla town in southern Cebu.

Ramon Ugarte of the Bureau of Immigration 7 said that Bruce was married to a Filipina and resided at North Town Homes in Mandaue City.

Bruce was a permanent resident in the Philippines and had been living in Cebu since 1988.

Transportation and Communications Assistant Secretary and ATO Chief Nilo Jatico said he already ordered an investigation on the accident. (EOB)

In Memoriam: http://www.philskies.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=9412

He's such a very nice guy. Rest in peace.

In Memoriam: http://www.philskies.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=9412

He's such a very nice guy. Rest in peace.

Gah, can't believe I missed that! :( Was too enthralled with discussions of seating configs that I didn't take notice to nab_uang's article. Sad to hear two other PFSGers die. Looks like Roy and Romy will be joining the eternal skies with Ruel who died in Iraq earlier this year. Not a great year at all for Philippine Flight Simmers Group. :( May the rest in peace...

Some airplanes at the MCIAA General Aviation Area

Photos from Philskies.net
Credits to rajiv2
http://www.philskies.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=9227


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v731/rajiv2/genav/genav1.jpg


Cebuano aviation pioneers -- Pilots (sitting), Mechanics (standing).
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v731/rajiv2/genav/Pioneers.jpg


An airbus landing
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v731/rajiv2/genav/a320.jpg


Dornier 328
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v731/rajiv2/genav/328.jpg


I wanna own a little plane someday! Hehe
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v731/rajiv2/genav/genav3.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v731/rajiv2/genav/genav4.jpg


Lining up for departure
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v731/rajiv2/genav/genav5.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v731/rajiv2/genav/genav6.jpg


Taking off
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v731/rajiv2/genav/genav7.jpg


Borek Air LTd. This B200 came all the way from Canada.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v731/rajiv2/genav/borekair.jpg


Aboitiz B200
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v731/rajiv2/genav/aboitizkingair.jpg


T/O rwy 04 to RPLL
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v731/rajiv2/genav/a430.jpg


.:.

Route: Cebu-Narita, 23 Oct 2006
Flight duration: approx. 4 hours 30 minutes
Class: economy
Aircraft: Airbus A330
Meal: Sausage and Omelette with fruit, small cake, bread and dried mangoes.
Drink: Orane Juice, water

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v600/philwily/japan/IMG_4033.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v600/philwily/japan/IMG_4034.jpg

Close-up Hehe
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v600/philwily/japan/IMG_4036.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v600/philwily/japan/IMG_4033.jpg




shit! this one looks like a basin for surgical instruments!!! at may parang betadine drops pa!! :bash:

Cebu Pacific flies direct from Manila to Jakarta for only P999


Cebu Pacific (CEB), the country’s low fare leader and leading domestic airline, will start flying a three times weekly direct service from Manila to Jakarta, Indonesia starting January 31, 2007. This new service is introduced with a special seat sale fare of only P999 one-way.

The Manila-Jakarta service will be operated using CEB’s brand new Airbus A319 aircraft and is scheduled to operate every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The flight departs from Manila at 8:55pm and arrives in Jakarta at 11:45pm. The flight then leaves Jakarta at 12:30am the following day and arrives back in Manila at 5:20am

CEB introduces its Manila-Jakarta service with a seat sale fare of only P999 one-way, a price reduction of almost 90% from the current lowest airfare to Jakarta. The seat sale will run from November 28 to December 5, 2006 only and is good for travel from January 31 to March 31, 2007. After the seat sale, the year-round ‘Go’ fares to Jakarta start at P3,499 one-way, still 64% less than the current lowest airfare to Jakarta.

The seat sale and ‘Go’ fares are exclusive of regular surcharges and government tax.

Jakarta, the capital and the largest city of Indonesia, is a major tourism and business hub in the region. CEB will be operating from the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport.

Lance Gokongwei, CEB President and CEO, said “Once again, we are proud to be the only Filipino carrier operating a direct Manila-Jakarta service; furthermore, we will be the only airline offering a direct, non-stop service. We hope that our trademark low fares will further stimulate business and leisure travel to and from this destination because this will benefit the economies of both countries.”

CEB is the only airline to offer direct flights to and from Jakarta with a flying time of only 3 hours and 50 minutes with no stopovers. “Although we expect that the majority of the traffic to be business travelers to start with, we are also anticipating the potential surge of leisure travelers because of our low fares,” Gokongwei added.

Gokongwei also mentioned that Jakarta is home to a growing number of Overseas Filipino Workers. “As we open our 7th international destination, we are excited to be able to serve and reach more Filipinos working overseas,” Gokongwei said.

Now in its 11th year, CEB has the newest fleet in the Philippines with a fleet age of less than 10 months, and one of the newest in Asia as it operates 12 brand new Airbus aircraft to its 20 domestic and 7 regional destinations including Kuala Lumpur starting on November 30 and Bangkok starting on December 14. The airline awaits the delivery of two more Airbus aircraft in early 2007 to complete its $670 million re-fleeting program.

PAL to pay MIAA 84 monthly payments of P34.9 M for aero fees totalling P2.9B incurred since 1995
By Anjo Perez and Louie Perez

NINOY AQUINO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT — The Manila International Airport Authority is set to receive 84 monthly payments of R34,914,277 from Philippine Airlines (PAL) as backpayment for aeronautical fees incurred by the flag carrier since 1995.

The announcement was made yesterday by the MIAA which said that PAL has amicably settled the civil case filed by the MIAA which is now pending before the Court of Appeals.

Airport General Manager Alfonso Cusi disclosed that PAL’s arrears, which amount to R2.93 billion, represent the aeronautical fees incurred with the Airport Authority for the period December 1, 1995, to March 31, 2006.

Cusi explained that the R2.93 billion is the audited amount that PAL owes the MIAA and excludes interests and penalties.

Cusi explained that under the agreement, which will become effective once approved by the Court of Appeals, PAL will pay R34,914,277 a month for seven years.

"There’s a lot of work to be done and this development will help us accomplish our goals," said Cusi. "This agreement is an affirmation of the private sector’s confidence in the leadership and programs of this government."

MAS Increases Seating Capacity On KUL-MNL Route
By Ravichandran D. J. Paul

MANILA, Nov 27 (Bernama) -- Anticipating higher traffic growth due to the favourable economic climate in the Philippines and the allure of Visit Malaysia Year 2007 (VMY07), Malaysia Airlines (MAS) has enhanced the seating capacity on the Kuala Lumpur-Manila route with additional 468 seats from Nov 1.

While retaining the nine frequencies per week, the higher seating capacity is achieved by upgrading from four Airbus and five Boeing 737s flights to seven Airbus and two Boeing 737s.

MAS area manager for the Philippines, Goh Meng Kheng, said the Airbus 330 with a seating capacity of 297 is being utilised for the Kuala Lumpur-Manila direct flights and the Boeing 737 with 139 seating capacity via Kota Kinabalu.

The services to another leading destination in the Philippines, Cebu, directly and via Kota Kinabalu using the Boeing 737 has been doubled from two per week respectively effective Nov 1.

The load factor for the Kuala Lumpur-Manila route is 70 percent while the Kuala Lumpur-Cebu route is 50 percent with the services on both routes being operated under the code-sharing arrangement with the country's national carrier, PNA

Apart from the better economic conditions that are bound to encourage more Filipinos to travel, Goh said the efforts to promote Malaysia as a leading MICE (meeting, international conference and exhibition) destination under VMY07 will help draw more visitors from the Philippines, especially from its well-established insurance and medical sector.

On AirAsia's presence in the Philippines, Goh said no doubt that the low-cost carrier will compete with MAS, but the bigger picture is that both carriers are catering for different market segments and final destinations, and are in fact complementing each other.

Currently, AirAsia has seven weekly flight to the Clark's Air Base and another Philippine no-frills carrier, Cebu Pacific, is set to take off in the Manila-Kuala Lumpur route in December.

Local airline to fly to Jakarta
SunStar - Cebu
11/28/06

DOMESTIC airline Cebu Pacific (CEB) will start flying three times weekly direct service from Manila to Jakarta, Indonesia starting Jan. 31.

This new service is introduced with a special seat sale fare of P999 one-way.

The Manila-Jakarta service will be operated using CEB’s brand new Airbus A319 aircraft and is scheduled to operate every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

The flight departs from Manila at 8:55 p.m. and arrives in Jakarta at 11:45 p.m.

The flight then leaves Jakarta at 12:30 a.m. the following day and arrives back in Manila at 5:20 a.m.

The fare rate for the service is almost 90 percent lower from the current lowest airfare to Jakarta.

The seat sale will run from Nov. 28 to Dec. 5 only and is good for travel from Jan. 31 to March 31.

After the seat sale, the year-round ‘Go’ fares to Jakarta will start at P3,499 one-way, still 64 percent less than the current lowest airfare to Jakarta.

Direct

The seat sale and ‘Go’ fares are exclusive of regular surcharges and government tax.

Jakarta, the capital and the largest city of Indonesia, is a major tourism and business hub in the region.

CEB will be operating from the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport.

Lance Gokongwei, CEB president and chief executive officer, said “Once again, we are proud to be the only Filipino carrier operating a direct Manila-Jakarta service; furthermore, we will be the only airline offering a direct, non-stop service. We hope that our trademark low fares will further stimulate business and leisure travel to and from this destination because this will benefit the economies of both countries.”

Leisure

CEB offers direct flights to and from Jakarta with a flying time of three hours and 50 minutes without stopovers.

“Although we expect that the majority of the traffic to be business travelers to start with, we are also anticipating the potential surge of leisure travelers because of our low fares,” Gokongwei added.

Gokongwei also said that Jakarta is home to a growing number of overseas Filipino workers.

“As we open our 7th international destination, we are excited to be able to serve and reach more Filipinos working overseas,” Gokongwei said.

Now in its 11th year, CEB has the newest fleet in the Philippines with a fleet age of less than 10 months, and one of the newest in Asia as it operates 12 brand new Airbus aircraft to its 20 domestic and seven regional destinations, including Kuala Lumpur starting on Nov. 30 and Bangkok starting on Dec. 14.

The airline awaits the delivery of two more Airbus aircrafts in early 2007 to complete its $670 million re-fleeting program. (PR)

Is Cebu pacific trying to rival PAL? They're expanding rapidly, in no time they'll fly to Europe already.

^^

long-haul isn't part of cebu pacific's business plan, at least not yet. So far, they're concentrating on regional traffic.

I think they're trying to utilize their assets as much as they can, and start filling out flights specially to crowd out future competition.

Anyone have any word on this new startup airline that is going to be based in Clark and providing service to Riyadh and Jeddah. I know that they are currently recruiting for FAs and current rumor is that they are supposed to use a 744. Here is their website link which is still under construction.

http://www.tairairways.com/images/tair-sliced_02.gif (http://www.tairairways.com)

^^ They probably just provide charter flights for Hajj.

From what im reading from Cabin Crew Forums.

they will be a full service airline 40% owned by Saudi Nationals who happen to own a travel agency in Manila. They plan on getting 3 B747-300s and 1 B747-400.
After Riyadh and Jeddah they plan on launching flights to Jakarta.

hope lots of success

Thanks for the bit, ewh! :) This is definitely gonna be a VERY interesting startup!

Wow, looks like they have the capital and funding to get 4 747's. There is going to be heavy competition with the Middle East market. So far we have Etihad, Gulf Air, Emirates, Saudi Arabian serving the Filipino market. Am I missing anyone else? Did PAL drop all its flights to the Middle East? All I'm seeing are codeshare flights with Emirates.

Now if we can only get a startup to serve the North American market!

^^ Yeah, PAL did suspend it's flights to the Middle East/Gulf Region; and Emirates jumped at the chance to provide services in the wake of PAL's suspension of flights, much to the anger and dismay of OFWs working in the region

Airliner makes emergency landing in Vancouver
Updated Wed. Nov. 29 2006 9:22 AM ET

CTV.ca News Staff

A Manila-bound jet carrying more than 280 passengers made an emergency landing at Vancouver International Airport shortly after take-off Wednesday morning.

Airport officials told media the Philippines airliner had just left the airport when a problem developed with one of its wing flaps.

The pilot decided to turn back and dumped fuel into the ocean on the way to Vancouver.

Fire and ambulance crews were dispatched as a precaution but the aircraft landed without incident.

It's unclear whether the plane is now grounded or when the flight will resume.


http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20061129/vancouver_landing_061129/20061129?hub=Canada

CAB okays Asian Spirit flight to Seoul

The Philippine Star

The Civil Aeronautics Board has approved a petition by fledgling local carrier Asian Spirit to operate regular flights to Seoul, South Korea.

Asian Spirit, for its part, hailed the CAB decision as an early Christmas gift, vowing to give its best when it starts flying to Seoul before the end of the year.

"We are thankful to the CAB for this early Christmas gift and we will reciprocate by giving the best service to the public when we begin flights to Korea before the New Year," said Joaquin Po, Asian Spirit president.

It was learned that Asian Spirit was able to get the slot as the country’s fourth designated airline carrier to Korea following CAB’s revocation of the license of Pacific East Asia Cargo. Rainier Allan Ronda

Airliner makes emergency landing in

The pilot decided to turn back and dumped fuel into the ocean on the way to Vancouver.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20061129/vancouver_landing_061129/20061129?hub=Canada

dumped fuel? I saw in National Geographic that this really is a practice but is it really ok? I think fuel is cleaner than oil as it is refined but it could still cause harm in the oceans right?

They dump fuel often because they cannot land with a full tank of fuel. There are proper take-off and landing weights. With a full tank, a plane is too heavy to land.

It seems that when they dump fuel, the fuel is let out and seemingly vaporizes when dumped.

From this site: http://www.usatoday.com/travel/columnist/getline/2005-01-10-ask-the-captain_x.htm

Airplanes have to dump fuel because of landing weight requirements dictated by structural limitations of the aircraft or the length and condition of the runways. The difference between a takeoff weight and a landing weight can be as high as a hundred thousand pounds or more.

Dumping fuel can be costly, especially at today's prices, but the alternative can be just as expensive. Aircraft can and do land overweight in some abnormal circumstances. But when they do, significant, costly and time-consuming inspections might have to take place to ensure structural integrity.

Not all aircraft are capable of dumping fuel, such as the Airbus 319 and Airbus 320, which are smaller, domestic planes. If they are forced to land with more fuel than they should, the pilot will sometimes try to "dirty up the airplane" by dropping the gear and/or flaps, which burns fuel more quickly.

Fortunately, aircraft do not have to make emergency landings or return back to the departure airport often. I've never personally had to dump fuel, although I did have to burn up some excess fuel once to return to the departure airport to correct a maintenance problem that occurred a few minutes into the flight.

As far as what happens to dumped fuel, check here: http://www.aerospaceweb.org/question/planes/q0245b.shtml

A typical fuel dumping system employs a series of pumps and valves to eject fuel from the aircraft's wingtips. Other designs place the fuel dumping vents in a plane's tail or aft fuselage. When activated from the cockpit, a fuel dump system often is capable of releasing thousands of pounds of fuel per minute. Most systems are sized to release fuel at a fast enough rate that the plane's total weight is reduced from maximum takeoff weight to maximum certified landing weight in fifteen minutes or less.

Once released, the fuel trails behind the aircraft and creates a pattern that looks much like a contrail. Modern aviation fuel comes in many varieties but all are derivatives of kerosene. Kerosene evaporates rapidly in the atmosphere and very little typically survives in liquid form to reach the Earth's surface. The exact evaporative characteristics of dumped fuel depends on a number of factors like the altitude at which it was released, the atmospheric temperature, and the dumping pressure. Kerosene dumped at high altitude on a warm day tends to evaporate fastest.

wow! thank you for the very informative answer.. I thought you were a pilot yourself until I read the links...

Korean Airline is the best on carrying just the exact fuel into its destination.
Pag meron air traffic or diversion of landing, pray is the name of the game.

PAL seeks transfer of entitlements to Manila

Article posted November 27, 2006, 9:59 pm

Flag carrier Philippine Airlines, Inc. (PAL) is seeking the transfer of its entitlement to fly to Dubai from Clark, Pampanga to Manila.

PAL’s application for transfer filed at the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) is still in for further review by the CAB regulator, a BusinessWorld source said.

"Instead of flying from Clark, PAL wants to use its four entitlements [equivalent to additional four times a week flights ] to fly to Dubai from Manila," the source said.

Currently, the flag carrier flies between Manila and Dubai ten times a week on Emirates-operated flights under a code share agreement. There are an estimated 150,000 overseas Filipino workers in the United Arab Emirates.

Recently TAIR Airways, a budget carrier 40% owned by Saudi Arabian nationals, has gotten the air regulator’s approval to fill in the Philippine-Riyadh route left by PAL.

TAIR was given a three-month temporary permit to launch flights from the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) in Clark, Pampanga.

PAL canceled its Manila-Riyadh route early this year on the back of stiff competition from state-subsidized airlines. Heavily subsidized airlines with Manila-Riyadh operations include Saudi Arabia Airlines, Gulf Air, Emirates Airlines, and Qatar Airways.

Meanwhile, budget carrier Cebu Pacific Air, Inc. has applied for a permit to fly the Manila-Macau route. The application is also under review by the CAB board.

A Chinese gambling haven, Macau employs a number of Filipino workers in its casinos and hotels. It is only 40 km by ferry from Hong Kong.

Cebu Pacific Air will start flying a three times weekly direct service from Manila to Jakarta, Indonesia starting Jan. 31, 2007.

For this new route, the airline is offering a special seat sale fare of only P999 one-way. This is a price reduction of almost 90% from the current lowest airfare to Jakarta.

The seat sale will run from Nov. 28 to Dec. 5 only and is good for travel from Jan. 31 to March 31 next year. After the seat sale, the year-round ’Go’ fares to Jakarta will start at P3,499 one-way, still 64% less than the current lowest airfare to Jakarta, exclusive of regular surcharges and taxes.

The Manila-Jakarta service will be operated using Cebu Pacific’s brand-new Airbus A319 aircraft and is scheduled to operate every Monday Wednesday and Friday.

The flight is set to depart from Manila at 8:55 p.m. and arrive in Jakarta at 11:45 p.m. The flight will then leave Jakarta at 12:30 a.m. the following day and to arrive back in Manila at 5:20 a.m.

Jakarta, the capital and the largest city of Indonesia, is a major tourism and business hub in the region. The airline will be operating from the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport. — Maricel E. Estavillo/BusinessWorld

http://www.gmanews.tv/business.php?sec=3&id=22175
_________________________

Tair Airway has go-signal to operate in Clark airport


The Civil Aeronautics Board has approved the petition of new foreign budget airline Tair Airways to operate in Clark International Airport.

Porvenir Porciuncula, CAB deputy executive director, said Tair Airway will fly three times a week from Clark-Riyadh-Jeddah using B747-400 plane by January next year.

Porciuncula said the airline is set to acquire new planes in Japan. Tiger Airways and Air Asia make two flights each to Clark daily. Air Asia flies to Macau once daily. These budget airlines comprised more than half of the average 46 flights weekly to Clark.

The low-cost carriers’ began flying in the country in April, when the government open the Clark International Airport for the low-budget airlines.

The liberalization of air policy is part of the policy framework to promote tourism under the Arroyo administration’s Medium Term Development Plan for 2004 to 2010. DG Amojelar, The Manila Times

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=57562

CAB okays Asian Spirit flight to Seoul
The Philippine Star

The Civil Aeronautics Board has approved a petition by fledgling local carrier Asian Spirit to operate regular flights to Seoul, South Korea.

Asian Spirit, for its part, hailed the CAB decision as an early Christmas gift, vowing to give its best when it starts flying to Seoul before the end of the year.

"We are thankful to the CAB for this early Christmas gift and we will reciprocate by giving the best service to the public when we begin flights to Korea before the New Year," said Joaquin Po, Asian Spirit president.

It was learned that Asian Spirit was able to get the slot as the country’s fourth designated airline carrier to Korea following CAB’s revocation of the license of Pacific East Asia Cargo. Rainier Allan Ronda

___________


the question is...anong aircraft ang gagamitin nila?? alangan pa man ung BAE's ung gamitin nila...

so im thinking... may planong bumili/mag lease ng bagong aircraft ang asian spirit..

Airliner makes emergency landing in Vancouver
Updated Wed. Nov. 29 2006 9:22 AM ET

CTV.ca News Staff

A Manila-bound jet carrying more than 280 passengers made an emergency landing at Vancouver International Airport shortly after take-off Wednesday morning.

Airport officials told media the Philippines airliner had just left the airport when a problem developed with one of its wing flaps.

The pilot decided to turn back and dumped fuel into the ocean on the way to Vancouver.

Fire and ambulance crews were dispatched as a precaution but the aircraft landed without incident.

It's unclear whether the plane is now grounded or when the flight will resume.


http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20061129/vancouver_landing_061129/20061129?hub=Canada

Seems that PR107 is getting a bit of bad luck these past few days. The Sunday flight was rescheduled for Monday due to the heavy dump of snow in YVR stranding a bunch of passengers including my cousin overnight and now this.

_________________________

Tair Airway has go-signal to operate in Clark airport


The Civil Aeronautics Board has approved the petition of new foreign budget airline Tair Airways to operate in Clark International Airport.

Porvenir Porciuncula, CAB deputy executive director, said Tair Airway will fly three times a week from Clark-Riyadh-Jeddah using B747-400 plane by January next year.

Porciuncula said the airline is set to acquire new planes in Japan. Tiger Airways and Air Asia make two flights each to Clark daily. Air Asia flies to Macau once daily. These budget airlines comprised more than half of the average 46 flights weekly to Clark.

The low-cost carriers? began flying in the country in April, when the government open the Clark International Airport for the low-budget airlines.

The liberalization of air policy is part of the policy framework to promote tourism under the Arroyo administration?s Medium Term Development Plan for 2004 to 2010. DG Amojelar, The Manila Times

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=57562

this new tair airways sounds alot like another oasis hongkong typish airline

PAL seeks transfer of entitlements to Manila

Article posted November 27, 2006, 9:59 pm

Flag carrier Philippine Airlines, Inc. (PAL) is seeking the transfer of its entitlement to fly to Dubai from Clark, Pampanga to Manila.

PAL?s application for transfer filed at the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) is still in for further review by the CAB regulator, a BusinessWorld source said.

"Instead of flying from Clark, PAL wants to use its four entitlements [equivalent to additional four times a week flights ] to fly to Dubai from Manila," the source said.

Currently, the flag carrier flies between Manila and Dubai ten times a week on Emirates-operated flights under a code share agreement. There are an estimated 150,000 overseas Filipino workers in the United Arab Emirates.

Recently TAIR Airways, a budget carrier 40% owned by Saudi Arabian nationals, has gotten the air regulator?s approval to fill in the Philippine-Riyadh route left by PAL.

TAIR was given a three-month temporary permit to launch flights from the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) in Clark, Pampanga.

PAL canceled its Manila-Riyadh route early this year on the back of stiff competition from state-subsidized airlines. Heavily subsidized airlines with Manila-Riyadh operations include Saudi Arabia Airlines, Gulf Air, Emirates Airlines, and Qatar Airways.

Meanwhile, budget carrier Cebu Pacific Air, Inc. has applied for a permit to fly the Manila-Macau route. The application is also under review by the CAB board.

A Chinese gambling haven, Macau employs a number of Filipino workers in its casinos and hotels. It is only 40 km by ferry from Hong Kong.

Cebu Pacific Air will start flying a three times weekly direct service from Manila to Jakarta, Indonesia starting Jan. 31, 2007.

For this new route, the airline is offering a special seat sale fare of only P999 one-way. This is a price reduction of almost 90% from the current lowest airfare to Jakarta.

The seat sale will run from Nov. 28 to Dec. 5 only and is good for travel from Jan. 31 to March 31 next year. After the seat sale, the year-round ?Go? fares to Jakarta will start at P3,499 one-way, still 64% less than the current lowest airfare to Jakarta, exclusive of regular surcharges and taxes.

The Manila-Jakarta service will be operated using Cebu Pacific?s brand-new Airbus A319 aircraft and is scheduled to operate every Monday Wednesday and Friday.

The flight is set to depart from Manila at 8:55 p.m. and arrive in Jakarta at 11:45 p.m. The flight will then leave Jakarta at 12:30 a.m. the following day and to arrive back in Manila at 5:20 a.m.

Jakarta, the capital and the largest city of Indonesia, is a major tourism and business hub in the region. The airline will be operating from the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport. ? Maricel E. Estavillo/BusinessWorld

http://www.gmanews.tv/business.php?sec=3&id=22175


How can DMIA develop any further if NAIA keeps on stealing its business? :rant:

I think the main reason why DMIA still isn't a favorable location to operate for most airlines (and Philippine Airlines, for this matter) is because of its distance from Metro Manila (the main market for supposed DMIA air passenger traffic).

However, there is a lack of reliable, fast, and cheap transportation options that would link it with Metro Manila because of the general lack of transportation infrastructure put in place. If Northrail gets built (and assuming that it does link Metro manila with Clark) then DMIA would become a more favorable option for airlines to operate at and, eventually, the air traffic would begin to rise. ;)

I heard of that new airline, a friend of mine told me a few months back that she was in training for a new airline. Whether this is the same one as the one mentioned above i am not too sure.

What aircraft is Asian Spirit using to fly to Singapore? It's Avro's???

Philippine Airlines returns to profit
November 29, 2006

MANILA - Flag-carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) said Tuesday it posted a net profit of 3.05 million dollars in the third quarter, reversing a 4.49 million dollar loss suffered in the same period last year.

This brought PAL’s net profit for the period April to September to 25.78 million dollars, up 12 percent, the airline said in a statement.

PAL attributed the higher profit to an increase in revenues, recoveries from surcharges, interest income and other sources.

Revenue rose to 312.1 million dollars in the three months to September from 286.5 million dollars a year earlier and totaled 640.9 million dollars in the first half, up from 596.5 million dollars.

Expenses rose 6.2 percent year-on-year to 309.1 million dollars and 7.3 percent to 615.1 million dollars in the two quarters.

PAL officials had previously forecast a net profit of 18 million dollars in its fiscal year to March 2007 compared to 28.74 million dollars in the previous year due to higher fuel costs.

Last month, the airline said it was considering acquiring at least eight wide-bodied aircraft to boost its capacity in the United States and European markets, on top of its earlier plans to buy four new Airbus A-319 aircraft this year and six A-320s between 2007 and 2008.

PAL set to complete e-ticketing in 2007

The country’s flag carrier, Philippine Airlines (PAL) will be on target with the 2007 deadline for electronic ticketing (e-ticketing) services set by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the highest association of airlines.

Roberto B. Diaz de Rivera, PAL assistant vice president for Corporate E-business, said PAL had completed its domestic e-ticketing June 2006 and its international e-ticketing by second quarter of 2007.

Diaz de Rivera said IATA agreement signed on June 2004 stated that all member airlines should eliminate issuance of paper tickets before Jan. 1, 2008.

"Airlines that would fail to comply with the agreement stand to lose interline agreements with other carriers," Diaz de Rivera said.

For international routes, there are at least 13 more stations expected to join the network of routes where e-ticketing is available, he said.

There are five in Japan – Kansai will be have e-ticketing service on May 2007 and Okinawa, Fukuoka, Nagoya, Narita that will be completed on June 2007.

"Eight more stations are scheduled not later than June 2007 – Bangkok, Beijing, Jakarta, Saigon, Shanghai, Singapore, Taipei, and Xiamen," he added.

At present, the e-ticketing service is available to overseas points, namely, Busan in South Korea, Guam, Hong Kong, Honolulu, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Melbourne, Osaka, San Francisco, Seoul, Sydney, Tokyo and Vancouver.

It has separate interline e-ticketing arrangement with American Airlines and Continental Airlines, in which either carrier can issue e-tickets on the other’s flights.

Meanwhile, automation for domestic routes have been completed June this year with Naga’s cut over to full e-ticketing.

PAL has completed its e-ticketing services in 19 domestic destinations, namely, Bacolod, Butuan, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Cotabato, Davao, Dipolog, Gen. Santos, Iloilo, Kalibo, Laoag, Legaspi, Manila, Naga, Puerto Princesa, Roxas, Tacloban, Tagbilaran, and Zamboanga.

The company started implementing its e-ticketing on the Manila-Cebu-Manila route on May 1, 2004.

"Despite its infrastructure-related problems such as steady power supply, telecommunications services and broadband connection in many parts, we are committed to enabling all our flights and routes to e-ticketing before the end of 2007," he said.

Sriwijaya's Davao-Manado route to be launched Thursday
By Ben O. Tesiorna
Link to the original article (http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/dav/2006/11/30/bus/sriwijaya.s.davao.manado.route.to.be.launched.thursday.html)

THE Davao-Manado route will be revived Thursday with the launching of first commercial flight of Sriwijaya Airlines expected to arrive in Davao City Thursday morning.

The Jakarta-based Sriwijaya Air's Boeing 737-200 will arrive at the Davao International Airport around 11:30 a.m. and will be flying back to Manado at 12:30 pm.

Sun.Star Network Online round-by-round coverage of the Pacquiao-Morales Sunday fight here

The regular run is scheduled every Monday to Thursday with arrival in Davao City at 10 a.m. and leaving for Manado at 10:45 a.m. The airline can accommodate 124 passengers and can carry cargo up to 3.5 tons in weight.

Sriwijaya's Davao-Manado route is projected to play a significant role in encouraging more movement for trade and tourism within the Bimp-Eaga.

The route is also envisioned to enhance the Jose Abad Santos-Glan-Sarangani Cooperation Triangle (Jags-CT) trade links with North Sulawesi, Indonesia.

The trade links have been forged with the Jags-CT's trade mission to Indonesia last September.

A memorandum of understanding was earlier forged between the municipality of Glan and the city of Bitung on the establishment of a sister-city municipality cooperation in the areas of education, socio-cultural development, tourism promotion, fisheries and marine resource development as well as trade and commerce. (BOT/With press release)

-----

PAL cancels 11 morning domestic flights
Link to the original article (http://newsinfo.inq7.net/breakingnews/nation/view_article.php?article_id=35758)
INQ7.net
Last updated 05:23am (Mla time) 12/01/2006

Philippine Airlines canceled three additional domestic flights scheduled to arrive in Manila early Friday morning, bringing to 11 the total flight cancellations, a press statement sent to INQ7 said.

Cancelled were the return flights to Manila coming from Legaspi (PR278), Naga (PR262) and Zamboanga (PR124).

Meanwhile, two flights scheduled to arrive in Manila will be delayed -- PR3155 (cargo flight) coming from Hong Kong will arrive at 7 a.m. (original time of arrival -- 5:20 a.m.), and PR842 coming from Cebu will arrive at 7:15 a.m. (original time of arrival -- 6:15 a.m.).

Earlier, PAL decided to cancel eight domestic flights that consisted the first wave of scheduled departures from Manila between 5-6 a.m. These are PR181 (bound for Cagayan), PR191 (Tacloban), PR139 (Iloilo), PR189 (Bacolod), PR277 (Legaspi), PR261 (Naga) and PR123 (Zamboanga).

PAL will try to operate the other domestic and international flights scheduled for Friday but with slight delays, depending on the improvement of weather conditions.

The two trans-Pacific flights arriving this morning from Los Angeles and San Francisco will land either in Manila or Cebu.

Supertyphoon ?Reming? (international codename: Durian), which passed 46 nautical miles south of Metro Manila before midnight, forced PAL to evacuate ten of its narrow-bodied airplanes to Cebu, Davao, Iloilo and Bacolod.

Passengers are advised to wait for further announcements or they may call PAL Reservations at +632 855-8888; +632 855-1000; and +632 855-9999 for the latest flight information.

http://badbadjuju.com/images/img_kai_tak_airport.jpg

http://www.cruisinaltitude.com/images/airports/hkg/kaitak/ba744hkgl.jpg
Too close for comfort!

http://www.cruisinaltitude.com/images/airports/hkg/kaitak/lndglights.jpg

Left Landing lights for the Kai Tak runway atop a 4-storey restaurant right in the heart of town


Oh man, the fun I had in Kai Tak approach landing. :lol:

No Mas!

Cebu Pacific service is disgusting. :(

^^^ yup tama ka dyan! what happened to you this time? we'll this is the trade off for having such low air fares

Why is wikipedia reporting that PAL has two unconfirmed orders of the A380? I havent heard any rumors about that yet.

^^ Wikipedia can be edited by it's registered users, in some instances hearsay items will be included in their entries with no concrete proof to back it up (much to the ire of people like us aviation enthusiasts.). :colgate:

Not only by registered users, but by anyone. When something is unsourced, it would be best not to take it seriously.

Where did you see it ? Just checked wikipedia and don't see any mention on the a380 and PAL entries.

Must say not bad huh, all the latest news is there and footnoted with attributed 2ndary sources.

Where did you see it ? Just checked wikipedia and don't see any mention on the a380 and PAL entries.


Probably was removed by someone else that noticed that the little tidbit was incorrect.

Asian Spirit defers IPO plan
By Mary Ann Ll. Reyes
The Philippine Star 12/02/2006

Asian Spirit has deferred plans to go public with the sale of at least 30 percent of its shares, moving its timetable to 2008 instead of this year, company officials told The STAR.

The company was aiming to become the first airline to directly list its shares in the local stock market. About P300 million is expected to be generated from the public listing.

In postponing its plan to sell equity, Asian Spirit may find itself competing with bigger airlines. Philippine Airlines plans to go public also by 2008, depending on its ability to post three consecutive years of net profit while Gokongwei-owned Cebu Pacific plans to undertake an initial public offering (IPO) either next year or in 2008.

In line with the planned public offering, Asian Spirit plans to seek the approval of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to increase its authorized capital stock to P1 billion, from the present P300 million.

Asian Spirit got a 25-year congressional franchise in March 2003 but began commercial operations in 1996. It was given five years from the issuance of its legislative franchise in 2003 to go public, or until 2008.

"We decided to postpone our public offering because we believe we are not yet ready," Asian Spirit vice-president for commercial operations Butch Rodriguez told The STAR.

Asian Spirit earlier said it expects revenues to grow by around 20 percent this year to P1.38 billion, brought about by its expansion to additional foreign routes and continued growth in passengers.

The company has been growing its revenues at a rate of about 20 percent yearly. Revenues hit P1.15 billion in 2005 compared to around P900 million in 2004, marking the first year that Asian Spirit hit the P1-billion revenue mark.

The Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) earlier revoked Pacific East Asia Cargo Airline’s entitlement to fly to Korea and just last week, gave this to Asian Spirit.

The RP-Korea air agreement limits the designation of Philippine carriers that can fly to Korea to only four, namely Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific, Air Philippines, and Pacific East Asia. But since Pacific East Asia has not been using its entitlement for the last seven years, Asian Spirit requested last August the transfer of the permit to operate air transport services to Korea.

Rodriquez said the CAB has given Asian Spirit six months to start using this entitlement. "Thus, we plan to launch the services to Korea by the latter part of next month or early January next year," he disclosed. This timetable will also depend on how fast Asian Spirit can get its permit from Korea, the official added.

Asian Spirit will be operating daily flights from Manila to Korea, and will be using Boeing 737-400 170-seater aircraft which it will be leasing. There will also be four flights a week from Davao to Korea starting early next year and three times a week from Clark to Korea.

ganon din ang tiger airways, folks

T1 and T2- prison complex for people who caused so much delay of T3 opening. :jk: Seriously, I would rather see 3 world-class terminals interconnected with each other with complimenting functions that will serve millions of foreign and local tourists/ofws.

:lol:

i think sa spratley islands nalang sila itapon, mas bagay sila dun... :banana:

Let us transform the NAIA into our new government center (capitol).

1. North end of Runway 13/31 (Domestic Terminal) – Site of our new Supreme Court Building.
2. South end of Runway 13/31 – Site of our new Parliament Building.
3. Runway 13/31 – to be developed as a tree-lined boulevard/parade ground, with embassy buildings on both sides.
4. East end of Runway 06/24 – connect with South Superhighway.
5. West end of Runway 06/24 – connect with Coastal Road.
6. Runway 06/24 – to be developed as a tree-lined boulevard, with executive department buildings on both sides.
7. Terminal 1 – convert into a grand trade hall/museum.
8. Terminal 2 – convert into a grand library.
9. Terminal 3 – convert into a modern mall.
10. Nayong Pilipino – site of a new home for our Prime Minister.

Let's have a new capitol right now. It would make us prouder as a nation. We are one of the few nations in the world, which do not have a "proper capitol". Nakakahiya tayo. Wala man lang tayong maipagmamalaki sa mga dayuhang bisita.

not bad.

basically, i like the suggestions of having a huge state-of-the-art library, freeways, our 1st tallest building (not a tower) hospital or whatever i mentioned before, and turning it into a new capitol.

i suggest that a new communication tower be built in luneta. it should be our tallest as well.

what i cant support is the building of a new sports complex. a new olympic sport complex should rather be built anywhere around manila bay just right next to the waters, so everything will have an access, including all sports venues.

haha..sana mga may plano.. But b4 all of these materialize, we should make use of T3 first.

i agree ofcourse. :)

sounds good, good luck asian spirit !

So looks like Asian Spirit has selected the 737-400 then. Good luck to them with that venture.

Is anyone going to be travelling early morning from NAIA Terminal 1 in January 2? If so, I can bring one guest to access the WorldClub. I also have access with NGO and their Sakura Lounge in December 28 and January 1 or NW's larger WorldClub in December 22 and January 2. NRT doesn't have much beyond snacks and all you can drink beer, MNL has a nice selection of breakfast treats when flying out in early morning, and dunno yet on NGO's Sakura Lounge. Please PM me if anyone is travelling around then because I'd love to give someone complimentary access!

Asian Spirit defers IPO plan
By Mary Ann Ll. Reyes
The Philippine Star 12/02/2006

Asian Spirit has deferred plans to go public with the sale of at least 30 percent of its shares, moving its timetable to 2008 instead of this year, company officials told The STAR.

The company was aiming to become the first airline to directly list its shares in the local stock market. About P300 million is expected to be generated from the public listing.

In postponing its plan to sell equity, Asian Spirit may find itself competing with bigger airlines. Philippine Airlines plans to go public also by 2008, depending on its ability to post three consecutive years of net profit while Gokongwei-owned Cebu Pacific plans to undertake an initial public offering (IPO) either next year or in 2008.

In line with the planned public offering, Asian Spirit plans to seek the approval of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to increase its authorized capital stock to P1 billion, from the present P300 million.

Asian Spirit got a 25-year congressional franchise in March 2003 but began commercial operations in 1996. It was given five years from the issuance of its legislative franchise in 2003 to go public, or until 2008.

"We decided to postpone our public offering because we believe we are not yet ready," Asian Spirit vice-president for commercial operations Butch Rodriguez told The STAR.

Asian Spirit earlier said it expects revenues to grow by around 20 percent this year to P1.38 billion, brought about by its expansion to additional foreign routes and continued growth in passengers.

The company has been growing its revenues at a rate of about 20 percent yearly. Revenues hit P1.15 billion in 2005 compared to around P900 million in 2004, marking the first year that Asian Spirit hit the P1-billion revenue mark.

The Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) earlier revoked Pacific East Asia Cargo Airline’s entitlement to fly to Korea and just last week, gave this to Asian Spirit.

The RP-Korea air agreement limits the designation of Philippine carriers that can fly to Korea to only four, namely Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific, Air Philippines, and Pacific East Asia. But since Pacific East Asia has not been using its entitlement for the last seven years, Asian Spirit requested last August the transfer of the permit to operate air transport services to Korea.

Rodriquez said the CAB has given Asian Spirit six months to start using this entitlement. "Thus, we plan to launch the services to Korea by the latter part of next month or early January next year," he disclosed. This timetable will also depend on how fast Asian Spirit can get its permit from Korea, the official added.

Asian Spirit will be operating daily flights from Manila to Korea, and will be using Boeing 737-400 170-seater aircraft which it will be leasing. There will also be four flights a week from Davao to Korea starting early next year and three times a week from Clark to Korea.

Interesting, another plane type for Asian Spirit. Actually kung ganito , am a little bit skeptical of how they would do strategically specially with an open skies environment in 2 years. The don't operate like a classic lcc and was more a puddle hopper but now they want to play with the big boys! If this is opportunistic, I can imagine but in the long run those rates will go down I believe, specially when PR starts getting more planes or more importantly when asiana and other players can now fly to these places anytime they want.

^^ Wikipedia can be edited by it's registered users, in some instances hearsay items will be included in their entries with no concrete proof to back it up (much to the ire of people like us aviation enthusiasts.). :colgate:

Yeah i know:D I was the one who added the B777ER with a source:yes:

Asian Spirit next to fly to Seoul

By EMMIE V. ABADILLA

The Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) has recently designated Asian Spirit as the fourth Philippine carrier to fly to Seoul, Korea after revoking the permit of a cargo airline which failed to service the route in seven years.

The Philippine-Korea Air Agreement restricts the number of local carriers servicing the route to four – Philippine Airlines (PAL), Cebu Pacific, Air Philippines and Pacific East Asia Cargo (PEAC).

CAB revoked the unused PEAC license and approved Asian Spirit’s designation to service Korea last week (November 22), according to Butch Rodriguez, Asian Spirit Vice President for Commercial Group.

Asian Spirit will begin daily flights from Manila to Seoul, Korea by the third week of December. The carrier will use Boeing 737-400s capable of carrying 170 passengers for the route.

At the same time, the airline will begin four times a week flights from Davao to Seoul. Early next year, it will service the Clark, Pampanga to Seoul route three times a week.

"The Korean market is huge, averaging 400,000 to 500,000 passengers a year, almost 98 percent tourists, and growing by 30 to 35 per cent per annum," Rodriguez pointed out.

The Korean government gives its citizens incentives to travel abroad. Add to that, many Koreans find the tour packages in the Philippines are very attractive in terms of features and pricing.

Right now, Asian Spirit operates Manila-DavaoPalau flights servicing tourists, locals, the Filipino community in Palau and their relatives. "The Palau market is picking up," he noted.

In January, 2007, Asian Spirit plans to begin servicing the Zamboanga to Sendakan, Malaysia route and operate in some points in China.

http://www.mb.com.ph/BSNS2006120481419.html


_____________________

btw, i heard na nareceive na daw ng pal ung 3rd A319 nila today(december 3)

There was a picture and caption of PALs 3rd A319 yesterday. It was on The Philippine Star. It arrived a couple of days ago. Saw a glimpse of the Business Class Cabin also since there was a picture there of the people who brought the plane over from wherever they get the planes. It was "nice". Wasn't that big of an improvement over their existing business class. Seat looks the same with the exception of a teeny weeny PTV.

wala na ba tayo talaga ibang mapag usapan? hindi pa nga nabubuksan ang T3 icoconvert nyo na agad?

ang sabi nga sa kanta ng Kamikazee....."Libre lang mangarap"

ok lang tong thread na 'to. lahat tayo dito mahal natin ang Pilipinas.

Let us transform the NAIA into our new government center (capitol).

1. North end of Runway 13/31 (Domestic Terminal) – Site of our new Supreme Court Building.
2. South end of Runway 13/31 – Site of our new Parliament Building.
3. Runway 13/31 – to be developed as a tree-lined boulevard/parade ground, with embassy buildings on both sides.
4. East end of Runway 06/24 – connect with South Superhighway.
5. West end of Runway 06/24 – connect with Coastal Road.
6. Runway 06/24 – to be developed as a tree-lined boulevard, with executive department buildings on both sides.
7. Terminal 1 – convert into a grand trade hall/museum.
8. Terminal 2 – convert into a grand library.
9. Terminal 3 – convert into a modern mall.
10. Nayong Pilipino – site of a new home for our Prime Minister.

Let's have a new capitol right now. It would make us prouder as a nation. We are one of the few nations in the world, which do not have a "proper capitol". Nakakahiya tayo. Wala man lang tayong maipagmamalaki sa mga dayuhang bisita.

Prime Minister? I'm missing some information here.

Great idea, but I don't think we NEED another mall in Manila. Darn you shopaholics.

^^

Prime Minister? I'm missing some information here.

Great idea, but I don't think we NEED another mall in Manila. Darn you shopaholics.

:D That was posted when the People's Initiative was on the verge of becoming a very viable way of changing our present form of government.

If not a mall, well then maybe we can convert it into a grand indoor multi-level speedway, given its enormous length... :D

The Airbus A-350 X-W-B has been cleared for take-off.

http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/2006/TRAVEL/12/04/bt.airbusA350/story.A3501.jpg

http://www.cnn.com/2006/TRAVEL/12/04/bt.airbusA350/index.html?section=cnn_latest

Yung Manil - Seoul ba ng Asian Spirit chartered or regular? Asan na yung B737 nila? saka wala pang sked e mag 3rd week of december na......

^^ the wings look like a shark's fin....hehheheh!

Four ASEAN nations to liberalize air links



Agence France-Presse
Last updated 07:26pm (Mla time) 12/06/2006


KUALA LUMPUR -- Four Southeast Asian nations will sign a pact which would allow unlimited flight frequencies and schedules between 13 of their cities, Malaysian transport minister Chan Kong Choy said on Wednesday.

Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines will sign an agreement to further liberalize air links at next week's 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Cebu Island, Chan said according to state Bernama news agency.

"It is a very liberal arrangement. It marks a milestone development towards aviation liberation within ASEAN countries," he said.

He said the initiative involving the four countries in the East ASEAN Growth Area (EAGA) was to facilitate cross-border movement of people, tourists and goods in the sub-region.

The 13 cities which would see their air links liberalized are Bandar Seri Begawan in Brunei, Balikpapan, Manado, Pontianak and Tarakan in Indonesia, Kota Kinabalu, Kuching, Labuan and Miri in East Malaysia.

In the Phillippines, Davao City, General Santos, Puerto Princesa and Zamboanga would be involved, under the arrangement.

Chan said only designated airlines endorsed by the respective governments could participate in the arrangement.

He said national carrier Malaysia Airlines and budget airlines, Air Asia would be the two designated airlines for Malaysia.

http://business.inq7.net/money/breakingnews/view_article.php?article_id=36773

..what we've been waiting for.. kailang kaya effective to? sana para sa buong pilipinas na!

SeaAir is leasing two A320s from Tiger Airways w/c will be used for its Cebu and Davao expansion.. Delivery will be this Febuary 2007.

Philippine Airlines to buy, lease Boeing 777-300ER jets
December 6, 2006

MANILA (MarketWatch) -- Philippine Airlines Inc., or PAL, said Wednesday it recently signed a deal for the purchase and lease of six Boeing 777-300 Extended Range aircraft to expand its wide-body fleet over the next six years. The country's largest airline by fleet said the jets have a list price of $250 million each.

PAL President Jaime Bautista told reporters that the agreement he recently signed in Honolulu with Boeing Co. (BA) vice president for sales Rob Laird covers a firm order for two B777-300ER jets and purchase rights over two additional same model aircraft. He said a letter of intent was separately signed with GE Commercial Aviation Services for the lease of two B777-300ER aircraft.

Bautista said that delivery of the leased aircraft as well as the two new B777-300ERs it is buying will start in the third quarter of 2009 and will continue until 2010. Delivery of the jets covered by the purchase options will be 2011 and 2012, he added. "The acquisition of the B777-300ER allows PAL to expand direct services between the Philippines and the United States," said Bautista.

The B777-300ER is the world's largest long-range twin-engine jet and is capable of carrying up to 368 passengers in PAL's two-class configuration at a range of up to 7,880 nautical miles, the airline explained.

Currently, PAL uses the Boeing 747-400 on its trans-Pacific routes. PAL's upgrading of its widebody fleet comes on the heels of its modernization of its single-aisle fleet. In October, PAL unveiled the first of up to 20 aircraft it has ordered from Airbus also over the next six years. Three A319s have been delivered and are already in service.

The airline, which now flies to 24 destinations in 13 countries including five points in the U.S., has a widebody fleet comprised of 17 aircraft at present - five B747-400s, four A340-300s and eight A330-300s.

From balita.ph - http://biz.balita.ph/html/article.php/20061206102051979

SEAIR to posts P1-billion this year

Wednesday, December 06 2006 @ 10:20 AM GMT

Business

South East Asian Airlines (SEAIR) will post at least P1-billion this year, from P600-million in 2005.

Avelino L. Zapanta, newly appointed President and CEO of SeAir, said that the company has grown exponentially to more than 10 times its initial revenue output since it started commercially 10 years ago.

”SeAir will continue to pump additional investments for its long-term plans. The field of opportunity for expansion has widened with the inevitable push for greater liberalization of the aviation industry, emergences of new breed and models of airlines, coupled with the potential for greater growth of tourism in the country,” Zapanta said.

Pushed by a market-driven business demanding additional aircraft, flights and destinations, the company will buy two Airbus A320 from Tiger Airways within the first quarter of 2007.

The planes are se to operate in domestic and regional routes as soon as the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) grants the necessary regulatory approvals,” Zapanta said.

”SeAir is in an eviable position of operating a fleet of modernad cost efficient aircraft. It has the most modern fleet in the jetcrop industry,” he added.

Aside from the local expansion, SeAir si positioning itself to enter the international market such as Singapore and Macau from Clark and other destinations after its appointment as one of the official carriers for the Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines-East Asian Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) region.

Zapanta said SeAir will upagrade the Clark-Cebu route and link Busuanga, Puerto Princesa and Iloilo as part of the company’s plans and programs.

Both the current fleet of Dornier 328s and LET 410 UPV-Es and the forthcoming A320s are noted for their fuel efficiency, Zapanta said noting “the possibility of fuel hedging shall be explored vis-à-vis its current level of operation to determine if economy of scale exists to warrant a bold fuel hedging program.”

Zapanta said that with the inevitable push for greater liberalization of the aviation industry and the emergence of new breeds and models of airlines, the field of opportunity for expansion has widened coupled with the potential for greater growth in tourism.

”SeAir casts its lot in Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) where it has been the pioneer commercial operator in its belief that it would be the primary gateway of the country in not too distant future,” Zapanta said.

In September, SeAir signed a contract with Singapore’s Tiger Airways to promote the Philippines travel and tourism and boost SeAir’s regional market presence.

It is anticipated that the agreement will create up to 1,000 further jobs in and around Clark to serve the riding public with low cost and affordable value for money air travel using brand new equipment and aircraft.

The airline will employ an additional 100 Filipino technical professionals, including pilots and cabin crew, to ruin this expanded operation.

Recruitment is now on-going for 18 additional pilots and 32 flight attendants and added four check-in counters in Manila Domestic Airport and two at the Caticlan (Boracay)Airport.

SeAir introduced to the public last June the integrated Airline Reservation and Ticketing System (ARTS), the first ever online booking system to offer flights in Caticlan, Palawan, Cebu, Clark and Manila.

The revenue generated by the online system has reached more than P1.3-million in sales in the first two weeks of service and is growing by 20 percent every month.

December sales area estimated at over P6-million and projections will generate as much as 30 percent growth in new business in 2007.

E-ticketing is 60 percent foreign (United States, Asia, up to South Africa) and 40 percent local.

SeAir flies 18 routes to 14 local destinations; Manila, Caticlan, and Cebu in Visayas; Clark in Northern Luzon; Busuanga, Cuyo, El Nido, Puerto Princesa and Rodriguez in Palawan Province; Camiguin, Cotabato, Zamboanga, Jolo, Tawi-Tawi in Mindanao.

It has fleet of seven LET 410 planes, four Dornier 328 aircraft, the restored vintage Do-24ATT seaplane and the coming two A320. (PNA)

* Wasn't Avelino Zapanta PAL's former president?
* Are they buying or leasing from Tiger Airways?
* Who edited this article - it's full of mistakes?

Good to hear some progress on the smaller airlines!



* Wasn't Avelino Zapanta PAL's former president?
* Are they buying or leasing from Tiger Airways?
* Who edited this article - it's full of mistakes?
- Yes, Zapanta was PAL's CEO who took the helm of the airline during the 1998 crisis.
- I believe Tiger is leasing the A320s, not selling them.

Hi guys, I wonder if I can get some advice from you. I arrive next month in Manila international airport at about 11:35 am and I want to book a flight to Dumaguete on Air Philippines which leaves the domestic terminal at 13:00. Would I be cutting it close, having only an hour and a half to make this transfer? How much in advance do you have to show up at the domestic airport? I'd hate to book non-refundable promo fares and not be sure.

The airline will employ an additional 100 Filipino technical professionals, including pilots and cabin crew, to ruin this expanded operation.

hahaha ruin! I like this..

Hi guys, I wonder if I can get some advice from you. I arrive next month in Manila international airport at about 11:35 am and I want to book a flight to Dumaguete on Air Philippines which leaves the domestic terminal at 13:00. Would I be cutting it close, having only an hour and a half to make this transfer? How much in advance do you have to show up at the domestic airport? I'd hate to book non-refundable promo fares and not be sure.

i dont think you would make it(or maybe you can but it would be really tight) unless you are arriving at centenial, then you would be able to catch up(i think).. because you only have 1 and a half hour prior to your domestic flight... you will arrive in manila at 11:35(assuming there is no delays), you will pass through immigration,pick up your baggage then custom which would cost you about 35mins-1 hour(depende kung gaano kahaba ang linya and kung early mo macclaim ang iyong mga bagahe), then cab papuntang centenial terminal.. so, if i were in your situation, i will book a later flight(at least thats how i would do it) or pray really hard that nothing would go wrong and arrive at NAIA 1 early.. :D..

airplane afficionados, please answer this..

will the plane take off or not?

http://meignorant.com/

:)

Hi guys, I wonder if I can get some advice from you. I arrive next month in Manila international airport at about 11:35 am and I want to book a flight to Dumaguete on Air Philippines which leaves the domestic terminal at 13:00. Would I be cutting it close, having only an hour and a half to make this transfer? How much in advance do you have to show up at the domestic airport? I'd hate to book non-refundable promo fares and not be sure.

If you are arriving Manila by PAL, then you can make it since Philippine Airlines and Air Philippines both use the centennial terminal. Otherwise, it would be a very tight transfer if you are arriving by another airline in NAIA 1.

I'm arriving on EVA air which uses T1, I think. I guess I won't book the flight on Air Philippines. My other option is Cebu Pacific the next day. I heard they use yet another terminal?

yup...the Manila Domestic Terminal.

;10770390']airplane afficionados, please answer this..

will the plane take off or not?

http://meignorant.com/

:)

IMO, hindi lilipad yan.. :lol: baka lang.. kasi walang air pressure(:nuts: ).. Ewan. pero kung halimbawang makakalipad nga, haha, parang helecopter ang dating..:lol:





====
may explanation naman pala sa taas eh...:lol:

I'm arriving on EVA air which uses T1, I think. I guess I won't book the flight on Air Philippines. My other option is Cebu Pacific the next day. I heard they use yet another terminal?

I found the tips posted on filipinotravel.com.ph (http://www.filipinotravel.com.ph/tickets/airport_faqs.php) http://www.filipinotravel.com.ph/tickets/airport_faqs.php pretty helpful. Quoted regarding travel between terminals --> "However, to get from one airport to another is expressed in time rather than in kilometers, due to permanent traffic congestion. To get from International Terminal 1 or 2 to Manila Domestic Terminal can take up to one hour ! We therefore recommend at least one (1) hour time allowance."

Good luck on your upcoming trip!

7 December 2006
PAL acquires 6 brand-new Boeing 777-300ER jets


MANILA – Philippine Airlines has signed a purchase agreement with the Boeing Company that signals the much-awaited expansion of the flag carrier’s widebody fleet, with PAL set to acquire up to six Boeing 777-300 Extended Range aircraft over the next six years.

The agreement, which was signed by PAL president Jaime J. Bautista and Boeing vice president for sales Rob Laird in Honolulu recently, covers a firm order for two B777-300ER jets and purchase rights for two additional units.

Separately, PAL has also signed a letter of intent with GE Commercial Aviation Services for the lease of two B777-300ER aircraft.

Deliveries of the firm orders as well as leased aircraft will commence in the third quarter of 2009 and continue until 2010. Deliveries of the aircraft covered by purchase rights will be in 2011 and 2012.

PAL has specified a bi-class configuration for its B777-300ERs, with state-of-the-art seats and in-flight entertainment system capable of providing audio/video on-demand in both Mabuhay (business) and Fiesta (economy) classes.

“The acquisition of the B777-300ER allows PAL to expand direct services between the Philippines and the United States,” said Bautista. “Our passengers will also benefit from the higher level of comfort and amenities that this high-technology aircraft brings.”

“We are especially pleased that Philippine Airlines, the first commercial airline in Asia, is selecting the Boeing 777-300ER, which will increase fleet efficiency and profitability for the airline,” said Laird. “The 777 is the market leader in the 300-to-400-seat segment, offering unsurpassed twin-engine efficiency, range and comfort.”

The decision to move forward on the upgrading of PAL’s widebody fleet comes on the heels of a similar modernization of its single-aisle fleet. Last October 20, PAL unveiled the first of up to 20 brand-new Airbus A320-family jets that the airline is acquiring, also over the next six years. Three of those aircraft, all A319s, have already been delivered and are in service.

The fuel-efficient B777-300ER is the world’s largest long-range twin-engine jetliner and is capable of carrying up to 368 passengers in PAL’s two-class configuration, at a range of up to 7,880 nautical miles (14,594 kilometers).

It will complement the Boeing 747-400, PAL’s venerable flagship, on the trans-Pacific routes. PAL’s widebody fleet currently comprises 17 aircraft: five B747-400s, four Airbus A340-300s and eight Airbus A330-300s.

The flag carrier flies to 24 destinations in 13 countries and territories, including three points on the U.S. mainland – Los Angeles, San Francisco and Las Vegas – plus Honolulu and Guam in the Pacific.

So if I had to stay a night in Manila to wait for a flight, where's the best area to stay in, Makati or Ermita? Any suggestions on nice places to sleep?

7 December 2006
PAL acquires 6 brand-new Boeing 777-300ER jets


MANILA – Philippine Airlines has signed a purchase agreement with the Boeing Company that signals the much-awaited expansion of the flag carrier’s widebody fleet, with PAL set to acquire up to six Boeing 777-300 Extended Range aircraft over the next six years.

The agreement, which was signed by PAL president Jaime J. Bautista and Boeing vice president for sales Rob Laird in Honolulu recently, covers a firm order for two B777-300ER jets and purchase rights for two additional units.

Separately, PAL has also signed a letter of intent with GE Commercial Aviation Services for the lease of two B777-300ER aircraft.

Deliveries of the firm orders as well as leased aircraft will commence in the third quarter of 2009 and continue until 2010. Deliveries of the aircraft covered by purchase rights will be in 2011 and 2012.

PAL has specified a bi-class configuration for its B777-300ERs, with state-of-the-art seats and in-flight entertainment system capable of providing audio/video on-demand in both Mabuhay (business) and Fiesta (economy) classes.

“The acquisition of the B777-300ER allows PAL to expand direct services between the Philippines and the United States,” said Bautista. “Our passengers will also benefit from the higher level of comfort and amenities that this high-technology aircraft brings.”

“We are especially pleased that Philippine Airlines, the first commercial airline in Asia, is selecting the Boeing 777-300ER, which will increase fleet efficiency and profitability for the airline,” said Laird. “The 777 is the market leader in the 300-to-400-seat segment, offering unsurpassed twin-engine efficiency, range and comfort.”

The decision to move forward on the upgrading of PAL’s widebody fleet comes on the heels of a similar modernization of its single-aisle fleet. Last October 20, PAL unveiled the first of up to 20 brand-new Airbus A320-family jets that the airline is acquiring, also over the next six years. Three of those aircraft, all A319s, have already been delivered and are in service.

The fuel-efficient B777-300ER is the world’s largest long-range twin-engine jetliner and is capable of carrying up to 368 passengers in PAL’s two-class configuration, at a range of up to 7,880 nautical miles (14,594 kilometers).

It will complement the Boeing 747-400, PAL’s venerable flagship, on the trans-Pacific routes. PAL’s widebody fleet currently comprises 17 aircraft: five B747-400s, four Airbus A340-300s and eight Airbus A330-300s.

The flag carrier flies to 24 destinations in 13 countries and territories, including three points on the U.S. mainland – Los Angeles, San Francisco and Las Vegas – plus Honolulu and Guam in the Pacific.

New planes for PAL! Yehey! Sayang, I was really hoping that PAL would get the A380, or the B787, but at least PAL's getting more planes!

Is there anyone in the forum who knows more about PAL's cabin refurbishing plan? I know that they'll get rid First Class, but they stated that they'll add new seats and personal TVs on all seats. Does anybody know how long it would take to refurbish a plane. Considering the high utilization rate of PAL's long-haul and medium-haul fleet (B747, A340, A330), how can PAL maintain its schedule if one or two of its planes are being refurbished? Is PAL considering leasing additional planes?

Is PAL considering ordering more planes in the near future? Or is this it? Parang bitin eh (it feels that it is not enough)...

BTW, I read an Asiaweek article from 1978 on PAL's purchase of the B747-200. According to the article, PAL Chairman Roman Cruz was concerned about the high utilization rates of PAL's DC-10s and DC-8s, since the article was published around the time the pilot strike at Northwest Airlines ended; and it pretty much increased passenger loads on PAL's San Francisco flight.

Yay... I'm glad PAL went Boeing. The 777 is a fine aircraft.

I haven't been on on a B777 before, must be nice. :(

PAL to acquire 6 new Boeing jets for $1.5B
By Mary Ann Ll. Reyes
The Philippine Star 12/08/2006

Flag carrier Philippine Airlines has signed a purchase agreement with US aircraft company Boeing for two wide-body jets and purchase rights for two additional units in line with its $1.5-billion fleet expansion program.

The $1.5 billion program is on top of PAL’s $840-million refleeting program that will be deployed mainly on the airline’s extensive domestic network and other Asian destinations.

Each jet is estimated to cost around $250 million. PAL has also signed a letter of intent with GE Commercial Aviation Services for the lease of two other B777-300ER planes.

Deliveries of the firm orders as well as the leased aircraft will start in the third quarter of 2009 and continue until 2010. The aircraft covered by the purchase rights will be delivered in 2010 and 2011.

PAL president Jaime Bautista said the acquisition of the two B777-300ER with a total cost of $500 million will allow the carrier to expand direct services between the Philippines and the United States. "Our passengers will also benefit from the higher level of comfort and amenities that this high-technology aircraft brings," he added.

In addition to flying to more areas in the US such as San Diego and Seattle, PAL is also looking at revisiting the Middle East as well as Europe. The new planes can likewise be used for flights to Australia and Japan. On Dec. 16, PAL will unveil its flights to Nagoya, its fifth destination in Japan.

About 15 percent constituting the downpayment for the two planes will be internally sourced, while the remainder will be sourced from loans.

For his part, Boeing vice president for sales Rob Laird, who signed the agreement with Bautista in Honolulu recently, said the plane is the market leader in the 300- to 400-seat segment, with better efficiency, range, and comfort. PAL has specified a bi-class configuration for its B777-300ERs, with state-of-the-art seats and in-flight entertainment system capable of providing audio-video on-demand in both business and economy classes.

The decision to move forward on the upgrading of PAL’s wide-body fleet comes on the heels of a similar modernization of its single-aisle fleet. Last Oct. 20, PAL unveiled the first of up to 20 brand-new Airbus A320 family jets that the airline is acquiring, also over the next six years. Three of those aircraft, all A319s, have already been delivered and are in service.

The more fuel-efficient B777-300ER is the world’s largest long-range twin-engine jetliner and is capable of carrying up to 368 passengers in PAL’s two-class configuration, at a range of up to 7,880 nautical miles (14,594 km). It will complement the Boeing 747-400 on the trans-Pacific routes.

Bautista said compared to the 400-seater B747 which has four engines, the B777 has only two engines, which makes the latter at least 20 percent more fuel efficient.

By 2012, PAL’s fleet will increase to 43 planes, which will include six B777, five B747-400s, four Airbus A340-300s, and eight Airbus A330-300s and 20 A320s. Right now, the ratio of owned to leased planes is 2:1.

The flag carrier flies to 24 destinations in 13 countries and territories, including three points on the US mainland – Los Angeles, San Francisco and Las Vegas, plus Honolulu and Guam in the Pacific.

The company expects two more A319s to be delivered before the end of 2006, and for next year, seven aircraft–six A320s and A319–will be delivered. PAL is also tapping five A320s for 2008 and the deliveries of five option aircraft, should PAL take them up, will start in 2009 and run until 2012.

PAL chairman Lucio Tan said these airplanes will carry tourists, businessmen and other regional passengers to a higher level of comfort on domestic and regional flights.

"Through this modern fleet, we hope to assist in fostering economic growth in the countryside. Just as well, it will help improve the air bridges between the Philippines and neighboring countries."

He added that despite current challenges, his company is bullish about the country’s growth prospects and stability. "This positive outlook, prompted us to upgrade PAL’s fleet and this is a reflection of our confidence that the global airline industry is on the road to recovery."

"We took a calculated step, despite the industry’s projected $1.7 billion loss this year. Our plan is to expand our operations, with more frequencies on the domestic front. Later on, this will be followed by new destinations once all the new airplanes arrive," Tan said.

The company’s confidence, Tan said, is anchored on the 4.8-percent projected growth in passenger traffic this year and airlines worldwide consistently posted a 10-percent increase in revenues for the last three years.

"And now that world fuel prices are stabilizing, we know we made the right decision at boldly going forward."

_________________________________________________



PAL buying 6 long-range Boeing 777s for $1.5B

By Riza T. Olchondra
Inquirer
Last updated 02:15am (Mla time) 12/08/2006

PHILIPPINE Airlines (PAL) said Thursday it had signed an agreement to acquire six Boeing 777-300 Extended Range (ER) aircraft from 2009 to 2012 for about $1.5 billion.

The agreement, which PAL president Jaime Bautista signed with Boeing vice president for sales Rob Laird in Honolulu last month, covers a firm order for two B777-300ER jets and purchase rights for two more, PAL said.

Separately, PAL has signed a letter of intent with GE Commercial Aviation Services for the lease of two B777-300ER aircraft, the company said.

Bautista said PAL would use internally generated funds, loans and possibly debt notes for the acquisitions.

For the outright purchase of two planes costing a total of $500 million, a 15-percent down payment of $75 million will come from PAL equity and the remainder from loans, possibly from US Export-Import Bank, he said.

“Plans to increase its presence in long-haul destinations moved PAL to choose the more fuel-efficient Boeing 777, a two-engine jet that seats 368 passengers, over the four-engine 747 that seats 400,” Bautista told reporters.

PAL intends to expand services in the United States to include New York and Seattle, and to revive its European and Middle East routes, he said.

Deliveries of ordered and leased aircraft will begin in the third quarter of 2009 and will continue until 2010, he said.

So if I had to stay a night in Manila to wait for a flight, where's the best area to stay in, Makati or Ermita? Any suggestions on nice places to sleep?

sa sampaloc

they'd better revive their european and middle eastern flights if they want to be a world class airline. new york? would that be direct or via canada or the west coast? hope they go back to europe soon! really hope that they use the new planes to melbourne too ;)

Matagaltagal parin ang dating ng bagon eroplano. I wouldn't be surprised if they looked at some medium range widebodies. It'll be exciting to see the 777 in all routes. I'm not sure mid east will be very competitive for them but direct routes to rome , london and frankfurt should do very well. I'm not sure the triple 777 they ordered can do mla-ny nonstop. Even if it can, that route will use up a lot of assets.:grouphug:

my guess is if they are planning to return to NYC (Newark, most likely) they will do it via YVR (Vancouver). They are currently in the process of trying to get more landing rights. If they decide to fly to Europe again, Rome and/or Frankfurt will be their first destinations.

It is also part of PAL's medium-term fleet plan to acquire more regional wide-bodies. So i expect an order of either B787, A350 or more A330s to come soon.

@ systematica - depends on what kind of environment you want. Makati is catered to the business traveller while Ermita is catered for the leisure traveller.

good news ,more routes with Pal more jobs

Saturday, December 09, 2006
Flag carrier to buy 6 new planes

SIX Boeing 777-300 extended range aircraft amounting to US$1.5 billion are set to be purchased by Philippine Airlines (PAL) within the next six years.

PAL president Jaime Bautista said the acquisition agreement with Boeing Company is part of the much-awaited expansion of the flag carrier’s wide-body fleet.

“This will allow to us to mount more flights to the US, (more flights) to the Middle East and revisit the possibility of operating in Europe,” Bautista told reporters.

Bautista and Boeing vice president for sales Rob Laird signed the purchase accord in Honolulu, Hawaii recently, which covers an order for two B777-300ER jets and purchase rights for two additional units.

Bautista said 15 percent of the payment for the two B777-300ER jets costing US$500 million will be drawn from internally-generated funds while 85 percent will be raised from loans and notes issue.

PAL also signed a separate letter of intent with GE Commercial Aviation Services for the lease of two B777-300ER aircraft.

Bautista said the delivery of the new aircraft and the leased planes will start in the third quarter of 2009 until 2010 while the delivery of the aircraft covered by the purchase rights will be in 2011 and 2012.

PAL has specified a bi-class configuration for the B777-300ERs, with state-of-the-art seats and in-flight entertainment system capable of providing audio/video on-demand in both Mabuhay (business) and Fiesta (economy) classes.

“The aircraft are more fuel efficient and maintenance efficient,” Bautista said.

He also said passengers will benefit from the “higher level of comfort and amenities that this high-technology aircraft brings.”

Laird, on the other hand, said by selecting the Boeing 777-300ER, PAL will increase fleet efficiency and profitability for the airline. “The 777 is the market leader in the 300-to-400-seat segment, offering unsurpassed twin-engine efficiency, range and comfort,” he said.

The upgrading of PAL’s wide-body fleet is part of the airline’s modernization of its single-aisle fleet.

It would be recalled that three months ago, PAL presented to the public the first of its 20 brand-new Airbus A320-family jets that the airline is acquiring within the next six years. Three of the aircraft, all A319s, have already been delivered and are in service. (MSN/Sunnex)
Sunstar (http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/man/2006/12/09/bus/flag.carrier.to.buy.6.new.planes.html)

my guess is if they are planning to return to NYC (Newark, most likely) they will do it via YVR (Vancouver). They are currently in the process of trying to get more landing rights. If they decide to fly to Europe again, Rome and/or Frankfurt will be their first destinations.

I believe the supposed SAN route will be via YVR taking up the days that PR107/108 to/from LAS doesn't operate. Of course, if SAN doesn't come into fruition, then EWR will look nice. A bit of competition on YVR-NYC with CX and their 5th freedom rights to JFK but who knows. Maybe hit two birds with one stone and do it via AMS again or some other European destination? Would be nice to see PR do some 5th freedoms across the Pond. :D

or maybe PAL could do what Air New Zealand does! you know the round the world thingo, manila - london/rome/paris/amsterdam/frankfurt - nyc - los angeles/vancouver - manila . now that would be cool :banana:

my guess is if they are planning to return to NYC (Newark, most likely) they will do it via YVR (Vancouver). They are currently in the process of trying to get more landing rights. If they decide to fly to Europe again, Rome and/or Frankfurt will be their first destinations.

It is also part of PAL's medium-term fleet plan to acquire more regional wide-bodies. So i expect an order of either B787, A350 or more A330s to come soon.

@ systematica - depends on what kind of environment you want. Makati is catered to the business traveller while Ermita is catered for the leisure traveller.


Continental airlines operates B777ER non-stop HK -Newark Int'l for sure as I've been in one... Is Manila-NJ has the same distance as to HK-NJ? If so, then PAL doesn't need to make a stop in Vancouver Ca for instance just like in their Manila - Vancouver - Las Vegas flights/route where PAL operates their A330/340 fleets..

Continental airlines operates B777ER non-stop HK -Newark Int'l for sure as I've been in one... Is Manila-NJ has the same distance as to HK-NJ? If so, then PAL doesn't need to make a stop in Vancouver Ca for instance just like in their Manila - Vancouver - Las Vegas flights/route where PAL operates their A330/340 fleets..
The 777ER that CO operates is a -200ER and what PR ordered is a -300ER but the difference in the range of the two is just more than a 100nm (the -300ER has more @ 7,880 nm). The difference between EWR-HKG and EWR-MNL is less than 486nm/716km/500mi with EWR-MNL being longer at 7,395 nm which is well within the threshold of a normally loaded 777-300ER.

One also has to take note of all the cargo this plane will be holding which can cut down the range of the aircraft which is why PR's a/c bound from LAX and SFO take a technical stop at GUM along with encountering headwinds heading west. Supposedly if PR would operate a nonstop MNL-EWR flight, it would be a more polar-leaning route which should encounter less headwinds vs. a more Pacific flightpath.

Though PR could do a nonstop to New York with a 77W, it is less risky by utilizing 5th freedom rights in which the airline can sell tickets in a flight that it operates between two countries in which neither is of the airline's origin. This is where it gain more revenue in the process by filling up seats that would otherwise be empty.

got this from indonesian forum..:lol:
http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/4449/00005337vn6.jpg

Very badly executed photoshopping!
The centreline of the added fuselage top does not align with the base of the tail; being off to starboard.

noticed that too...:D

buti pa garuda may a480!

I look forward to new widebodies for medium haul for PR

may garuda pa bang lumilipad sa pnas, o umalis na rin

^^umalis na..

One thing interesting is that the seating capacity of the two-class 773ER is only 368. If PAL decided to utilize 32 inch pitch, 9-abreast economy, as well as 60-inch pitch cocoon seats, the number would be around 392 passengers. That must mean that they're gonna unveil a kickass business class product, then :)

Well, either that, or economy will have a pitch of 36"

Gatchalian mulls return to airline business
By Marianne V. Go
The Philippine Star 12/11/2006

Plastics king William Gatchalian is thinking of returning to the airline business following his observation of a global growth in air travel and an economic turnaround.

In an interview, Gatchalian revealed that he may revive his still existing Philippine International Airways (Pil-Air) which has 12 second-hand Boeing 737s, two of which are parked in Subic and the rest in the United States.

Gatchalian said Pil-Air already has a license to operate, but would still have to secure the necessary permits from the Civil Aeronautics Board.

Thus, preparations to operate Pil-Air, he said, could take a year and commercial operations would only be likely in 2008. If Pil-Air does take off, Gatchalian said it will start with domestic routes.

Gatchalian saidPil-Air would complement his hotel holdings. He owns Waterfront Hotel in Cebu, the Pavilion in Manila and recently opened the boutique G-Hotel.

Gatchalian previously owned Air Philippines which he sold to taipan Lucio Tan.

He noted that air travel has been growing, allowing small carriers like Asian Spirit to make money.

"I am thus very tempted to go back to the airline business. It would be better for us, but it will be in due time," Gatchalian said, adding he would have to borrow money first to revive Pil-Air.

Gatchalian, however, has no plans of joining forces with the existing players, opting to go independent.

Trade and Industry Secretary Peter B. Favila has welcomed the entry of low-cost air carriers, and the increase in tourism that it brings to the country.

"Competition is healthy. It leads to better efficiency," Favila said.

Gatchalian admits that PAL "dominates the market." PAL had previously voiced its concern that Air Asia, along with the Singaporean-owned Tiger Airways which is already operating out of the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) in Clark, Pampanga, aims to cannibalize passengers from PAL’s lucrative Manila-Hong Kong route.

i found this pic in wikipedia.. so, in case you havent seen this one, here it is!! tadaah
http://www.geocities.com/mitgc2004/pal777medium.JPG[/QUOTE]

Gatchalian mulls return to airline business
By Marianne V. Go
The Philippine Star 12/11/2006

Plastics king William Gatchalian is thinking of returning to the airline business following his observation of a global growth in air travel and an economic turnaround.

In an interview, Gatchalian revealed that he may revive his still existing Philippine International Airways (Pil-Air) which has 12 second-hand Boeing 737s, two of which are parked in Subic and the rest in the United States.

Gatchalian said Pil-Air already has a license to operate, but would still have to secure the necessary permits from the Civil Aeronautics Board.

Thus, preparations to operate Pil-Air, he said, could take a year and commercial operations would only be likely in 2008. If Pil-Air does take off, Gatchalian said it will start with domestic routes.

Gatchalian saidPil-Air would complement his hotel holdings. He owns Waterfront Hotel in Cebu, the Pavilion in Manila and recently opened the boutique G-Hotel.

Gatchalian previously owned Air Philippines which he sold to taipan Lucio Tan.

He noted that air travel has been growing, allowing small carriers like Asian Spirit to make money.

"I am thus very tempted to go back to the airline business. It would be better for us, but it will be in due time," Gatchalian said, adding he would have to borrow money first to revive Pil-Air.

Gatchalian, however, has no plans of joining forces with the existing players, opting to go independent.

Trade and Industry Secretary Peter B. Favila has welcomed the entry of low-cost air carriers, and the increase in tourism that it brings to the country.

"Competition is healthy. It leads to better efficiency," Favila said.

Gatchalian admits that PAL "dominates the market." PAL had previously voiced its concern that Air Asia, along with the Singaporean-owned Tiger Airways which is already operating out of the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) in Clark, Pampanga, aims to cannibalize passengers from PAL’s lucrative Manila-Hong Kong route.

They can make cebu as their HUB..^^

Does anyone of you know what happened to the Bukidnon Airport? Is it still existing? (Pic. ca. 1963/Bukidnon officials meeting World Bank representatives)

http://static.flickr.com/115/300286948_647d38d255.jpg?v=0

Well, either that, or economy will have a pitch of 36"
Y+ throughout the back cabin? And when we thought 34" was generous... ;) One can dream though...one can dream. :D

Interesting insigh Solblanc. Perhaps with the extremely heavy average load per pax on the west coast-phil run the plane can not fly nonstop without a tech stop again on the east to west return (just a guess) so might as well have a really great y or c class. I think the lie flat beds will be 72 or 80 rather than 60 , again just a guess. It would be nice if economy was really 34 that would be so great!

Bukidnon, are you referring to the Camp Philips strip. I believe it's still there as friends of mine used to fly directly to delmonte but on smaller planes obviously not the big ones.

Nice 777 render.

BTW doesn't gatchlian still own 30% or air phils? it would be great if they decided to revive pilair if it's not airphil and partnered up with air aisisa. pilairasia. really a galing development for aviation in the country.

The 777ER that CO operates is a -200ER and what PR ordered is a -300ER but the difference in the range of the two is just more than a 100nm (the -300ER has more @ 7,880 nm). The difference between EWR-HKG and EWR-MNL is less than 486nm/716km/500mi with EWR-MNL being longer at 7,395 nm which is well within the threshold of a normally loaded 777-300ER.

One also has to take note of all the cargo this plane will be holding which can cut down the range of the aircraft which is why PR's a/c bound from LAX and SFO take a technical stop at GUM along with encountering headwinds heading west. Supposedly if PR would operate a nonstop MNL-EWR flight, it would be a more polar-leaning route which should encounter less headwinds vs. a more Pacific flightpath.

Though PR could do a nonstop to New York with a 77W, it is less risky by utilizing 5th freedom rights in which the airline can sell tickets in a flight that it operates between two countries in which neither is of the airline's origin. This is where it gain more revenue in the process by filling up seats that would otherwise be empty.

Thanks for the info bud. I figured those were the possible scenario on those two above mentioned routes. Yes, I'm also familiar about "encountering less headwind vs. a more pacific flight path... I think it has been discussed before, I'm not sure if it's here in this thread of at the airlines section or at the airliner.com. Thanks much never-the-less once again...

i found this pic in wikipedia.. so, in case you havent seen this one, here it is!! tadaah
http://www.geocities.com/mitgc2004/pal777medium.JPG[/QUOTE]

is this a bad photoshopped?

it looks too plain! but at least theyre getting new planes!

anyone find any information about the new flights to HK from clark? they were supposed to debut the flights yesterday dec 10 right? i cant find any mention of it in any article on the net..

I'm glad PAL has finally taken the B773ER, i like them too, same with A346. But i guess PAL realized that B773 works better for them. Hopefully these new planes will be installed with new advance technology entertainment esp. cater for the convinience of all passengers. Go for AVOD and PTVs! Good luck!

i hope atleast on one of these new birds, that they will have like a special livery....like...celebrate 68 years of flying with pal....or if they want to wait...til their 70 birthday...they shoould paint one though...like hella nice!!!!

ive noticed pal never has those special paint schemes like other airlines? itd be nice if tried something like what MH did when they introduced their new cabins, the hibiscus and the heliconia ;)

-..

Air link accord to boost travel
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=59035
The Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei air links agreement will perk up the tourism and trade sectors in Mindanao, the Civil Aeronautics Board said.

In a telephone interview, Carmelo Arcilla, CAB executive director said the agreement allowing unlimited flight frequencies and schedules among 13 of the three countries’ cities would develop the local tourism sector.

Cities included in the agreement are Davao, General Santos, Puerto Princesa and Zamboanga in the Philippines; Bandar Seri Begawan in Brunei; Balikpapan, Manado, Pontianak and Tarakan in Indonesia; and Kota Kinabalu, Kuching, Labuan and Miri in Malaysia.

" We are laying [the] groundwork and the final actions would be on the part of the airlines," Arcilla said.

By 2008, airline carriers from across Southeast Asia will be allowed to operate in an unlimited capacity at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

Porvenir Porciuncula, CAB deputy executive director said based on the Roadmap for Asean Competitive Air Services Policy, air carriers in the region will be allowed to enter the NAIA with unlimited capacity by 2008.

"The bigger airlines will benefit from this, like Singapore Airline, Thai Airways and Malaysian airlines," Porciuncula said.

He hopes the NAIA terminal 3 will be fully operational by 2008 to accommodate the increase in those airlines’ operations.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ economic ministers had agreed to accelerate the integration of the air travel and tourism sectors and to develop a regional action plan for the staged and progressive implementation of open skies arrangement in the region. Darwin Amojelar

Does anyone of you know what happened to the Bukidnon Airport? Is it still existing? (Pic. ca. 1963/Bukidnon officials meeting World Bank representatives)

http://static.flickr.com/115/300286948_647d38d255.jpg?v=0

Are you refering to the one in Malaybalay? My uncle said there had been comercial flights there before.. But the airport's runway is short, insufficient for aircraft's take off...Plus it sits on a plateau.

i hope atleast on one of these new birds, that they will have like a special livery....like...celebrate 68 years of flying with pal....or if they want to wait...til their 70 birthday...they shoould paint one though...like hella nice!!!!


I don't think they'll have one since having a heavily painted plane would cost a lot of fuel as the plane becomes heavier... I think that's also the reason why they prefer the all white fuselage design concept, bec. it conserves fuel esp. nowadays PAL is into cost-cutting. But I like if PAL would have one... that woud be nice and they wouldn't be left behind by other Asian carriers in terms of plane design schemings like SQ, TG, KE, CX, MH.

I don't think they'll have one since having a heavily painted plane would cost a lot of fuel as the plane becomes heavier... I think that's also the reason why they prefer the all white fuselage design concept, bec. it conserves fuel esp. nowadays PAL is into cost-cutting. But I like if PAL would have one... that woud be nice and they wouldn't be left behind by other Asian carriers in terms of plane design schemings like SQ, TG, KE, CX, MH.

Huh? Isn't the all white fuselage also paint?

Are you refering to the one in Malaybalay? My uncle said there had been comercial flights there before.. But the airport's runway is short, insufficient for aircraft's take off...Plus it sits on a plateau.

i was referring to Malaybalay :) may-naglaland pa ba doon? narinig ko sa friend ko na pilot, cessna 150 na lang daw ang dumadayo doon... btw the picture was taken in malaybalay bukidnoon...

I don't think they'll have one since having a heavily painted plane would cost a lot of fuel as the plane becomes heavier... I think that's also the reason why they prefer the all white fuselage design concept, bec. it conserves fuel esp. nowadays PAL is into cost-cutting. But I like if PAL would have one... that woud be nice and they wouldn't be left behind by other Asian carriers in terms of plane design schemings like SQ, TG, KE, CX, MH.


considerable ba yung weight ng paint? dont they have special paint for planes?

Huh? Isn't the all white fuselage also paint?

afaik, all white fuselage is also paint... an example of paintless(or almost paintless) is american airlines atbp..

pics from flickr.com

John Gokongwei said:
" i'll make sure that the word “CEBU” is on everybody’s lips "

CEBU PACIFIC
http://static.flickr.com/126/320438760_c2fce19835.jpg?v=0


http://static.flickr.com/109/279657214_bbd370b263.jpg?v=0


http://static.flickr.com/66/194502167_e5a1942e4e.jpg?v=0


http://static.flickr.com/68/216432367_cb03b3e604.jpg?v=0


http://static.flickr.com/51/161699183_9b0256291e.jpg?v=0


http://static.flickr.com/107/309594800_94cb2cf32c.jpg?v=0

At NAIA-3, PAL could save $60M, have 8-M passengers

By Riza T. Olchondra
Inquirer
Last updated 04:33am (Mla time) 12/13/2006

PHILIPPINE Airlines (PAL) could save at least $60 million and serve eight million passengers if it is allowed to operate, alongside other carriers, at the Terminal 3 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA 3) next year, company president Jaime Bautista said.

Negotiations with the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) are progressing, and PAL is really banking on being allowed to operate both domestic and international flights at the currently mothballed terminal, Bautista told the Inquirer.

The MIAA has said it has no objections to PAL operating both domestic and international flights at NAIA3.

PAL at present operates domestic and international services at NAIA 2, of which it has exclusive use.

It is negotiating with the MIAA on use of four gates of NAIA 3 for international operations, Bautista said.

It plans to keep domestic operations at NAIA 2, he said.

If it is not allowed to use the NAIA 3 for consolidated operations, PAL will have to fork out $60 million to buy a new airplane on top of the new long-haul Boeing 777 planes it is getting for $1.5 billion, Bautista said.

The new airplane would be needed to maintain flight schedules in the even its domestic and international operations are separated, he said.

"Right now, we use certain planes for both domestic and international flights," he explained. "Sometimes a plane will land from a domestic flight and take off with a fresh load of passengers for an international flight."

Bautista said a still uncalculated amount of additional expenditures would also be needed for having redundant equipment and airplane crew if domestic and international operations would be separated. With INQ7.net

Copyright 2006 Inquirer. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

3 more international airlines to fly via Clark

By Tonette Orejas
Inquirer
Last updated 03:50am (Mla time) 12/13/2006

CLARK SPECIAL ECONOMIC ZONE -- Three international airlines will start flights at the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport here to major destinations in Southeast Asia and the Middle East, said Victor Jose Luciano, president of Clark International Airport Corp.

Hong Kong Airways started four weekly flights here on Dec. 10, dedicating some of its Boeing 737s, with seating capacity of 145, to Clark operations, Luciano said.

Tair of Saudi Arabia will serve the Riyadh-Jeddah-Clark route four times weekly beginning in the second week of January 2007, he added.

Tair will use Boeing 747 planes, with capacity of 460 seats. Its operations will be a big help to the 1.4 million overseas Filipino workers in Saudi Arabia, Luciano said.

Thai Air Asia, the third budget airline to locate in Clark after Singapore’s Tiger Airways and Malaysia’s Air Asia, will start flights in January or February, Luciano said.

He said the carriers' operations here would conform to Executive Order 500 and EO 500-A, which both liberalize air policies at the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport. However, EO 500-A requires designated status from states to which the carriers are based.

Luciano said the worst that EO 500-A could do would be to restrict expansion plans of Tiger Airways and Air Asia.

As this developed, Luciano said senators were “inclined” to declare the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport a “freeport,” which would allow giving locators tax incentives.

The idea cropped up as the Clark Investors and Locators Association lobbied to regain the tax privileges ordered stopped by the Supreme Court in July 2005.

The senators appeared to support proposals to grant the tax privilege to export companies in Clark’s main zone, Luciano said.

Clark International Airport Corp. has earmarked P150 million for civil works and equipment for expanding the airport's terminal. With INQ7.net


Copyright 2006 Inquirer. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

PAL buying 6 long-range Boeing 777s for $1.5B

By Riza T. Olchondra
Inquirer
Last updated 02:15am (Mla time) 12/08/2006

PHILIPPINE Airlines (PAL) said Thursday it had signed an agreement to acquire six Boeing 777-300 Extended Range (ER) aircraft from 2009 to 2012 for about $1.5 billion.

The agreement, which PAL president Jaime Bautista signed with Boeing vice president for sales Rob Laird in Honolulu last month, covers a firm order for two B777-300ER jets and purchase rights for two more, PAL said.

Separately, PAL has signed a letter of intent with GE Commercial Aviation Services for the lease of two B777-300ER aircraft, the company said.

Bautista said PAL would use internally generated funds, loans and possibly debt notes for the acquisitions.

For the outright purchase of two planes costing a total of $500 million, a 15-percent down payment of $75 million will come from PAL equity and the remainder from loans, possibly from US Export-Import Bank, he said.

“Plans to increase its presence in long-haul destinations moved PAL to choose the more fuel-efficient Boeing 777, a two-engine jet that seats 368 passengers, over the four-engine 747 that seats 400,” Bautista told reporters.

PAL intends to expand services in the United States to include New York and Seattle, and to revive its European and Middle East routes, he said.

Deliveries of ordered and leased aircraft will begin in the third quarter of 2009 and will continue until 2010, he said. With INQ7.net

Interesting. Perhaps these are the much talked about 744 deposits with Boeing.

Cathay Pacific inks code-share deal with Dragonair
By Mary Ann Ll. Reyes
The Philippine Star 12/13/2006

Cathay Pacific Airways has entered into a new code-share arrangement with wholly-owned subsidiary Dragonair, as part of the integration of the two carriers.

Dragonair became a wholly owned subsidiary of Cathay Pacific effective Sept. 28 this year. Under the code-share partnership Cathay Pacific and Dragonair will jointly operate through an internal routing arrangement, thus providing more choices for air travel.

The code-share applies to seven cities and will be effective on flights to Shanghai, Beijing, Xiamen, Tokyo and Kota Kinabalu by Dec. 1, 2006. It will also apply to two new Dragonair destinations – Phuket, which will be launched on Dec. 15, and Busan (subject to government approval), where flights begin on Jan. 19, 2007. All the code-share flights will carry both the "CX" and "KA" codes.

Officials said the code-share will extend the Cathay Pacific network by three destinations – Kota Kinabalu, Phuket and Busan – to 105, giving passengers more choice on routes where both carriers operate.

For example, for the Shanghai route, passengers can choose to fly the Cathay Pacific daily service, which will be launched on Dec. 1, or the other 16 daily flights which are code-shared with Dragonair.

Vivian Lo, Cathay Pacific country manager for the Philippines, said that the integration is beneficial, especially for the travellers from the Philippines.

"Filipinos love to travel, and now they have more choices in terms of routes plus the opportunity to visit more places. Moreover, travellers from the Philippines and overseas can conveniently book a Cathay Pacific ticket to the code-shared destinations through the Cathay Pacific website," she noted.

For his part, Cathay Pacific director for corporate development Augustus Tang explained that the principal aim of the integration with Dragonair is to create new synergies that will bring a range of benefits for passengers as well as help to further develop Hong Kong as an international aviation hub. "The code-share marks another significant step towards achieving this aim," he said.

Recent developments since the integration of the two airlines include the relaunch of Dragonair’s Phuket service, a reduction in the "minimum connecting time"between the two carriers that led to at least 451 same-day connections each week for passengers traveling through Hong Kong International Airport; and the launch of a new Dragonair service to Busan.

Officials revealed that work is ongoing in other areas, including the alignment of flight schedules for the two carriers which promises to redefine service and convenience for both Cathay Pacific and Dragonair passengers.

considerable ba yung weight ng paint? dont they have special paint for planes?

Huh? Isn't the all white fuselage also paint?

Wat i mean is the all white paint concept of PAL. The color paint of the plane is considerable to its weight. I've read here from past postings that some colors puts heavy weight on the aircraft like red and black paint, they make planes heavy, perhaps white is the ligthest.


http://static.flickr.com/51/161699183_9b0256291e.jpg?v=0

What is the seat design concept of 5J? It looks like air waves.


At NAIA-3, PAL could save $60M, have 8-M passengers

By Riza T. Olchondra
Inquirer
Last updated 04:33am (Mla time) 12/13/2006

PHILIPPINE Airlines (PAL) could save at least $60 million and serve eight million passengers if it is allowed to operate, alongside other carriers, at the Terminal 3 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA 3) next year, company president Jaime Bautista said.


It is negotiating with the MIAA on use of four gates of NAIA 3 for international operations, Bautista said.

It plans to keep domestic operations at NAIA 2, he said.

If it is not allowed to use the NAIA 3 for consolidated operations, PAL will have to fork out $60 million to buy a new airplane on top of the new long-haul Boeing 777 planes it is getting for $1.5 billion, Bautista said.

I don't understand these, only 4 gates will be used by PAL on T3 considering that MNL is their hub? If this happens it looks like PAL will not dominate T3. Pls clear this issue.

Post away folks! :colgate:

Please continue posting in Thread X (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?p=10859389#post10859389)! Thanks! :colgate:

:lock: :lock: :lock: :lock: :lock: :lock: :lock: :lock: :lock: :lock: :lock:

Recap....

pics from flickr.com

John Gokongwei said:
" i'll make sure that the word “CEBU” is on everybody’s lips "

CEBU PACIFIC
http://static.flickr.com/126/320438760_c2fce19835.jpg?v=0


http://static.flickr.com/109/279657214_bbd370b263.jpg?v=0


http://static.flickr.com/66/194502167_e5a1942e4e.jpg?v=0


http://static.flickr.com/68/216432367_cb03b3e604.jpg?v=0


http://static.flickr.com/51/161699183_9b0256291e.jpg?v=0


http://static.flickr.com/107/309594800_94cb2cf32c.jpg?v=0

Hey what happened to that idea about PAL flying to India? Did they ditch it?

787-9


This will be a stretched variant seating 263 in three classes with a range of 8,800 nautical miles (16,300 km). The targeted EIS is set at 2010 [27]. Boeing is targeting the 787-9 to replace the Airbus A330-200 and A340-200, Boeing 767-400ER, and McDonnell Douglas DC-10. This model is very similar to the 787-8 except for structural strengthening and the stretched fuselage. When first introduced, it had the same fuel capacity as the other two models. This gave it a slightly shorter range than the -8. Upon further consultation with airlines and design changes, it incorporated one extra forward tank to increase its fuel capacity. It will have the lowest seat-mile cost of any 787. It will have a longer range and a higher MTOW than the other two. It can fly non-stop from New York to Singapore or from Moscow to São Paulo.

Sales of this variant have been limited by its 2010 entry into service rather than any shortcomings. The smaller size and the entry date of the 787-8 being two years earlier was a great enticement for most airlines and led to the -8 taking most orders. Now with the first two years of production completely sold out, airlines have been weighing the option of the 787-8 against the 787-9 since either one can be delivered after 2010. Qantas and Singapore Airlines have placed the largest orders for this variant.

:omg: Does that mean that it can fly Manila - New York too? :lol:

^^ It depends whether it's a polar route or a trans-Pacific route.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtnL4KYVtDE

Japan Airlines 747 checkerboard landing Hong Kong Kai Tak.

pics taken during thanksgiving on the way back here

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b84/tigidig14/manila/IMG_5330.jpg
NAIA 1 and the runway

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b84/tigidig14/manila/IMG_5332.jpg
Etihad, i thought first they came ethiopia :lol: but i read somewhere that theyre from dubai

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b84/tigidig14/manila/IMG_5329.jpg
PAL lining up

^^ cool pics..

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b84/tigidig14/manila/IMG_5332.jpg
Etihad, i thought first they came ethiopia :lol: but i read somewhere that theyre from dubai

Isn't Etihad from the emirate of Abu Dhabi? :dunno:

alright

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b84/tigidig14/cebu/IMG_2948.jpg
pinsan ko dito nagaaral, hinatid namin kaya pinictsuran ko baka mapagusapan dito :lol:

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b84/tigidig14/manila/IMG_2788.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b84/tigidig14/manila/IMG_2789.jpg

pics ive taken of manila's local airport which i think is sad, lucio freakin tan give us the triangle one, freak

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b84/tigidig14/manila/IMG_2784.jpg
south east airline hehehe, cute ha

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b84/tigidig14/manila/IMG_2786.jpg
cebu pacific

sea air is tied in to tiger air!

Isn't Etihad from the emirate of Abu Dhabi? :dunno:
And indeed it is.

does seair still have those 9-seater planes? we rode on one of theirs in '97 when we went to palawan. very memorable plane trip.

does seair still have those 9-seater planes? we rode on one of theirs in '97 when we went to palawan. very memorable plane trip.
Unfortunately I don't think SEAir operates any 9 seater props currently. Their Dornier 328 seats 32 passengers along w/ 3 crew and their Let 410 seats 19 w/ 2 crew.

Philippine Airlines Gets More Flight Rights To Japan's Nagoya
Asia Pulse Friday December 15, 07:31 PM
Link to the original article (http://au.news.yahoo.com/061215/3/11sdc.html)

MANILA, Dec 15 Asia Pulse - Philippine Airlines (PAL), the country's flag carrier, will start using additional entitlements to Nagoya, Japan on Saturday, which were recalled from Cebu Pacific.

The Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) recalled the entitlements from Cebu Pacific because they (Cebu Pacific) were not able to use them.

Jaime Bautista, PAL president, said the airline will get 4.5 out of the seven co-efficient allotted to Cebu Pacific. The remaining 2.5 flight entitlements were awarded to Pacific East Asia Cargo (PEAC).

Based on the existing Philippine-Japan Service Agreement (ASA), frequency entitlements are measured by co-efficients.

One round trip flights is equivalent to one co-efficient using a Boeing 575 aircraft with seating capacity of 228; 1.5 co-efficeint for an Airbus 330 that can carry 250 passengers; and two co-efficient for Boeing 747 with 347 to 490 seating capacity.

PAL started flying to Nagoya on March 1, 2005, giving the airline its fifth gateway in Japan and cementing its position as the largest airline operating between the Philippines and Japan.

The addition of Nagoya, Japan's fourth-largest city, gives PAL a presence in the three major metropolitan areas in Honshui IslandTokyo/Yokohama in the north, Osaka in the south and Nagoya in the centre.

PAL flies to and from Nagoya, Osaka, Fukuoka, Okinawa and Tokyo.

Japan is the Philippines' second largest source of foreign arrivals, next only to the United States. An estimated 300,000 Japanese visitors come to the country and some 170,000 overseas Filipino workers fly annually between the two countries.

Meanwhile, Bautista said PAL is considering the idea of flying to Europe soon, "but we are still on the planning stage and we still must negotiate with Europe."

PAL will also fly in the west coast of the United States using the new Boeing 777-300 ER (Extended Range) aircraft.

The airline has inked an agreement with Boeing for the expansion of the flag carrier's wide-body fleet.

PAL is set to acquire up to six Boeing 777-300 Extended Range (ER) planes over the next six years at a price totaling US$1.5-billion.

Deliveries of the firm orders as well as leased aircraft will commence on the third quarter of 2009 until 2010. Deliveries of the aircraft covered by purchase rights will be in 2011 and 2012.

PAL has specified a bi-class configuration for its B777-300Ers, with state-of-the-art seats and in-flight entertainment system capable of providing audio-video on-demand in both Mabuhay (business) and Fiesta (economy) classes.

"The acquisition of the B777-300Err allows PAL to expand direct services between the Philippines and the United States. Our passengers will also benefit from the higher level of comfort and amenities that this high-technology aircraft brings," Bautista said.

The decision to move forward on the upgrading of PAL's wide-body fleet comes on the heels of a similar modernization of its single-aisles fleet.

On October 20, PAL unveiled the first of up to 20 brand-new Airbus A320-family jets that the airline is acquiring also over the next six years.

Three of these aircraft, all of A319s, have already been delivered and are in service.

The fuel-efficient B777-300ER is the world's largest long-range twin-engine jetliner and is capable of carrying up to 368 passengers in PAL's two-class configuration, at a range up to 7,880 nautical miles (14,594 kilometres).

It will compliment the Boeing 747-400, PAL's venerable flagship, on the trans-Pacific routes.

PAL's wide-body fleet currently comprises 17 aircraft: five B747-400s, four Airbus A340-300s and eight Airbus A330-300s.

The flag carrier flies to 24 destinations in 13 countries and territories, including three points on the US mainland Los Angeles, San Francisco and Las Vegas, plus Honolulu and Guam in the Pacific.

(PNA)

^^

Why is it that every single article that deals with the RP-Japan air bilateral talks of this mysterious 'boeing 575' ?

One would think that our journalists are more responsible than that.

in general poor standards of journalism, specially for the non major dailies.

Anyone know the history of Air Manila International? From what I read in Wikipedia, they even purchased two Boeing 707's from TWA to start international flights.

http://www.auctiontransportation.com/html/images/top_sales/AT4444jp.jpg

Here's a larger photo from A.net:
http://www.airliners.net/open.file/0305428/M/

SilkAir' Stewardess... hubag na hubag...

http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n188/nab_uang/DSCF0280.jpg

Flight Attendant resting place...

KLM Airline
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n188/nab_uang/KLM_Air-1.jpg

Singapore Airline
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n188/nab_uang/SQ-2.jpg

AirCanada
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n188/nab_uang/CanAir-1.jpg

Some Airlines:

B747
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n188/nab_uang/B747-2.jpg

B777
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n188/nab_uang/B777-1.jpg

A340
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n188/nab_uang/A340-1.jpg


And....

AirAsia....!!!????
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n188/nab_uang/AirAsia.jpg

i'm just curios, do they change their outfit when sleeping?

Flight Attendant resting place...

KLM Airline
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n188/nab_uang/KLM_Air-1.jpg

Singapore Airline
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n188/nab_uang/SQ-2.jpg

AirCanada
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n188/nab_uang/CanAir-1.jpg

Some Airlines:

B747
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n188/nab_uang/B747-2.jpg

B777
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n188/nab_uang/B777-1.jpg

A340
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n188/nab_uang/A340-1.jpg


And....

AirAsia....!!!????
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n188/nab_uang/AirAsia.jpg

^^ :hilarious

^^^second the motion really funny post! May build up pa.
:rolf:

flight attendant yata si nabuang

:banana: Flight Attendant resting place...

And....

AirAsia....!!!????
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n188/nab_uang/AirAsia.jpg


Hahaha, Katawa nman 'to, totoo ba na ganyan ang situation ng FA Ais Asia? But it looks like China Southern base on the logo in the seat. It's realy funny!:lol: :lol: :lol:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v739/dxpsycho/104_4981-1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v739/dxpsycho/104_4982-1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v739/dxpsycho/104_4983-1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v739/dxpsycho/104_4984-1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v739/dxpsycho/104_4985-1.jpg

Pics taken from Cebu Pacific bound for Legazpi City, Dec 18, 2006

^^ I think T1 has more "character" compared to T2. Nice photos by the way Dex! :okay:

New Philippine Airline to Launch Flights to Saudi Arabia
By Rasheed Abou-Alsamh, Arab News

JEDDAH, 20 December 2006 — A new Philippine-registered airline, Tair Airlines, which is 40 percent owned by a Saudi businessman, is scheduled to launch its inaugural flight to Riyadh and Jeddah from the Philippines in mid-January. It will be stepping in to fill the gap in the market left by Philippine Airlines when it stopped flying to Riyadh in March of this year.

“We will be flying four times a week from Clark International Airport in Pampanga to both Riyadh and Jeddah and will be offering competitive airfares,” said Saudi businessman Fawzi Ali Bundugji in a phone interview from Manila. “We are thinking of buying some used 747s to use on the route, and are currently in talks to lease at least two to four Jumbo Jets to begin with,” he explained.

The Philippine Civil Aeronautics Board confirmed yesterday in a phone interview from Manila that Tair Airlines had been given a license to operate the route.

“They’ve been given a temporary operating permit, which means they can operate for three months as a nonscheduled international airline,” said Cristina Talara of CAB’s Air Operating Rights Division.

“Everything is ready: Our maintenance crew, pilots and flight attendants,” said Bundugji, adding, “We started training our crew two months ago.”

Bundugji said that the Philippine travel agency Warner Barnes Travel Inc., in which he is also an investor, owns the other 60 percent of the new airline. “I’ve been involved in the travel business in the Philippines for the past 26 years, and Warner Barnes has been operating for more than 40 years,” explained the businessman.

The new airline has asked permission from the Kingdom to fly a triangular route which would allow it to fly into the country, land in Riyadh, fly on to Jeddah and then exit the country from there. “We hope to get permission to fly in such a fashion as this would mean we would have to fly one fewer leg than if we had to fly in and out of Riyadh,” said Bundugji.

Philippine Airlines stopped flying to the Kingdom and other Gulf destinations in March of this year, citing mounting fuel costs and stiff competition from Gulf airlines. PAL claimed that it was losing $10 million a month on its Riyadh route alone.

With nearly one million Filipinos living in the Kingdom, overseas Filipino workers strongly protested the end of PAL flights to the Kingdom, but since PAL was privatized a few years ago the Philippine government was powerless in influencing the airline’s decision.

Tair Airlines said they are aiming at tapping into the OFW market here, saying that the bulk of Filipinos working in the Kingdom come from northern Luzon where Clark Airport is located. “I’m trying to get other Saudis to invest in the airline, but as you know too many of them are busy investing in the stock market,” said Bundugji.

“I for one will definitely want to try Tair Airlines,” said 32-year-old Marvin dela Cruz, who works as a designer in Jeddah. “Clark is much closer to my home in Nueva Ecija than Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila.”

I wonder what Tair means?

Talks under way for Davao-Tokyo direct flight
By Christie E. Uayan

Davao City, Philippines - Talks for the opening of a cargo and passenger flight from Davao City directly to Tokyo are under way, Philippine Exporters Confederation, Inc. regional president Ann Pamintuan said in an interview yesterday.

The flight is being pushed in response to a strong clamor from tuna exporter associations which find the present cost for airlifting the commodity very steep. Raquel Simon, fresh tuna exporter and owner of Nova Green Inc., said the present air freight rate from Davao to Japan costs roughly P500,000 per ton.

"We had discussions with officials from the Davao Fish Port Complex to allow domestic vessels to dock and transact with tuna buyers and exporters. We also had discussions with the Department of Transportation and Communications regarding the request for a Davao-Tokyo direct flight. In the next few weeks, we will again meet with them to know the updates," Ms. Pamintuan said.

She said reports showed Japan Airlines and Philippine flag carrier Cebu Pacific had initial dialogues on the opening of the Mindanao-Japan route.

Tuna products from Davao City and tuna capital General Santos City make a stopover in Manila before going to various destinations in Japan, which exporters claim adversely affect quality and freshness.

Ms. Simon said the direct flight from Davao to Tokyo will cut travel time in half, noting that the Davao-Manila-Tokyo cargo flight lasts for about 10 hours. "It should not take that long because we are dealing with a highly perishable item," she added.

Davao Fish Port Complex chief Mario Malinao said an average of 13.5 tons of fresh tuna is unloaded at the Davao fish port daily. He noted that total volume offloaded last year stood at 5,000 metric tons and the average offloading per vessel was at 5,000 tons.

The fresh tuna transshipped at the Davao Fish Port Complex are delivered to the auction markets in Osaka, Fukuoka and Tokyo in Japan, Vancouver in Canada and even the US.

Anyone know the history of Air Manila International? From what I read in Wikipedia, they even purchased two Boeing 707's from TWA to start international flights.

http://www.auctiontransportation.com/html/images/top_sales/AT4444jp.jpg

Here's a larger photo from A.net:
http://www.airliners.net/open.file/0305428/M/I'd love to know more about Air Manila International and Filipinas Orient Airways. I can't find anything about them in the internet; all I can find are incident records and photos.

Pics taken from Cebu Pacific bound for Legazpi City, Dec 18, 2006 That was a long taxi, from the domestic terminal to runway 6. Anyway, awesome photos. It's nice to see PAL aircrafts crowding at T2, hehe. Thanks for sharing.

I wonder what Tair means?

... TAIR is an Arabic word which means "flyer"

I'd love to know more about Air Manila International and Filipinas Orient Airways. I can't find anything about them in the internet; all I can find are incident records and photos.

From a.net, there are several pictures of Air Manila International around the world in the late 70's. One shows JFK and another at LAX.

I like this photo of Air Manila International's "Diego Silang" arriving in LAX (1979).

http://www.airliners.net/open.file/0510251/L/

I think it was cool how they named the planes.

nice dex

... TAIR is an Arabic word which means "flyer"

interesting piece of information... :yes:

From a.net, there are several pictures of Air Manila International around the world in the late 70's. One shows JFK and another at LAX.

I like this photo of Air Manila International's "Diego Silang" arriving in LAX (1979).

http://www.airliners.net/open.file/0510251/L/

I think it was cool how they named the planes.

ooo wow.. i wonder what happened to it...

Changi Airport - Terminal 2, Singapore

http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n188/nab_uang/changi1.jpg

http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n188/nab_uang/changi2.jpg

http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n188/nab_uang/changi3.jpg

http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n188/nab_uang/changi4.jpg

Wow, Changi Airport is beautiful with the orchid garden and indoor Koi pond. :)

Philippine Airlines Fiesta Class - Manila to Puerto Princesa

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k60/ECdoesit2/061_61.jpg

Wow, Changi Airport is beautiful with the orchid garden and indoor Koi pond. :)

yap truly beautiful, that is why singapore Changi Airport was named as the winner of the prestigious "Airport of the Year" title for 2006.

Right, Suvarnabhumi has form while Changi is the one with substance.
The former looks good whilst the latter is the real stuff.

my cousin got cramps and blisters by trying to get to his gate... he didnt think an airport was that big lol

my cousin got cramps and blisters by trying to get to his gate... he didnt think an airport was that big lol

which airport your are referring?

Mga Pare, if you are planning to a trip with Cebu Pacific to Singapore you will be landed here at...

THE BUDGET TERMINAL

Arrival
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n188/nab_uang/BT1.jpg

Departure
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n188/nab_uang/BT2.jpg

Outside
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n188/nab_uang/BT4.jpg