About the third 737 ever built operated by Air Philippines...I think i rode that!! And god, was that plane old! The engine had like burnt exterior casing, so i was watching that thing the whole flight. I was so scared that the plane will go down that i held on to my seat the whole flight (Zambo-Cebu). I never rode Air Philippines since.

Finally! PAL is refleeting! If its the crappy old 737s that are gonna go, boeing and airbus are gonna have a level playing field, since PAL operates both the A320 family and the 737 family, so commonality won't be an advantage. (incidentally, PAL operates 13 737s, so this could be the 13 aircraft they're talking about)

(also, lalang: air philippines operates the third 737 ever built. I seems cool on paper, but that knowledge prevents me from flying them. Antiques are nice, but I'd rather just look at them.)

If its the long-haul aircraft that are due to be replaced, then that means if they get new planes, they come with great IFE! PTV's in economy! :D

Err... IFE? Is that a fundamental airline fact that everyone must be aware of? Everyone except myself? :uh:

Err... IFE? Is that a fundamental airline fact that everyone must be aware of? Everyone except myself? :uh:

unfortunately, times have changed, and PAL hasn't caught up :) airline standards now dictate that for an airline to be nice, IFE(in-flight entertainment) should include a personal television set(PTV) in every seat, and if possible, available video on demand(AVOD). However, PAL had better things to think about, like a bankruptcy, so their IFE isn't up to par. Only one PAL plane has PTVs in all of its seats.

unfortunately, times have changed, and PAL hasn't caught up :) airline standards now dictate that for an airline to be nice, IFE(in-flight entertainment) should include a personal television set(PTV) in every seat, and if possible, available video on demand(AVOD). However, PAL had better things to think about, like a bankruptcy, so their IFE isn't up to par. Only one PAL plane has PTVs in all of its seats.

IFE, PTV and AVOD. I'll recite them like a mantra so I won't embarass myself in this forum again. :hahano:

yeah, that'd be cool if they fitted the PTV and AVOD. But yeah, it's not top priority for PAL, but it would be a plus point in attracting flyers.

IFE is a must-have for every plane now, every class.

yay...! they're finally refleeting. haha!! i'm so behind... haven't been able to post cuz of school and all. hehe...!! :D hope PAL's making the right decisions these days though. it probably is gonna be their narrowbodies since they have exactly 13 of them (B737:10::A320:3). i wonder if they'll be putting in a business class... they could put PTVs in there, but I doubt they'll do that in economy for short-haul aircraft. the new president, Bautista says their doing this to open up room for expansion, so they could be widebodies too...

DAVAO CITY in Southern Mindanao -- A new airline, controlled by Filipino businessmen, is set to service the route between Mindanao and Sabah, Malaysia next year in a bid to address the air linkage issue within the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (EAGA).

In a statement from the Mindanao Economic Development Council, the South Phoenix Airways Co., Inc. announced during the Third Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Business Congress in Patikul, Sulu that it will service the route that will connect the cities of Sandakan and Kota Kinabalu in Sabah to Davao City, Zamboanga City, Cagayan de Oro City, Jolo and Tawi-Tawi.

The announcement said the company will use a superior turbo prop plane in its once-a-week flight between Mindanao and Sabah. Flights for the specific areas are still being arranged, said Glen Lamela, South Phoenix Airways commercial director.

Mr. Gamela said the airline is looking at opening the new route because it connects the "unserved" and "underutilized" areas within the two countries and possibly spur bilateral trade.

"The opening of flights serving the EAGA is a truly noble effort by South Phoenix Airways to boost the development in Mindanao in general by taking on this pioneering effort to help boost economy through regional trade linkages and linking world class destinations," Mr. Lamela said.

He said the company has vowed to continue in developing air linkages within the four-country subregional group.

Members of the Mindanao business sector, particularly those whose areas will be served by the flights, welcomed the development.

Luis Go Jr., Sulu Chamber of Commerce president, said the new air linkage will strengthen the trade between Mindanao and Sabah.

"It will cut travel time of businessmen, particularly those from Sulu who need to go to Zamboanga City ahead of time just to catch up the once-a-week fast-craft trip to Sandakan. With this flight, our Malaysian counterparts who are often hindered by security jitters of sea travel, will gain the confidence to visit and do business here," he said.

Here's a short blurb I gleaned off some website. :)

=======================================================================================

KLM wants more flights to Manila
Posted: 9:36 AM | Oct. 22, 2004

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines said it would ask the government for additional flight entitlements to allow it to fly from Manila to Amsterdam daily. It currently flies this route five times a week.

"The Philippine market is growing and we see enormous growth in both inbound and outbound traffic. Eventually, we could fly to and from the Philippines twice daily and use a bigger aircraft," KLM executive vice president Paul Gregorowitsch said in a press conference in Manila.

"We hope the government will grant us additional entitlements," he said.

In 1998, eight European airlines flew Manila-Europe routes, with 39 flights weekly. Today, only three European carriers fly to Manila, with fewer than 20 flights a week. These are Air France, KLM and Lufthansa.

Good deal!! Sounds great. hope the govt approves.

Eight European airlines... Dang I never really noticed the decrease in diversity of carriers serving NAIA... :( One more plus in enhancing and supporting the DoT's attempts to drive tourists to the RP...more jobs (which is a no brainer) and more airlines to spot. :D I remember BA and Swiss's announcement on pulling out, whom were the other three?

Italia is one of them.

Air Italia is bankcrupt. :jk:

KLM is probably going to dominate the MNL-Europe flights with this move. Going to be hard for other airlines to step back here.....

Philippine Airlines to restart flights to India
Indo-Asian News Service
Manila, 26 October 2004

More than five decades after it stopped flights to India, the Philippine Government is planning to resume air links to increase its market share in south Asia, media reports said.

Manila also plans to start flights to Nepal and Myanmar besides India and would be holding talks with the two governments soon, the ABS-CBN website reported on Sunday.

Philippine Airlines (PAL), the 61-year-old national carrier that flies to 22 foreign cities, had discontinued trips to India as part of the then president Ramon Magsaysay's policy to focus on rural development.

"PAL began flying to India in 1946, particularly to New Delhi and Kolkata," the web agency quoted former PAL president Avelino Zapanta as saying.

"PAL was the first international airline they saw there. India is becoming an economic power. It's a favourite destination of IT companies. India is the area of growth in the IT field, where more and more establishments are being put up."

The airline's European flights ran into a storm in 1998 after a dispute arose between its management and flight and ground crew. At present, Amsterdam is the only European destination it flies to. Now PAL reportedly wants to restart flights to India and European countries by 2006.

Philippine Civil Aeronautics Board chairman Thomas Mañalac said the air panel would meet representatives of the Governments of the three countries from November.

"We are trying to schedule air talks with Nepal in November and Myanmar in December. India, I think, would be in the first quarter of 2005," Mañalac was quoted as saying.

It is part of Manila's new strategy to have "a window to other economies like Pakistan and Bangladesh".

nice that PAL plans this... I guess more direct flights from Manila to other countries would be a big help on making the Philippines known to other countries...

Good that PAL will resume flights to India since it is a fast growing economy. However, i dont really see too much prospects with flying to Nepal and Myanmar since they are low volume destinations. Maybe it would be better to fly to other distinations. Oh well, PAL should know better through their research.

Nepal and Myanmar can be promoted as touristy/adventure destinations. Nepal is in the Himalayas, trekkers and mountaineers will be the target demographic, while Myanmar has history, architecture and the beaches to lure foreigners. PAL plans to fly there to tap the potential tourist market that seeks out remote and mainly untouched locales not run-over by the splashy and glitzy tourist industry.

I dont think Nepal and Myanmar will be on the table, especially with rising oil prices....India maybe..but i dont think for new routes as for now. Major Airlines are facing high oil prices and tough competition from the budget carriers.

cheers

Air Philippines designated official flag carrier

MANILA - Air Philippines Corporation has been designated by the presidential office, Malacanang, as the official Philippine carrier to the United States, Japan, China and Singapore.

Air Philippines is owned by taipan Lucio Tan, who also owns Philippine Airlines.

Resolution No 149 stated that Air Philippines shall utilize its designation within a period of six months, otherwise, it shall be revoked.

A designation from the Office of the President is necessary before a local carrier can mount scheduled flights to an international destination.

The directive was signed by executive secretary Eduardo R Ermita and was transmitted to Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) executive director Tomas T Manalac.

Edilberto Medina, Air Philipines president, said the designation of the carrier would give the country's third-biggest airline the flexibility to expand its routes.

"This supports our vision to be the preferred low-cost airline in the country," he noted. Last year, the carrier received the green light to fly to Hong Kong.

Air Philippines is to complete a re-fleeting program within the year with the arrival of a newly leased 118-seater Boeing 737-200.

At present, the company has a fleet of seven aircraft.

A modernization program started in October last year aimed to improve operating efficiency with the newest airplanes, allowing the airline to establish new routes for domestic and charter operations.

Air Philippines has an entirely separate corporate structure from Philippine Airlines. It is embarking on a re-imaging program to compete more aggressively with other carriers.

On the domestic front, the airline is eyeing routes such as Zamboanga-Cebu and Zamboanga-Davao. For its international flights, Air Philippines has started to fly to Chengdu, Canton and Shenzhen in China.

In July, the company launched twice-weekly chartered flights to Guangzhou, China, following the introduction in May of chartered flights to Kwangju and Daegu, both in South Korea.

Air Philippines also rationalized its routes to improve its finances. It has reduced Manila-Cebu flights but increased operations to other destinations.

(Asia Pulse/PNA)

huh? I dont get it. Isnt PAL already the flag carrier? why make Air Philippines, which is the 3rd biggest airline, the official flag carrier?

maybe being an official flag carrier is not a monopoly of one airline only, i beleive its jst for formality sake an official designation from the governement to allow the airline to fly to these countries

That might be a reason...anti-trust issues.

Asian gets spirited
Posted: 1:42 AM | Oct. 29, 2004
Victor Agustin
Inquirer News Service

Asian Spirit airline this week reached agreement with British manufacturer Bae Systems to acquire four Bae 146 passenger jets for $24 million, Asian Spirit chairman Noel Oñate said.

Asian Spirit, which started operations by plying the so-called missionary routes abandoned by Philippine Airlines, will field the new planes out of Manila and the Clark Special Economic Zone to serve the busier and more mainstream provincial destinations in the Visayas and Mindanao.

Two of the Bae 146, the so-called 100 series, are scheduled to be delivered on Jan. 15, while the remaining two, the extended 200-series, are scheduled for a May 15 delivery.

To be configured six-abreast to seat 80 and 100 mono-class passengers, respectively, the 146s have STOL (short takeoff and landing) capability and have a 2,730-kilometer range, long enough for Asian Spirit to accept regional charter and, probably later in the future, scheduled passenger services as well.

Asian Spirit has one BAe ATP twin turboprop, currently the biggest in its 15-plane fleet, with a seating capacity for 70 passengers.

The rest of the fleet, smaller turboprops, are a hodgepodge of five de Havilland Dash-7s, three Spanish-Indonesian Casas, three Lets and three YS-11s, the latter being leased from Aboitiz Air.

Oñate said Asian Spirit planned to eventually streamline the fleet into a single family of aircraft for better maintenance and yield management.

Its Clark-to-Caticlan flights are scheduled to synchronize with the Asiana flights from Korea, with Asian Spirit ferrying the South Korean tourists and honeymooners to and from the popular resort island of Boracay.

thats nice now asian spirit can now serve their pax with bigger and faster planes, by the way those jets have four engines and they can take off and land on short runways and with that range they can serve other major cities anywhere in the phils

I just read in Far Eastern Economic Review that PAL is seriously considering buying or leasing A380s. My concern is that do they have enough resources to do so? One of those things cost more than 200 million USD! They do have routes that need a plane of that size, such as MNL-SFO and MNL-LAX. But i dont think NAIA has the infrastructure for them. If they do get A380s, my guess is that they will get two units:D

http://us.news1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/rids/20041108/i/r1653810643.jpg

Airport crew unload luggage from a plane at Tacloban airport in the
central Philippines November 8, 2004. The plane's conical tail fell off
during landing, causing panic to its 68 passengers and crew.
No casualties were reported, an aviation official said.
REUTERS/Stringer

Source: Yahoo! News (http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/041108/ids_photos_wl/r1653810643.jpg)

AF-KLM’s new Boeing 777 flies straight Manila-Amsterdam
By ARLENE DABU-FOZ

The merging of two airline giants – Air France and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines – is expected to modernize worldwide travel and up the chances of more future straight flights between Asia and Europe with the launch of their latest asset Boeing 777-20ER.

In beefing up its fleet, the merger is adding 10 new Boeing 777-200ERs to replace its current Boeing 747-300. The new 327-seater uber high-end commercial jetliner boasts of 35 World Business Class seats and 292 Economy Class seats.

France’s flag carrier, Air France is a global leader in corporate segment while KLM is top in the worldwide leisure market. Both carriers, while enjoying complementary markets, are members of the Sky Team, an alliance of the world’s best airlines.

Recently, key Air France and KLM executives met with the local press for updates on the merger’s strategies and fine-tuning that will continue as the two airlines take up a single identity.

Present during the conference were Jean Louis Pinson, Air France vice president and general director-Asia Pacific; Paul Gregorowitsch, KLM executive vice president-commercial business; Bret Kreiken, KLM senior vice president Asia-Pacific & CSA; Louis Vergeon AF general manager-Philippines; Ihab Sorial, KLM general manager-SEA ll; Frank van t’Hof, KLM marketing manager SEA ll.

Fittingly, the conference was held at the newly established Air France-KLM sales and ticket office at the Yuchengco Tower, RCBC Plaza in Makati City. The glass-paneled spic-and-span head office swathed in white and royal blue was jampacked with invitees supportive of the travel trade sector.

The happy episode ushered in by the KLM-Air France to represent the merger in Manila had a sad note when Air France bid adieu to its Manila post, which it maintained for 55 years. KLM, on the other hand, has been doing business in the country for 53 years.

Kreiken recognized the Philippines’ tremendous potential for tourism as signified by the merger’s maintaining its office in Manila. "The Air France-KLM group is set to explore healthier ways to stimulate that potential further to enhance an equally favorable joint venture."

Kreiken noted that Filipinos are known to the world over for being friendly and warm, which makes it nice to do business here. "We’re looking forward to increase the Manila-Amsterdam route to daily flights, while taking advantage of flight continuity in Amsterdam and Paris," he said.

Meanwhile, KLM pulled-out of Caracas and gave way to Air France to promote the merger there. The same switchover took place in some parts of Asia to fully cover a market where one of the two carriers is evidently stronger.

Among the merger’s fastest growing markets in Asia are China, Vietnam and India.

Next to the Philippines, the merger is eyeing very soon possible non-stop flights from Tokyo and Beijing to Europe.

AF-KLM’s main hubs in Europe are Schipol in Amsterdam, Charles De Gaulle in Paris and Malpensa in Milan.

The impressive Air France-KLM union is bullish to be No. 1 in the airline industry. "Air France and KLM is a company with two airlines and three profitable businesses," said Pinson. It dominates in passenger transport, cargo transport, and engineering and maintenance.

"We are a group leader – we are No. 1 in turnover and worldwide cargo and No. 3 in worldwide traffic," added Pinson.

Air France-KLM shares code with American Airlines, United Airlines, Northwest Airlines, British Airways, among others, for passenger traffic.

The merger’s first quarter performance posted some C95 million revenue, which is a far cry from its previous C3 million mark over the same period. The last quarter of this year’s almost seven percent traffic increase is likely to boost the company’s future performance.

The current AF-KLM focus, according to Pinson, is on customer satisfaction by launching non-stop flights while giving the most reliable, comfortable and with personal-touch service, and a smart hardware.

To drum up the group’s sales pitch, a KLM Boeing 777 took-off last November 1 for the inaugural AF-KLM non-stop flight from Manila to Europe – a first on both ends. The five times-weekly flights depart Manila (Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday) at 10:30 p.m. and arrive in Amsterdam at 5:30 a.m. of the following day. From Amsterdam, the non-stop flight (Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday) departs at 8:45 p.m. and arrives in Manila at 4:40 p.m. the next day.

The convenience of a straight long-haul flight will enable passengers to maximize their stay in Europe through a very comfortable in-flight experience amid a spacious, more options and passenger-friendly setting.

"While we are customer and profit-driven, our priorities are satisfied customers, customer relation management and E-services. We are proud to invest in the Philippines by introducing our brand new state-of-the-art Boieng 777 aircraft – the only airline that flies non-stop to Europe. Our passengers will then experience the most comfortable but fastest way to travel to most European destinations," Gregorowitsch beamed.

The new cost-cutting and time-saving non-stop flight highly favors both airlines and their customers. As part of a marketing blitz, the US$1,777 promotional fare will be especially offered to both carriers’ loyal customers.

On the local front, Bingo Braganza, sales manager of Air France said that "merging" is the current trend now. Since the airline business competition is very fierce, one needs to be a part of a merger to remain strong and secure.

oh... I didn't know it was going to be a direct flight. haha...! I was thinking it was still gonna stop over at BKK... do they still have that flight that lays-over at Bangkok?

/\ I think that they'll drop the MNL-BKK-AMS route in favor for the non-stop MNL-AMS flights. Five times weekly is enough to satistfy demand....although I wonder if every flight arriving from or departing for AMS is at capacity.

Sadly though, MNL lost its connection to CDG with the merger of KLM and AF, now you have to transit through Schipol Airport in Amsterdam to get to Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris.

Amazing what happened to that 5J plane. Good thing it landed safely. Can it be repaired?

Amazing what happened to that 5J plane. Good thing it landed safely. Can it be repaired?

according to the news a part of its tail fell off. i also read a different article that one of the passengers was a high-ranking sports official (i forgot who it was since i didn't read the whole article). i think the latter is somewhat related to that incident. but most importantly, it landed safely :)

that was kinda recent, isn' it? nov 8? whew! thankfully nobody was injured or killed. that pilot rocks!

that was kinda recent, isn' it? nov 8? whew! thankfully nobody was injured or killed. that pilot rocks!

yeah, you're right. it happened just recently.

/\ I think that they'll drop the MNL-BKK-AMS route in favor for the non-stop MNL-AMS flights. Five times weekly is enough to satistfy demand....although I wonder if every flight arriving from or departing for AMS is at capacity.

Sadly though, MNL lost its connection to CDG with the merger of KLM and AF, now you have to transit through Schipol Airport in Amsterdam to get to Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris.

the good (nonstop flight MNL-AMS) outweighs the bad news (dropping of Charles de Gaulle). a flight from Schipol to CDG is very quick.

Commissioner Noli Eala of the PBA and his entourage was in that flight.. They were going to Tacloban for one of PBA's out of town games.

the good (nonstop flight MNL-AMS) outweighs the bad news (dropping of Charles de Gaulle). a flight from Schipol to CDG is very quick.

Yeah, a flight from AMS to CDG is basically a small hop, but the thought of Manila severed links with Paris saddens me. :( Unless PAL flies there soon (assuming they haven't joined an Airline Alliance yet), I'll be in a prolonged deep depression. :lol:

How does Commissioner Noli Eala being on the flight have any relation to the accident? could it be more of a coincidence?

14 November 2004
Honolulu flights now covered by PAL's E-ticketing
www.philippineairlines.com

On November 18, Honolulu will become the fifth international destination of Philippine Airlines - after Los Angeles, San Francisco, Las Vegas and Vancouver - to be covered by its electronic ticketing (e-ticketing) program. The coming on line of Honolulu completes PAL's e-ticketing coverage of all its destinations across the Pacific.

Starting Nov. 18, passengers traveling to or from Honolulu may avail of the paperless booking and ticket payment through the e-ticketing service for flights on Nov. 20 and onwards. Accredited travel agents in Honolulu will also be able to offer the service.

Already enjoying e-ticketing are those who fly to and from the following domestic points: Cebu, Bacolod, Cagayan de Oro, Davao, General Santos, Iloilo, Legaspi, Puerto Princesa and Zamboanga.

Expansion of the service to other domestic and international routes will be announced subsequently.

The convenient paperless e-ticket service is available through the recently improved PAL website (www.philippineairlines.com) or the 24-hour PAL Reservations at tel. no. 855-8888. All PAL ticket offices in Metro Manila also offer the new service.

A growing number of PAL customers are already using the e-ticketing service because no paper tickets are bound to be forgotten, lost or misplaced.

Air accord seen with Nepal
Posted: 7:21 AM | Nov. 17, 2004 Inquirer News Service

THE PHILIPPINES is expected to sign its first air rights agreement with Nepal, which Philippine carriers could use as a take-off point to China and India.

The Philippine civil aviation negotiating panel will meet with representatives of the Nepal government in Kathmandu on Nov. 17 and 18, Civil Aeronautics Board executive director Tomas Mañalac said.

"We want to establish our first air services agreement with Nepal," he said. "We will ask for the basic entitlements that will allow our carriers to fly daily to Nepal."

Mañalac said the Philippines would ask Nepal for basic entitlements of 4,000 seats for passengers and 150 tons for cargo each week.

Aviation officials said they were planning to ask Nepal, India and Hong Kong to allow Philippine carriers to fly to a third-country destination, such as the Middle East where millions of Filipinos work.

The Philippines has been asking Hong Kong for rights to fly to a third-country destination in the Middle East in exchange for a similar privilege for Hong Kong airlines to fly to Australia from Manila.

Tuesday, November 16, 2004 11:58 PM
ATO: Airlines should improve maintenance
By Recto Mercene TODAY Reporter

The country’s top aviation official Tuesday called the series of incidents that has plagued Cebu Pacific should serve as a wake-up call for airliners to implement more vigilance in the maintenance of their aircraft.

Assistant Transportation Secretary Nilo Jatico who is also chief of the Air Transportation Office (ATO) was referring to the three incidents that Cebu Pacific had recorded within a span of one week since October 30.

The most recent was the November 8 incident where the tail section of a CP DC-9 showed a large conical “hole” after the tail cover was detached before take off from the Tacloban Airport and bound for Manila.

The day before, the pilot of a similar DC-9 had difficulty with the steering wheel while taxiing for takeoff at Iloilo Airport so that the flight was aborted.

Although the “hole” in the tail of the DC-9 looks scary, Jatico said that the disappearance of the cover did not affect the safety of the passengers since or the engine’s performance. “It was just an accessory design to enhance the symmetry of the plane,” he said referring to the tail cone that was unhinged.

The string of incident had its beginning on October 30, when the left engine cover of another DC-9 was discovered by the airline’s maintenance man to have a dent. The dent could have been caused by bird-strike and the engine cover of “cowling” was immediately replaced, according to Jatico.

In all three instances, Jatico said that the flight safety of the planes concerned did not pose danger to the flying ability of the plane, including the two other incidents that followed, according to Jatico.

However, he added that the three instances occurring within a short span of times should serves as a warning sign for the airline company take corrective actions, such as strictly observing its maintenance procedures. Jatico said the series of “incidents” are not reason enough to ground the planes because they did not affect the engine’s performance.

On the other hand, when the mishaps involved somebody getting injured or killed, then grounding of the airplanes concerned would be ordered by the ATO until the problem is found and solutions applied so that the problem would not occur again.

According to Jatico, grounding CP’s 12 DC-9s would be considered “unreasonable” since it would have a negative effect on the thriving aviation industry. He hinted of other airlines suffering the same “incidents” but were allowed to continue to fly.

He said that following CP’s three incidents, the ATO had all DC-9 subjected to two-day inspections, and safety inspectors concluded that the planes could resume flying.
As added precautions, the ATO chief said that there are employees guarding the Manila Domestic Airport and the Ninoy Aquino International Terminals 1 and 2, who conduct “ramp surveillance” incognito.

The aim is to see that all airlines operating out of Manila adheres closely to aircraft inspections prior to flight and that the respective airline’s maintenance men are not seen as negligence of lax in their performance. “The ATO want to assure the public that we remain always vigilance to ensure the safety of the flying public, which is our main mandate,” Jatico said.

Although the “hole” in the tail of the DC-9 looks scary, Jatico said that the disappearance of the cover did not affect the safety of the passengers since or the engine’s performance. “It was just an accessory design to enhance the symmetry of the plane,” he said referring to the tail cone that was unhinged.

I hope he was only joking....


Cheers

Click here to view the original "Airplane and Airline" thread in the Archives: http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=160060


Air Philippines 9-mo profit hits P186M
Posted: 2:45 PM | Nov. 21, 2004

Clarissa S. Batino
Inquirer News Service



FOR the first time since it started operations eight years ago, taipan Lucio Tan's budget carrier Air Philippines Corp. posted a profit of P186 million as of end-September this year.

Airphil president Edilberto Medina attributed the turnaround in performance to an increase in passenger traffic after years of decline following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the United States, the US-Iraq war and the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome outbreak that dogged Asia.



"We have cleaned the company's balance sheet and after that we started re-fleeting with more efficient and newer airplanes. The upgrading helped improve our operations," said Medina.

Medina said that with the completion of the upgrading program of its fleet, Airphil was well on its way to meeting its year-end earnings target of P195 million, after booking a loss of more than P100 million last year.

Airphil's refleeting program, which was started last year, would be completed in December following the arrival of the eighth and last 118-seater Boeing 737-200 aircraft.

Medina said Airphil planned another refleeting program in 2007 to keep up with competition.

He said the only problem on the horizon was the unabated increase in fuel prices, which forced airlines here and abroad to charge higher fares.

Medina said higher ticket prices could again discourage travelers from going by air.

Airphil and other other domestic carriers have been allowed by the Civil Aeronautics Board to charge a fuel surcharge of P200 to P400 on local flights.

Airphil likewise started charging a fuel surcharge of $6 on one-way foreign trips.

Airphil is on an aggressive reimaging campaign to challenge the dominance of Gokongwei airline Cebu Pacific Air in the low-cost airline market.

Air Philippines and Philippine Airlines, also controlled by Tan, strengthened their alliance to improve domestic and overseas coverage.

The two airlines code-share, a practice among carriers to endorse a passenger to the other airline where the other is not flying.

PAL is also on the verge of starting its own re-fleeting program. The national flag carrier still has to decide whether to go for Boeing or Airbus planes




====================================


I've been seeing bits and pieces in a lot of airline related news that PAL is going to refleet soon... but nothing substantial. I wonder what their refleeting plans are...

doesn't seem to be anything decided yet on this refleeting. but i think they should have a good look at that Boieng 7E7.

I hope they get some A380s. they seem to be looking at that a lot.

hmmmmmmmm.... wouldn't ever-increasing fuel prices make them think twice? it's not the most fuel-efficient is it? :?

compared to the 747's seating and its fuel efficiency, what is the A380's fuel per kilometer by 1 person? :D

I was just gonna post that article. haha...! I never knew AirPhilippines was also losing all this time...

as for PAL's refleeting, it's not too big... right now, as far as I've read in the news anyways. they're only looking at replacing their 13 narrowbodies (A320 and B737). probably with a pure Airbus or Boeing line-up, instead of a mix of both. that's what most carriers are doing now, right...? I doubt it'll be the 717. either 737NG or A320. the 7E7 is still too far away, in my opinion, and probably won't be considered until they plan to replace their widebodied aircraft. I don't believe they have the financial capacity to do so right now though and it would be pretty irresponsible of the management to attempt another huge refleet now. when they do however, I think they could replace both the A340s and A330s with 7E7s alone for regional and long-haul flights because of the flexible capacity, range and economics. the 7E7 could allow Philippine Airlines to open up new routes to their smaller markets such as Europe while leaving the B747 and possibly A380 only to the US. cause alanganin ata yung routes that they have dropped. you think that makes sense and would work for PAL...? I was just thinking that stuff up as I was typing. haha... so I didn't really think it through...

i don't know if the 7E7 can go to Europe... cause it takes around the same time to go to Los Angeles than it takes to go to Frankfurt. Perhaps Sydney or Melbourne, or the Mid East makes more sense. from what i've read the 7E7 is a mid-distance haul for a sizable crowd.

I wasn't sure either. I just checked Boeing's site now though and it says the 7E7-8 goes 8,500 nautical miles while the 7E7-9 goes 8,300. the short-haul 7E7-3 version can go 3,500 nautical miles. can the 7E7-8/9 versions make it nonstop from MNL to Europe? what does KLM use right now...?

KLM uses a 777

5J and PAL wont like this news.....

Jetstar Asia to start flights to China, Philippines, Indonesia

SINGAPORE (Bloomberg): Jetstar Asia, the international budget unit of Qantas Airways Ltd., will fly to cities in China, Indonesia and the Philippines after it starts services next month, the airline said in an e-mailed press release.

The third Singapore-based low-cost airline will begin by flying to Shanghai, Hong Kong, Taipei, Pattaya, Jakarta, Surabaya and Manila, giving it the widest destination range of any of the nine budget carriers based in Southeast Asia.

Jetstar plans to "grow the market by making air travel more accessible to more customers," chief operating officer Con Korfiatis said.

Jetstar Asia, which also counts Singapore's state investment agency Temasek Holdings Pte as a shareholder, will compete with Singapore Airlines Ltd.'s budget unit, Tiger Airways Pte, and Singapore start-up Valuair Pte for passengers out of their sharedChangi Airport base.

Ticket sales will begin before Dec. 9, and more routes will be added in early 2005 as the airline takes delivery of more Airbus SAS A320 aircraft, the statement said, without providing details.

Jetstar will fly to destinations within a five-hour radius of the city-state, giving it access to a region with about 2 billion people, Korfiatis said in September. (**)

Wow...a cheaper way to go back home:D

but yeah, PAL and 5J wont like the added competition.

@ absent - I think PAL should consider getting at least two A380s. It would be very much feasible to them for MNL-LAX, MNL-SFO and MNL-Middle East flights. US bound flights are mostly full, despite having numerous daily flights (some days have 2 or 3 flights, depending on the season).

And as for PAL replacing their Airbuses for Boeings....not in the near future. PAL is still bitter with Boeing and vice versa from deals gone bad in the past. I think as for now, PAL will stick to Airbus.

Philippine Airlines to fly to Chubu Centrair airport
Friday, November 26, 2004 at 04:56 JST

NAGOYA — Philippine Airlines said Thursday it will run four weekly flights between Manila and Chubu Centrair International Airport from early March soon after the airport opens near Nagoya in February next year.

It will be the first time for the Philippine carrier to serve central Japan. Philippine Airlines said it expects to see solid demand for its flights in central Japan due to the number of Philippine workers in the area. (Kyodo News)

Closing this thread because it is over 500 posts.

Airplane and Airline II can be viewed here:
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=155149

It's good to know that Philippine Airlines is slowly but surely rebuilding its collection of destinations.

Philippines Airlines website got hacked

http://www.airliners.net/discussions/general_aviation/read.main/1839468/

cheers

OMG...thats pretty shocking. Hackers = web criminals
I agree with the ppl in airliners.net, if they find the hacker PAL lawyers should sue him/her.

(your "cheers" in the end of your message doesnt really go well with the news:D)

Haha, thats just my habbit dude, Anyway I agree, they should sue the hackers.

cheers

Airline seeks permit to fly to Korea, Malaysia
Posted: 9:45 PM | Nov. 28, 2004
Clarissa S. Batino, Inquirer News Service

AIR Philippines Corp., the low-cost carrier of Chinese-Filipino tycoon Lucio Tan, said it would ask Malacañang to allow it to fly to South Korea and Malaysia instead of the United States and Singapore. A designation from the Office of the President is required before a local carrier can mount scheduled flights to an international destination.

Air Philippines was given a designation last October to fly to the United States, Singapore, China and Japan. However, Air Philippines president Edilberto Medina said the company might not be able to use the time-bound approval for the two destinations. He said Air Philippines was already preparing to mount flights to Japan and China.

The carrier must use its designation within a six-month period. Otherwise, the permit shall be revoked, according to an Oct. 8, 2004, Palace memo to the Civil Aeronautics Board signed by Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita.

"We are not ready to fly to the US while we don't want to fly to Singapore because we would just compete with Philippine Airlines. In lieu of the US and Singapore, we would like a designation to South Korea and to Malaysia," Medina said in an interview.

He said that Air Philippines had applied for designations for the four countries back in 1999. At that time, he said the carrier even bought three Boeing 737-200s to prepare for the overseas flights.

But since the Malacañang's approval took time, Air Philippines decided to lease the aircraft to PAL. "We are pursuing Japan earnestly, in mutual endeavor with PAL. We also intend to fly to China. South Korea is very important to us while Malaysia will give us a window to the East Asian growth area," Medina said.

He added that for Air Philippines' current operations, these destinations were more viable than the United States and Singapore. The carrier had earlier been given a designation to fly to Hong Kong and Thailand. Medina said Air Philippines was aiming to be the preferred low-cost carrier in the country by 2005.

Air Philippines is to complete a re-fleeting program this month with the arrival of a newly leased 118-seater Boeing 737-200. The company has a fleet of eight aircraft flying mostly to local destinations.

The low-cost carrier competing with Gokongwei-owned Cebu Air Pacific started a modernization program in October last year to improve operating efficiency with newer airplanes that would allow it to establish new routes for domestic and chartered operations.

The Tan-controlled airline with an entirely separate corporate structure from PAL is embarking on a re-imaging program to compete more aggressively with other carriers. The airline posted a net profit of P186 million in the first nine months of 2004. Medina said this was the first year the company would be earning since it started eight years ago.

Air Philippines would likely end 2004 with P195 million in profit. In 2003, the company booked more than P100 million in losses. Medina said that by the end of 2007, the company might have to again modernize its present fleet to be more competitive.

Medina said it also helped that travel picked up after a string of concerns like the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in 2001, the US-Iraq war and the deadly Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) scare that dogged the airline industry eventually eased. But increasing fuel prices that prompted airlines here and overseas to charge higher ticket tabs could stunt air travel anew.

Air Philippines, like all other domestic carriers, has been allowed by the Civil Aeronautics Board to charge a fuel surcharge of P200 to P400 a passenger on local flights. The company also started charging a fuel surcharge of $6 on one-way foreign trips.

"We have cleaned the company's balance sheet and after that we started re-fleeting with more efficient and newer airplanes. The upgrading helped improve our operations," Medina said.

it's taking forever for PAL to put the site back up. still down as of now. do they even know its been defaced...? haha...! j/k... of course they do...

I wonder where exactly in Korea and Malaysia AirPhils wants to get to... doesn't PAL already mount flights to destinations in both countries? there's Busan and Seoul in Korea and KL in Malaysia. they could add more runs to KL though, since they don't even have daily flights with PAL. do either of the airlines plan to service Beijing anytime soon...? or Guangzhou? do you guys think it'd be profitable...? 5J flies to Guangzhou, right..?

Tuesday November 30, 5:45 PM
Philippine Airlines Leases One Airbus A320 Jet

MANILA (Dow Jones)--Philippine Airlines Inc. (PAI.YY), or PAL, said Tuesday it has entered into a short-term contract to lease an Airbus A320 for use on its domestic routes.

"This is merely for the interim," PAL President Jaime Bautista told reporters, referring to the lease. "We expect to complete our major re-fleeting and complete modernization of at least 10 aircraft in two to four years," he added.

The leased Airbus A320, which seats 156 passengers, will replace an aircraft whose lease recently expired. PAL has 30 jets servicing 19 domestic destinations and 24 international routes. The re-fleeting plan involves replacing 13 aircraft.

The airline is currently under a 10-year rehabilitation program, and it needs creditor approval to pursue the planned re-fleeting. Bautista expressed confidence that once the airline meets its creditors, it will be able to present a credible argument for the proposal.

did the A320 replace an outgoing B737 or A320? they did mention a while back one of the 13 aircrafts' lease expiring soon and that they would enter into a short-term lease as they studied and decided on the major refleet... I also came across this article about PAL's ground-services contractor at HKIA somehow damaged one of their A320s it was servicing just a couple weeks ago. I dunno what happened or how badly it was damaged though...

oh... they finally got their site back up from after the hack... haha..!

Manila Standard
November 29, 2004
AIR PHILIPPINES WAIVES US ROUTE

Air Philippines Corp. will not fly to the United States to avoid competition with flag carrier Philippine Airlines.

Both airlines are controlled by taipan Lucio Tan.

Air Philippines president Edilberto Medina said the airline is not ready to mount long-haul flights like those bound for destinations in the United States.

"We are not in a position now to fly to the US. We don't want to compete with PAL. In lieu of US and Singapore, we would like to fly to Korea, which is very important to us, and Malaysia. We are also pursuing Japan earnestly. We have chartered flights to China," Medina said.

Last month, Malacanang allowed Air Philippines to fly to the US, Singapore, Japan and China. The overseas destinations must be used within six months or the Palace would forfeit them.

Air Philippines has sought to fly to the US, Singapore, China and Japan as early as 1999 and even purchased new 737s in anticipation of the new destinations. The planes were later leased to PAL.

Air Philippines recently flew to Kwangju, Korea and Guangzhou, China.

It serves 18 local routes through more than 60 flights daily. It flies to Manila, Cebu, Iloilo, Cagayan de Oro, Zamboanga, General Santos, Bacolod, Cotabato and Baguio.

It also operates a fleet of 10 Boeing 737s. Though it holds a permit to fly to Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and the US, its only remaining active overseas destination prior to Kwangju, Korea, and Guangzhou in China, is Hong Kong.

Air Philippines is 70 percent owned by Tan and 30 percent owned by plastics king William Gatchalian.

It is the country's third largest local carrier. Elaine Ruzul S. Ramos

maybe it's not to replace, but to expand its capacity.

Database intact, says PAL exec after site defacement
By Erwin Lemuel Oliva | INQ7.net | Dec 01, 2004

FOREIGN hackers managed to deface only the homepage and the "unsecured" web pages of the Philippine Airlines (PAL) website on Tuesday, a PAL executive told INQ7.net.

The airlines' database, including its online frequent flier and e-ticketing system, was unaffected, Roberto Diaz de Rivera, PAL senior assistant vice-president for corporate e-business, said Wednesday.

The PAL website was unavailable for most of the day Tuesday after the defacement. It was operating normally Wednesday.

"We we're told by our host in the United States that they have pulled out the hard disk that contains the website. They have replaced it with a clean one. They did this to find out how the attackers came in.

"At the same time, our host is replacing the infrastructure hosting our website," Diaz de Rivera said when asked what steps PAL was taking after the recent attack.

"We could have restored the site immediately, but we opted to start clean," he added, noting that PAL had to republish certain images and links.

During the attack, the homepage of the site displayed the words "kernel_attack."

US-based NTT Verio is the website host of PAL, according to Diaz de Rivera. PAL uses a content management system to update the website's homepage every day, he said.

The executive said PAL received a "few e-mail complaints" from customers following the web defacement on Tuesday.

"We received a few e-mails from people having difficulty getting online. To abate complaints, we gave them a direct and secure web address where they could book online," he added.

Diaz de Rivera said PAL had been in the process of changing the look and feel of the website, as well as its security systems, at the time of the attack.

He said PAL was also soon moving its website system from a Microsoft Windows-based platform to open source.

The "monetary" damage to the airline's website was "minimal," the executive added.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
good thing they weren't able to break into the e-ticketing and other secure pages. are they redesigning their site again...? it was just redone a year or so ago. the one they have now is quite nice actually. if they're redoing it, I hope it'll turn out even better...

here's a shot of the newly leased A320 replacement/addition to the Philippine Airlines fleet. in madrid prior to it's delivery flight via DXB. ex-Iberia equipment from back in around 1999 (first shot in the airliners.net database).

http://www.airliners.net/open.file/724824/M/

UPDATE: PAL has reportedly leased two - not one - A320s while also foregoing one of four A340s for a B744 combi. what's a combi..? I read it on philskies btw... that sucks. haha! I love the A340/330 in PAL livery! want more of them - especially the A340-500 series!! hahaha...! oh well. they just better get the paint job right on the B744. darn that RP-C8168 paint..! hehehe...

Combi is a combination between passenger and larger cargo area. Therefore, less passenger space.

pal isn't crazy enough to sacrifice an a340 for a b744. The A340's lease probably expired. How sad.

oh yeah, I've been hearing a teeny bit of buzz about a new airline called astro air. Doing a bit of research, I found out that its generally an a300 that ferries passengers from shanghai to t'aipei via laoag.

http://www.pactl.com/news/most%20recent

Is that a Chinese Airline? :)

h I read it on philskies btw... that sucks. haha! I love the A340/330 in PAL livery! want more of them - especially the A340-500 series!! hahaha...! oh well. they just better get the paint job right on the B744. darn that RP-C8168 paint..! hehehe...

I did a search for the RP-C8168. What's wrong with the paint?

I did a search for the RP-C8168. What's wrong with the paint?

the "e" and "s" in Philippines is not bold like the rest of the titles so its like seeing Philippines

Yeah i saw that...looks weird but not immediately noticable.

I found new shots of the interior (and exterior) of the new Davao Int'l Airport...!!! this is one beautiful airport...!!

this is in the landside with the check-in counters and security, I think. the security checkpoints are actually organized here, unlike at NAIA-1. oh... and it really reminds me of Phuket's airport. haha! definitely world class...
http://www.jetphotos.net/viewphoto.php?id=391853

the gates and aerobridges from the tarmac. the exterior (from the front at least) is clearly modern Filipino styled architecture though. I love DVO...
http://www.jetphotos.net/viewphoto.php?id=391810

oh... and a new shot of PAL's A340 Fiest Class. add PTVs and this would be my Economy Class of choice...
http://www.jetphotos.net/viewphoto.php?id=391446

all three by Rommel Dorado courtesy of JetPhotos.net

i like the interiors except the globe ads

Nice...its very simple. Nothing special, but very presentable.

DVO is nice and simple....wish there was more activity in/at the terminal (more planes and passengers). :colgate:

RP not ready for liberalization of air transportation in 2006
By LENIE LECTURA, TODAY Reporter

The Philippines will not be able to comply with the Asean Air Transport Integration and Liberalization program scheduled to start in 2006.

Member-economies of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have recently signed a road map for integrating and liberalizing air transport within the region, which includes an open-skies policy for both passenger and cargo by 2006.

Transportation Undersecretary Arturo Valdez said the Philippines has invoked the ASEAN-X protocol, which gives an ASEAN member more flexibility in complying with liberalization or deregulation initiatives within the region.

With that, the Philippines will have more time to beef up its local air transport industry. “We have to open up eventually, but there must be level playing field for competition,” said Valdez.

ASEAN, which groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Burma, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines, hopes to break down trade barriers and facilitate the free flow of goods and services among the member countries.

Open skies would literally open the country’s skies to foreign carriers, giving them unlimited access to the country’s international airports regardless of seating capacity, frequency entitlements and aircraft size.

The liberalization of regional air transport is embodied in the ASEAN Transport Action Plan, which aims to further develop integrated, safe and secure regional transport infrastructure and logistics network.

“To facilitate the development of regional-production network, interconnectivity and interoperability among existing and planned infrastructure, modes and logistics will also be strengthened to enable seamless cargo transportation. These policy initiatives will be carried out through 48 strategic activities over the next six years,” said the ASEAN in the recent Senior Transportation Officials Meeting in Laos.

The 10-year ASEAN Air Transport Integration and Liberalization provides strategic actions to further liberalize air services in ASEAN and promote an enabling environment for a single and unified air transport market in the region.

But concerned with the need to level the playing field, such as market conditions, fair competition and consumer protection, the Philippine panel, led by Valdez, proposed that before the lifting of restrictions in air travel, a respectable load factor, say 60 percent, should first be attained by all airlines.

“Further ASEAN-wide liberalization shall be conditional to the establishment of a clear competition rules,” the Philippine panel has proposed.After deliberations, the meeting concluded that Philippines’ proposed condition on load factor was a commercial consideration and not a policy issue and, hence, need not be incorporated into the road map.

The action-plan provision calls for putting in place policy options by 2005 to address ownership rules and investment issues, code of conduct on competition and consumer policy, subsidies and state aid, and emergence of new business models like the low-cost carriers.

The meeting agreed that such provision would properly address the Philippines’ concern on the need to have a clear competition rules for the airline industry.

Local airline companies and travel agencies, on one hand, oppose the implementation of the bilateral air transport agreement. The group is lobbying for a gradual, phase-by-phase liberalization of air policy, instead of a one-time full operating of the country’s skies to foreign airlines.

On other hand, is the Freedom-to-Fly Coalition, another group of domestic tourist agencies and travel operators, which has been claiming that the liberalization of the air transport sector would bring five million tourists to the Philippines by 2010.

At present, only two million foreign tourists arrive in the country each year, making it one of the lowest number of tourist arrivals in Southeast Asia.

It is estimated that it would take another 10 years before the country is fully prepared to open up its air passenger sector.

The government has been urged its local carriers to become more globally competitive before allowing a greater degree of international competition. Local airlines are not operationally competitive and financially sustainable at this point.

PAL claims to be on schedule 90% of the time
Clarissa S. Batino | Inquirer News Service | Dec. 10, 2004

PHILIPPINE Airlines (PAL), once notorious for flight delays, claims that its flights are on schedule 90-95 percent of the time.

"We are hitting our target of flying on schedule 90 percent of the time for international flights, and 95 percent on domestic flights," PAL president Jaime Bautista said. "Our numbers have been improving in the last three months."

Cebu Air Pacific of the Gokongwei group was the first local airline to claim 95-percent on-time performance. Its officials say it has sustained its record.

PAL reported a net income of P1.44 billion in the first half of operations starting April 2004 as against a net loss of P1.09 billion in the same period in the previous fiscal year. Of the amount, P204.13 million came in the July-September period, as against a net loss of P383.79 million in the same months last year.

PAL has started new fleet leases. A 156-seater Airbus A-320 arrived on Dec. 1 and another is expected in the middle of this month.

For most part of the year, PAL's on-time performance was slightly below the standard of 85 percent on overseas flights and 90 percent on domestic flights. Bautista admitted that PAL used to rate poorly in this area compared to its closest rival, Cebu Pacific.

To help improve its flight schedule, PAL started reducing the turnaround time in the provinces from one hour to between 30 and 45 minutes so the planes can come back earlier to Manila for service checks and maintenance, Bautista said.

It has also reviewed flight schedules to improve utilization of its planes, he added. It wants to use each aircraft for more than seven hours a day, he said.

Bautista said he focused on improving the schedule as soon as he was appointed to head PAL in late August.

He said that in the past PAL always started the day with on-time flights, and a delayed flight in the middle of the day created a domino effect on later flights.

He said PAL was now focusing on improving service to customers, increasing productivity and enhancing efficiency. "We owe it to our customers to improve our service," he said. "Customer service is now the priority of PAL and we are talking about end-to-end, from ticketing to delivering the passengers and cargo to their destination."

To improve efficiency, Bautista said, PAL must first get out of rehabilitation so it will have more flexibility to improve operations.

PAL has said creditors have to allow it to get out of rehabilitation ahead of schedule so it can consider borrowing funds for expansion. Its 10-year rehabilitation started in 1999.

PAL, Asia's oldest airline, went into rehabilitation in 1999 following crippling labor problems and failure to settle debts totaling $2.2 billion.

The rehabilitation required infusion of $200 million in fresh equity, which its owner, tobacco tycoon Lucio Tan, provided. With INQ7.net
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
wow...! hahaha..! this is unbelievable, but hopefully true. I personally think Philippine Airlines has improved punctuality and on-time performance on scheduled flights since they announced they would be making the effort. I check out the flight departures/arrivals through the PAL site as well as FlightView's flight tracker and there have been drastic improvements as compared to the past. flights occasionaly not only pushback but actually take to the air early or on the dot (according to FlightView) - something that was basically unheard of back then. haha...! like today's PR107... haha...! I hope they keep this up though and not just do it for some p.r. gig...

DVO is nice and simple....wish there was more activity in/at the terminal (more planes and passengers). :colgate:

well thats another story. that'd be up to Davao City to present itself to be more of a good business investment, and possibly a biggest tourist attraction, not just in Mindanao, but for the whole of the country.

KLM uses a 777

thats exactly the dreamliner has to offer big size jet range in mide size aircraft. well i believe it lonly meams that it will have the same range as the larger b-777 or a-340 or 380, these planes are intended to fly customers directly to thier routes instead of taking connecting flights in big cities where most of these large jets land. the b-7e7 will have the same ultra long range capability of these big jets and land on airports on cities where these jets usually dont.

Another airline to open Davao-Sandakan flight
By Jenny Molbog-Mendoza, Thursday, December 16, 2004

Another airline company will open a flight from Davao City to Sandakan, Indonesia via Zamboanga by January next year.

Glenn Lamela, commercial director of South Phoenix Airways, said during the Club 888 forum held at Marco Polo Hotel that the opening of a flight to Sandakan would hasten development in countries comprising the growth polygon, the Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines-East Asean Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA).

"This is going to be a good news for everybody. Aside from strengthening the BIMP-EAGA, it could also help strengthen the economy of Mindanao, especially Davao City. It could really spur development in the region," he said.

South Phoenix Airways would have at least 5,000 passengers a week who will fly from Zamboanga to Sandakan once its operation officially starts. South Phoenix Airways would use YS 11 turbo aircraft with a capacity of 60 passengers. It would be manned by Filipino pilots and flight attendants.

"South Phoenix Airways is a Filipino corporation with some Japanese partners. We don't have direct flight to Sandakan because our aircraft can't travel for more than three hours. Davao to Sandakan would run around five hours," he said.

The airline company has its operational hub in Zamboanga while its marketing hub is in Davao City. Its ticketing office is in Davao International Airport. South Phoenix Airways would also open a flight from Davao City to Boracay via Zamboanga by March.

"We are opening a flight to Boracay because we have learned that dabawenyos are crazy over going to Boracay. We are also opening anonther flight by summer next year, from General Santos City to Iloilo," he said.

Click here to view the original "Airplane and Airline" thread in the Archives: http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=160060

Check this out! :lol:

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid150/p473029ffd69459a13ebe276e9fa53392/f5e11f04.jpg

wtf? :? hehehe...

hahahaha!!! what in the world is that...?! haha..!!

PAL acquires 3 Airbus planes
Sun.Star Cebu | Dec. 14, 2004

PHILIPPINE Airlines recently took delivery of two virtually brand-new aircraft, both Airbus A320s.

This is part of its continuing drive to rejuvenate its fleet and offer a superior product to the public.

A third A 320 arrived last Thursday, the flag carrier said in a statement.

The newly acquired airplanes—two of which are just a few months old, and the other, a newly overhauled five-year-old—replace older models in PAL’s narrow-bodied fleet, which now boasts an average age of under 10 years.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
so, according to the Philippine Airlines website, PAL now operates 6 A320s after losing one B733. the whole fleet is now made up of 32 aircraft. is this already the start of their refleeting...?

A paper plane.. Hahhahaha :)

How the hell can they fly a B737 from the Philipines to the USA???????

I guess they would need a technical stop somewhere.

How the hell can they fly a B737 from the Philipines to the USA???????

I guess they would need a technical stop somewhere.

of course, they've got other aircraft in their fleet of 32. hehehe... they have 5 B744s and 4 A343s that ply the trans-pacific routes to Vancouver-LAS, LAX, SFO, and HNL. their narrowbodies are made up of the B737s and A320s.

Emotional stability vital to flight safety
By Ruth G. Mercado, December 30, 2004

Because a happy crew is everything to ensure safe flight operations, pilots who had just had a quarrel with his wife or girlfriend will just have to take the day off until he has emotionally gotten over the pain.

Worldwide there is growing concern on how routine flight operations, no matter how benign, can and continues to be a latent threat to flight officers and crew that aviation authorities have strongly urged increased vigilance on these threats with training facilities.

In alarming trends, routine flights are claiming more lives than non-routine operations that a treatise presented to the Situation Awareness and Automation Technology Conference in Florida this year showed how flight operations present a myriad of threats to pilots and their crew because of human system complexity. Any failure in psycho-cognitive behavior spells the thin difference of a safe take off or landing and a disaster.

Robert Baron of the Aviation Consulting Group who prepared the treatise wrote that engine and hydraulic failures and popped circuit breakers are not killing pilots and their passengers. The largest number of crashes and fatalities occur when nothing is mechanically wrong with the aircraft but where there is behavioral breakdown in human performance. Behavioral breakdown can range from fatigue, stress, distraction, complacency, poor task management, poor communicative ability, complacency and personality traits of pilots and flight officers.

Short circuit

What is reportedly causing failures and breakdowns in human performance are training facility weaknesses and psycho-cognitive threats during routine flights. Both are distinct from the other. Psycho-cognitive means the emotional, psychological and intellectual state of the pilots and crew at the time of the flight.

Training facilities were seen to put so much emphasis on good systems knowledge but pilot training for a specific aircraft was often overlooked or disregarded, making pilots the most failure-prone systems.

Crew resource management, usually a series of simulator training exposing trainees to different emergencies scenarios, has become popular here and worldwide. But it was observed that many emergencies and abnormal scenarios are unfounded and are unlikely to occur in real life. Simulator emergency scenarios can sometimes not be easily identifiable in training but can become blatantly clear in actual circumstances.

Baron likens a pilot’s psycho-cognitive system to a computer. His system inputs thousands of information with the associated action commands performed as output. Occasionally there is a “short circuit” in these processes and the stage is set for a disaster.

Challenge in complexity

At Philippine Airlines, flight operations and human resource teams don’t leave anything to chance knowing that human performance is a complex and challenging science. From long distance interviews at their Manila offices yesterday, flight operation and human resource officers said psycho-cognitive levels of pilots and crew are assessed from the time of recruitment, to hiring and even when pilots have been through long accumulated flying hours. At the recruitment stage, the applicant goes through a battery of tests including intelligence, coping mechanisms and response levels to stress and all forms of distraction.

So meticulous is PAL about the psycho-cognitive state of their pilots and flight crew that they are required adequate rest before a flight, must not be positive for alcohol or drugs including over-the-counter medication and must be emotionally prepared to fly. When pilots say they are not feeling well for any reason, he is just allowed to take the day off.

PAL has also adopted a culture for openness with its crew. While military culture used to dominate the cockpit, these have changed in recent years where openness and communication between the pilot and his co-pilot is encouraged.

One thing strongly recommended worldwide is requiring pilots to take a formal (credit or non-credit) course on psychology.

guys question lang... dba kayang kaya naman ng PAL ang MNL-LAX non-stop? Why does it have to stop to HNL going back... It's so wierd. Damn I miss Manila.

guys question lang... dba kayang kaya naman ng PAL ang MNL-LAX non-stop? Why does it have to stop to HNL going back... It's so wierd. Damn I miss Manila.

I think it has something to do with the winds. which is why on some days, it can go nonstop even on the return. the past weeks, most have been stopping at HNL though.

similar to how CX's nonstop HKG-Toronto service sometimes stops at YVR or Anchorage, I belive...

oh... the jetstream... on MNL to LAX it goes with it... but on the return, it flies against it...

Ya Headwinds Can Actually Make The Plane Fly Faster And Consume Less Fuel If It Flows On The Same Direction As The Aircraft And Can Do The Opposite If The Plane Is Flying Against It,

Ya Headwinds Can Actually Make The Plane Fly Faster And Consume Less Fuel If It Flows On The Same Direction As The Aircraft And Can Do The Opposite If The Plane Is Flying Against It,

I think you got it mixed up :)

Tailwinds make the planes fly faster with less gas consumption because it "pushes" the plane.

Headwinds go against the plane as experience in a LAX-MNL route.

when i went home in 2003, my ticket said SFO-HNL-MNL but just before departure they announced that we will have a direct flight instead, so we did. the same with other people who went home that i know of. PAL always sells tickets with a HNL stopover but the plane never stops in HNL :dunno:

I think you got it mixed up :)

Tailwinds make the planes fly faster with less gas consumption because it "pushes" the plane.

Headwinds go against the plane as experience in a LAX-MNL route.

ok thanks for the info, so the plane flying fom europe to asia encounters less headwinds that why its travelling time is less butcoming back from asia to europe planes do encounter stronger headwinds thats why it takes more time to reach the destination is that it????

Just got this blurb from the PAL website....

New fleet
5 January 2005

Philippine Airlines took delivery last week of two virtually brand-new aircraft, both Airbus A320s, as part of a continuing drive to rejuvenate its fleet and offer a superior product to the riding public. A third A320 arrived on Dec. 9. The newly acquired airplanes - two of which are just a few months old and the other, a newly overhauled 5-year-old - replace older models in PAL's narrow-bodied fleet that now boasts an average age of under ten years.

I saw that just now too... I wonder if these new additions are any different from the older ones...

I also saw they launched a new, separate website for Mabuhay Miles... looks weird. still a bit messy and... I guess I'm just not used to it.. haha...

haha. yea i just saw it too... very messy... but it looks ok anyways... just some of the graphics look unprofessional

ok thanks for the info, so the plane flying fom europe to asia encounters less headwinds that why its travelling time is less butcoming back from asia to europe planes do encounter stronger headwinds thats why it takes more time to reach the destination is that it????

the winds don't always go from east to west in every place, plus a lot of winds are seasonal :)

hey guys dont forget that airbus is unveiling its brand new plane to a-380 on 18th jan hope we can post some pics in this thread

Hey guys. Good news. Pals international route service network expands once again. Starting March 1, PAL will start their 4x weekly service to Nagoya. They have already updated their route map, the destinations page of their website, and the schedule of the said flight. Flight PR438 leaves MNL at 1330 on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays using A330 aircraftand will arrive at NGO at 1830 local time. The return leg, which is PR437 leaves the next day at 0930 and will arrive at 1230 MNL time. Cool. If only they could finally manage to open a single European route, i would be a happy man. =) But i guess we would have to wait for an additional widebody in their fleet for them to do that. =) Btw, exactly how many seats were granted by the MNL-NGO agreement a few months back? I thought CEB wants to fly there to but it looks like PAL, as usual, got all the frequencies leaving zilch for the competitor. hehehehe.

I saw it on their route maps and timetables too. the new Nagoya Chubu Centrair airport is scheduled to open just in time for this EXPO 2005 thing that opens sometime this March. I just saw them (JAL/EXPO 2005) put up an ad in TIME mag and it made a special mention of the Philippine pavillion so I went to check it out online. I think it is this really big int'l environmental exposition that goes on for I dunno how long. they expect 15M visitors and I'm sure a whole bunch of airlines are wanting to take advantage of that. apart from that, they say Centrair was conceptualized to become another major air transportation hub.

afaik, the last time the Philippines was given additional entitlements to Japan, both PR and 5J were given a share of 7 slots each. Japan set a limit for a max of only half of those for service to Osaka, however. an A330-300 is 1.5 slots so PAL used up 6 of its additional entitlements on the new 4X-weekly NGO service, and left one for additional frequencies to KIX.

Too bad the Philippines did not push through with their hosting of World Expo a few years back. It would have been a great promotion to the world but then again politics played a big role in not making it happen. Oh well..... My friends saw the Philippine Pavilion during the World Expo held in Hanover, Germany a few years back and they thought it was nice so hopefully the Philippine Pavilion on this years expo would be nicer.

Pearl of the Orient Seas - The Philippines (http://community.webshots.com/user/jbkayaker12)

oh...!! so that EXPO 2005 is the World Exposition. how often do they have them? Shanghai is hosting it in 2010 or something, right? is it always focused on the environment or is that 2005's theme? the Philippine Pavillion, when it was one of around four or five made special mention in the ad, was described as paying tribute to the coconut/buko tree which is considered the "tree of life".

Philippine carriers to fly to Nagoya in March
Posted: 5:41 PM | Jan. 17, 2005

Agence France-Presse

FLAG carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) and local rival Cebu Pacific said Monday they plan to begin flights to Nagoya in Japan by March.

The Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) allowed each carrier to make four trips per week to Nagoya as part of a new air services pact with Japan, PAL officials said.

PAL, which got three trips per week under the new agreement, said it will begin flying the Nagoya route in March. Its fourth flight will be made using an entitlement granted under a previous air service agreement with Japan.

PAL has signed a deal with Japan Airlines (JAL) under which JAL will take care of ground handling at Nagoya for the Philippine flag carrier.

Cebu Pacific meanwhile plans to start flying to Nagoya and Osaka between April and June upon the arrival of its two new Airbus planes.

Too bad the Philippines did not push through with their hosting of World Expo a few years back. It would have been a great promotion to the world but then again politics played a big role in not making it happen. Oh well..... My friends saw the Philippine Pavilion during the World Expo held in Hanover, Germany a few years back and they thought it was nice so hopefully the Philippine Pavilion on this years expo would be nicer.

Pearl of the Orient Seas - The Philippines (http://community.webshots.com/user/jbkayaker12)


BLAME the ousted president estrada for it. If only Jose de Venecia won the the election in 1998 maybe the hosting of the Phils. for World Expo came true. That chances never happens everytime but former president estrada let it go. well what can we expect from best actor/movie star.

Budget carriers seek permission to fly into Manila

Tuesday, January 11, 2005

source: http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2005/1/11/business/9863457&sec=business


MANILA: AirAsia, its unit Thai AirAsia, and Singapore's Jetstar Asia are seeking permission from the government here to fly to and from the Philippines, a senior aviation official said.

The three budget carriers want to offer competitive fares to travellers coming to and from Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand, said Tomas Maqalac, executive director of the Civil Aeronautics Board.

Manalac said that Jetstar Asia had submitted documents to support its application for a foreign air carrier's permit for flights from Singapore to Manila and back.

“Jetstar had been inquiring about the process since late last year, but it was only last week when it submitted the application,” Manalac said.

AirAsia and its Thai subsidiary have also informed the transportation department of their interest in flying to the Philippines, he said. – AFX-Asia

=========================

Jetstar Asia already announced its intent, but what's new is air asia and thai air asia. What I'm wondering about, though, is if the local aviation authority is going to insist on cramming them into DMIA :D

It won't be really flying into Manila if they land in DMIA would it;)

I Was also told that starding August 2005, Etihad Airways, the national carrier of UAE will start a daily Manila-Abu Dhabi service using an A343.

@renell: yeah, I know, but I always hear in the news how DMIA is being marketed as Manila's very own budget airport. I mean, they gave out frequencies like mad to DMIA, although I would find it weird if an airline would actually agree to commence services to an airport in the middle of nowhere... that happens in european budget aviation, right? :D I just don't see it happening here in the near future

@crazy: yep, I also saw the advertisments for recruiting etihad flight attendants in the job market. I'm tempted to apply :D

I was reading the newspaper a while ago, and then I saw a PAL swingaround package ad. What surprised me the most was that Kathmandu was on the list. Since when does PAL fly to Nepal? I know we have an air-rights thingie, but there's no announcement whatsoever. I'm checking the PAL site, and...


EDIT:
http://www.philippineairlines.com/files/kth0405exphils.pdf

you go to kathmandu via BKK. Bangkok-kathmandu is served by royal nepal. and I thought PAL was dipping into a new route, too...

I went to check it out on PAL's website and the PDF file says the airfare is for MNL-BKK on PAL and then BKK-Kathmandu on Royal Nepal Airlines..

hmm.. that's odd, I never knew PAL had intentions to fly to Kathmandu, even if it is flight-share. But then again it could be the other way around, Royal Nepal Airlines willing to fly to Manila. :)

^ A few months ago PAL announced it wanted to fly to Kathmandu and more Indian cities before they go to Europe.

Did they cite any reasons why?:? Even with little aviation knowledge, I didn't pass me that PAL had Kathmandu in mind. I thought they were targeting big cities with heaps of OFWs.. guess im wrong:)

3 airlines keen to fly to Clark airport
Three foreign airlines have expressed interest to fly to the Philippines via the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport in Clark Field, Pampanga.

Transport Secretary Leandro R. Mendoza said the interested airlines include Malaysia-based Air Asia, which is currently running chartered operations at the Subic Bay International Airport. He did not disclose the names of the two other airlines who are also expected to start operations this year.

"Three airlines from three countries already applied. These are all Asian airlines," Mr. Mendoza said.

He earlier said the government has offered landing rights to other countries at the former US airbase.

The airport has a 3.2-kilometer runway, which is longer than the 2.2-kilometer runway of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

However, the new airport still needs to be upgraded before it can be fully used.

The facility would eat up another P2.5 billion, as it needs passenger terminal tubes and cargo and logistics infrastructure.

Mr. Mendoza earlier said airlines are still hesitant to land at the Clark airport due to lack of facilities and alternative transportation modes to Metro Manila.

He said, however, that the interest from the three airlines is a good indication for the airport, which is seen as an alternative to the congested NAIA.

"Their interest is encouraging. Right now only Asiana Airlines is operating in Clark," Mr. Mendoza said.

He said the completion of the rehabilitation of the North Luzon Expressway in February and the Northrail, which should be operational in two to three years, would provide the transport systems needed to boost activity between Manila and Clark. -- Anna Barbara L. Lorenzo

Asian Spirit investing 40M on fleet expansion
Local carrier Asian Spirit is gearing up for regional operations as it launches today the BAe146 Jet, the first of the four Jumbolino aircraft which will boost its existing fleet.

With a $40-million investment, Asian Spirit is expecting the second aircraft to arrive within the year, and two others in April and May 2006.

"The company will phase out some of its aircraft like the LET410s and the YS11s. We are using internally generated funds, there will be no borrowing for the investment," said Jack Po, executive vice-president.

With the additional aircraft, Mr. Po said Asian Spirit will start flying to Ormoc and Puerto Princesa in February while also looking at regional destinations to offer foreign tourists direct flights to the Philippines.

Asian Spirit flies to major tourism destinations such as Baguio, Busuanga, Batanes, Boracay and Palawan. Other destinations include Tuguegarao, Antique, Cebu, Cagayan de Oro, Catanduanes and the Clark Economic Zone, where the airline will launch its first Jumbolino today.

"The four-engine jets are expected to cut travel time to some of our key destinations like Surigao del Norte, Catarman, Calbayog and the newly opened route, Puerto Princesa. When Caticlan extends its airport, then we will be looking at bringing the jets there as well," Mr. Po said.

Two of the four new jets are configured to accommodate 100 passengers. Asian Spirit said the jets have excellent performance and operating economics and requires a runway length of only 1,100 meters for operation.

The BAe146 is manufactured by the British Aerospace Systems, the third largest aerospace manufacturer in the world. Other major airlines using the Jumbolino include Lufthansa, British Airlines, Cathay Pacific, and American Airlines. -- A. B. L. Lorenzo

Infra shortfall impedes aviation industry growth

by Ruth G. Mercado
January 31, 2005

MANILA — To the chagrin of airlines, few and antiquated runways, lack of night landing facilities, and ill-planned airport designation sites have impeded growth in the aviation industry that in five years, the domestic fleet has been nothing but in standstill.

So pathetic may the country’s infrastructure shortfall be that it cannot accommodate one Airbus 380, reputed to be one of the world’s newest and most advanced jets. While other Asian countries have closed deals with Airbus and Boeing for the procurement of A380s and 7E7s, the Philippines is now finding itself licking in envy because no runway in the country can accommodate the state-of-the-art jets.

Frustrated about how government is miserably behind in airport development, Jaime J. Bautista, president and chief operating officer of Philippine Airlines said, “growth in the aviation industry is not encouraging.”

In a talk with Bautista at PAL’s headquarters in Makati, Bautista said poorly maintained runways and ill-planned airport designation sites are preventing maximum utilization of aircraft while incurring heavy maintenance costs.

PAL incurs heavy costs in aircraft tires because potholes on Mactan’s runways are so numerous, these lacerate tires. Put together these potholes reportedly have a diameter of 600 meters, big enough for a crater of a baby volcano. PAL though continues to service Mactan despite heavy costs on tire maintenance as it is one of the country’s hubs with heavy passenger and cargo traffic.

Other airports and runways are ill-planned that its continued operations are compromising safety. The runways at Naga in Legaspi are reportedly too short. A tall building blocks the runway in Tagbilaran, Bohol needing a powerful engine for safe landing and take-off, a hotel obstructs runways in Bacolod City while high tension wire is blocking the runway at San Jose, Mindoro. It is almost unthinkable why government has not rectified, nor has it given as a mere glance on such major lapses in the country’s critical infrastructure.

Lack of runways has likewise stunted growth where these can only accommodate fuel guzzling jet-propelled aircraft. Only about five runways nationwide can accommodate fuel-efficient jets including Cebu, Manila, Bacolod, Davao and Iloilo while the other 80 or so runways are operating under heavy costs of fuel-guzzling jet propeller aircraft.
Comic hunchback.

Ill-panned airport designation is also turning the aviation industry into a comedy. Clark is the only airport in the country with a double runway for international aircraft but these are inutile and unused. Double runways are now required in international aviation but while the Philippines has one in Clark, its distance from Manila has made it inoperable.

What may also turn the aviation industry into a hunchback is the dearth of night landing facilities. Bautista said lack of night landing infrastructure and equipment limit operations to daytime flights. Flying only from sunrise-to-sunset, Bautista said most aircraft here operate an average of 6 to 7 hours daily compared to international operations where aircraft are utilized from 14 to 24 hours.

In graphs, combined operations from three domestic carriers show maximized seat capacities. What lines and curves are not showing are frustrations and disappointments. Airlines may be filled with verve and vision to expand markets, re-fleet its aircraft, and stimulate travel, but infrastructure shortfall is turning these visions into illusions, dreams into nightmares.

I really thought we had our airports in good condition, int'l airports being built in the other major cities across the country, yet we still have ones which have some of the most stupid things impending airplanes or worrying airlines. How on earth did the authorities let a building obstruct an airports runway.... that's disappointing unfortunately, and Mactan's situation, it's been there for a long time hasn't it? :no:

Thats worrying and very dissapointing. I really hope the government does more to improve infrastructure all of the Philippines to make the country more competitive in the region. They didnt mention Clark DMIA which has some of the best airport infrastructure in the country.

the writer of that article is very negative towards Phil aviation, even he (or she?) wrote something which is not related to the topic and untrue.

example is this

the Philippines is now finding itself licking in envy because no runway in the country can accommodate the state-of-the-art jets.

Clark, Cebu and NAIA can accomodate a single or couple A380. I even saw ill II-76TD in NAIA which is similar with A380, except the airplane is a cargo plane.

Iam worried about the infrastructure but i even more worried about the tough regulation by the Philippines authorities, I heard that jetstar asia and Airasia are delaying and even looking to postpone their expanding in the Philippines, because the regulation is very tough and complicated. I guess everyone knows why rite....

hint: lucio tan's airline :)

Cheers

^Exactly...NAIA and especially Clark and definitely accomodate A380s. The problem is if Terminal 3 can handle the superjumbo...T1 obviously cannot.

The govt is very protective of PAL, for many reasons...esp. because it is still recovering from its short death. Indeed, the govt needs to open up regulations a bit more to increase competition and so that PAL will improve their service quality and fleet.

I seriously think that lucio tan should have just stayed out of PAL. He doesn't have the vision to make it an airline that's at least as great as its former glory. All he cares about is that he has a monopoly, and its making money. Even when PAL collapsed, Lucio Tan was able to profit from it. *sigh*

But the article does have its points. For example:

Light aircraft crashes at Manila airport

Posted 04:03pm (Mla time) Feb 01, 2005
By Nikko Dizon
Inquirer News Service

A LIGHT aircraft carrying loads of fish from Roxas town in Palawan collapsed on its belly upon landing at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Monday night.
The pilot of the Beechcraft Piper Aztec and its lone passenger were unharmed but the accident delayed domestic and international flights.

Operations at the NAIA were paralyzed for nearly an hour as a result of the incident.

Five flights bound for Manila were diverted to the Diosdado Macapagal Airport in Clark Air Field, Pampanga province. These were Qantas Airways QF 019 from Sydney; Philippine Air Lines PR 331 from Xiamen; Asian Spirit 2P 544 from Davao; Cebu Pacific 5J 462 from Iloilo; and Cebu Pacific 5J 570 from Cebu.

Two international flights, Singapore Airlines SQ 076 from Singapore and PAL PR 307 from Hong Kong, were placed on holding paths while the runway was being cleared before they were allowed to land.

Emirates Airlines EK 333 bound for Dubai and PAL PR 855 for Iloilo were also delayed.

===============

Technically, that aircraft was supposed to land at runway 13/31, but that runway has no night equipment. So it landed on the main runway instead. If at least 13/31 had no time restrictions, then we wouldn't have a LOT of stranded passengers. Those are a lot of flights that were delayed, and such an incident could have been avoided if only the other runway was operational at night.

Ano ba iyan. Dapat itong paruparong panlilipad na nagningnisda padaanin na nila sa Clark. pambihira naman iyan.

I seriously think that lucio tan should have just stayed out of PAL. He doesn't have the vision to make it an airline that's at least as great as its former glory. All he cares about is that he has a monopoly, and its making money. Even when PAL collapsed, Lucio Tan was able to profit from it. *sigh*

yeah... exactly! PAL has been in the hands of Lucio Tan for so long now and, if anything, he's only used it to help himself. under Tan, PAL sank to its near-death and is now still only barely recuperating. there haven't been any drastic improvements and hardly any growth for the airline. he's taken advantage of it for the benefit of his own Air Philippines - with cheap aircraft lease agreements and now even lopsided frequent flyer tie-ups. with his little monopoly of the Philippine aviation industry, he's left almost no room for other companies that actually have that "vision" to grow - to barely even just exist.

I mean, fine... he owns the company and he can do whatever he wants with it and even put it down totally if he wanted to. but, on top of being the big fat cheat that he is, he's still asking and being granted all these exclusive priveleges from and by the government. he's the country's biggest tax delinquent for crying out loud! instead of being prosecuted, he gets a whole airport to himself as well as a hand on anything else that goes on in the ATO. what right does he have to be complaining about these problems at the country's airports? isn't he the one that's causing them...?? he's kept billions in what should be taxes to himself. I'm sure they could not only fully remedy those problems but even put up brand new airports with that amount. now here he goes again with one-roof operations at T3. maybe PAL can be given some leeway as the country's prime carrier, but they should kick that fat asshole out first...

I wonder what happens to the passengers of the ones who were diverted to Clark. How do they return to Manila, where they're originally supposed to land?

hehe this is one instance where the fish has taken precedence over human traffic.

I wonder if the air taxi companies that are envisaged in the future is best accomodated by Naia or a different airport.

4 intl airlines eye flights to Clark airport

CLARK FIELD, Pampanga - Clark Development Corp. (CDC) President Emmanuel Angeles disclosed recently that four airlines operating in the Asia-Pacific Region have signified interest in conducting flights to the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport here, further boosting plans to open the airport for international airlines.

Angeles told guests during the inauguration of Asian Spirit Airlines’ new BAe 146 jetliner held at the airport that Transportation Secretary Leandro Mendoza, who was the guest of honor at the event, had already approved all applications for landing rights by the four airliners.

Mendoza said the entry of the new airlines was the result of government efforts to enhance the Macapagal airport as an investment hub of the country.

CDC executive vice president Victor Jose Luciano said the airlines are Air Asia-Berhad of Malaysia, Asia Value Air and Tiger Airways of Singapore, and Air Asia-Thailand.

He said he met representatives of the airlines in the Low-Cost Air Symposium held in Singapore last month.

Luciano said the airlines will use 100-seater aircraft similar to Asiana Airlines’, which five flights a week bring in thousands of Korean tourists to Macapagal airport that has boosted the local economy in and around the Clark Special Economic Zone.

He explained that the airlines are labeled as “low cost” because they charge cheap airfares, citing the Malaysia to Philippines route, where a ticket costs less than $200 dollars (around P11,000).

“These airlines want to conduct four to five flights a day to the [Macapagal airport]. This is good for the airport because it means it will soon be busy” he said.

Luciano said only Korean flag carrier Asiana Airlines is conducting five flights a week to and from Incheon Airport in South Korea and Macapagal airport since October 2003. J. Due


==========================

I'm seriously puzzled as to why anyone would like to start flights to clark, as its virtually in the middle of nowhere, even for budget airlines. SCTEX and Northrail aren't even done yet. Asiana flights are filled with Korean tourists. What will fill these?

I'm quite puzzled too...but i guess they did their research. And Asiana continues to have flights to Clark, which indicates that they do have a customer base.

They dont include jetstar, I guess they drop the plan to Manila. I hope they're not, because tiger and valuair are eyeing more to other SEA country. The only airline will benefit flying to Manila as a low cost carrier is AirAsia, especially when they have the right to fly within the Phillippines (if PAL ever...ever...ever...ever allow them)

Cheers

what does PAL have to do with other airliners being able to land and depart in NAIA or Clark or Mactan?

^Government protectionism;)

@David80: Jetstar's applying not for Clark, but for Manila. I'm guessing that they're just waiting for T3 to open, like etihad, because it would be a headache for them to take a few months to organize operations at T1 just to have it shut down and move to a new terminal. Jetstar is pretty smart this way, because they'll be serving an airport with an actual population around it :D

Air Philippines to buy more aircraft
Local carrier Air Philippines is planning to acquire more aircraft after completing a refleeting last month.

A company official said the airline has already made firm orders for two Boeing 737 to kick off its second phase of refleeting.

"The company is planning to acquire two more Boeing 737s starting this year, with an option to add two more," the official said.

He did not disclose the amount pegged for the acquisition.

Air Philippines recently received another five-year certificate of public convenience and necessity from the Civil Aeronautics Board.

The clearance, which will expire on Jan. 19, 2010, allows Air Philippines to continue scheduled and nonscheduled flights.

Air Philippines, which has a 25-year franchise, received its first clearance in 1997 for domestic flights.

Air Philippines, which is among the preferred low-cost airlines in the country, flies to Bacolod, Cebu, Cagayan de Oro, Davao, Dumaguete, Cebu, General Santos, Iloilo, Laoag, Puerto Princesa, Zamboanga, Mindoro, and Tuguegarao.

The airline also has a permit to fly to the US, Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan and South Korea. -- Anna Barbara L. Lorenzo

I wonder what happens to the passengers of the ones who were diverted to Clark. How do they return to Manila, where they're originally supposed to land?

Usually it's the carrier's responsibility to get their passengers to their final destination, since that's what they paid for and expect to end up in. The airlines have some arrangements set up with local bus services or the carrier's own ground transportation to transport stranded passengers. Or they can delay the flight coming into its final destination by a prolonged (or emergency) layover before heading onward.

EDIT: I apologize for the delay in getting the pics working again and thanks for your patience. :)

Well, I waited five months to post this and now I finally have a chance. Sorry about the picture quality...I was a wee bit too excited to keep the camera still. :D Hope you all enjoy and thanks for reading. :)


Back in September I was going to fly to the northwest where the boarding school I attended was located. The most convenient airport was GEG which was 2-3 hours from Bonners Ferry, Idaho where the school was located and the top contenders I took into consideration was either UA, AS, HP, and F9 from LAX. But I remembered that I could take PR flight 107 from LAS to YVR in which at YVR my relatives there could be able to pick me up and drive me down to the Idaho panhandle. So of course my mom and I weighed down the options: take the convenient way by flying out of LAX to GEG or to fly for the first time on an A340 w/ PAL out of LAS. In the end, I chose the route and airline that is the namesake of my topic. :D

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v710/TripReports05/logo_pal.gif
Flight 107 LAS-YVR
September 9, 2004
Airbus A340-313X F-OHP?
First Class




After being held back by a accident near the California-Nevada border, we would show up to McCarran with the possibility that check-in would have been already closed.

The accident site...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v710/TripReports05/BCA011.jpg



With hopes, my brother, mom, and I hustled from the Terminal 1 parking lot, down to the curbside, waited in a long queue for a taxi though my mom was able to cut ahead and get one(thanks to the decency of fellow travellers caring enough to notice our situation), and made it to terminal 2 with the welcoming sight of having the PR check-in counters still open with no line to worry about since we were close to boarding.


Check in counters:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v710/TripReports05/BCA015.jpg

Terminal 2 pics:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v710/TripReports05/BCA016.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v710/TripReports05/BCA017.jpg


After a speedy security check, we made it to the gate and was welcomed by conga line of Fiesta Class passengers. Upon boarding, I seperated with my mom and bro whom were going to the Fiesta Class cabin while I headed to my seat in the First Class cabin. I was welcomed with an offering of orange juice which I turned down since I would be spending the time before taxi wandering around the aircraft. :D

Boarding:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v710/TripReports05/BCA018.jpg

A photo of my seat (1H):
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v74/Skyblade04/BCA021.jpg

The rest of First Class:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v710/TripReports05/BCA020.jpg


Mabuhay Class:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v710/TripReports05/BCA023.jpg


Fiesta Class:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v710/TripReports05/BCA024.jpg


Airshow:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v710/TripReports05/BCA027.jpg

In the First Class cabin, there was only two other people: a senior seated at 1B and a person in his 20s to 30s in 2G. As seen in the above photos, the Fiesta and Mabuhay Class cabins were filled with Canadian gamblers returning home as well as Filipinos heading to MNL. After visiting my mom and brother, I invited Jeremy (my bro) to check out the first class cabin. When he returned to his seat back in Fiesta, an F/A was distributing the First Class menu. Another F/A came up to my seat and asked if I had connections with PAL or if my parents or even me were employees which kinda got me dumbfounded until she mentioned that some staff in check-in said something along the lines of a PAL spokesman onboard, which I just replied the usual "in my dreams" fashion. Big grin

First Class Menu:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v710/TripReports05/BCA029.jpg

LAS VEGAS VANCOUVER

Hot Snack

Pampagana Appetizer
An Assortment of fresh fruit

Sari-sariang Tinapay Assorted Breads
Garic Bread, Soft Roll, Multi Grain Roll and Sourdough Roll
Served with Butter

Mga Ulam Entree Selections
GRILLED SALMON
Accented with soya ginger veloute
Carrot Sticks, Snap Beans and Asian-style Fried Rice

ITALIAN MEATBALLS
Featured with tomato basil sauce
Vegetable Lasagna with Bechamel Sauce

Mga Inuming Manit Hot Beverages
Coffee and Tea

While waiting to take off, I decided to take a gander on what was next to us which turned out to be an Aviacsa 727.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v710/TripReports05/BCA026.jpg


After a slight delay (as usual...) we taxied off to the runway.

The mischevous safety video duo...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v710/TripReports05/BCA030.jpg


Terminal 1 parking garage:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v710/TripReports05/BCA031.jpg

The Las Vegas Strip:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v710/TripReports05/BCA033.jpg

Takeoff:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v710/TripReports05/BCA034.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v710/TripReports05/BCA035.jpg


After dinner, I decided to visit my mom and bro in Fiesta Class in which I found out from my mom that the guy sitting in back of me was Filipino singer Martin Nievera. When I returned to my seat, I decided to strike a conversation with Mr. Nievera and I just recalled that I read an advertisement about his performance in Vegas a few days before which I somewhat thought it was coincidence to meet him. I have to admit, he was pretty friendly and was generous enough to give me an autographed copy of his latest CD.

Martin Nievera himself:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v710/TripReports05/BCA045.jpg

While over northern Washington the cabin lights were brought back on and I got my knicknacks ready before we would land in YVR. I couldn't wait to land since I would be seeing my aunts, uncles, and cousins at YVR plus I would be able to finally see the new International Terminal first hand.

F/A chatting with Mr. Nievera:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v710/TripReports05/BCA046.jpg


Landing went on smoothly and we taxied to the terminal in no time.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v710/TripReports05/BCA049copy.gif

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v710/TripReports05/BCA050.jpg



Upon deboarding I was juggling with my stuff but thankfully still had the opportunity to take a picture of the A340 one last time.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v710/TripReports05/BCA051.jpg


Passing through customs went swiftly and we then proceeded out of the terminal to see our relatives to pick us up.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v710/TripReports05/BCA053.jpg

Overall this trip went well and flying First Class for the first time w/ PAL exceeded my expectations and I'd definitely enjoyed flying with them. Again thanks for reading everyone. :)

whoa!!! ha ha! thanks for sharing. it looks like you really had fun during the flight. i had fun reading your narrative as well :okay: good job!

-Ty-

Cool...thanks for sharing. Seems like you really had a good time:okay: Very interesting.

How come you were in first class while your mom and bro were in fiesta? And was the plane fully booked or were there lots of empty seats in Fiesta/Mabuhay?

My mom and bro didn't want to shell out the cash for the upgrade but I took advantage of the opportunity of course. :D

Sorry for the prob on the pics, kinda fixed it now. :)

cool trip must have been with Martin Nievera and the Las Vegas strip. Mccarran's one sweet airport with its proximity to the strip. View is superb too if you get to see it, day or night.

:applause: :applause: Great job! :okay: :applause: :applause:

NICE one! hope you were able to get more pics! i feel like i was the one who had the long trip.

It's nice to see that not only Filipinos are riding PAL but also Canadian gamblers make up the bulk of the passengers too. I wonder if the fares on PAL are cheaper than any US/Canadian carrier that flies to LAS from YVR.

Cebu Pacific expects 20% rise in 2005 revenues with new planes
BusinessWorld, February 10, 2005

Gokongwei-led Cebu Pacific Air expects a 20% jump in revenue this year with the arrival of four aircraft.

The airline is also investing $5 million for a joint-venture maintenance company with SIA Engineering Co. Ltd., said Cebu Pacific President Lance Gokongwei.

"Our revenue was up 25% to P7.3 billion in 2004. We see another 20% growth with our new planes," he said.

Two 180-seater Airbus 320 aircraft will arrive in April and May, while two 150-seater Airbus 319 planes are expected to arrive between September and December.

Airbus will deliver six additional planes in 2006 and two in 2007 as part of Cebu Pacific's $400-million refleeting.

PROFITS

Without disclosing absolute figures, Mr. Gokongwei said 2004 was a profitable year for Cebu Pacific.

He said the airline is looking at new domestic routes, and is even eyeing a regional expansion particularly to China. Aside from domestic destinations, Cebu Pacific also flies to South Korea and Hong Kong.

The carrier is also entitled to fly to Japanese destinations after Japan granted 14 additional coefficients, or flight entitlements, to Philippine carriers.

Cebu Pacific will maintain its aircraft, including the existing fleet of DC9s and Boeing 757s, with the joint venture company it will operate with SIA Engineering, a subsidiary of Singapore Airlines by April.

"This is primarily for light maintenance. The initial investment is merely for tooling and equipment," Mr. Gokongwei said.

He said both Cebu Pacific and SIA Engineering are still on an agreement stage and the joint-venture company is yet to be named. The memorandum of agreement was signed on Dec. 17.

The joint-venture firm will be responsible for line maintenance, technical ramp handling services and light maintenance checks in airports where Cebu Pacific operates.

The partnership with Cebu Pacific is the third maintenance venture of SIA Engineering outside Singapore. It has existing partnerships with Hong Kong's Par Asia Pacific Aviation Services and Indonesia's PT Jas Aero Engineering Services.

-----------------------
So, they've decided to keep their old planes huh?! What are they gonna do with 23 planes not to mention narrow bodied planes? PAL has 32 and their network is so much wider than CEB. PAL is able to serve their domestic and some regional routes with only their 15 narrowbodies: 6 A320, 3 B734, and 6 B733. CEB only serves 17 airports domestically and 2 airports in their international network. I just think that CEB shouldnt keep the old fleet anymore since keeping them means added aircraft maintenance expenses. Not to mention the fact that DC9's are REALLY REALLY old that have been obsolete for years now. Only the airlines who have like hundreds of them still use DC9s like Northwest and they are slowly phasing them out as well by acquiring more and more A319s and A320s. With regard to their 757s, well i think they can keep those if they are really planning on adding more regional routes since 757s have a longer range that a DC9. But hey, who am i to complain. All i know is, the more aircrafts the Philippine Airliners have, the better since this shows how lucrative the airline industry is nowadays in the Philippines. GO PHILIPPINE AIRLINES!!!! GO CEBU PACIFIC AIR!!! GO AIR PHILIPPINES!!! GO ASIAN SPIRIT!!! GO SEAIR!!! GO OTHER AIRLINES THAT ARE TOO SMALL TO MENTION!!!

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

I don't think they're going to keep the old B757s and DC-9s... I think

Cebu Pacific will maintain its aircraft, including the existing fleet of DC9s and Boeing 757s....

just means that the joint venture company will also be doing maintenance for the old aircraft as the refleet is carried out. or maybe you're right. hehe... we'll see. can't wait to see 5Js new planes arriving though. I wonder what the new liveries will look like.

and... I guess the reported ex-SIA B744s aren't pushing through then...?

sweet trip report!! haha! I've seen it on three sites already!

people are saying PAL is gonna upgrade the equipment for this route to B744s soon. is that true...? are they really gonna be able to fill the plan up - especially on the YVR-LAS runs?

@kiretoce - I was looking at the flyers of this travel agency at the mall here a few months ago, and I was checking out the Las Vegas packages to see if any had PAL for the flights. Philippine Airlines was actually cheaper than this other airline by roughly $30 or something. I forgot. and forgot which airline it was too. hehe... sorry. I know it wasn't Air Canada though...

isnt pal using their wide body jets a-332 on major domestic routes , cebu, davao, puerto princessa, cagayan de oro city

well rising jet fuel and maintenance cost i dont believe cebu pacific will keep their old planes for long time surely they will have to phased out these planes in the near future as their new better fuel efficient airbus planes arrive

I'm quite puzzled too...but i guess they did their research. And Asiana continues to have flights to Clark, which indicates that they do have a customer base.
It's a question of gates and expense.

ONe can they get access to gates , counters etc, not in naia 1, and there's no naia 2.

Two, it's much cheaper to land in Clark, almost free compared to Naia, since they are mostly charter tourist operators , it doesnot matter, they'll give the tour group one night in clark with casino as their big attraction and then move them here to manila. Seriously it only take 1 to 2 hours by bus if you dn't get stuck in major traffic jam from clark to ortigas,or makati, this is acceptable to tour groups, which are used to being herded around.

Chichos luciano is good guy to have there in clark as he used to be the ASIANA agent for the PHilippines!

5J is the best carrier in the Philippines right now, I hope lucio tan wont try to buy 5J....

Btw I dont think 5J will keep their old aircraft in the fleet, they will lease or sell it and use the money to re-finance their modernisation. But for the 757, i think they will keep it, its good for the HKG-MNL or MNL-DVO route.

cheers

@ David - I dont think Gokongwei will let Lucio Tan buy 5J;) 5J has the potential to become a major Philippine carrier if they keep their services up.

isnt pal using their wide body jets a-332 on major domestic routes , cebu, davao, puerto princessa, cagayan de oro city

PAL uses their Airbus A330-300s on flights to CEB and all flights to DVO. A340s and B744s are also used for the Cebu runs, I think. I'm not sure about the other destinations though.

and, yeah... Lucio Tan buying out 5J is just not right. haha! I hope that'll never happen, and I don't think it will.

OT - unusual PAL sightings recently:
12/30/2004 - A333 at Nagoya (http://www.myaviation.net/search/photo_search.php?id=00283434) (the old airport, I think. not the one PAL will be starting up in March)

I wonder if that charter flight was filled up with Japanese tourists heading to Cebu. if that's the case, it looks like tourism is really booming...!

02/05/2005 - B744 at Melbourne (http://www.jetphotos.net/viewphoto.php?id=418770)
02/05/2005 - B744 at Sydney (http://www.airliners.net/open.file/774738/M/)

the sun is just weird down in Australia. hehe! gotta be the two cleanest shots of RP-C8168. and they've not even been repainted...! :runaway: has the MNL-MEL-SYD-MNL route been upgraded to 747s?

Indonesia budget carrier, Lion air, has started direct flight from Bali to Seoul Via Manila, this will be the 1st direct flight from Bali to Manila. Flights served 5 times a week using Boeing 737-400

Air Paradise Indonesia is also planning to fly from Bali to Nagoya via Cebu using airbus A310.

cheers

Indonesia budget carrier, Lion air, has started direct flight from Bali to Seoul Via Manila, this will be the 1st direct flight from Bali to Manila. Flights served 5 times a week using Boeing 737-400

Air Paradise Indonesia is also planning to fly from Bali to Nagoya via Cebu using airbus A310.

cheers

there are flights from davao to manado, indonesia... is it bouraq or merpati...

MND to DVO is served by both Bouraq and merpati, but I think bouraq has decrease their flight, twice a week Using 737-200.

There was charter flight from DVO to MND by Air Philippines back in the 90s. I hope they will resume the flight. I consider Manado as the little Philippines,

cheers

There was charter flight from DVO to MND by Air Philippines back in the 90s. I hope they will resume the flight. I consider Manado as the little Philippines.

Is it because there's a considerable Filipino minority in that city?

People are saying PAL is gonna upgrade the equipment for this route to B744s soon. is that true...? are they really gonna be able to fill the plan up - especially on the YVR-LAS runs?
I read an online article from a Las Vegas newspaper, in it PAL's CEO was quoted that if passenger demand is up on the MNL-LAS route, they'll consider upgrading the aircraft to a B747 and would drop the layover in YVR and just have a direct flight to LAS from MNL and vice versa.



@kiretoce - I was looking at the flyers of this travel agency at the mall here a few months ago, and I was checking out the Las Vegas packages to see if any had PAL for the flights. Philippine Airlines was actually cheaper than this other airline by roughly $30 or something. I forgot. and forgot which airline it was too. hehe... sorry. I know it wasn't Air Canada though.
Was is an Asian or North American carrier?

I read an online article from a Las Vegas newspaper, in it PAL's CEO was quoted that if passenger demand is up on the MNL-LAS route, they'll consider upgrading the aircraft to a B747 and would drop the layover in YVR and just have a direct flight to LAS from MNL and vice versa.

.....

Was is an Asian or North American carrier?

what...?! they were considering dropping YVR?? that's so weird. don't they get quite a number of Balikbayans heading to MNL from here? and will they be able to gain enough passengers from MNL/LAS to compensate for the Canadian gamblers/tourists they'd loose?

umm... it was a North American carrier - a LCC, I think. that's why it was pretty surprising. I'm not 100% sure if it was LCC though... are there any other Asian carriers that service LAS from YVR? JAL goes to LAS, but I'm not sure from where...

Indonesia budget carrier, Lion air, has started direct flight from Bali to Seoul Via Manila, this will be the 1st direct flight from Bali to Manila. Flights served 5 times a week using Boeing 737-400

Air Paradise Indonesia is also planning to fly from Bali to Nagoya via Cebu using airbus A310.

cheers

Interesting...nice of them to pic Manila as their stopover city.

Ironic that there is a Bali-Manila direct flight but no Jakarta-Manila direct flight:D

I know..they shouldnt drop the YVR-LAS route because there are quite a lot of Canadian and American passengers taking that route.

Absent: Are you talking about America West Airlines?

Is it because there's a considerable Filipino minority in that city?

I should say, ethnic Filipino and those that looks like chinese Filipino. Manado is also majority christian...so thats why.


Ironic that there is a Bali-Manila direct flight but no Jakarta-Manila direct flight

Soon this mid-year, Garuda will re-open CGK-MNL route using 737NG, Hopefully before you depart to canada :)

cheers

umm... it was a North American carrier - a LCC, I think. that's why it was pretty surprising. I'm not 100% sure if it was LCC though... are there any other Asian carriers that service LAS from YVR? JAL goes to LAS, but I'm not sure from where...

Aside from PAL, one other Asian carrier serves LAS and that is JAL. SIA used to fly to LAS from SIN but it dropped the route because there wasn't enough pax demand.



I know..they shouldnt drop the YVR-LAS route because there are quite a lot of Canadian and American passengers taking that route.

I agree. It's added revenue for PAL. If pax demand for the MNL-LAS (sans the layover at YVR) is up, they can upgrade to a direct non-stop flight to the schedule and still keep the MNL-YVR-LAS flight for the benefit and convenience of the Canadian/American tourists.

Cebu Pacific to have a newest fleet in Asia

The country’s second flag-carrier, Cebu Pacific (CEB) will have the newest fleet in Asia by 2007, with 14 all new aircraft.


According to CEB President Lance Y. Gokongwei, the first Airbus A319s will arrive by April, this year, the second in May and four more new aircraft before September and December. For 2006, CEB expects the delivery of 6 more new planes, with the last two being in 2007.

In order to cut fuel costs and reach further into its targeted regional destinations, CEB purchased a dozen Airbus A319s with the list price of $670 million in September, 2004.

On top of the purchase, CEB is leasing two Airbus A320’s. The carrier will replace its entire fleet of DC9 and B757 aircraft. It has a dozen planes at present.

The A319s will be deployed on the airlines’ domestic network that presently covers 19 destinations, four of which are international – Guangzhou, Xiamen, Hong Kong and Seoul. "We are considering new domestic routes in the Visayas Mindanao area and some other routes in China," he disclosed.

Earlier, he acknowledged the possibility of restoring Cebu Pac’s services from Manila to Singapore, though that is not the carrier’s immediate priority.

While the airline has chartered flights to Japan, it is not looking at long haul destinations, like the Middle East and US at this point.

"Our key consideration in getting A319s is it will improve our range and enable us to fly to key growth areas in China and Korea, the growth markets for Philippine tourism. The benefits to Cebu Pacific in terms of economy and operations are long-term," Gokongwei noted.

CEB will realize a 20 percent savings in operating cost using the Airbuses versus the DC-9 and a seat cost savings of up to 40 percent. The Airbus has a capacity for 150 seats versus the DC-9’ s 115 seats. The first also has more cargo capacity and can load containerized cargoes.

CEB has also signed a $5-million joint venture with the Singapore Airlines Engineering Corporation (SEAC) to handle the maintenance requirements of CEB planes in the Philippines, Gokongwei announced.

The joint venture, which will be operational April this year, is 51 percent owned by SEAC and 49 per- cent owned by CEB. Its facility, which is primarily for light maintenance, will be located at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

I believe PAL used to operate into DPS back in its heyday (noticing it in a 50s, 60s-ish routemap) and it's Bouraq that operates into Davao. :)

Found this news to be interesting and a light of optimism for the future of PAL and its strength.

Arrivals grow from countries other than Japan
Howard Dicus
International visitor traffic to Hawaii continues to be dominated by arrivals from Japan. But 2005 is so far seeing a noticeable increase in visitors from other foreign countries.

Daily visitor counts tabulated by the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism break international arrivals down into "on flights from Japan" and "on other flights." Canadian visitors are excluded, counted on a separate tabulation of flights from the North American mainland, but more detailed monthly and annual reports make it evident that Canadian tourism is a small fraction of Japanese traffic.

The rest of the international market -- the not-Japan, not-Canada market -- comes here on the wings of, among others, Philippine Airlines, Korean Airlines, the Taiwanese flag carrier China Air, and the three airlines that fly here from Australia, Qantas, Air Canada and Hawaiian. Philippine Airlines is the busiest foreign carrier at Honolulu International Airport after Japan Airlines, bringing more people to Hawaii than ANA and Qantas combined. But Australian airlift has been increasing since Hawaiian Airlines began serving the corridor last year.

On a typical day in Hawaii, Japanese visitors arrive by the thousands, compared to hundreds from all other foreign countries. But so far this year, the "on other flights" tally has begun to top 1,000 more often than not.

Last year, this happened on Jan. 8, with 1,060, and again on Jan. 10, with 1,127. This year, it happened on a dozen days, five of them above 1,200, including 1,493 on Jan. 6 and 1,760 on Jan. 4. There are often no foreign arrivals from countries other than Japan and Canada on Mondays, but several flights on other days.

Hawaii tourism executives have been working for years to diversify the state's international tourism business to insulate the islands from the vagaries of Japan's economy, which is so important now that the state of the Japanese economy is one of Hawaii's official leading economic indicators.

Final compilation of airlift figures for 2004 isn't complete yet, but these figures for total passengers carried in 2003 give a sense of the relative importance of international airlines serving Hawaii:

Japan Airlines: 725,000 (including subsidiary Jalways).
Philippine Airlines: 161,000.
Air Canada: 147,000.
ANA: 92,000 (including subsidiary Air Japan).
China Airlines (Taiwan): 87,000.
Korean Airlines: 59,000.
Qantas: 38,000.
Air New Zealand: 26,000.
Air Pacific (Fiji): 13,000.
When the 2004 figures are available, they will show increased airlift by JAL and other Asia-Pacific carriers and the entry into the market of Vancouver-based Harmony Airways.

Wow..thats a lot of Filipinos going to Hawaii:D

I'd love to see the day when 5J becomes bigger than PAL. although unlikely, i want Gokongwei to beat Tan in his precious aviation industry:D

[QUOTE=GreyX]Wow..thats a lot of Filipinos going to Hawaii:D

well the japanese and filipino americans make up the majority of hawaii residence, fewer whites there i think

Wasn't PAL tinkering with the idea of opening up services from Honolulu to Laoag? Bypassing connections at Manila for the convenience of the Ilocano/Northern Luzon expat community in Hawaii.

I heard PAL is considering 2 A380's , anyone else heard anything about this. That would be way cool if true. This makes sense for the most profitable run which is to the US and they can cram us all in in one trip!

There's also chismis that Cebu Pac is looking at long haul with 747's, but very unknown when the implementation date is .

Would have to do quite a lot to get A380s eh? there's the NAIA runways, the T2 should they stay.. Don't know about finances for such a plane too. But it will be cool

well the a380 actually tales less runway to take off and land vis a vis the b-747-400, the terminal they have to modify to accommodate this super jumbo becoz of its huge wings the plane is abt 262 feet wide (abt 50 feet wider than the 747-400) from tip to tip and the cost of one a-380 is around 250 to 280 m usd, i guess thats within lucio tans budget considering that hes worth around 1.9 billion usd dollars

BBC NEWS
Boeing unveils new 777 aircraft
US aircraft firm Boeing has unveiled its new long-distance 777 plane, as it tries to regain its position as the industry's leading manufacturer.

The 777-200LR will be capable of flying almost 11,000 miles non-stop, linking cities such as London and Sydney.

Boeing, in contrast to European rival Airbus, hopes airlines will want to fly smaller aircraft over longer distances.

Airbus, which overtook Boeing as the number one civilian planemaker in 2003, is focusing on so-called super jumbos.

Defining moment

Analysts are divided over which approach is best and say that this latest tussle between Boeing and Airbus may prove to be a defining moment for the airline industry.

Boeing plans to offer twin-engine planes that are able to fly direct to many of the world's airports, getting rid of the need for connecting flights.



It is banking on smaller, slimmer planes such as the 777-200LR and its much-anticipated 787 Dreamliner plane, which is set to take to the skies in 2008.

The 777-200LR, which had its launch delayed by the 11 September attacks in the US, is the fifth variation of Boeing's twin-aisle 777 plane.

The company offically "rolled-out" the new 777 in Seattle at 2200 GMT.

Better fuel efficiency from engines made by GE and lighter materials mean that the plane can connect almost any two cities worldwide.

'Niche player'

"Boeing has the latest variant in a very successful line of airplanes and there is no doubt it will continue to be very successful," said David Learmount, operations and safety editor at industry magazine Flight International.

But the 777-200LR "is a niche player", Mr Learmount continued, adding that reach was not the only criteria airlines used when picking their aircraft.

Mr Learmount pointed out that the 777-200LR has been on the market for a couple of years and only had limited success at attracting orders.

He also said that while the plane may be able to fly to Sydney from London in one hit, prevailing winds meant that it would have to stop somewhere on the return journey.

The bigger the better?

Airbus is now where Boeing was a few years ago
David Learmount, Flight International magazine

For Airbus, the future is big - it is pinning its hopes on planes that can carry as many as 840 people between large hub airports.

From there, passengers would be ferried to their final destinations by smaller planes.

Airbus is also keeping its options open and plans to compete in all the main categories of aircraft.

It has been producing a rival to Boeing's 777 line for more than a year.

"Airbus is now where Boeing was a few years ago" with its product range, said Flight International's Mr Learmount.

Taking orders

Both Boeing and Airbus have been taking orders for their new planes.

Boeing said it expected to sell about 500 of its 777-200LR planes over the next 20 years. It already has orders from Pakistan International Airlines and EVA of Taiwan.

These orders should help underpin the company's profits.

Boeing said earnings during the last three months of 2004 dropped by 84% because of costs relating to stopping production of its smallest airliner, the 717, and the cancellation of a US air force 767 tanker contract.

Net profit was $186m (£98m; 143m euros) in the quarter, compared with $1.13bn in the same period in 2003.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/business/4266695.stm

Published: 2005/02/15 22:24:18 GMT

© BBC MMV

i like the b-777 its nice take off and landing very smooth all the way even during turbulence

I heard PAL is considering 2 A380's , anyone else heard anything about this. That would be way cool if true. This makes sense for the most profitable run which is to the US and they can cram us all in in one trip!

There's also chismis that Cebu Pac is looking at long haul with 747's, but very unknown when the implementation date is .

I also heard about that...in fact i read it from "Far Eastern Economic REVIEW". I agree...the A380 is very ideal for PAL's North American destinations.

Thats great...The Boeing 777 is my favorite plane, im glad they designed a new model for it.

imo 777's are ideal for PAL should they fly back to Europe.

I read an article about PAL's expansion plans on INQ7Money the other day. it was very vague and unclear stuff. I dunno why they even published it. anyways, re: going back to Europe. they say they're still reluctant about it because of the low numbers in passengers. they're planning to open up to Kathmandu, Nepal and I think India first.

if they went back into Europe now, I don't think the B777 would be such a good idea, right? cuz it has capacity for some 300+ passengers which, even with only KLM's competition, I doubt they'd be able to consistently fill. maybe an A34X...?

PAL’s 9-month income soars three-fold to P1.17 billion
By Zinnia B. Dela Peña | The Philippine Star | 02/17/2005

Flag carrier Philippine Airlines owned by taipan Dr. Lucio C. Tan reported a 206-percent jump in its earnings in the first nine months of its current fiscal year ending March 2005.

From a net loss of P1.1 billion, PAL turned in profits of P1.17 billion from April to Dec. 2004 due to higher income from operations which almost doubled to P4.72 billion.

The net loss in 2003 was caused mainly by the fallout from the Sept. 11 US terror attacks.

Net revenues grew 27 percent to P39.73 billion from P31.22 billion while expenses rose 22 percent to P35.01 billion from P28.79 billion. Other charges slightly increased to P3.56 billion from only P3.52 billion.

For the third quarter of its fiscal year (Oct.-Dec. 2004), however, PAL incurred a net loss of P272.17 million, a significant increase from the same quarter net loss the previous year of P4.3 million. This was despite a 13-percent growth in operating revenues to P12.77 billion from only P11.34 billion.

The increase in revenues was brought about by the hike in net yield per revenue passenger kilometer and in the number of passengers carried.

Operating expenses and other charges went up by 15 percent due to the substantial increase in flying operation, aircraft and traffic servicing and depreciation expenses offset by the decrease in maintenance, financing and other charges.

Fuel cost, which contributed to the large increase in flying operations, surged 48 percent as a result of higher fuel consumption and increase in average fuel prices per barrel from $39.59 in 2003 to $53.98.

As of end-Dec. 2004, PAL’s total assets slightly increased to P109.48 billion from P107.82 million in March 31, 2004.

This came about mainly as a result of additional short-term cash investments recognized as marketable securities.

Liabilities, on the other hand, rose by P4.53 million arising from purchases of jet fuel as well as accruals for interest charges on loans and various operating expenses such as landing and take-off fees, aircraft repair costs and ground handling charges.

PAL’s impressive performance puts the flag carrier firmly back on the growth track and shows how the company managed through tough times and survived one crisis after another.

In the first year of its 10-year rehabilitation, PAL reported a meager profit of P44 million, ending six straight years of massive losses. On second year, the company reported earnings of P419 million, securing one of the most dramatic turnaround stories in Philippine business.

In the third year, the airline would have been in the black had it not been for the debilitating impact of the September 11 attack. It registered a P1.6-billion net loss, with a dip in cargo revenues and a spike in operating expenses. But for fiscal year 2002-2003, PAL was back in the black, posting a net income of P295 million, albeit much less than the original target of a billion pesos due to the outbreak of the Iraq war and the SARS scare.

Under its approved rehabilitation plan, PAL had to scale down its manpower, reduce the number of operating divisions into three – commercial group, finance and operations – and cut down its international routes mainly to only those with the highest load factors.

of course its unclear... I also read that Lucio Tan is running around trying to borrow money for refleeting. Looks like he cares about PAL, after all. Either that, or he wants an A380 to boost his image. :D

well... 777's are smaller than 747's and the A340, and I know 777's are used in long-haul flights between cities without that big of a passenger audience.

well, actually, PAL's A340-313x's are smaller than 772ERs. While 772ER's may allegedly be more fuel efficient, A343 seats are easier to fill (264 on the A343 compared to 300 or so on a 772ER).

damn, so much "-...." models which are confusing me:D Probably won't affect me since I won't be flying PAL anytime soon. Nor fly at all.

Imo...PAL's best options would be to acquire the new, recently launched 772-LR, a couple of 787s and two A380s:D hehehe, i know its ambitious, but still. Hopefully, PAL can get Boeings easier, after their fiascos.

http://www.boeing.com/news/feature/aa2004/BoeingCommercialAirplanes/images/777-200LR-in-flight.jpg

actually, PAL's current fleet isn't all that bad. It suits PAL for its operations. PAL should just acquire more of what they have, IMO. even if it would be really cool to see 772LRs flying Manila-New York, or even an A380 to service the transpacific routes *sigh*

What I'd really like to see, although impossible, is PAL pulling off an EK and acquiring 40++ A380s. The A380 has enough range to reach New York and Toronto. PAL can even fly it to Hong Kong and Tokyo, where passenger levels are really that high. I can already imagine the prices of tickets dropping to that of budget levels... that would be a sight to see in NAIA :D

lol...you mean getting rid of all their other planes, except for 737s (for domestic flights) and just using A380s. That ought to be a great chaotic sight in NAIA!:lol:

yeah... especially if they all had to cram into T2 :D

its frustrating, though, to see PAL chafing to expand. Its made so much progress, and the receivership is just choking it. What PAL has and our neighbor's airlines (Thai, MAS, SQ) don't have is a domestic base. We have a population that's actually travelling, and PAL doesn't need a buckload of tourists or sixth freedom routes to remain profitable, since its the Filipino people themselves that are travelling. We send so many OFWs out that sixth freedom airlines around us send lots of flights to Manila to fill up the back of their planes, just because they can service routes that PAL can't.

yea.. god can you imagine when OFWs and more than 5 million tourists in philippines in the next couple of years can do to PAL? whoa.. pretty soon they will be able to buy whatever they want :D

Indeed, we have a unique market as compared to our fellow SEA neighbors. We have Filipinos worldwide, close to home and usually hoping to visit regularly. The least we could do for them is to provide a world class airline that would represent their nationality...let alone being the choice to return back home...

Actually, Philippines aviation industry is relying on overseas market, as you guys mentioned that filipinos are everywhere in the world. This is why, many airlines in the Philippines are going regional rather than domestic. This actually happened on the otherway in Indonesia, where overseas growth is smaller compare to the domestic growth, thus there are more than 20 airlines operates in the country.

Still, the future for Philippines domestic market is bright, especially since 5J will get newer airlines with large capacity, offering many more seats than its currently now.


cheers

actually PAL makes quite a bit of money even with other airlines it codeshares with. without investing in planes, they get a good bit of business through airlines like gulfair and the like which gives them a share of booked seats, basically from having the right to travel here

during a recent press conference of the phil inq, Mr. Lucio Tan joked that the reason he is always out of the country these days is that he is constantly meeting with financial institutions and seeking to borrow money, especially for the multi-billion-peso refleeting of Philippine Airlines.

everything you guys have said really does make sense... I really hope a miracle will work out for PAL.

oh, i read that article skylinepigeon is talking about. the writer made Lucio Tan sound really freaky. haha! no, I'm serious..! it was about this visit Lucio Tan and his son made to GMA Network. he said he was taking down notes of every little thing, and that there was some pro-Erap wristband hidden under his watch that was accidentally revealed, and that GMA had to make sure no SMB products were served while he was there. it's here (http://money.inq7.net/columns/view_columns.php?yyyy=2005&mon=02&dd=18&file=6)...

Passenger opinions of PAL. Taken from www.airlinequality.com

21 February 2005

Vancouver to Manila - First Class. My wife and I travelled to Manila with Philippine airlines. The flight was on time from Vancouver, there was only 4 people in the first class cabin. Food was OK not to the same level as Singapore Airlines. It was a night flight so meal was served quickly, my seat did not recline to the 180 degrees and the attendant suggested a different one , this also did not work the third seat was OK. No special care was offered as a first class passenger at Manila. The journey back was woeful, we stood outside the airport in 108 degrees for 2 and a half hours. When inside the terminal first class and business class check in was unmanned (staff shortages). The lounge had no food and all 3 computers available were out of order. Seat on the way back was also defective so ended up in yet another seat!. Staff were very courteous on all flights younger staff were very friendly, older staff were not too interested. Philippine air charges very low prices for their first class travel and is comparable to Singapore business class fare but having been with Singapore Airlines business from LAX to SIN there is no similarity in service. Sent letter of complaint never heard back, never fly with them again.

18 February 2005

LAX to MNL in Economy. Departing Jan 3, 2005 and returning Feb 3, 2005. Plane both fights was a very old 747, and full both ways. Seating was very cramped. But my main disappoint was the poor service and food. Unlike my flights on Malaysian and Singapore, both Economy, PAL offered nothing extra. No hot towels on departure, no drink service, only one hot meal, a minimal box snack, and a hot breakfast. No sandwiches or other food during the long night. The food on the outbound flight was OK. On the return it was terrible. Only advantage to PAL is the short flights, particularly the non-stop return to LAX. But in my opinion, it is worth paying more for the enjoyment offered by the other big Asian carriers.

15 February 2005

Domestic flight from Manila to Cebu on Jan. 19. My wife and I bought Economy tickets but we decided to pay extra for Business Class seats upon check-in. The ticket agent was very courteous and helpful. Our noon flight was late so they put us on an earlier flight. We were greeted politely by a Flight Attendant by our last names and were each offered a glass of orange juice as soon as we were seated. Before take off we were asked to select the meal from their menu. The A330-200 was clean. The business class seats were comfortable, lunch was O.K. although no alcoholic beverage was available on this domestic flight. An episode of "Friends" was shown in their individual IFE's. On our return flight to Manila on Jan. 21 we decided to pay extra for Business Class once again. The ticket agent in Cebu seemed pre-occupied and left me waiting on the Business Class line. I was the only one on the Business Class line but he did a very good job of ignoring me. Two free ticket agents were just sitting and did not call me. I only found out that their counter was open only after I asked them. The Business Class lounge in Cebu airport was comfortable. The snacks were tasty especially the congee. The flight to Manila was also on an Airbus A330-200. Business Class section was full on this flight. The IFE showed the same episode of "Friends" on the return leg. The food was very terrible on this flight. I noticed the two caucasian passengers in front of us did not also eat their meal. I told the F.A. about the terrible food that they served but she did not say a word. The entertainment outside the window was better than their I.F.E. as the Philippines is comprised of more than 7,000 islands. Another F.A. remembered my last name when she addressed me by my last name before whe landed.

14 August 2004

SFO-MNL business class service. Not up to the standards of business class on other Asian airlines, but considering PAL business class is about half the price, very good. Good lounge in both SFO and MNL, decent food, VERY short lines (a real boon in Manila!), and priority-checked bags means you beat the crowds to immigration.

unfortunately some the problems we have with PAL are not due to Lucio Tan but the PAL corporate culture. While the Spin is that the service is good because of our inate filipino hospitality, when you start flying benchmark airlines like CX and SQ, wow malayo talaga from Plane to service to food. IMO the best thing that would have happened to it was if it had closed down fully in 99' then somebody would have picked it up and totally revamped the system. Hopefully new entrants can do well.

I read somewhere that PAL's senior FAs always have first digs on international flights while the newbies are relegated to regional (intra-Asia) and domestic flights. I think that they should put "fresh blood" on those long-haul flights since they're much younger and more eager to go out of their way to assist passengers, and are generally more friendlier and hospitable than the old hags that fly now. Here's a thought....unmarried (up to a certain age of course) FAs work the long-haul flights and married FAs (especially with kids) ply the regional/domestic legs. But that may trigger law suits for age discrimination. Oh well....it was just a thought. :)

A different kind of Air Aviation

HOT AIR BALLOON FIESTA
Up, up, and away


By JASER A. MARASIGAN

Ever wondered what keeps a hot air balloon flying? It’s a very basic principle: Hot air rises and cold air sinks. While the cool air in a freezer settles down around the food, the hot air pushes the balloon up, and once airborne, it just floats with the wind. It would have been an exhilarating experience to soar in the sky and see a breathtaking vista amidst the cool morning breeze, unfortunately, there was no available hot air balloon for the media who covered the recent International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta in Pampanga. So, I just contented myself watching these 10-storey high balloons as they go up in the air.

Around 20 of these "flying superstars" impressed thousands of spectators as we were all treated to an air-sporting extravaganza like no other.

The 9th Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta, dubbed as the most spectacular and most colorful air-sporting event of the year was held at the Omni Aviation Complex in Clark Field, Pampanga and was organized by the Department of Tourism (DoT), Clark Development Corporation, Clark International Airport Corporation, Air Transportation Office and United Parcel Service (UPS).

Borne out of the goal to revive the spirit of the locals after the Mount Pinatubo eruption in 1991, it has evolved into a firm commitment to make the province as one of the country’s top tourist destinations via this annual event. True enough, it has already attracted enthusiasts from the United Kingdom, Netherlands, Germany, Hungary, Sweden, Holland, Czechoslovakia, United States, Korea, Malaysia, and Japan.

Some 30 international balloon pilots participated in the different aerial shows of the three-day event, saying that most them are in it for the fun of flying and not for competing.

Capt. Joy Roa of Air Ads, Inc. and president of Hot Air Balloon Club of the Philippines explained that balloons, particularly those fueled by gas, are practically unnavigable unlike airplanes, and it goes in the direction of the wind. "Once up in the air, balloon pilots are at the mercy of the atmosphere and wind direction," Roa said.

He added that to understand how balloonists compete against one another, one should discard the notion that ballooning is a race against time. "Balloons, when at mid-air, travel at similar speeds. When understood from this point of view, it is not difficult to realize that champion balloonists are selected on the basis of their accuracy rather than speed."

"In short, the competition is decided in favor of the pilot who arrives closest to the pre-determined target. He demonstrates his winning skill by dropping his marker to a designated landing point as determined by the event director," said Roa.

Roa explained further that prior to the competition flight, a target is already chosen. "All the balloon pilot does is to change altitude to turn right or left, zigzags through the sky to reach the target. At day’s end, it is really the pilot that wisely calculates the behavior of the atmosphere on a given time that wins the race. Of course, pilots do consider luck as one ingredient of their winning edge."

During competitions, pilots are always required to undergo several different types of competitive tasks depending on the discretion of the competition director such as a Pilot-declared Goal wherein the pilot himself chooses his own target within certain distance from the launch site; Fly-in Task is done by making the launch field as the target site and the pilots take-off from different directions of their own choice; and the Hare and Hounds Task is done when the hare, a non-competitive balloon launches 10 to 15 minutes before the competing balloons, the goal here is to be able to finally drop a marker as close as possible to where it lands.

The winner of each task is awarded 1,000 points, the median approximately 500 points while the others receive points proportional to their relative positions. The pilot who has the highest accumulated score wins.

The event also showcased a variety of sporting events like sky diving, ultralight fly-in, airplane rally, balloon bursting competition, aerobatic stunts, and kite flying demonstrations by the Kite Association of the Philippines.

Meanwhile, visitor arrivals to Region 3 showed a significant growth rate of 5.98 percent, from 351,391 in 2003 to 372,399 last year.

Regional Director Ronaldo Tiotuico said that based on the reports by hotels and resorts in Central Luzon, Americans were the region’s most frequent visitors with over 32,916, up from 30,690 in 2003. Even more impressive is the more than 100 percent increase of Korean visitors, from 12,378 in 2003 to 26,175 in 2004. Next to Koreans are the Japanese with 16,553 and Taiwanese with 11,429.

Among the destinations favored by tourists are Mount Pinatubo, the hot springs in Pampanga and the mountain hideaways in Bulacan.

I wouldn't mind hot-air ballooning over Metro Manila:D

PR113 Check-in Counters at LAX are so understaffed. My goodness. They like move form the mabuhay counter to the economy counters....

That's not the only problem LAX has...

Threat diverts Philippine plane, bombs found at mall
By Manny Mogato Reuters 02 Mar 2005 11:27:59 GMT

MANILA, March 2 (Reuters) - A threat of a bomb hidden in a roast pig diverted a plane flying from the southern Philippines to Manila on Wednesday, a day after explosives in three mobile phones were defused at a shopping mall in the south.

No bomb was found on the Cebu Pacific Airlines plane. The domestic flight with 78 passengers was ordered to land in Cebu City in the central Philippines after taking off from Davao on the troubled island of Mindanao, which is home to several groups of Muslim rebels.

The threat to the country's second-largest airline and the bombs found at the mall came two weeks after blasts killed 13 people on Feb. 14 in Manila, General Santos and Davao.

The Valentine's Day attacks were claimed by Abu Sayyaf, a group of about 400 militants linked to al Qaeda that has been under siege by 5,000 troops at its mountain and jungle bases on Jolo, a remote southwestern island.

"Somebody sent a text message that there was a bomb hidden in a 'lechon' (roast pig) that was on the plane," said Arturo Evangelista, head of airport security in Cebu.

The Cebu Pacific plane was allowed to continue its flight to Manila after the security check. One of the passengers, who checked in the "lechon" as luggage, was questioned and released.

Cebu Pacific, the smaller rival of Philippine Airlines, is mainly a domestic airline but flies to South Korea, Singapore and Hong Kong. It also runs charter flights to China.

Police said the three bombs found on Tuesday evening at the KCC mall in General Santos City smelled of kerosene and were designed to cause fires. Possible motives included extortion, a business rivalry and an attack by Muslim militants, they said.

"Vigilant sales staff alerted us about the bombs after a mobile phone was found in the pocket of a pair of pants on display," Chief Superintendent Antonio Billiones, the police chief of the southern part of Mindanao, told reporters.

Bomb-sniffing dogs found two similar devices on the second floor, hidden under shirts and jeans in the menswear section. No one has claimed responsibility for the mobile phone bombs.

Police set up checkpoints in five southern cities -- General Santos, Davao, Cotabato, Zamboanga and Cagayan de Oro -- which intelligence officials said were known targets for militants.

No joke. These cell phone bombs are scary. But putting a bomb inside a lechon would be silly. The fact that somebody checked a roast pig in as luggage is strange and if I were a baggage handler, my attention would be drawn by it.

No joke. These cell phone bombs are scary. But putting a bomb inside a lechon would be silly. The fact that somebody checked a roast pig in as luggage is strange and if I were a baggage handler, my attention would be drawn by it.

Actually, you'd be surprised. I read somewhere that there was this website that sold lechon over the internet, and they deliver it ANYWHERE. Even in the United States. (I also heard that they smuggle it into Saudi, too :D) They'll fly it via aircargo.

Actually, you'd be surprised. I read somewhere that there was this website that sold lechon over the internet, and they deliver it ANYWHERE. Even in the United States. (I also heard that they smuggle it into Saudi, too :D) They'll fly it via aircargo.

most of the time these web sites partner with local restaurants/fastfood chains for easier and faster delivery of such goods, in this case lechon. if it's to be delivered here in the US, im assuming the web site has a local business partner that makes and delivers lechon. what web site is this that delivers lechon thru air cargo? im interested to know :)

I forgot where I read the article. It was years ago...

oh, btw, I came across another old article, reminding me why I'm not too fond of dear ol Lucio T again.

http://www.asiaweek.com/asiaweek/magazine/2000/0512/biz.pal.html

in other news guys, i went to PALs website and visited their fleet page. it seems that their lease contract for 2 more of their B733 expired already and that is why it is shown there that they now only have 4.

Which means that their fleet is again down to 30.

Okay, let your minds wonder (even for just a while)....

Which Airline Alliance should PAL join if they're ready for a such partnership?

-- OneWorld (American Airlines, British Airways, Qantas Airways, Cathay Pacific, etc.)
-- STAR Alliance (United Airlines, Air Canada, Singapore Airlines, Lufthansa, etc.)
-- Sky Team (Air France, Delta Airlines, Korean Air, KLM, etc.)

In my opinion, none of the alliances would be beneficial for PAL, and vice-versa. Oneworld, maybe, if PAL is willing to play second-fiddle to CX. MAS is joining skyteam, and since skyteam's american partners are the ones that have good connections to Asia, they don't need PAL, since its easier to hub from NRT and INC from the US rather than MNL. Star Alliance already has SQ and TG. Adding PR to that list is just counter-productive.

So, in the unlikely case that PAL is healthy enough to join an alliance, oneworld may be the way to go, despite CX's presence and oneworld's quality standards. LAX and SFO are PAL's golden routes, and oneworld is the alliance that has the least amount of competition for this (just CX, and informally, JAL, as opposed to CO, NW, and KE for skyteam and ANA, SQ, and TG for Star)

Hopefully the government will implement all this airport projects (http://www.neda.gov.ph/OPM/Projects_bySector.asp?Sector=INF0100) ASAP. :bash:

I agree.. its better if PAL joins Oneworld they can do a lot. They already have a Ticketing and e-ticketing interline agreement with American. And did you guys know that Cathay Pacific actually flew Important Domestic routes when PAL closed shop for awhile. so it think it would be good if they joined oneworld. and on a side note.. Did u know that the name for Cathay was discussed at. well the Manila Hotel. lol it has nothing to do with any of this but its good trivia :D

MAS is joining Star Alliance? Star Alliance is getting pretty crowded, especially among the asian carriers. Anyways, if PAL was to join an alliance One World would be the best choice imo.

I think it is lydia's lechon that has a website that allows you to order lechon from anywhere in the world.:D

MAS is going for Skyteam, not Star :)

Friday March 4, 06:15 PM

Philippine Airlines Eyes Purchase Of A380

MANILA, March 4 Asia Pulse - Flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) plans to buy the Airbus all new double-decker A380.

We are studying plans to get the A380 in the future, PAL president Jaime Bautista said.

Bautista said the acquisition of the A380 would enable PAL to be competitive with other airlines, especially when it resumes flights to Europe.

But we are still on the planning stage and we still must renegotiate with Europe, said Bautista.

I believe that this is the time for PAL to resume flights to Europe, where an estimated 150,000 Filipinos are working, he added.

Mounting flights to these European countries will not be possible unless the Philippines air panel forges an air services agreement (ASA) with the individual country or with the 15-member European Union.

The situation in Europe is that Arab airlines are aggressively positioning themselves not only in the Arab destinations but in Europe as well, Bautista said.

The 555-seater A380 will enter into service in 2006.

The A380 was launched last January 18 in Toulouse, France.

Among those who attended the launching were French President Jacques Chirac; British Prime Minister Tony Blair of Great Britain, Gerhard Schroder of Germany and Minister Jose Luis Zapatero of Spain.

Airbus surpassed Boeing in the number of planes delivered to airlines in 2004 for the second straight year.

Deliveries are scheduled to begin in the spring of 2006, with the first going to Singapore Airlines. At least 13 other airlines have ordered a total of 149 so far, including 10 freighters for Federal Express (FedEx), 10 for United Parcel Services (UPS), Emirates, 41, Lufthansa, 15, Qantas, 12; Air France, 10; Singapore, 10; Malaysia, 6; Thai Airways, 6; Virgin Atlantic,6; and Korean Airlines, 5; among others. Meanwhile, PAL started its Manila-Nagoya flights March 1, giving PAL its fifth gateway in Japan and cementing its position as the largest airline operating between the Philippines and Japan.

PAL was also the first international carrier to operate from the Centrair aviation complex, about 35 kilometers south of Nagoya, which was opened to commercial traffic last February 17.

With Nagoya, PAL's presence is felt in the three major metropolitan areas on Honshui Island Tokyo/Yokohama in the north, Osaka in the south and Nagoya in the center.

PAL has now a total of 28 flights weekly between Japan and the Philippines, making the airline the largest carrier operating between the two countries.

(PNA)

Good to finally see an article on it! :D

MAS is going for Skyteam, not Star
Well at least Korean Air won't be so lonely as the sole Asian carrier in the alliance...:D

Good to finally see an article on it! :D


Well at least Korean Air won't be so lonely as the sole Asian carrier in the alliance...:D
Meh double post but anyhow forgot to add this:
http://www.cardatabase.net/modifiedairlinerphotos/photos/big/00004118.jpg

woah...!! haha!! I wonder if they will push through with this... but will that fit in NAIA? haha! especially at NAIA-T2, since PAL seems so keen on maintaining their hub there? the A380 looks awesome in PAL's livery though! acutally, the livery seems to look much better on wide-bodies than on the smaller planes.

I think the PAL brand would get a good boost if it entered into one of those alliances, and Oneworld especially. cuz they all just seem so prestigious and everything. haha! but I think PAL would also have to go a little further before they'd consider joining.

I also noticed the fleet changes. I don't get something though. umm, Airliners/Jetphotos has photos of RP-3221/3/4/5/6/7 but PAL's site (in the Seat Maps section) has files for 1/3/4 and 7/8. they probably are incomplete, but why is there an RP-C3228? I wonder if they're getting anymore...(?) it seems like they're adding a new A320 for every B737 they lose. so they're just gonna replace the entire narrow-bodied fleet with Airbusses? weird how they didn't actually make announcements as to what they decided for the refleeting plan they'd announced.

Airline cargo, passenger volumes up in 2004
INQ7Money | Inquirer News Service | Mar. 05, 2005

THE NUMBER of foreign and domestic flights to and from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport increased to more than 114,000 in the first 11 months of 2004 despite reported threats of terrorism, and helped boost tourism, Transportation and Communication Secretary Leandro Mendoza said.

"The air transportation sector is optimistic that there will be greater air traffic this year because of improved economic conditions," Mendoza said.

International flights to and from the NAIA reached 42,374 in the first 11 months of last year, up 10.7 percent from the same period in 2003, he said. Domestic flights increased seven percent year-on-year to 71,927, he added.

Foreign flights carried 7.6 million passengers, up 20 percent year-on-year, and domestic flights carried 6.15 million passengers, up 18 percent, he said.

"The increase in international and domestic air traffic may be attributed to the renewed confidence of air travelers and the airline industry in the commercial and tourism potentials of the Philippines after recovery from the effects of the SARS epidemic," Mendoza said.

As the number of flights increased, the revenue collection of airport authorities also went up.

The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA), operator of the NAIA, reported a profit of P659.4 million in 2004, up 163 percent from P250.9 million in 2003.

MIAA general manager Alfonso Cusi cited increased efficiency, cost cutting, and increased collection of fees. He said the MIAA contributed around P1.1 billion to the national treasury in the form of taxes and dividends in 2004.

Mendoza said that the Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority also increased its gross revenue by 15.97 percent to P676.5 million last year from P583.35 million in 2003.

The Cebu airport authority registered P226.18 million in profit, compared with P175.65 million in 2003.

In an unaudited financial report presented to Congress, the MIAA said its operating expenses dropped 12.7 percent to P2.7 billion in 2004 after it adopted austerity measures.

Gross operating income went up almost eight percent to P3.8 billion in 2004. Cusi attributed the increase to higher revenue from aeronautical fees and passenger service charges. With INQ7.net

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DMIA traffic increases as UPS, AOE add flights
By Manny Galvez | The Philippine STAR | 03/05/2005

CABANATUAN CITY – The Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA), the airport named after President Arroyo’s late father, is now the country’s second busiest airport after the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) with the opening this month of two additional flights.

Undersecretary Renato Diaz, presidential assistant for Central Luzon, said that the on-going expansion of DMIA, particularly its passenger terminal building is geared towards an increase in the traffic of arriving and departing tourists, (overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and the local community who, he noted, need not travel all the way to Manila to catch their Asian destinations.

He said that the United Parcel Service (UPS) is set to begin two additional flights to and from Osaka and Shenzhen today to add up to its existing flights to and from DMIA to Narita, Sydney, Taipei, Pudong, South Korea, Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur.

"There are nine flights per city a week so DMIA will be much busier insofar as cargo handling is concerned," he said.

"With the development of these new flight routes, more tourists and investments are expected to flow in Central Luzon. Things are really looking up in Central Luzon," he said.

Diaz said that Asia Overnight Express (AOE) is also set to begin their regular flights to DMIA today with flights from Saigon and Osaka to commence for a total of four and one flight per week, respectively.

On June 6, he added, weekly flights will begin servicing the Bangkok-Clark route while direct flights from Senzhen to Clark will also begin in December.

The AOE is also considering flights from Shanghai, Xiamen and Guangzhou next year.

Diaz noted that DMIA has become such a busy airport with commuter flights from Inchon and South Korea presently being operated by Asiana Airlines (AA) and three chartered flights from Hong Kong already started by China Rich Airways (CRA).

Other prospective Low Cost Airlines (LCAs) are Air Asia Berhad (AAB), Thai Airways and Tiger Airways.

"The opening and expansion of flights at DMIA, the completion of the new North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) and the start in the construction of the North Rail will surely contribute to the upsurge of economic activities and opportunities in Central Luzon and the other northern provinces of Luzon," he explained.

"If you go around Clark these days, you will see an increase in the number of Chinese and Korean tourists and Taiwanese investors. This augurs well for President Arroyo’s 10-point agenda which includes increasing job opportunities not only in the tourism but also in the manufacturing sectors," he said.
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some good news for Philippine aviation... DMIA sounds like it really is thriving. hopefully, that plus further traffic at NAIA will realize the plans of it becoming the country's premiere airport. or at least one of the two prime airports... hehe!

with the current passenger traffic at NAIA, it looks like there will still be much room for growth at T3 - even with PAL's international flights. if PAL sticks to its plans of staying at T2, I wonder if there will be enough room at NAIA-3 for it to handle all int'l and domestic flights of the other airlines. could they make some modifications to handle int'l and domestic passengers in one terminal? I don't think they could do it T2 style at NAIA-3, but maybe something like the new Nagoya Chubu...? they seem to have the same long pier-like design from the outside. I read it handles domestic and int'l services under one roof...

in other news guys, i went to PALs website and visited their fleet page. it seems that their lease contract for 2 more of their B733 expired already and that is why it is shown there that they now only have 4.

Which means that their fleet is again down to 30.

and they have 6 a320 now right with the arrival of three more planes

Meh double post but anyhow forgot to add this:
http://www.cardatabase.net/modifiedairlinerphotos/photos/big/00004118.jpg

That would be sweet...:D I personally think that PAL can become profitable from acquiring A380s.

MAS joining Skyteam makes more sense then joining Star...

THATS 280MUSD EACH AT LIST PRICE, PAL IS PLANNING TO GET TWO I BELEIVE, THEY SHOULD TAKE OTHER SMALLER AIRBUS AIRCRAFTS FOR THEIR REFLEETING PROGRAMME IN THAT WAY THEY CAN GET DISCOUNT FROM AIRBUS FOR BIGGER ORDER

MAS joining Skyteam makes more sense then joining Star...

yeah... especially since SQ and TG, which I guess are competitors, are already in Star.

umm, with PAL now looking at the A380s, does that mean there probably won't be any more B744s to be added to their fleet? they're just gonna wait for the A380 to come out before restarting flights to Europe...?

^Most probably. I think it is safe to say that PAL will try to shift to an all-Airbus fleet, for easier and more cost-effective operations. They also had some problems with Boeing.

http://www.cardatabase.net/modifiedairlinerphotos/photos/big/00004118.jpg

The A380's shape still looks like a manatee to me (or a beluga whale), I guess I'll learn to like it more if I see it frequently at airports. :D Also, I hope that PAL invests in a couple of planes soon, it'll be a cash cow on its profitable routes in their network.

OneWorld seems to be the best fit for PAL if it wanted to join an airline alliance, I don't mind if PAL played second fiddle to the more dominant Cathay Pacific, the sole Asian carrier in that alliance; also excluding PAL, CX is the next carrier with the most flights arriving and departing MNL (all to HKG of course). :)

PHILIPPINE AIRLINES SEEKS NEW PLANES, EYES NEW ROUTES

Philippine Airlines (PAL) is looking to refleet as it considers new routes, but poor facilities on the ground may be restricting its expansion. "We have taken in three new aircrafts from Airbus. We've inaugurated our Manila-Nagoya flight on Tuesday," said Rolando Estabillo, PAL vice president for corporate communications. The flag-carrier now has 32 aircrafts in its fleet including the three new planes.

The airline official said PAL is eyeing China, India and Europe for its international expansion. If PAL does return to Europe, however, the airline will need another two or three aircrafts, so this may not occur anytime soon. The airline's current priority is scouting for new planes to replace its small 737 planes, Estabillo said.

The problem with expanding its domestic flights, however, is that PAL's airplanes are big, so they require a certain length of runway, which small airports in many domestic destinations cannot provide. In fact, Estabillo said, PAL has not been able to maximize its aircraft utilization because some airports do not have night landing facilities, so PAL's planes cannot land there before sunrise or after sunset.

The only airports with night landing facilities in the country are in the cities of Manila, Cebu, Iloilo, Bacolod and Davao. Aside from the lights, there are other problems. "We would like to see the runway in a better condition," said Capt. Rene Lim, PAL senior assistant vice president for flight operations, referring to the runway at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport.

Lim said the surface was "still rough" despite work done a few years ago to rejuvenate the runway. Before the rejuvenation of the runway, PAL suffered tire damage on its aircraft, increasing the ratio of its unscheduled removal of tires. "We were running out of spares in Mactan," he said.

Capt. Ruben Sternberg, vice president for safety, said there were plans to overlay the runway by April. In the meantime, Lim said, Mactan has been designated as a captain's runway as "only a captain can land or take off in this runway because there is a specific spot where we'd like them to touch down to avoid the rough areas."

Sternberg estimated that the overlay of the first 2,500 meters of Runway 22 would take about eight months. After the runway, there is the taxiway to worry about, because it is now in a worse state than the runway.

The airline officials also admitted that the instrument landing system (ILS) of the Mactan airport is working, but it cannot be used as a primary navigational guide because its accuracy cannot be guaranteed. The ILS is currently on test basis. This means it cannot be used if the weather is really bad and visibility is poor. However, Sternberg assured the public that they have nothing to worry about, since the ILS is rarely used by pilots anyway because Cebu is blessed with stable weather.

I really wish they would announce some sort of plan they were looking at for refleeting and additions. hehe... it's just been bugging me wondering how definite these plans actually are and what aircraft they are considering. I think it's probably gonna be Airbusses for the narrow-bodied refleet, but no idea on the wide-bodied expansions...

I guess the 737 replacement would be better off with the A320 since it shares commonality with its larger sisters and since PAL is already aquiring some...though I would love to see a 737NG w/ winglets in PAL colors...:D

oh pal is really giving us a guessing game but kutob ko they-re going for airbus planes

wow! huge.

iv read SIA & MAS ads on skybed. i remember a long, long time ago, PAL offered this service. meron p b ngayon?

Sadly no, but back in PAL's heydays, they had skybeds in First Class in the upper deck of their 747s. I think they even gave you pajamas to sleep in!

PAL's "Skybed" was unique. Basically you had a normal first class cabin with the same recliner seats and in the top deck, they installed beds (I mean beds, not the ones that are seats that convert 180 degrees but BEDS) so basically I guess if you wanted to nap, you would just head upstairs. I think they got rid of it in 92 from their 747-200 fleet to make way for Mabuhay Class.

Pajamas to sleep in? Now that I'd definitely take home with me... :runaway:

yeah... I remember reading about PAL previously having actual beds in their cabins. I guess they probably couldn't maintain the offering because of presumably high costs. that's like giving a single passenger 2.5 seats with the seat and bed. I can't wait to see PAL furnish their Mabuhay and First Class cabins with new shell-type seats though. that'll be the day. the cabin refurbishments I read about on Airliners' Forums (which I posted here some time ago) still hasn't materialized... too bad. those called for a relaunch of enhanced Mabuhay Class cabins and a new Sampaguita First Class as well as PTVs for Fiesta. would've been awesome! maybe in a couple years...

oh pal is really giving us a guessing game but kutob ko they-re going for airbus planes

yeah... the recent A320 acquisitions and A380 hints both point to additional Airbusses in case of any expansions.

yeah... I remember reading about PAL previously having actual beds in their cabins. I guess they probably couldn't maintain the offering because of presumably high costs. that's like giving a single passenger 2.5 seats with the seat and bed. I can't wait to see PAL furnish their Mabuhay and First Class cabins with new shell-type seats though. that'll be the day. the cabin refurbishments I read about on Airliners' Forums (which I posted here some time ago) still hasn't materialized... too bad. those called for a relaunch of enhanced Mabuhay Class cabins and a new Sampaguita First Class as well as PTVs for Fiesta. would've been awesome! maybe in a couple years...



yeah... the recent A320 acquisitions and A380 hints both point to additional Airbusses in case of any expansions.

I think those class upgrades were supposed to come with an entirely new rebranding of PAL. It obviously didn't push through, and the only part of the plan that actually pushed through was the stupid "Asia's sunniest airline" ad

I think PR will go for the Airbus just because it's cheaper than 737's.

I also think they will go for the A380's it fits their main business (manila- west coast) to a tee! Of course depends how much Airbus or the lessor will charge. And Boeing may still come back with a great offer.

The beds were a very long time ago!

I think those class upgrades were supposed to come with an entirely new rebranding of PAL. It obviously didn't push through, and the only part of the plan that actually pushed through was the stupid "Asia's sunniest airline" ad

I never knew they were planning a rebranding. they should have pushed through with it. PAL does not have the best image out there and they have to clean that up. but with a rebranding, they're also gonna have to implement the actual improvements in service and equipment. I've read about a few recent customer service scenarios which are so bad they will really make you wanna cry... :bash:

what's the "Asia's Sunniest Airline" ad...?

I think PR will go for the Airbus just because it's cheaper than 737's.

I also think they will go for the A380's it fits their main business (manila- west coast) to a tee! Of course depends how much Airbus or the lessor will charge. And Boeing may still come back with a great offer.

The beds were a very long time ago!

yeah an airbus gives hefty discounts on the list prices of their planes if u order plenty :) :)

what's the "Asia's Sunniest Airline" ad...?

i guess its the el nino phenomenon. so hot in here. :lol:

I agree with Kiretoce. I just think the A380s look like sea-mammals too. They don't look as graceful as Boeing 747s.

yup the design team of the 747 are genius, the plane has become an icon in the sky

I don't think the 747 is too graceful either. It's like an airplane with mumps.

LOL! @ 747 with mumps :lol:

I disagree with renell...the 747 is very graceful and well designed.

Well designed yes.. I don't know about graceful. If you ask me the A340 or the future 7E7 is graceful. Perfect proportion imo. :)

the 747 was designed actually as a military aircraft but boeing lost the contract to rival lockheed martin???, so they offered the jet as a commercial airplane and the rest is history

Tiger Airways launches flights to Manila

SINGAPORE : Budget carrier Tiger Airways is launching services to Manila's Diosdado Macapagal International Airport, formerly Clark Field.

Flights to Manila will start on April 5.

Tickets go on sale from 16 to 23 March and one-way fares start at S$25.98.

Tiger Airways will fly to Manila three times a week initially and will increase its frequency to five times a week in June 2005. - CNA

very cheap indeed

Wow this is a great deal, what kind of aircraft do they use though, hope it's not the small ones like the fokkers. Is tiger a singaporean or malaysian airline?

This is a good development.

Tiger Is a Airline that is owned by Singapore Airlines Ltd. and they are using A320s

singapore is very rich they also owned silk air right and co owner of virgin atlantic of richard branson

yeah... connections with silk air, prolly own im not sure:D

i wouldn't mind driving up to clark if that means cheaper flights to SG.....whether it is or not I'm not so sure:D

hmmm... when I work up the courage to trek in cubao, I'll find out how much is a bus far to clark. round trip to singapore for only PHP2000 is *really* cheap.