Airlines, Airplanes and Airports - Compiled Threads [Archive] - Page 8

stephencua

November 29th, 2005, 02:38 AM

taken from philstar.com..

Cebu Pacific to open more routes in Mindanao
By Edith Regalado
The Philippine Star 11/29/2005

DAVAO CITY — Cebu Pacific is set to open more routes in Mindanao in line with the firm’s commitment to help spur growth and development in the southern part of the country.

Cebu Pacific general manager Danilo Mojica said that at present, Cebu Pacific services the four ports in Mindanao, including the cities of Davao, Cayagan de Oro, Butuan and Zamboanga.

The airline also services a direct Davao City-Zamboanga City route, which will be a daily service starting Dec. 5. By Dec. 10, the airline will also open its Cotabato City-Manila route.

Residents and business leaders in Mindanao have urged the airline to service other ports like General Santos City, Dipolog City and Surigao City.

Mojica said Mindanao is a maturing tourism destination, which the airline is bent on helping develop.

"We are looking at Mindanao as a destination that still has to mature but the airline could be of help by opening more routes in the south," he said.

He explained that Cebu Pacific is still studying the requests of the various localities in Mindanao, particularly General Santos City, which he described as more of a cargo destination than a passenger hub.

"We are looking into the various details of the market before we will act on the said requests that we serve their routes," Mojica added.

Meanwhile, Cebu Pacific has registered as much as 50 to 90 percent increase in daily sales since it launched early this month its year-round low-fare rates meant to help ease the passengers’ burden, particularly with the recent implementation of the expanded value added tax (EVAT) law.

Mojica told reporters here in a recent press conference that there has been a very positive and enthusiastic response to the airline’s low fare rates, which ranges from P688 to P1,200 for a one-way trip depending on the destination.

The discounted rates comprise at least 30 percent of the available total over-all capacity of the airline.

Mojica said the increase in daily sales actually cuts across all fare rates, even for outright purchases and not just limited to the low-fare promo rates.

ramvingar

November 29th, 2005, 05:07 AM

wow Sugbuanon! Thanks for posting those pics. They're great!

bustero

November 29th, 2005, 01:28 PM

http://203.160.183.226/miaa/default.asp

Mia terminal websiteseems to be back up.

richard fischer

November 29th, 2005, 01:29 PM

AIR* PHILIPPINES* NOW* FLIES* TO ZAMBO, PUERTO PRINCESA

MANILA, November 25, 2005 (STAR) The Freeman - Enhancing connectivity between Cebu, Palawan and Zamboanga, a domestic carrier has added two more destinations to its Cebu hub network.

A week ago, Air Philippines inaugurated its Cebu-Puerto Princesa route in simple ceremonies at the Mactan Cebu International Airport inviting selected and key members of the press and tour operators from Cebu, Manila, Bacolod, Iloilo and General Santos to a three-day familiarization tour to the country's last frontier.

Air Philippines has long served the Manila-Palawan route but travelers from the Visayas and Mindanao going to Palawan would have to stop over Cebu or Manila. The two or three-point stopovers were costly.

Domestic tour operators and travel agents hailed the Puerto Princesa route from Cebu because it cut travel time and fare.

Since Nov. 16, Air Philippines operated the routes from Cebu to Puerto Princesa and Cebu to Zamboanga. The Cebu-Puerto Princesa flight operates four times weekly on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays while the Cebu-Zamboanga run is scheduled on Tuesdays, Thursday s and Sundays.

Air Philippines said that the operation of these additional routes answers mounting clamor from the riding public for enhanced connectivity to different regions of the country. "The hub makes travel all over the archipelago easier and convenient and is a big boost to national tourism," said Air Philippines corporate communications vice president Leah M. Sison. - Ruth G. Mercado

richard fischer

November 29th, 2005, 01:38 PM

http://203.160.183.226/miaa/default.asp

Mia terminal websiteseems to be back up.

great, now what about MCIA ?

richard fischer

November 29th, 2005, 02:14 PM

taken from airphil website. how come the media does not write about it like when CEB sliced their fares in half (but only for 30% of available seat capacity) too ?????

AIR PHILIPPINES CUTS FARES BY 45%*(11/24/2005)
Ruth G. Mercado
Puerto Princesa - Fares between shipping and air travel have become cutthroat competitive after Air Philippines reduced fare by almost half inclusive of additional taxes and fuel surcharges.
Air Philippines has slashed airfare by an average of 45 percent for all its destinations nationwide less than two weeks after the expanded value added tax took effect on Nov. 1. Called “ Super Tipid,” one-way base fare for the Cebu-Manila route is at P888 but with fuel and insurance surcharges at P720 plus VAT at P160.80, total cost for one-way is P1, 768.80 Regular one-way Cebu-Manila fare is at P3, 979.80 inclusive of taxes and surcharges.
Tour operators, air travelers and aviation authorities have been pessimistic that increasing fuel costs and heavy tax burdens will discourage people from traveling and slacken the industry. But Air Philippines has instead stimulated people to travel by reducing fare to almost half, quelling fears that the EVAT will wreak industry slowdown.

SKYLINEPIGEON

November 29th, 2005, 03:27 PM

can u imagine how much profit theyre getting they can afford to slash their fares from 30 to 45%

richard fischer

November 30th, 2005, 12:48 AM

well, if they would spend their profits in new aircraft instead of refleeting with old 737-200´s (they call "new generation" aircraft) i would not mind if they make good profits. but they didn´t.....

ryanr

November 30th, 2005, 07:33 AM

hmmm...how sad:

Airlines hit NAIA equipment woes
By Rainier Allan Ronda
The Philippine Star 11/30/2005

International airlines operating at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) decried the serious equipment breakdown at the NAIA air control tower particularly the Aeronautical Fixed Telecommunications Network (AFTN) communications system under the responsibility of the Air Transportation Office (ATO).

Leoncio Dakila "Onie" Nakpil II, Manila Airline Operators Council (AOC) chairman, said the breakdown of the ATO’s AFTN has been causing delays of 10 to 15 minutes in international flights, mostly departures.

Nakpil said that aside from the delays, which have gravely affected operations, they are concerned that the lack of an AFTN system would affect the safety of flights going in and out of the NAIA runway.

"Of course, it’s a flight safety concern also. Because when there is a delay in the coursing of important flight information, accidents can happen," Nakpil told reporters in an interview yesterday.

Manila is currently playing host to the 23rd SEA Games. The air traffic peak season is approaching with the month of December.

The ATO’s AFTN system at the NAIA, mainly a more than 20-year-old teletype machine that has been phased out at international airports of other countries, had conked out last Nov. 19.

Last Nov. 22, the ATO had admitted the problem in the AFTN, through a NOTAM (notice to airmen), indicating the that the AFTN "outage."

Currently, ATO personnel have to send flight plans and other flight information through facsimile to either the Hong Kong or Singapore air control towers.

From there, they have to make a request for either of the two stations to forward or relay it to all the air stations all over the world.

The AFTN is basically a global communication system wherein flight information of all international flights going in and out of an international airport is sent to all air stations or air control towers of all international airports around the world.

It is vital in that everyone is informed of the altitude assignments of a particular flight to prevent air collisions and even "near-misses."

Apart from flight plans, included in the flight information sent through the AFTN are weather updates, the different NOTAMs of air control towers, pilot reports and other important and relevant information.

Aircraft of an international flight that pass each other in mid-air with only a distance of five miles is classified as a "near-miss,"NAIA insiders told reporters yesterday.

In a latter to ATO chief Assistant Secretary Nilo Jatico last Nov. 25, Nakpil called the attention of the agency to the operational problems they were suffering as a result of the AFTN breakdown.

"It has come to our attention that the ATC AFTN communications suffered serious equipment breakdown and is expected to require long period for its restoration. Since Nov. 22, airlines have been anxiously monitoring developments and we are much concerned about the grave inconvenience and poor service that ATC is providing us at the moment," Nakpil, who is also the chairman of the recently formed AOC-Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), told Jatico in his letter.

"We have already received complaints from our respective Head Offices/Operations Departments who are sharing the burden of additional workload and coordination efforts consequent to this problem. Also we are heavily handicapped when dealing with very important information such as weather data, flight position reports, PIREPs (pilot’s reports), and other operational messages. AOC believes that it is not fair nor proper for our member airlines to suffer this prolonged disservice, not to mention the danger of compromising Flight Safety," Nakpil further stressed.

International airlines pay the ATO several fees for navigational and other services that include the AFTN service.

The ATO, on the other hand, generates revenues for the national government from the collection of these fees which last year reached to as much as P1.3 billion.

For his part, Jatico told The Star in an interview yesterday that they were now repairing the AFTN with the help of experts from China.

The AFTN, he said, may be repaired within the week.

Jatico said they have also started the process of procuring a brand new AFTN system with the Department of Budget and Management’s nod to start to process.

Jatico said that a brand new AFTN system costs P180 million.

richard fischer

November 30th, 2005, 10:12 AM

can someone, who is a member of business world online (bworld.com.ph) please open this article and paste it here ? :

Asian Spirit rethinking 2006 public listing plan

salamat.

SKYLINEPIGEON

November 30th, 2005, 10:30 AM

richard fischer

November 30th, 2005, 07:41 PM

CEBU Pacific Air will consider flying to the United States once it corners at least half of the domestic passenger market. The Gokongwei airline already accounts for 38 percent of the market since its launch in 1996.

what makes you think they need to hit 50% of total domestic capacity before they consider flying highly profitable us routes ?

SKYLINEPIGEON

December 1st, 2005, 07:45 AM

richard fischer

December 1st, 2005, 08:03 AM

no its not me it was quoted from a newspaper source that cebu pacific is considering flying to the usa if they captured 50% of the domestic market, but of course imo that wont come any sooner as pal will aggressively protect its market and buying brand new a320s to ensure their dominance in the airline industry

i guess as soon as they are more profitable (atainable 85% loadfactor instead of merely 65% presently) and stable with their new price politics (down to 45% less per flight on 30% of all seats) and the completion and integration of the refleeting programme , they will consider reaching out for further and farther destinations like europe and the us.

SKYLINEPIGEON

December 1st, 2005, 03:50 PM

imo thats already in cebu pacific's long term objective to fly to the usa when right time comes

Skyblade

December 3rd, 2005, 04:24 PM

50%, eh? Talk about ambitious. :eek: Though I dunno, I guess we'll just be waiting until they finish the transition to the A32X when there'd be stronger plans for long-hauls.

Jefferyi

December 4th, 2005, 09:24 PM

Here's a couple aerials I rediscovered recently taken by keung_ugals from webshots.com...
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c261/sandwalker206/312815843GpXZnB_fs.jpg
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c261/sandwalker206/312818308dBQbYu_fs.jpg

richard fischer

December 4th, 2005, 09:36 PM

[QUOTE=Jefferyi]Here's a couple aerials I rediscovered recently taken by keung_ugals from webshots.com...

great job jeffery ! thanks !

richard fischer

December 4th, 2005, 09:47 PM

found this on www.bworldonline but cannot open it, i am not a member.

Asian Spirit allowed to fly internationally.....

ryanr

December 5th, 2005, 03:50 AM

Incredible aerials! terminal one takes up a lot of land area, but the terminal itself is quite small.

bustero

December 5th, 2005, 04:57 AM

Look how small naia 1 is.

Anyway great shots

sandrin

December 5th, 2005, 05:22 AM

According to Business World, the Asian Spirit is allowed to fly internationally. Can somebody post the article please.

SKYLINEPIGEON

December 5th, 2005, 09:08 AM

PAL to announce aircraft acquisition with Airbus
12/05 2:45:41 PM

MANILA (AFP) - Flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) will announce a deal with Airbus for new aircraft, company officials said Monday.

The deal will be formally unveiled in Manila on Tuesday but the full details are still being withheld, a spokesman for the airline said.

Last month, PAL said it was negotiating for nine new Airbus A320s as part of a dramatic refleeting plan, replacing all of their old Boeing 737-300 aircraft.

It was envisioned that the new A320s will replace nine Boeing 737-300s that were leased from overseas. Two older Boeing 737-300s have been temporarily replaced by two Airbus A320s on short-term leases.

richard fischer

December 5th, 2005, 09:36 AM

so lets keep our eyes open for the tuesday papers and post whatever they announce ! thanks skylinep.

richard fischer

December 5th, 2005, 10:19 AM

i found this while googling :
Asian Spirit adds another BAe 146
Filipino airline Asian Spirit has agreed to lease an additional BAe 146 from BAE Systems. The former National Jet Systems series 200, msn E2034, was delivered on July 7. This lease is an addition to the previously-announced deal for four 146s. Asian Spirit's Executive Vice President, Jack Po, indicated that the additional capacity was needed to meet the increased demand stimulated by the introduction of the jets. Asian Spirit has also decided to retain the ATP it is leasing. [2005-07-10]

so now they have 5 jets, have all of them been delivered yet ? what will their destinations abroad be ??

richard fischer

December 5th, 2005, 10:24 AM

BAD NEWS , just found this on that new plane they had :
The Philippine registration of this aircraft (BAe 146-200, c/n 2034, ex VH-NJW) should have been RP-C2995.
According to Skyliner Aviation News this aircraft unfortunately was written off after a runway overrun at Catarman, National - Philippines (CRM/RPVF) on 14/11/2005 - no injuries on board.

never read anything about that in the papers.....

richard fischer

December 5th, 2005, 10:36 AM

another article on manila bullitin this time :

No one hurt in aircraft accident at Samar airport By ANJO PEREZ & LOUIE PEREZ
An 83-seat British Aerospace BAE 146 passenger jet with 32 passengers and six crew members onboard ditched into a muddy section of the Catarman runway in Northern Samar yesterday morning after a thick puddle of water caused the aircraft to skid just seconds after touchdown.The four-jet narrow body plane belonging to Asian Spirit touched down at the Catarman airport at 6:45 a.m. from Manila.
The aircraft, with flight number 6K-587, was piloted by Capt. Gomer Monreal, with Capt. Eugene del Rosario as co-pilot. Initial reports disclosed that the plane’s tires reportedly had very little traction upon touchdown because sections of the runway were blanketed by a thin layer of water caused by an early downpour. As soon as the aircraft came to a complete stop, the able Asian Spirit crew immediately evacuated all 32 passengers to safety, 12 of them female. In an interview, the Asian Spirit airport operations manager disclosed that none of the passengers was hurt but said that the aircraft suffered minor damage."No passengers were hurt or injured," he said, adding that the incident could be attributed to the "residual water" in the runway at the time of the plane’s touchdown. The aircraft’s landing gear and fuselage were damaged.The Air Transportation Office immediately conducted an investigation into the mishap.The Asian Spirit BAE plane was one of several jetliners that the domestic carrier recently acquired from British Aerospace System to beef up its fleet. According to the carrier’s airport operations manager, the BAE planes were delivered to them only last February.

IsaganiZenze

December 5th, 2005, 12:02 PM

wow cool pics jefferyi..THANKS!! yeay

anywho, from the first pic...if they torn down naia 1 and 2, and make something like the one below, they will have so much more room, like demolish part of the buildings behind naia 2 and then make a very long terminal...ala shanghai...anywho yeah
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a91/EnozAnewor/312815843GpXZnB_fsa.jpg

bustero

December 5th, 2005, 05:43 PM

They're taking delivery of their other 146's next year.

http://www.smiliner.com/operators/rp.shtml#asianspirit

BAe 146/Avro RJ Operators
RP - Philippines
Asian Spirit

Asian Spirit BAe 146-100 VH-NJZ at Adelaide
Asian Spirit BAe 146-100 VH-NJZ at Adelaide (Ryan Hothersall)
Filipino airline Asian Spirit is is leasing four BAe 146s from BAE SYSTEMS. The first aircraft are two series 100s being returned off-lease by Australia's National Jet Systems. The first of them, VH-NJZ (msn E1009) was delivered in late January. The second, VH-NJY (msn E1005) will follow shortly. They will then be joined by two series 200s in 2006. The airline operates scheduled services throughout the Philippines from Manila. It is owned and operated by a cooperative of its employees.

Solblanc

December 5th, 2005, 06:00 PM

wow cool pics jefferyi..THANKS!! yeay

anywho, from the first pic...if they torn down naia 1 and 2, and make something like the one below, they will have so much more room, like demolish part of the buildings behind naia 2 and then make a very long terminal...ala shanghai...anywho yeah

Assuming that they'd actually let the cargo terminals and the fuel farm be demolished, that'd be a great idea :D

xXx carlos xXx

December 5th, 2005, 09:48 PM

i dunno kung nakita nyo na ito... but... kewl huh?

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c101/carlosalmacen/1866212764610l1.jpg

kiretoce

December 5th, 2005, 10:29 PM

^^ Was that photo taken at MNL (NAIA)? :dunno:

kiretoce

December 5th, 2005, 11:06 PM

Closure of Cotabato airport for repairs opposed
By Charlie Señase Inquirer Dec 05, 2005

COTABATO CITY — The planned closure of the Cotabato airport in Barangay Awang, Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao due to its dilapidated runway has stirred apprehension among Central Mindanao residents, particularly the business sector.

“Not only will it affect my constituents but other passengers of Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, North Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat in case the airport in Awang is closed,” Mayor Muslimin Sema said.

Sema was reacting to a proposal raised by key officials of the Philippine Airlines and the Air Transportation Office (ATO).

ATO Cotabato Manager Jun Masanta, who recommended the repair and rehabilitation of the runway, said the project has been put on hold due to technical problems.

The problem, according to Sema, stemmed from a Mindanao Economic Development Council letter to the Department of Transportation and Communications saying that any move to implement the P23-million project at the Cotabato Airport should have its approval.

Since then, the 2005 repair work has been put on hold, Sema said.

Capt. Reuben Stilberg, PAL vice president for safety concerns, said the sad state of the Cotabato runway poses danger to aircraft as exposed pebbles scattered all over it may enter plane engines and cause these to overheat and burst into flames.

Stilberg said the market rate of $3.5 million per aircraft may be costly if lost in an explosion.

“We are concerned ... first and foremost about the safety of passengers and crew,” he said.

Masanta said the elements of nature such as rain, wind and solar heat, have contributed to the gradual dilapidation of the asphalt runway.

The condition has been aggravated by heavy aircraft that use the facility, he said.

Unless repaired soon, PAL management would recommend the immediate suspension of its Cotabato flights.

Stilberg, however, suggested a coordinated effort of PAL, ATO and DOTC in clearing the runway of pebbles, sand and other obstruction while the proposed multimillion-peso rehabilitation work has yet to be carried out.

Cotabato traders and others, whose shipment of merchandise and goods depend on air transport, would be affected by the planned flight suspension of PAL, said Oscar Tan Abing, president of the Cotabato Grocers Association.

Abing’s anxiety was shared by Pete Marquez, president of the Metro Cotabato Chamber of Commerce and Industry, who said the airport closure would delay the arrival of newspapers, magazines and other reading materials from Manila.

kiretoce

December 5th, 2005, 11:15 PM

Philippine Airlines and Airbus Industries To Sign Aircraft Order Tuesday
Monday December 5 2005

MANILA (Dow Jones) -- Philippine Airlines Inc. (PAI.YY) will Tuesday sign a contract to purchase new aircraft from France-based aircraft maker Airbus (ABI.YY), the country's flag carrier said in a media advisory Monday.

PAL didn't say how many aircraft would be ordered. Last month, however, PAL President Jaime Bautista said nine new A320s will be purchased by the airline from Airbus over the next three years.

He said PAL will seek loans from export credit agencies to fund the refleeting, which is designed to ensure PAL's dominance in the country's airline industry. The new aircraft will service domestic and regional routes.

PAL currently has 31 aircraft that includes Boeing Co. (BA) 747-400s, 737-400s and 737-300s, and Airbus A340-300s, A330-300s and A320-200s. The aircraft have an average age of nine years.

ramvingar

December 6th, 2005, 01:28 AM

^ why do they always do that? I mean come out with a press release and leave us hanging about the details? Would it be wrong for them to let us know what aircrafts and how many they will order? It gets really tiring sometimes...

xXx carlos xXx

December 6th, 2005, 06:06 AM

^^ Was that photo taken at MNL (NAIA)? :dunno:

dunno... just found them in friendster.... sori :runaway:

jun_of

December 6th, 2005, 06:42 AM

From http://money.inq7.net/breakingnews/view_breakingnews.php?yyyy=2005&mon=12&dd=06&file=10
PAL orders 9 planes from Airbus
Posted: 12:16 PM | Dec. 06, 2005

AIRBUS said Philippine Airlines (PAL) has ordered nine A320 planes and has the option for a further five as part of the Philippine carrier's long-term fleet modernization program.

In a media statement issued in Manila, Airbus said PAL would also lease two new A320s and two new A319s from GE Capital Aviation Services.

It said the new planes would be delivered starting in the second half of next year until 2012.

Financial details were not known ahead of the contract signing ceremony in Manila.

The A320 is a medium-range, single-aisle twin-engine jet capable of carrying up to about 180 passengers, and is still the European company's most popular aircraft after 17 years on the market.

tigidig14

December 6th, 2005, 07:10 AM

FLIGHT FROM MASBATE TO MANILA

http://www.youtube.com/watch.php?v=KImiLz5f7pQ&search=pilipino

FLY ME TO MANILA

http://www.youtube.com/results.php?search=MANILA

ramvingar

December 6th, 2005, 07:31 AM

that's good news. was hoping for some widebodies but I guess that will come later on.

ewh1

December 6th, 2005, 07:59 AM

thats coming in 2006. :) they already said they will make their decision on the B777 or A340 sometime then

ramvingar

December 6th, 2005, 08:12 AM

^cool! can't wait. thanks for the info! :)

ewh1

December 6th, 2005, 11:58 AM

http://www.forbes.com/markets/feeds/afx/2005/12/06/afx2371428.html

MANILA (AFX) - Airbus said Philippine Airlines (PAL) has ordered 9 A320 planes and has the option for a further five as part of the Philippine carrier's long-term fleet modernization program.

heres another good article... that might interest some

MANILA - Philippine Airlines and Airbus today signed a purchase agreement that launches the flag carrier's modernization program for its narrow-body fleet - a move that will see PAL acquire up to 18 Airbus A320 family aircraft.

The package includes a firm order for nine brand-new A320 jets and options for five more new A320s - the subjects of today's signing ceremony with Airbus. The deal is valued at approximately $840 million based on list prices.

PAL vice chairman and treasurer Mariano Tanenglian will sign for the flag carrier while Airbus senior vice president for customer affairs-Asia Paul Kiteley will represent the European airplane manufacturer.

In addition to the 14 A320s covered by the Airbus deal, PAL will also lease two brand-new A320s and two A319s from GE Commercial Aviation Services, the world's largest aircraft lessor.

PAL has also selected the CFM 56-5B engine manufactured by CFM International to power its new A320 family aircraft. CFM is a joint venture between GE Aircraft Engines and Snecma Moteurs of France.

Deliveries of the firm orders as well as leased units will commence in the second half of 2006 and continue until 2008. Deliveries of the option aircraft, should PAL take them up, will start in 2009 and run until 2012.

By December 2008, when the major part of the refleeting program is completed, PAL will have an all-new narrow-body fleet consisting of 14 A320s and two A319s. This will give the airline the advantage of operating a uniform fleet, with one aircraft type, one engine type and one bi-class cabin layout.

Currently, PAL operates a mixed fleet of 14 narrow-body aircraft comprising seven A320s, four Boeing 737-300s and three Boeing 737-400s.

"In modernizing our narrow-body fleet, our objectives are to improve on our operational benchmarks, offer an enhanced and consistent service to our passengers, and optimize revenue through commonality of equipment. We believe the A320 family provides PAL the means to achieve these goals," said Tanenglian.

For his part, Airbus president and CEO Gustav Humbert said: "PAL has been an Airbus operator for more than 25 years and I am delighted that the positive experience with the A320 in recent years has contributed significantly to this further order for the type. The new A320s will ensure PAL's ability to further maximize profit potential, while offering passengers the highest standards of inflight comfort available today."

PAL's new narrow-body aircraft will be deployed mainly on the airline's extensive domestic network. They will also serve some low-traffic Asian regional destinations. All aircraft will be configured to have both business and economy class cabins, setting them apart from other operators, particularly in the domestic sector.

The A320s will have 12 Mabuhay (business)-class and 144 economy-class seats while the A319s will have 8 Mabuhay-class and 126 economy-class seats.

All aircraft are outfitted with new-generation seats and the latest inflight entertainment system in both classes, further distinguishing PAL from competing carriers. Mabuhay-class seats feature personal TV and come with in-seat power supply that allows passengers to operate laptop computers.

Further, the Mabuhay class cabin is equipped with Panasonic's "EFX" inflight entertainment system, considered cutting-edge technology in the industry and capable of providing Audio Video On-Demand (AVOD) to passengers. "Our brand-new aircraft, equipped with the most modern technology and amenities, will allow PAL to offer an unmatched product to the market. This fleet modernization program is a fitting milestone as we mark PAL's 65th anniversary in March 2006," said Tanenglian.

PAL is a long-time A320 operator. The carrier took delivery of its first such jet on 12 August 1997, immediately deploying it on a regular flight from Manila to Cebu, PAL's busiest domestic trunk route.

The airline is likewise an old Airbus customer, having acquired its first Airbus aircraft, an A300-B4, on 30 November 1979. In 1997, PAL became the first airline in the world to operate the full range of new-generation Airbus aircraft, consisting of the A320 and its wide-body cousins, the A330 and the A340.

Currently, in addition to seven A320s, PAL also operates eight A330s and four A340s.

Just had a thought... this might mean PAL will be the FIRST AIRLINE IN ASIA to have PTVs and AVOD in their Narrowbody Fleet at least in Mabuhay.. wow what a thought

Skyblade

December 6th, 2005, 12:24 PM

richard fischer

December 6th, 2005, 01:21 PM

GREAT NEWS FOR PAL ! and again domestic air travel will be an interesting competition factor. the next step for PAL will be to replace their super old Air Philippines 737`s. i´m sure they already talked to airbus about possible further replacements sometime later to get a good price for their upcomming 18 narrowbodies.

SKYLINEPIGEON

December 6th, 2005, 03:45 PM

well wht abt their wide body fleet im wondering when are they going to buy those , their large planes are not exactly at par with competing airlines and theyre getting old, they dont even have personal tvs in their economy class

xXx carlos xXx

December 6th, 2005, 03:56 PM

^^yes.... that is really a great news... i cant wait!

SKYLINEPIGEON

December 6th, 2005, 04:03 PM

OMG, so I didn't have to sacrifice a virgin in order to see a new interior produce for PAL?!?! And we're talking about AVOD? IN A NARROWBODY!?! I mean one airline that comes to mind that did such a thing was MEA on their A321s! I mean, wow! This was MUCH earlier than expected. Probably the best X-mas present a PAL enthusiast could have!!!!! :D :D :D

I mean seriously, we NEED to celebrate!!! m))

only for mabuhay class passengers

richard fischer

December 6th, 2005, 04:21 PM

in principle the same news but this further details.....
$840M

Early exit from rehabilitation program seen

Flag carrier Philippine Airlines, Inc. (PAL) yesterday said it will buy nine brand-new Airbus A320 jets, with an option for five more, in a deal worth $840 million as it gears for an early exit from its 10-year rehabilitation plan which would give it better access to loans.

Airbus Senior Vice-President for customer affairs Paul Kiteley (left) hands a trophy to Philippine Airlines Vice-Chairman and treasurer Mariano Tanenglian at the signing of the carrier’s purchase of nine jets with an option to buy another five in a deal worth $840 million. -- Jonathan L. Cellona

As part of a refleeting program, PAL will also lease two brand-new A320s and two A319s from GE Commercial Aviation Services, the world’s largest aircraft lessor.

The refleeting is meant to replace aging aircraft and save on maintenance expenses.

Along with this, PAL sees an exit from its 10-year rehabilitation program earlier than the scheduled exit in 2010.

Andrew Huang, chief financial officer, said as of November, PAL had already paid about $1 billion from its original debt of $2.2 billion six years ago when it entered rehabilitation.

Debts were owed to the United States Export-Import Bank, European export credit agencies, and local banks. Some of the debts are due to mature up to 2014.

Mr. Huang did not disclose when exactly PAL will exit from government protection, but he said it will happen "sooner rather than later".

An early exit from rehabilitation will allow the Lucio Tan-owned carrier to have better access to loans to fund its projects.

"If we are able to restructrue everything with all our stakeholder who have claims against us, then we should be able to exit earlier. We have some creditors who do not have formal agreement with us while we have been paying according to the restructuring terms," Mr. Huang said.

"We want people [to] look at us as a success story so we want to make sure that we get out of this stigma of being an airline under the SEC [Securities and Exchange Commission] supervision," he said.

PAL filed for rehabilitation with the SEC in 1998 when it reported its largest financial loss of P8.08 billion. Labor disputes, the impact of the Asian financial crisis, and internal troubles were factors to the downfall of the country’s first flag carrier.

Deliveries of firm orders and leased units are set in the second half of 2006 to 2008 while those of the option aircrafts -- should PAL take them up -- are set from 2009 to 2012.

Mr. Huang said PAL will finance the refleeting through a mix of internally generated funds and foreign loans.

PAL management is in talks with export credit agencies in Britain, United Kingdom, France, and Germany for possible loan agreements.

Funding sources will be finalized before April, Mr. Huang said.

LOWER COST

Jaime J. Bautista, PAL president and chief executive, said the refleeting will translate to lower operational costs.

By the end of the program in 2011, PAL would have replaced its B737 and A400 aircraft with 14 fuel-efficient A320s and two A319s for all domestic routes.

PAL operates a mixed fleet of 14 narrow-body aircraft comprising seven A320s, four Boeing 737-300s and three Boeing 737-400s.

A320s flying international destinations will then be replaced by twin-aisle A330 jets. These A330s will fly to medium-haul destinations like Japan, Beijing, and India.

Mr. Bautista said a single new type of aircraft for domestic routes will allow PAL to save on pilot training and fuel expenses. The aircraft will also run on CFM 56-5B engine manufactured by CFM International, again letting PAL cut on aircraft maintenance.

No definite figures were disclosed.

"We are planning to have more frequencies in our exiting routes in domestic and regional. We will offer very competitive rates but we cannot tell you whether it would be higher or lower than competition at this time because air fares really are a factor of fuel and operational costs," Mr. Bautista said.

"The end goal for this program is to differentiate ourselves from competition. These A320s will have 12 seats for business class and 144 for economy, so we would be the only domestic carrier with such seating configuration. Also each business seat for our A320s will have its own TV, video-on-demand, and power," he added.

Gustav Humbert, Airbus president and chief executive, said "PAL has been an Airbus operator for more than 25 years and I am delighted that the positive experience with the A320 in recent years has contributed significantly to this further order for the type."

PAL Vice-Chairman Mariano Tanenglian said all of the new aircraft will be equipped with "the latest inflight entertainment systems."

Solblanc

December 6th, 2005, 04:29 PM

tigidig14

December 6th, 2005, 04:36 PM

so whose left for refleeting now, Asian Spirit

richard fischer

December 6th, 2005, 04:59 PM

expat news :

HEADLINES

PAL Flying Higher Each Year; on its way out of rehab?
By Amy S. Oliveros

The airline industry is very difficult but very challenging," said Jaime Bautista, president of Philippine Airlines (PAL). His airline is now into the 6th year of its 10-year rehabilitation plan. So far so good, is how their showing can be described. But they're chafing at the leash imposed by some terms of the rehabilitation plan. Terms like not being able to incur new loans or join alliances like OneWorld and Star Alliance.

"We're happy to say that we're up to date in meeting our obligations," Bautista said in an interview with What's On & Expat. In fact, they have reduced their obligations by more than $1 billion. If allowed, though, they would still opt out of the rehab plan and its imposed restrictions. "It'll be better if we are out of rehab," said Bautista. But he doesn't want to predict when or if they could indeed cut short the period of their rehab. He just declared that "our target is that every year, we should do better than last year."

Upbeat Plans
Philippine Airlines is currently on a re-fleeting binge. "The first phase of our re-fleeting program will involve the acquisition of additional nine Airbus 320s to replace seven Boeing 737 airplanes," Bautista disclosed. Of the seven airplanes needing replacement, only one is owned by PAL, and the rest are leased.

According to him, there are pros and cons in leasing airplanes. One of the cons is that you pay higher rental, but on the pro side, he said, with a leased airplane you're not committed to the asset on a long-term basis. "So if it becomes obsolete, the risk of losses due to the deterioration of the asset's value will go to the owners," he explained.

In PAL's re-fleeting, they are trying to balance the risk, said Bautista. They will lease some of PAL's new planes, and buy some. How many would really depend on the financial condition of the airline and the market conditions at the time PAL acquires the airplanes, he said. PAL expects to receive the first three of its planned Airbus acquisitions soon. In fact, the first had been delivered last October.

Flying profitably
Bautista acknowledged that although PAL is Asia's oldest airline, it now ranks in the middle among Asia-Pacific countries in terms of number of airplanes, passengers and destinations. What bogged down the airline, according to him, is that "it has been under government control for so many years and we were not able to expand [at] the same rate as the market is expanding, unlike other airlines."

Since taking over from his predecessor, Avelino Zapanta, Bautista has been striving to further speed up the process of flying profitably. Gone are the government-owned ways of operating, or when PAL was operating everywhere. "There was a time when for us to recover our cost, the load factor would have had to be 150 percent! There were not enough seats for us to recover our expenses!"

So now that they've affirmed that PAL is in the business of flying people and cargo, they therefore see to it that each flight will actually make money. Explained Bautista, "What we try to do is identify the route that will generate cash for the airline. If a route doesn't generate cash, we will not operate that. And of course our operations really depend on the requirements of the market."

This means that from time to time, they also adjust the frequency of their flights to and from certain routes, in order to minimize costs while still serving the same number of passengers or volume of cargo.

Operating in Terminal 2 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport has also been beneficial to PAL, according to Bautista. Although Terminal 2 can get congested at times, he clarified that since the government allowed them to operate both their domestic and international flights in the same terminal, PAL has been able to lower its operating costs, as they now require fewer personnel and less equipment and connecting time. Incidentally, operating under one roof has also been part of PAL's rehabilitation plan.

According to Bautista, if the time comes when Terminal 3 is finally opened and they're invited to use it, they will be happy to do so-but only if they're also allowed to operate both domestic and international flights in the same terminal.

TPC (Total Passenger Care)
"We also try to improve our record performance," declared Bautista. PAL airplanes are being maintained by Lufthansa Technik, and they are improving their coordination to ensure that their planes will fly on time. "One of the reasons why some of our flights used to get late was maintenance," he explained. "That's one of the first things I did-see to it that coordination between Lufthansa and PAL was improved."

Most of PAL's passengers are Filipinos, but they also get foreigners. "We are the preferred carrier because we're the only airline that flies non-stop to the US West Coast," he notes. And of course, Filipinos love the airline because they feel at home there.

"We're known for the Filipino service, our crew for being malambing (sweet). We always tell our crew to walk the extra mile to serve the passengers. PAL has this number one corporate value: TPC-total passenger care," he says. For this, PAL reportedly receives a lot of commendations.

Forecasts and Wishes
For 2006, PAL expects its market (passengers) to grow some 5%. But according to Bautista, it doesn't necessarily mean profits will be greater. "It depends on how successful we will be in reducing costs. There were many years when the traffic increased, but instead of making profit we even incurred losses," he explained.

Bautista lamented the airline industry's vulnerability to international events like 9/11, and the latest travelers' scare-the bird flu pandemic. He disclosed that other countries protect their airline industry, even if it's privately owned, but in the Philippines, PAL does not get any subsidy.

PAL was also very much affected by the rising prices of jet fuel. When they prepared the rehab plan in 1999, jet fuel cost only $17 per barrel. Today it's at $70 per barrel. PAL has been transferring some of the cost (a portion of the jet fuel increase) to its passengers, although when oil prices go down, they said they also decrease their fuel surcharge (see accompanying story).

But despite reporting losses for the second quarter of PAL's fiscal year (which ends in March 2006), PAL's first half earnings stood at $23 million. Its first half performance has also reportedly already surpassed its full year net profit of P1.2 billion ($21.8 million) from April 2004 to March 2005.

richard fischer

December 6th, 2005, 05:06 PM

so whose left for refleeting now, Asian Spirit

yes tigidig,
asian spirit truely, but it´s hard for them on secondary routes. so many different airports with secondary standards. look what happened to them flying a BAE 146/200 to san jose. they overran the airstrip. unfortunately they have such a big mix of different aircraft, i think 5 different types now, extremly cost intensive ! would be great if they could settle with two types : 1 jet and 1 prop-jet. incidentailly: what happened to that article i could not open at business world ? would still like to read it ! it was all about AS flying internationally ! i asked someone who´s a member to post it, as it is closed ton none members. but maybe you could find the article someplace else ???

xXx carlos xXx

December 6th, 2005, 07:27 PM

LOWER COST

Jaime J. Bautista, PAL president and chief executive, said the refleeting will translate to lower operational costs.

By the end of the program in 2011, PAL would have replaced its B737 and A400 aircraft with 14 fuel-efficient A320s and two A319s for all domestic routes.

PAL operates a mixed fleet of 14 narrow-body aircraft comprising seven A320s, four Boeing 737-300s and three Boeing 737-400s.

A320s flying international destinations will then be replaced by twin-aisle A330 jets. These A330s will fly to medium-haul destinations like Japan, Beijing, and India.

you mean... pal has plans to fly to india? to what cities in particular?

sandrin

December 6th, 2005, 07:31 PM

I hope PAL will install a direct Satellite TV on all seats. They really need to upgrade on "entertainment factor". Having a personalized tv will be a big hit to all Pinoys.

stephencua

December 7th, 2005, 03:58 AM

cruizer333444

December 7th, 2005, 04:46 AM

great to hear pal is buying new airbus planes.

Skyblade

December 7th, 2005, 05:10 AM

only for mabuhay class passengers
Irregardless, it still is progress for the airline. :D

bustero

December 7th, 2005, 05:36 AM

I'm very happy for PAL. It seems like they are doing well , I really hope that they can take off well in the future. I'm not the biggest fan of Lucio Tan but I want our flag carrier to do well. With the monitors on each seat at least it's a little bit of an upgrade to add video on demand in the future.

ryanr

December 7th, 2005, 05:37 AM

bustero

December 7th, 2005, 05:39 AM

ok, remember my post about cebu pacific fares for HK? well i read in the inquirer today that its going to be 1,999 one way.. its going to be launched tom and will start flights next jan 9.. so i think if PAL is going to lower rates because of the new planes, then we, the consumers, would greatly benefit from this! :D
Wow great news I will buy some. I've used them to HK before with their 757. Ok naman. no complaints as it's a quick flight. Only thing is that you land in Naia 1 instead of naia 2!

stephencua

December 7th, 2005, 06:03 AM

@bustero - but when NAIA 3 opens (whenever that is) we'll be able to avail of that terminal instead of the old NAIA 1

sandrin

December 7th, 2005, 06:47 AM

PAL must install a personal TV on economy class too. That added value should transcend classes.

SKYLINEPIGEON

December 7th, 2005, 08:26 AM

PAL must install a personal TV on economy class too. That added value should transcend classes.

im jst wondering if passengers will have time to finish a full length movie on a domestic flight

richard fischer

December 7th, 2005, 09:42 AM

thats coming in 2006. :) they already said they will make their decision on the B777 or A340 sometime then

wonder why they don´t consider the A350 ? as far as i heard they won´t be ordered/delivered before 2009 anyhow.....

tigidig14

December 7th, 2005, 10:35 AM

PAL must install a personal TV on economy class too. That added value should transcend classes.

i beleive in ur proposal

sandrin

December 7th, 2005, 01:41 PM

im jst wondering if passengers will have time to finish a full length movie on a domestic flight

I'm thinking of international flights here and a personal satellite tv similar to the ones that Jetblue offers where it shows all cable channels and not just movies. Most of the movies are pay per view by the way and it's the cable channels that are watched more. PAL can tailor fit it to international routes if there's a will, why not.
Most Filipinos are entertainment savvy so it will surely be a big hit if PAL install it on economy class like Cathay Pacific.
This added value is up for grabs and lucky is the local airline that served it to economy class first.

SKYLINEPIGEON

December 7th, 2005, 03:34 PM

PAL's new narrow-body aircraft will be deployed mainly on the airline's extensive domestic network. They will also serve some low-traffic Asian regional destinations.

well as gleaned from above pal's press release theyre going to use mainly these a320s for their doemstic routes and some low density regional routes

manileño

December 7th, 2005, 03:35 PM

im jst wondering if passengers will have time to finish a full length movie on a domestic flight

kahit siguro one episode lang ng Panday or Vietnam Rose. jk

David-80

December 7th, 2005, 04:12 PM

Just had a thought... this might mean PAL will be the FIRST AIRLINE IN ASIA to have PTVs and AVOD in their Narrowbody Fleet at least in Mabuhay.. wow what a thought

Not exactly true, Garuda installed AVOD and PTV on their Boeing 737NG (-800) (the same class with A320-200) for all class. Jetstar asia with A320 also installed the same thing, but you need to pay to watch the tv and enjoy its AVOD. I think many airlines in Asia already installed those things on their business/first class for their narrowbody fleets.

Anyway, its good news for PAL.

cheers

Solblanc

December 7th, 2005, 04:34 PM

wonder why they don´t consider the A350 ? as far as i heard they won´t be ordered/delivered before 2009 anyhow.....

My guess is that they're going to be picking an interim 747 replacement, so that would be a choice between the A340-600 and the 777-300 for non-stop transpacific flights year-round. The 350 is more of an A340-300 replacement, and PAL's A343s are only seven years old or so.

bustero

December 7th, 2005, 05:04 PM

@bustero - but when NAIA 3 opens (whenever that is) we'll be able to avail of that terminal instead of the old NAIA 1
ah an optimist, that's what I like about you :)!

well who knows you may be right after all who knew PR would be refleeting

who knows maybe they'll surprise us next year with a combination of 380's and 350's

SKYLINEPIGEON

December 7th, 2005, 05:10 PM

i remember i took a pal flight from riyadh in 1997 and the plane got engine trouble and aborted takeoff, we were in stuck in the middle of the runway for almost four hours!!! i dont know how many engines were fixed but eventually we wer allowed to take off, whew that was really scary experience for me. and this july i took the same pal flight and the plane has to make an emergency stopover at bangkok due to some technical problems, i dont know some passengers said the plane run out of fuel and cant make it to mnl and our arrival was delayed for five hours, the plane for both occassions was the a-340, saudia 747-400s was great we have our own personal tvs in economy class, the seats are wider i believe, the plane is newer and faster tahn pals a-340s

sandrin

December 7th, 2005, 05:39 PM

richard fischer

December 7th, 2005, 06:18 PM

Yeah, the maintenance work is the root cause of why PAL is always late. It eventually destroyed PAL's image. I hope that this problem will be solved once PAL's new fleets took off. I can't wait for PAL to reinvent itself.
Put all the old planes into retirement na.

the only intercontinental flight i ever took with PAL was from frankfurt to manila and back. due to problems with the 747 on our return trip we left 7 HOURS LATER ! almost the travel time from manila to germany.......
P A L
P = plane A = always L = late
:-(

ramvingar

December 7th, 2005, 06:41 PM

^My cousins who were flying to Manila for the first time left almost 24 hours late coz their plane also had engine trouble. PAL placed them in a hotel in Los Angeles though.

Woa! All this is very exciting indeed!

kiretoce

December 7th, 2005, 06:50 PM

kiretoce

December 7th, 2005, 07:06 PM

PAL acquires 18 Airbus jets in major refleeting move

Philippine Airlines and Airbus today signed a purchase agreement that launches the flag carrier's modernization program for its narrow-body fleet - a move that will see PAL acquire up to 18 Airbus A320 family aircraft.

The package includes a firm order for nine brand-new A320 jets and options for five more new A320s - the subjects of today's signing ceremony with Airbus. The deal is valued at approximately $840 million based on list prices.

PAL vice chairman and treasurer Mariano Tanenglian will sign for the flag carrier while Airbus senior vice president for customer affairs-Asia Paul Kiteley will represent the European airplane manufacturer.

In addition to the 14 A320s covered by the Airbus deal, PAL will also lease two brand-new A320s and two A319s from GE Commercial Aviation Services, the world's largest aircraft lessor.

PAL has also selected the CFM 56-5B engine manufactured by CFM International to power its new A320 family aircraft. CFM is a joint venture between GE Aircraft Engines and Snecma Moteurs of France.

Deliveries of the firm orders as well as leased units will commence in the second half of 2006 and continue until 2008. Deliveries of the option aircraft, should PAL take them up, will start in 2009 and run until 2012.

By December 2008, when the major part of the refleeting program is completed, PAL will have an all-new narrow-body fleet consisting of 14 A320s and two A319s. This will give the airline the advantage of operating a uniform fleet, with one aircraft type, one engine type and one bi-class cabin layout.

Currently, PAL operates a mixed fleet of 14 narrow-body aircraft comprising seven A320s, four Boeing 737-300s and three Boeing 737-400s.

"In modernizing our narrow-body fleet, our objectives are to improve on our operational benchmarks, offer an enhanced and consistent service to our passengers, and optimize revenue through commonality of equipment. We believe the A320 family provides PAL the means to achieve these goals," said Tanenglian.

For his part, Airbus president and CEO Gustav Humbert said: "PAL has been an Airbus operator for more than 25 years and I am delighted that the positive experience with the A320 in recent years has contributed significantly to this further order for the type. The new A320s will ensure PAL's ability to further maximize profit potential, while offering passengers the highest standards of inflight comfort available today."

PAL's new narrow-body aircraft will be deployed mainly on the airline's extensive domestic network. They will also serve some low-traffic Asian regional destinations. All aircraft will be configured to have both business and economy class cabins, setting them apart from other operators, particularly in the domestic sector.

The A320s will have 12 Mabuhay (business)-class and 144 economy-class seats while the A319s will have 8 Mabuhay-class and 126 economy-class seats.

All aircraft are outfitted with new-generation seats and the latest inflight entertainment system in both classes, further distinguishing PAL from competing carriers. Mabuhay-class seats feature personal TV and come with in-seat power supply that allows passengers to operate laptop computers.

Further, the Mabuhay class cabin is equipped with Panasonic's "EFX" inflight entertainment system, considered cutting-edge technology in the industry and capable of providing Audio Video On-Demand (AVOD) to passengers.

"Our brand-new aircraft, equipped with the most modern technology and amenities, will allow PAL to offer an unmatched product to the market. This fleet modernization program is a fitting milestone as we mark PAL's 65th anniversary in March 2006," said Tanenglian.

PAL is a long-time A320 operator. The carrier took delivery of its first such jet on 12 August 1997, immediately deploying it on a regular flight from Manila to Cebu, PAL's busiest domestic trunk route.

The airline is likewise an old Airbus customer, having acquired its first Airbus aircraft, an A300-B4, on 30 November 1979. In 1997, PAL became the first airline in the world to operate the full range of new-generation Airbus aircraft, consisting of the A320 and its wide-body cousins, the A330 and the A340.

Currently, in addition to seven A320s, PAL also operates eight A330s and four A340s.

paulkrps

December 7th, 2005, 07:49 PM

kahit siguro one episode lang ng Panday or Vietnam Rose. jk

wag munang palabasin mga pasahero para tapusin ang feature. hihihi.

Jefferyi

December 8th, 2005, 04:21 AM

the only intercontinental flight i ever took with PAL was from frankfurt to manila and back. due to problems with the 747 on our return trip we left 7 HOURS LATER ! almost the travel time from manila to germany.......
P A L
P = plane A = always L = late
:-(

You're still lucky you only got stranded for 7 hours. When I took PAL earlier this year my flight was delayed for 1 full day due to some problems with the brakes, according to Captain Gonzaga. Plane was suppoed to leave at 10 PM but it was not until 3 AM that they even let us out of the plane.

richard fischer

December 8th, 2005, 03:06 PM

taken from the airbus website of today :

Philippine Airlines selects more A320s for fleet modernisation
6 December 2005

Philippine Airlines has placed a firm order with Airbus for nine A320s and taken options on a further five aircraft, as part of its long term fleet modernisation programme. In addition, the airline will be leasing two new A320s and two new A319s from GE Capital Aviation Services. The A320s will be configured in a 12 Mabuhay Business Class / 144 Economy Class and the A319s in 8 Mabuhay Business Class /126 Economy class.
Philippine Airlines currently operates seven A320s on domestic and regional services, eight A330s on major regional trunk routes and four A340s on long haul services.
The single aisle A320 Family has achieved a significant market penetration in the Asia-Pacific region, having won almost every major campaign for aircraft in the 100 -200 seat category in recent years. Almost 440 A320s are currently in service with 36 airlines across the region.
"Airbus has long been a part of Philippine Airlines' pioneering history in local aviation. Today's agreement reaffirms that close partnership. More importantly, it enables us to offer an enhanced bi-class product to our customers, thereby, strengthening our leadership in the markets we serve," said Mariano Tanenglian, Philippine Airlines vice chairman and treasurer.
"Philippine Airlines has been an Airbus operator for more than 25 years and I am delighted that the positive experience with the A320 in recent years has contributed significantly to this further order for the type. The new A320s will ensure Philippine Airlines' ability to further maximise profit potential, while offering passengers the highest standards of in-flight comfort available today," said Airbus President and Chief Executive Officer, Gustav Humbert.
The A320 offers optimum cabin comfort in its class, reflecting a common commitment that is found in all Airbus aircraft. And like all the passenger aircraft that Airbus produces today, it features many modern technology features at no extra charge - such as advanced fuel-saving aerodynamics, including winglets, widespread weight-saving carbonfibre composites, and pilot and maintenance-friendly fly-by-wire controls and centralised maintenance.
Widely accepted as the industry standard, the bestâ€“selling Airbus A320 Family comprises a variety of seating configurations that allow for a customized lay-out depending on the airlinerâ€™s needs. All of them share the same airframe - only the fuselage lengths are different - and the same cockpits, systems and engines, delivering unmatched operational commonality and savings to airlines.
Headquartered in Toulouse, France, Airbus is an EADS joint Company with BAE Systems.

SKYLINEPIGEON

December 8th, 2005, 05:36 PM

sugbuanon

December 8th, 2005, 08:00 PM

kiretoce

December 8th, 2005, 08:05 PM

Great shots Sugbuanon! Glad to see a foreign airline in MCIA! :okay:

ryanr

December 8th, 2005, 08:42 PM

Yeah, nice pics:) The exterior of the terminal needs a new paintjob though.

sugbuanon

December 8th, 2005, 08:49 PM

not just the exterior but the entire terminal.. MCIA badly needs a major facelift..

richard fischer

December 8th, 2005, 11:02 PM

so pal will have 23 a320s all in all by 2011 (07 existing + 09 ordered + 02 lease + 05 option) + 02 lease a-319s, all their current old 737s will be replaced (06 to be returned and 01 to be sold) - so total they will have 25 narrow body aircrafts 6 years from now

i don´t think so. i suppose they will phase out older models, as soon as the new ones come in. leasing contracts will end sometime. i don´t believe they will renew leasing old planes.

richard fischer

December 8th, 2005, 11:09 PM

http://img521.imageshack.us/img521/5698/mcia4ey.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img521.imageshack.us/img521/4553/departurearea5xy.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img521.imageshack.us/img521/4480/departure9fa.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img521.imageshack.us/img521/4410/airborne9zm.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img320.imageshack.us/img320/2897/landing19ag.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img320.imageshack.us/img320/7927/mas9aq.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img320.imageshack.us/img320/2182/parking9ru.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img320.imageshack.us/img320/2425/parking21ob.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img320.imageshack.us/img320/6048/boarding6xz.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

how ugly the terminal looks ! the least they could do is paint it white and plant more big tropical (coconut) trees. even better let crawling-plants like orcids grow up the dirty cement walls. a terrible design. why do some planes not dock at the aero-bridges if they park right in front of them ? are they out of order ?

nevertheless, thank you sugbuano for the shots !

kiretoce

December 8th, 2005, 11:14 PM

MCIA facade looks more like a shopping strip mall than an airport. :lol:

paulkrps

December 8th, 2005, 11:20 PM

agree with kimber and richard. it's high time whoever manages the mcia should a major facelift. sayang, for the tourist it's the first thing you get to see upon landing in any city. definitely first impressions last.

sugbuanon

December 9th, 2005, 01:16 AM

MCIA facade looks more like a shopping strip mall than an airport. :lol:

http://img521.imageshack.us/img521/5698/mcia4ey.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img227.imageshack.us/img227/3291/312910983060bg5th.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

hehehe you're right.. that's gaisano country mall :D

NY pinoy

December 9th, 2005, 01:49 AM

thats true

sugbuanon

December 9th, 2005, 01:54 AM

wow a new pinoy forumer.. welcome to SSC NY pinoy.. magenjoy ka dito sa SSC

richard fischer

December 11th, 2005, 11:47 AM

from CEB website :

Press Release
CEB Announces 75% Increase in Frequency to Meet Demand

November 17, 2005: Cebu Pacific (CEB) has announced that it will increase the frequency of its domestic flights to accommodate the surge of passengers availing of the airline’s new ‘Go’ fares in time for the holiday peak. This announcement comes just days after the new fares were launched with results showing that demand has surged by up to 90%. The increased frequency will be in place for the Christmas holidays and will cover a number of major domestic destinations.

Starting December 6, CEB will increase its Cebu-Zamboanga route frequency by 40% by increasing service from five roundtrip services a week to daily service. On the same day CEB will double the flight frequency of its Manila-Kalibo route from four times to eight times a week. Fares start at P998 for Cebu – Zamboanga and P888 for Manila – Kalibo.

In addition, starting December 7, the Davao-Zamboanga route will be increased by 75% with the existing 4 roundtrip flights a week being increased to a daily frequency with fares starting at P998. Also on December 7, frequency on the Manila-Roxas route will also be increased by 75% with the existing 4 roundtrip flights per week going to daily service. Fares on Manila – Roxas start at P688. Also effective December 7, the Manila-Tagbilaran route will also see a frequency increase of 27% when weekly frequency increases from eleven times to fourteen times with fares starting from P1,188.

On December 9 CEB re-launches daily service from Manila to Puerto Princessa with fares as low as P888.

The additional flights are equivalent to a 75% increase in frequency for the routes mentioned. Bong Mojica, CEB General Manager said, “We have seen a considerable increase in demand brought about by the launch of the ‘Go’ fares and so we will be adding frequencies to specific destinations in time for the holiday peak. With this, we will be able to offer more ‘Go’ fares so that more people will be able to go, see and do this holiday season and throughout 2006.”

He added “With fares as low as P688 one-way, we advise travelers to get going and to book early in order to get a bargain and secure some of these great ‘Go’ fares.”

Cebu Pacific pioneered low fares in the country in March 1996, forcing other airlines to follow. It was also the first to introduce on-time service, e-ticketing, fun games in-flight, and flight booking through SMS.

CEB now operates two brand-new A320 and two A319 aircraft and will take delivery of two more A319s next month. Eight more will be delivered next year until February 2007 when it shall have completed its re-fleeting program. The airline flies from its Manila and Cebu hubs, currently servicing 14 domestic destinations, Hong Kong, and South Korea.

Skyblade

December 11th, 2005, 03:43 PM

Even mentioning 5J's new A32Xs makes me more anxious for my trip to the RP next June. :D

Indeed, welcome to SSC NY pinoy. :)

tigidig14

December 11th, 2005, 04:20 PM

Even mentioning 5J's new A32Xs makes me more anxious for my trip to the RP next June. :D

lets both pray that Naia 3 will be open

stephencua

December 12th, 2005, 02:51 AM

i was able to call up cebu pacific and they said that their lowest roundtrip fares from manila-HK is P8342.. thats with all taxes and other hidden charges.. the next lowest is P9342.. cool huh?>

sugbuanon

December 12th, 2005, 02:10 PM

mactan - cebu international airport

http://img360.imageshack.us/img360/7021/img02671ya.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img360.imageshack.us/img360/2746/img02326bg.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img360.imageshack.us/img360/985/img02345eu.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img360.imageshack.us/img360/6074/img02432ez.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img360.imageshack.us/img360/7343/img02418ox.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img360.imageshack.us/img360/4526/img02426vx.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img360.imageshack.us/img360/9639/img02446ph.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img360.imageshack.us/img360/4465/img02451im.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img360.imageshack.us/img360/8598/img02464mh.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img360.imageshack.us/img360/5610/img02473lh.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img360.imageshack.us/img360/5695/img02486hl.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img360.imageshack.us/img360/2376/img02498lk.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img360.imageshack.us/img360/8444/img02500as.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img513.imageshack.us/img513/6748/img02658ta.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img513.imageshack.us/img513/9739/img02667dg.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img513.imageshack.us/img513/3994/img02387tz.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

that's my kuya with the red bag

i got the chance to take pics of MCIA coz my kuya left for manila this morning.. it was my first time to step inside an airport after 21 yrs.. hehehe i think i'll have to write this one on my diary.. :nuts:

richard fischer

December 13th, 2005, 06:28 AM

[CENTER]mactan - cebu international airport
i got the chance to take pics of MCIA coz my kuya left for manila this morning.. it was my first time to step inside an airport after 21 yrs.. hehehe i think i'll have to write this one on my diary.. :nuts:

salamat sugbuanon for all those pictures ! at last someone did take some shots of the cebu airport. i just wonder how they want to make it with all their renovation and construction plans for the asean summit next year : 2 new aerobridges and building annex leading to them, extention of the tarmac for the new aerobridges, renovation of existant terminal, landscaping between the taxiways, asphalt overlay of the taxiways leading to the runway.
then there is the aerodome for the convention, my gosh they better get started yesterday !

richard fischer

December 13th, 2005, 06:45 AM

.....Durano and the Team China also negotiated with Chinese authorities for more air route allocations, resulting to increased flight frequency and chartered flights by Chinese air carriers to various resort destinations around the Philippines......taken from tourism II. what chinese airlines are involved, and where are they flying to except manila ? and what about PAL, CEB, AP ? hopefully they will pick up more chinese tourists to new destinations like kalibo (boracay), davao, puerto princesa and laoag (vigan) too.....

rmb

December 13th, 2005, 01:00 PM

sugbuanon

December 13th, 2005, 02:03 PM

http://img218.imageshack.us/img218/8370/image5449wc.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img218.imageshack.us/img218/6656/image5454yq.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

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http://img221.imageshack.us/img221/1015/image5498hp.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img221.imageshack.us/img221/1181/image5508ez.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img221.imageshack.us/img221/7763/1719159681609l7jn.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img221.imageshack.us/img221/9343/16792222814416l9ax.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

that's my kuya.. he will soon be working for Lufthansa that's if he pass the exams and the interview this coming wednesday.. so goodluck to him :)

kiretoce

December 13th, 2005, 03:26 PM

^^ :eek2: :eek2: :eek2: :eek2: :eek2: Awesome photos Sugbuanon! Good luck to your Kuya too! :okay:

kiretoce

December 13th, 2005, 05:07 PM

Subic tourism exec sees potential for GenSan airport
By Allen V. Estabillo / MindaNews / 09 December 2005

GENERAL SANTOS CITY – A tourism official in Clark, Pampanga held high hopes for the airport here to duplicate the Clark model and fire up a sluggish air traffic here.

Patrick Gregorio, tourism lead person for Subic-Clark Development, said the city's airport here could potentially become a major airline service area in the country and in the Asean region by joining the low-cost carrier (LCC) service bandwagon.

He said the LCCs, which offer budget flights, has made the former American air base in Clark as one of the busiest airports in the country and an emerging international destination.

"I think you can also do that here. You have international-standard facilities and a potential major market," Gregorio told the First Region 12 Tourism Summit here early this week.

Gregorio, who also headed the business development group of Clark Development Corporation, said Clark's Diosdado Macapagal Airport now served at least 50 flights a week since it started several months ago.

For as low as P1,000, Gregorio said hundreds of Filipino and foreign travelers could take the flights in and out of Clark every week from Singapore as well as Kuala Lumpur and Kota Kinabalu in Malaysia.

Two LCCs began flying out of Clark in April this year, he said. From the Diosdado Macapagal Airport in Clark, Air Asia served the Malaysia destination and Tiger Airways served the Singapore route. Asiana Airlines served the Clark and Korea route for the past 18 months.

The lowest promotion rate advertised of Tiger Airways was P328, a one-way airfare to Singapore from the Clark airport. Air Asia has promotional flights that cost P1,949 to Kuala Lumpur and P909 to Kota Kinabalu.

Gregorio said local airport officials might initially negotiate the LCC services for the revival of the General Santos-Manado, North Sulawesi, Indonesia flights and eventually the opening of other destinations in the Asean region.

It may be recalled that the Indonesian Merpati Airlines briefly served the route more than two years ago but eventually closed down due to low passenger traffic. Gregorio said the airport management here may also adopt Clark's promotions scheme for the LCCs, especially the cheap landing and service fees.

"Airline companies serving Clark only pay US$600 per landing. You can start by offering lower or initially no landing fees at all," he said. Gregorio said the airport may easily attract LCC companies due to the presence of ready world-class facilities and a potentially huge market.

He said the prospective LCCs may primarily cater to tourists, businessmen and Overseas Filipino Workers or OFWs in the Asean region, especially those coming from the Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines-East Asean Growth Area.

"With the right strategies, the airport here could be the next Clark. And when realized, the prospects for the tourism and the local economy would be tremendous," he added.

The city's 600-hectare airport, completed in 1996 through the United States Agency for International Development, is among the biggest and most modern airports in the country but is only classified as an alternate international airport. Its 3,200-meter by 45-meter runway is capable of handling Airbuses and other wide-bodied jets like Boeing 747's.

sugbuanon

December 13th, 2005, 05:08 PM

hope he'll pass so we'll have more pics on this thread :D

richard fischer

December 13th, 2005, 10:25 PM

NEW CEBU PACIFIC FLEET
http://www.geocities.com/rmb_com/2manilaDec/Ceb.jpg

CENTENNIAL TERMINAL (PAL)
http://www.geocities.com/rmb_com/2manilaDec/Pal.jpg

http://www.geocities.com/rmb_com/2manilaDec/Pal2.jpg

:cheers:

fantastic shots rmb ! too bad you only had a cellphone for clipping those shots ! who else can shoot this great line-up of CEB´s new fleet with a real camera, possibly an employee of CEB please ?!??!

stephencua

December 14th, 2005, 02:56 AM

@richard - when i fly to bohol on cebu pacific february next year il try to take pictures of the plane.. :)

bustero

December 14th, 2005, 06:11 AM

Wednesday, December 14, 2005

Clark acquires air-traffic system

CLARK SPecial Economic Zone: The Diosdao Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) will no longer depend on the air-traffic control system of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport once the installation of the new $9.4-million radar system in January 2006 is completed, according to Bienvenido Manga, DMIA general manager.

Danila Francia, Clark International Airport Corp. (CIAC) president and chief executive officer, recently flew to Italy for the “final acceptance” of DMIA’s new radar system, Manga told members of the press.

He said the new radar system would be fully operational by August next year. The equipment, he added, is expected to arrive this month while installation work would run from in the first half of next year.

At least five firms participated in the bidding for DMIA’s new radar system. The Italian firm Selenia, formerly known as Alenia Marconi, won the bid, Manga said.

The radar system is expected to boost DMIA operations with the anticipated influx of more low-cost carriers (LCCs).

“[Besides] the existing LCC’s here, more airlines are expected to fly their routes to Clark by next year,” Manga said, adding this would boost economic activity at the Clark ecozone.

He said DMIA is hosting the Asiana Airlines of Korea, which flies at least seven times a week; Singapore’s Tiger Air; Malaysia’s Air Asia; among others.
--Edgar V. Movido

ryanr

December 14th, 2005, 06:23 AM

^^ nice to hear...that airport is slowly getting there.

richard fischer

December 14th, 2005, 09:11 AM

@richard - when i fly to bohol on cebu pacific february next year il try to take pictures of the plane.. :)

great stephencua,
maybe you could look around proir to boarding the aircraft and make some shots of the other aircraft line-up´s parked next to your CEB jet too. and some shots out of the window while taxiing to the runway please. lets keep this forum up with good shots of great philippine airliners !

SKYLINEPIGEON

December 14th, 2005, 07:12 PM

BTW IS IT ALLOWED TO TAKE PICTURES OR VIDEO DURING TAKEOFF AND LANDING AND DURING FLIGHTS , I KNOW THEY ALWAYS ANNOUNCE BEFORE TAKEOFF TO ALL PASSENGERS TO CLOSE ALL THEIR ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENTS, CELLPHONES THAT COULD INTERFERE WITH THE PLANES ELECTRONIC AND NAVIGATION SYSTEM

kiretoce

December 14th, 2005, 07:44 PM

^^ I don't think digicams/video recorders transmit signals that may interfere with the aircrafts' navigational and electronic instruments.

ryanr

December 14th, 2005, 09:38 PM

Digicams are ok to operate. When i have the chance, i take pictures during take off and landings...as you've all seen some of my aerial shots.

Jefferyi

December 14th, 2005, 10:57 PM

^^ I don't think digicams/video recorders transmit signals that may interfere with the aircrafts' navigational and electronic instruments.
Man I wished I knew this beforehand. I didnt use the digicam and videocam when I took an Cessna type plane kase maka-interfer raw. Pinagsabihan ko pa nga ang taong nasa harapan ko for taping the take off. :hammer:
Also, I know this sounds like a stupid question to most but is it okay for a small plane to leak "excess" liquid right before it takes off?

SKYLINEPIGEON

December 15th, 2005, 06:43 PM

oh nga pla maykuha sa loob ny lumilipad na eroplano si gma , manny pacquio , precious lara so its pretty legal to shoot inside the plane while on flight hehehe

kiretoce

December 15th, 2005, 09:37 PM

Lim asks DoTC to collect P5.1-billion NAIA 2 parking & landing fees, P803-million rent from PAL since 1998
By MARIO B. CASAYURAN

Sen. Alfredo Lim yesterday asked the Department of Transportation and Communications (DoTC) to collect as soon as possible P5.1 billion in landing and parking fees not paid by the Philippine Airlines (PAL) since it occupied the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 2 in 1998, built with government funds during the administration of President Fidel V. Ramos.

Lim made the request to DoTC Secretary Leandro R. Mendoza during the public hearing on the proposed 2006 DoTC budget in the Senate, that convened as a Committee of the Whole, where the senator stressed that PAL’s unpaid liabilities must be paid "to alleviate somehow our distressed finances (and) our impoverished coffers."

DoTC officials said that they asked the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) to give them legal guidance on the issue, following Lim’s unanswered queries to Alfonso G. Cusi, general manager of the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA).

Lim told reporters that PAL asked the Solicitor General whether it is exempted from paying landing and parking fees, but the Solicitor General said "no."

Oscar Paras Jr., MIAA senior assistant general manager, told Lim during the public hearing that PAL’s actual liabilities consist of P2.6 billion in landing fees and P2.5 billion in parking fees it had incurred since 1998, the opening of NAIA Terminal 2 to PAL’s international and local operations.

In his written query, Lim said PAL "has another astonishing amount of P803 million for its delinquent rentals and other charges, excluding entailed interest and penalties for its evasion of unsettled dues for the use and enjoyment of the same Terminal II of the MIAA."

"We are thus intrigued with the million-dollar query: Why has it remained unpaid, uncollected, and unsettled?" he asked.

Lim maintained that there is no contract signed between MIAA and PAL for the airline’s use of the terminal built with government funds during the Ramos administration.

"It (PAL) used NAIA Terminal 2 gratis et amore (for free). It monopolized it to the exclusion of the other airlines," Lim stressed.

"Now, PAL wants to use NAIA Terminal 3. How can it pay its future obligations if it cannot pay the P5.1- billion unpaid fees?" he asked.

In yesterday’s public hearing, Paras said Cusi failed to appear yesterday because he had an important appointment to keep.

Lim said Mendoza referred to Cusi his letter asking the following:

Is there any written contract between PAL management and the government on the exclusive use of the airport by the former?

In the affirmative, how much is the agreed consideration, including the landing fees and use of the entire airport support facilities?

How much rental has PAL already paid the government, and its current total back rentals, if any?

In one of his unanswered letters to Cusi, Lim pointed out the following relevant constitutional and statutory instructions:

"Subject to reasonable conditions prescribed by law, the State adopts and implements a policy of full public disclosure of all its transactions involving public interest. (Section 28, Article II, 1987 Constitution).

"The right of the people to information on matters of public concern shall be recognized. Access to official records and to documents and papers pertaining to official acts, transactions, or decisions, XXX shall be afforded the citizens." (Section 7, Article III, ibid).

"All public officials and employees shall, within 15 working days from receipt thereof, respond to letters, telegrams, or other means of communication sent by the public. The reply must contain the action taken on the request." (Section 5 (a), RA 6713; Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employes).

kiretoce

December 15th, 2005, 09:55 PM

Tycoons' tangle
By Victor Agustin Dec. 07, 2005

Lucio Tan is definitely not rolling over and allowing fellow Chinese-Filipino tycoon John Gokongwei to have his airline for breakfast. Tan's Philippine Airlines (PAL) signed Tuesday an agreement with Airbus to acquire up to 18 A320 planes, the same type of jets that Gokongwei's Cebu Pacific Air is gradually deploying in its aim to seize majority market share from PAL by 2009.

"It's a dream. Everybody dreams," a confident PAL president Jaime Bautista said, when asked about Cebu Pacific's drive for pole position.

"With the refleeting, PAL would not only become Asia's oldest airline, but will have one of the youngest fleet as well."

Tan himself was not present Tuesday -- he was said to be in China trying to win more business from his land of birth -- but his brother, PAL vice chairman and treasurer Mariano Tanenglian, signed the $840-million deal, witnessed by Tan's two sons, Lucio Jr. and Michael.

According to the grapevine, PAL will put in no less than 15 percent of the $840 million for the new planes, with the rest to be financed by a consortium of European export agencies, the same creditor group that PAL still owes about $1.1 billion from its burst of mix-matched refleeting during the Cory Aquino and Fidel Ramos eras.

As the Airbuses arrive, PAL would return the six Boeing 737s it leases, as well as sell the lone B737 it owns.

PAL's sister airline, the Cebu City-based Air Philippines, will continue to be its budget carrier and counterfoil to the aggressive marketing tactics of Cebu Pacific. According to Bautista, Cebu Pacific has shifted from being a no-frills, budget carrier to a low-cost carrier, with its introduction of meals in its flights.

Despite heavier avgas consumption, the five B737-200s of Air Philippines can compete with Cebu Pacific's new Airbuses because the Boeings have been leased at a much cheaper rate, Bautista said.

With its complement now down to 7,400 employees and 31 aircraft -- a 239:1 ratio as against Cebu Pacific's 86:1 ratio -- PAL will next streamline its West Coast operations by early 2006, when the flag carrier relocates its reservation, accounting and related back-office transactions to the Philippines. Bautista said PAL has higher personnel-aircraft ratio than Cebu Pacific since it also maintains a trans-Pacific fleet, in addition to flying to Australasian and Middle Eastern routes whose foreign offices require additional manpower and cabin complement.

In comparison, US budget carriers typically have 100:1 personnel-plane ratio, he added. Tuesday's signing was held in the Makati Shangri-La Quezon B function room, ironically the same venue where Cebu Pacific announced the Airbus acquisition.

Whereas the Cebu Pacific headtable was facing the other side of the room, PAL's was facing right straight to the door.

For "feng shiu" believers (which Gokongwei is not), go figure.

richard fischer

December 16th, 2005, 08:02 AM

.....Despite heavier avgas consumption, the five B737-200s of Air Philippines can compete with Cebu Pacific's new Airbuses because the Boeings have been leased at a much cheaper rate, Bautista said......

what an attitude : who cares about pollution....
and besides they have 10 B737-200s, not five.
and again : wrong research work as so often in philippine news.
i´m sorry for my critics, but it simply is the truth.
there´s nothing worse than false information.

richard fischer

December 16th, 2005, 08:14 AM

i do not understand why PAL does not stand up to it´s obligations. why are they not paying their landing and parking fees ? they should be prosecuted to do so in a rush intervention by the supreme court. everyone has to pay their obligations, simply these are the rules of human behavior in a society. pay your bills, for you have the benefits, right ? billionaire mr. tan should be ashamed of himself ! CEB/lance gokongwei seems to be a lot more concious about pollution and serioscity towards the environment and the society.

bustero

December 16th, 2005, 09:11 AM

^^ Mr. Tan unfortunately likes to get away with not paying what should be paid. His reasoning is that he pays all these politicians so much anyway he has more than paid his due. If you look at the comments on airliners.net they think he's trying to squeeze as much out of PR as possible probably to get his money back. Anyway we can't seem to shake this guy off.

Askal82

December 16th, 2005, 09:14 AM

marites4

December 16th, 2005, 09:20 AM

Lucio tan is the big lucifer.

richard fischer

December 16th, 2005, 04:31 PM

it´s not that i mind that mr. tan is making money. every business has to be profitable, for the entrepreuner and for the sake of the employees to keep their job. it just has to be in a proper disposition. if MIAA does not make money on approx. 40 % of all landing and parking fees (T2) how can they invest properly ?

ramvingar

December 16th, 2005, 08:51 PM

Wow, talking about a big cheat. First, Lucio Tan fails to pay his taxes properly and now he also failed to pay his landing and parking fees to the government? I wish there is a way to freeze all his assets, strip him off his filipino citizenship, and send him back to China.

Actually I think that the reason why the government is letting Lucio Tan get away with a lot of things is precisely because they want him to stay in RP and not move to China. It is a fact that he brings in a lot of money and his companies provide jobs to thousands of Filipinos. And Lucio Tan knows that and that is why he is so blatant with his disregard for our laws. I remember that he was being investigated for tax evation before but nothing came out of it.

Instead of kicking him out, the government must have the backbone to make him follow the law and show him that just because he provides jobs does not mean that he is above the law and can bully his way around our legal system. They can start by making him pay for the money that PAL owes NAIA.

Hard as it may be to admit, the Philippines still needs Lucio Tan even if it is just because of the jobs he creates. Hopefully there will be a new crop of entrepreneurs with good moral and social consciences in the future so that we won't be needing the likes of Lucio Tan anymore.

Askal82

December 16th, 2005, 09:27 PM

So that is why I said: "I wish there is a way." I simply hate him for being abusive by not honoring his obligations to the government. I appreciate that he employs thousands but it isn't a valid reason why he should avoid paying his duties and taxes faithfully like anybody elses. Government's special treatment to Tan made his head big. Bill Gates employs hundreds of thousands yet I never heard him evading taxes. Perhaps its because of US stricter implementation of tax laws.

ramvingar

December 16th, 2005, 09:33 PM

^ agreed wholeheartedly! Sobra siyang abuso!

tigidig14

December 16th, 2005, 10:57 PM

yeah seize all the sm from him and let another chinese to run it for the country

kiretoce

December 16th, 2005, 11:50 PM

^^ Tan doesn't own SM, it's Sy right? At least I think so.

ramvingar

December 17th, 2005, 12:15 AM

^ yup! Sy owns SM. Tan owns La Tondena, doesn't he?

bulakenyo

December 17th, 2005, 12:46 AM

Lucio tan is the big lucifer.

Naunahan mo po ako Miss Marites. heheeheh!
Panahon pa ni Erap at ni Ramos yang tax evasion case na yan, hanggang
ngayon wala pa din tayong napipiga sa ungas na yan. Bulto-bulto na nga ng dokumento ang ebidensiya laban sa kanya hindi pa rin mahabol yung perang dapat naman talaga niyang bayaran. haaaaayyyy!!

bustero

December 17th, 2005, 03:33 AM

Tan owns Tanduay, La tondena is owned by San Miguel Group.

ramvingar

December 17th, 2005, 08:09 AM

^o thanks bustero!

richard fischer

December 17th, 2005, 09:30 AM

Actually I think that the reason why the government is letting Lucio Tan get away with a lot of things is precisely because they want him to stay in RP and not move to China. It is a fact that he brings in a lot of money and his companies provide jobs to thousands of Filipinos. And Lucio Tan knows that and that is why he is so blatant with his disregard for our laws. I remember that he was being investigated for tax evation before but nothing came out of it.

Instead of kicking him out, the government must have the backbone to make him follow the law and show him that just because he provides jobs does not mean that he is above the law and can bully his way around our legal system. They can start by making him pay for the money that PAL owes NAIA.

Hard as it may be to admit, the Philippines still needs Lucio Tan even if it is just because of the jobs he creates. Hopefully there will be a new crop of entrepreneurs with good moral and social consciences in the future so that we won't be needing the likes of Lucio Tan anymore.

very true. the only problem that occurs, once you made your first million, you want your second one, and more and more and more....the more you get, the less you share. there is phenomenon about money&mighty. it gives you power to rule over others. i would say that lucio tan is more powerfull than GMA. it´s the same all over the world. the billionaires run a country, not their government.

SKYLINEPIGEON

December 17th, 2005, 09:54 AM

indeed he is very powerful, everybody is afraid of him, incl even the highest government officials cant touch him and if he is being challenged legally he of course has the money to get the best lawyers and indeed he won the the case in the supreme court when bir tried to collect more taxes from his cigarette company worth billions of pesos. bil claimed fortune was levied the wrong and much lower taxes rate and so bir wants to collect more from him. the supreme court justices sided with his legal augument and dismissed the case. i believe his tax evasion case is still pending in the supreme court and involves billions of pesos of unpaid taxes from his two flagship companies fortune tobacco and asia brewery, remember these two companies were the ones who guaranteed pal's loan for massive multi billion dollar refleeting programme back in the middle of the 1990s

Askal82

December 17th, 2005, 11:01 AM

^^ Ahhhhh, now ic how the government 'owed' him. Thanks for sharing that information. But it still isn't right to cheat the government of revenues.

SKYLINEPIGEON

December 17th, 2005, 03:36 PM

well the bir seems to have a weak case against him and during the adm of estrada the tax evasion case was dismissed by bir itself for lack of evidence, it was revive again during gmas presidency but not too sure thoguh if the case lost in the tax appeal court and then court of appeals and now bit has elevated it to the supreme court awaiting verdict. im not sure abt this information but if the supreme court ruled against his company, then this will cost mr tan billions of pesos of unpaid taxes owed to the government (this is a tough case and is eagerly anticipated by the all), i beleive this will impact on the government credibility and capability to run after alleged big time tax evaders as they said they always wanted to catch the biggest fish of them all

richard fischer

December 17th, 2005, 11:31 PM

ok - now that we know all about mighty mouse, can we turn back to philippine airports and airlines ?

Askal82

December 18th, 2005, 01:12 AM

^^ Lets cross our fingers that the ruling will be in favor of the country. Yeah, a little off topic. Overall, I'm happy that the airline business in the country is becoming more competitive. Another reason to look for is the proliferation of low-cost budget airlines and one of them was already started by Tiger Airways of Singapore.

bulakenyo

December 18th, 2005, 04:02 AM

^^ Ahhhhh, now ic how the government 'owed' him. Thanks for sharing that information. But it still isn't right to cheat the government of revenues.

Good luck na lang sa kaluluwa niya.

SKYLINEPIGEON

December 18th, 2005, 08:08 AM

PAL's road to recovery more hard work than luck: exec
12/18 11:22:15 AM

MANILA (AFP) - For an airline that was on its back just seven years ago, the road to recovery for Philippine Airlines (PAL) is nothing short of a commercial miracle.

PAL has already paid back more than half of its 2.2 billion dollars in debt, and president and chief operating officer Jaime Bautista says it will be free of its debt obligations well before the 2010 deadline set by its creditors.

"We survived September 11 and we got over the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome in the spring of 2003," he said.

"The road to our recovery has not been easy ... a lot of hard work rather than luck, but we are over the hump."

He says he is also confident that when the airline reports its results for its financial year ending March 31, the airline can expect another record profit.

Sou-jiro

December 18th, 2005, 10:14 AM

http://images.airliners.net/photos/photos/6/4/5/969546.jpg

http://images.airliners.net/photos/photos/3/2/2/975223.jpg

A Phillippine Airline Airbus A330-300 (one of its 8 wide body Aircraft) as seen
on its arrival for its Sunday Manila to Sydney (via Melbourne) flight.This one is Flight PR210 at Sydney Kingsford Smith International Airport... :) 9:43am

courtesy of airliners.net

richard fischer

December 18th, 2005, 11:17 AM

richard fischer

December 18th, 2005, 11:19 AM

http://images.airliners.net/photos/photos/3/2/2/975223.jpg

A Phillippine Airline Airbus A330-300 (one of its 8 wide body Aircraft) as seen
on its arrival for its Sunday Manila to Sydney (via Melbourne) flight.This one is Flight PR210 at Sydney Kingsford Smith International Airport... :) 9:43am

courtesy of airliners.net[/QUOTE]

great idea ! keep posting philippine airliners PAL, CEB, AP on international airports outside the country ! great idea omeguy !

richard fischer

December 18th, 2005, 11:21 AM

Askal82

December 18th, 2005, 12:02 PM

I wish PAL and Cebu Pacific acquire those Airbus 380 in the near future. That would be a cool addition to their fleet.

macgyver

December 18th, 2005, 12:07 PM

I just wonder, How many scheduled Airline in Your Country ?
I think there are 22 in Indonesia

With its population of 220 million spread over 13,000 islands, Indonesia is an attractive market for the airline industry. The increase in the number of airline passengers in the last two years has been impressive. The number of passengers reached 11.6 million in 2002 and 15 million in 2003. The Indonesian National Air Carriers Association (INACA) reports that domestic passenger traffic reached 23 million in 2004. A factor contributing to this positive outlook is the fact that many recently launched airlines are offering promotional prices much cheaper than those offered by established airlines.

Currently, there are 22 scheduled airline companies operating in Indonesia, with the total fleet of 450 aircraft. In addition, there are also 35-chartered airlines companies, which serve oil and gas exploration, mining, and private companies. The airline industry is predicted to remain attractive in 2005. Many airline companies have announced their plans to expand their routes aircraft fleets. Although not all of these firms intend to buy new aircraft, there are excellent opportunities for U.S. aircraft leasing companies to lease their aircraft to Indonesian airlines. Among scheduled airlines, Lion Air is growing the fastest and may have a larger aircraft fleet than national flag carrier Garuda in the near future. In addition, with more aircraft in operation in Indonesia, there will also be a greater need for more aircraft spare-parts and services in the near future.

Indonesia’s imports of aircraft spare-parts totaled $ 202 million in 2002. In 2003, the total import value increased slightly by 5% and amounted to $ 211 million. The import value for American aircraft spare-parts totaled US $37.4 millions in 2002 and increased to US$ 41.1 million in 2003. The actual import value of US products could be higher than it was recorded, since many Indonesian companies import U.S. products through Singapore intermediaries. The other major suppliers to Indonesia’s market were Singapore, Britain, Japan, France and Germany. With more new airline companies in operation this year, it is predicted that the total market will increase by 10% and the share of U.S. products will be around 20% in 2004.

Best Prospects/Services

Imports from U.S. suppliers are particularly strong in the following areas: airplanes and other aircraft, parts, aircraft launch gear and parts, engines, engines parts, instruments and appliances for aeronautical use, and aircraft electrical wiring sets.

Opportunities

The Indonesian aviation industry offers excellent prospects for U.S. products since the aircraft fleet consists largely of American aircraft. Almost no aircraft spare-parts are manufactured locally. All parts are imported into Indonesia; with the majority coming from the U.S., Britain, France, Japan and Germany. End-users (primarily the 23 scheduled airlines, approximately 35 non-scheduled airlines, the police and the military) prefer to purchase directly from original equipment manufacturers. The U.S. holds 18 –20 percent of the aircraft and parts market in Indonesia.

Resources

PT Garuda Indonesia: http://www.garuda-indonesia.com

PT Merpati Nusantara: http://www.merpati.co.id

PT Lion Mentari Airlines: http://www.lionair.co.id

PT Pelita Air Services: http://www.pelita-air.com

PT Mandala Airlines: http://www.mandalaair.com

SKYLINEPIGEON

December 18th, 2005, 03:33 PM

ramvingar

December 18th, 2005, 09:37 PM

PAL’s road to recovery more hard work than luck

The Philippine Star 12/19/2005

For an airline that was on its back just seven years ago, the road to recovery for Philippine Airlines (PAL) is nothing short of a commercial miracle.

PAL has already paid back more than half of its $2.2 billion in debt, and president and chief operating officer Jaime Bautista says it will be free of its debt obligations well before the 2010 deadline set by its creditors.

From his ninth floor office at the Philippine Airlines headquarters in Manila’s Makati business district, Bautista told AFP in an interview that he was confident the airline had got "over the hump".

"We survived Sept.11 and we got over the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome in the spring of 2003," he said.

"The road to our recovery has not been easy... a lot of hard work rather than luck, but we are over the hump."

He says he is also confident that when the airline reports its results for its financial year ending March 31, the airline can expect another record profit.

In the fiscal year 2004-2005, the airline reported a net profit of P1.2 billion, reversing the loss of P643 million that it suffered in the previous fiscal year.

Bautista said despite the high cost of fuel this year the airline should report a profit "similar to this year".

After signing a $840-million deal with Airbus on December 6 for nine A320s with options for another five, Bautista said the airline must move to the next phase of its modernization program – the wide-body jets.

Just who will get the order – Boeing or Airbus – and for how many aircraft Bautista isn’t saying, but he expects the new orders to be placed well within the next five years.

At present PAL’s wide-body fleet consists of 17 aircraft: five 747-400s, four Airbus A340-300s and eight A330-300s.

"We don’t intend to replace all of these aircraft," Bautista said.

"What we intend to do is add to the fleet as most of our wide-body aircraft are quite new."

He said the replacement of PAL’s narrow-body fleet has now been completed with the signing of the Airbus deal.

"The new aircraft should come into service between 2006 and 2008, with delivery on the options – should we take them up – between 2009 and 2012."

In addition to the aircraft ordered from Airbus, the airline intends to lease two new A320s and two Airbus A319s from GE Commercial Aviation Services.

Bautista said the decision to go with Airbus over Boeing came down to the fact that it "suited our requirements".

Founded in 1941, Philippine Airlines was halfway through a $4-billion refit, headed by new chairman Lucio Tan, when the full impact of the Asian financial crisis hit the airline industry in early 1998.

That year the carrier reported its biggest annual loss ever – P8.08 billion.

The airline’s problems were compounded by a series of labour disputes by its pilots and ground crew which saw the airline file for receivership with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in June 1998.

The SEC, with the help of the airline’s creditors, set up a rehabilitation program allowing the airline to operate while paying off its debts.

PAL was forced to cut its work force of nearly 15,000 by almost half, all engineering work was subcontracted out to Lufthansa, the fleet was reduced from 53 to 22 aircraft and routes were cut or discontinued.

It took the intervention of then president Joseph Estrada, who brokered a deal between the unions and airline management, to bring peace to the shattered flag carrier.

"It hasn’t been easy," Bautista said. "But we are still flying and we are starting to grow again.

"Our chairman (Tan) is keen for us to fly to Europe again but the cost is still too high," Bautista said.

"Europe is a very expensive place to fly to but we will look at it again. We are not in a hurry."

"In November we began operating a service three times a week to Beijing and flights are around 70 percent full which is not bad considering what we have been through," he said.

tigidig14

December 18th, 2005, 10:00 PM

^I dont know why are they slipping the big opportunity to bring back the Filipino back home coming from the east coast/northwest side :no:

Askal82

December 19th, 2005, 07:11 AM

^^ Who knows, Cebu Pacific might service East and Central US in the future. >=D

SKYLINEPIGEON

December 19th, 2005, 09:16 AM

At present PAL’s wide-body fleet consists of 17 aircraft: five 747-400s, four Airbus A340-300s and eight A330-300s.

"We don’t intend to replace all of these aircraft," Bautista said.

"What we intend to do is add to the fleet as most of our wide-body aircraft are quite new."

well pal cant keep all these wide body aircrafts for a long time in the next decade these planes will be considered as gas guzller and less efficient compared with new generation of wide body aircrafts such as the b-777, a-350 and b-787 and 2a-380. im sure by th end of the decade pal will have to replace these planes with the more fuel efficient and longer range aircrafts if they are to compte globally with many airlines flying to the philippines equipped with brand new and fuel efficient planes

David-80

December 19th, 2005, 03:51 PM

hi macgyver welcome, when you said in the above post that there are currently 22 scheduled airline companies operating in Indonesia, with the total fleet of 450 aircraft, is these compose of both indonesian and international airlines flying in your country??? can u also tells us abt garudas refleeting plans if any at this time?? nice to hear that ur city is experiencing quite construction boom, u listed 235 towers underconstruction in jakarta thats a lot

hi skyline, i will answer that question on Indonesia aviation thread in Indonesian forum as that would an appropriate forum for your question :)

Anyway, if im not mistaken, In the Philippines there are 3 major airlines and 5 local regional airlines right? the three major airlines are PAL, 5J and Air Philippines while the local regional airlines are Asian spirit, SEAairlines and i forgot the rest. But i believe Asian spirit is in the process of becoming a major airlines with their new fleets of AVRO/Bae-146 jets.

cheers

richard fischer

December 19th, 2005, 07:48 PM

hi skyline, i will answer that question on Indonesia aviation thread in Indonesian forum as that would an appropriate forum for your question :)

Anyway, if im not mistaken, In the Philippines there are 3 major airlines and 5 local regional airlines right? the three major airlines are PAL, 5J and Air Philippines while the local regional airlines are Asian spirit, SEAairlines and i forgot the rest. But i believe Asian spirit is in the process of becoming a major airlines with their new fleets of AVRO/Bae-146 jets.

cheers

i heard Asian Spirit wants to fly international (regional). but i do not know when or where to.

ewh1

December 20th, 2005, 03:47 AM

I think i found the Articles that Richard was asking for. the one about Asian Spirit flying internationaly and their IPO listing

http://www.yehey.com/finance/level3.aspx?id=68602

http://www.yehey.com/finance/level3.aspx?id=68028

richard fischer

December 20th, 2005, 02:25 PM

[QUOTE=ewh1]I think i found the Articles that Richard was asking for. the one about Asian Spirit flying internationaly and their IPO listing

thank you ewh1.
well flying internationally from caticlan sounds like strategically a great idea. who might be interested in investing or merging with AS ? sound like an international airline might be interested. who could that be ? it would open a new perspective to the domestic market too.

Skyblade

December 20th, 2005, 10:57 PM

Welcome macgyver to the SSC Philippines Forum and thanks for that tidbit on Indonesian aviation. :) I'll make sure to check out more on the thread on your guys' forum. :D

^I dont know why are they slipping the big opportunity to bring back the Filipino back home coming from the east coast/northwest side :no:
Indeed, it would be nice to see the PR tail in the East Coast again...

ewh1

December 21st, 2005, 05:04 AM

I heard that Air Asia is trying to find a Partner in the philippines.. maybe it might be Asian Spirit

bustero

December 21st, 2005, 05:48 AM

Airasia is trying to find partners in all the major coutnries to take care of bilateral air agreements. Unlike Europe that has open skies the routes here have to be agree upon country by country so they can not fly into any aiport they want just like that. This is both a good and bad thing. If they come in it lowers prices but it also will probably negate any future Philippine LCC from coming up and prospering. We're a natural air market like Indonesia as we you can't really drive most places.

richard fischer

December 21st, 2005, 10:15 AM

i just wonder how caticlan will cope with international flights. no x-rays, minimum security (due to domestic routes). i suppose they are not ready for that yet, are they ? and will they get permission to be an international gateway ? (hope so !)

richard fischer

December 21st, 2005, 10:19 AM

due to the latest picture on airliners,net CED must hhave received it´s 5th A319 by now. when is the 6th comming in ? (this year was proposed for delivery of 6 aircraft)

bustero

December 21st, 2005, 12:57 PM

With the Mcdonalds Group doing a BOT Airport in Caticlan they'll probably have the basics so it can be a gateway. Time to buy land in Boracay!

richard fischer

December 21st, 2005, 02:15 PM

With the Mcdonalds Group doing a BOT Airport in Caticlan they'll probably have the basics so it can be a gateway. Time to buy land in Boracay!

please, what is a Mcdonalds/BOT airport ?????

SKYLINEPIGEON

December 21st, 2005, 04:36 PM

hes referring to businessman George Yang who owns the mc donalds franchise in the phillippines. he teamed up with fil estate and MC Home Depot Inc. to complete the unfinished, upscale property development in Fairways and Bluewaters on the resort island of Boracay. MC Home Depot and Yang have likewise signed a memorandum of agreement with the Department of Transportation and Communication for the estimated P2-billion upgrade of the Caticlan airport. Yang's group, however, will conduct a feasibility study to determine whether or not modernizing the Boracay airport to international standards is a viable investment opportunity.

richard fischer

December 21st, 2005, 11:01 PM

thanks skyline, interesting....
i also read that cebu pacific wanted to develope an international airport on an island north of boracay (a romblon cluster island) with an international partner, and run it. but i guess they did not get the permit to do so from the government ? there are existing projects with airlines building airports and running them, like a tourist airport on an island in south thailand. but there the airline that built the airport is the only one allowed flying into that airstrip.

bustero

December 22nd, 2005, 04:39 AM

richard fischer

December 22nd, 2005, 10:28 AM

The Mcdonalds BOT is intertesting if it works. If it takes off finally we have a working airport BOT model specially in the islands . Also it should open up Boracay and the areas around it for development. Specially for retirement villages and the like.

if you look at maps.google.com and check the island of panay (satellite view) you will see a huge long beach next to caticlan airport (right side, north panay). that could be an alternative beach development area, complementing boracay (something like acapulco in mexico). this tiny island will soon be more than full. then an international airport in caticlan could really pick up millions of tourists, but they will have to stretch the runway for bigger planes to come in. besides, then the new iloilo airport will be finished too.

SKYLINEPIGEON

December 22nd, 2005, 10:39 AM

well if they decide to develop the caticlan airport to international standards that will really hasten the development of boracay as major international tourist destination , but i fear that the airport development may face some local challenges especially with the nearby local airports in kalibo & ilolilo as commercial and chartered airlines using bigger jets can now land in caticlan and bypass them

kiretoce

December 23rd, 2005, 05:29 PM

Arroyo presses South Korean president on air pact

Business World (Philippines) -- In a move to end a two-year standoff on air negotiations, Philippine government officials conducted high-level talks with South Korean counterparts to amend the existing air pact between the two countries.

Ranking air officials told BusinessWorld that President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has asked South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun to revise the Philippine-Korea Air Services Agreement (ASA), which Philippine air officials argue posts unfair competition for local flag carriers Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific.

ASA allows both Philippine and Korean carriers to mount 17 weekly flights on each side.

Korean carriers, however, operate larger aircraft than local carriers, allowing them to fly 50% more passengers to that country than Philippine carriers can transport to Korea. Korean carriers also use large aircraft to take more passengers in the Philippines for flights to the United States. In contrast, Philippine carriers operate smaller aircraft that can accommodate only small- and medium-sized tour groups from Korea.

The Philippines first sought the amendment of ASA in November 2003, when Philippine and Korean air officials met in Davao City. But the two delegations failed to resolve anything there.

Air officials said President Arroyo asked President Moo-hyun during his state visit to the Philippines late last week to convert Philippine air capacity entitlements to seats. They argued that seats more accurately reflect economic value of air capacity entitlement since it is a constant variable, while the economic value of flight frequency varies with the size of aircraft used.

Philippine air officials interviewed added that Mrs. Arroyo also urged President Moo-hyun to improve market access of Philippine carriers to Korea. "Without having been granted RP-US rights, Korean airlines concentrate on RP-US and Canada markets that are sufficiently served by other airlines. RP carriers are unable to compete given very limited access to Korea-North America routes under the ASA," one source said.

"RP carriers are denied access to Korea-Asia markets, while Korea enjoys access to RP-Asia markets, having previously granted unilateral fifth freedom rights to Asia points beyond RP. The Philippines requires fifth freedom rights to pints in the US, Canada, as well as Asia," another source said.

"Fifth freedom rights" would allow Philippine carriers to fly to Korea, pick up passengers, and bring them to other Asian points. Similarly, Korean carriers can fly to Manila, pick up Filipino passengers and bring them to other Asian destinations. The air pact between the Philippines and Korea gives fifth freedom rights to Korea only.

pau_p1

December 24th, 2005, 09:01 AM

Tiger Airways on DMIA... nagkamali ako sa pagshrink ng pix na ito..
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v162/pau_p1/Trip%20To%20Singapore/DSC06334.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v162/pau_p1/Trip%20To%20Singapore/DSC06330.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v162/pau_p1/Trip%20To%20Singapore/DSC06335.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v162/pau_p1/Trip%20To%20Singapore/DSC06337.jpg

Air Asia bound for Kuala Lumpur
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v162/pau_p1/Trip%20To%20Singapore/DSC06340.jpg

richard fischer

December 25th, 2005, 12:59 AM

great shots ! marvelous photography ! thank you so much !

kiretoce

December 26th, 2005, 06:17 AM

Nice! :okay:

SKYLINEPIGEON

December 26th, 2005, 08:01 AM

ru those flights always full, the air fares are incredibly low

kiretoce

December 27th, 2005, 08:05 AM

PAL profit falls to P1.2b after Q2 loss
By Jenniffer B. Austria

Philippine Airlines Inc. (PAL), controlled by beer and tobacco magnate Lucio Tan, registered a net loss of $4.5 million (P239.72 million) in the second quarter of its fiscal year ending September, a reversal from the $3.9 million net profit posted year on year due to higher operating expenses.

The airline firm said it booked a net income of $22.99 million (P1.22 billion) in the first six months of its fiscal year, up from $19.86 million (P1.06 billion) registered in the same period last year.

PAL in a financial statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission said net operating revenues in the second quarter amounted to $242.6 million, up 5 percent from $230.4 million in the same quarter last year.

The increase in revenues was brought about mainly by higher passenger income of $239 million from a year ago level of $227 million.

Operating expenses rose 9 percent to $227.8 million from $208.3 million recorded in the July-to-September period last year due to higher maintenance and fuel costs.

Aircraft component and engine repair costs during the second quarter of the current fiscal year increased the airline’s maintenance expenses by 47 percent from last year’s $35.2 million.

Fuel cost rose 6 percent to $65.4 million from a year ago level of $61.8 million due to higher fuel consumption an increase in the average fuel prices per barrel to $52.13 from $49.54.

PAL’s total assets at the end of September stood at $2.16 billion, up $124.9 million from $2.037 billion at the end of March 2005.

Total liabilities inched up 2 percent to $1.94 billion from a year ago level of $1.89 billion.

PAL and Airbus early this month signed a purchase agreement to kick in the flag carrier’s modernization program The deal includes a firm order for nine brand-new A320 jets and options for five more new units. The deal is valued at approximately $840 million.

PAL will also lease two brand-new A320s and two A319s from GE Commercial Aviation Services, the world’s largest aircraft lessor.

Deliveries of the firm orders and the leased units will commence in the second half of 2006 and continue until 2008. Deliveries of the option aircraft, meanwhile, will start in 2009 and run until 2012.

PAL’s new narrow-body aircraft will be deployed mainly in the airline’s extensive domestic network. They will also serve some low-traffic Asian regional destinations.

PAL operates a mixed fleet of 14 narrow-body aircraft comprising of seven A320s, four Boeing 737-300s and three Boeing 737-400s.

kiretoce

December 27th, 2005, 08:07 AM

Heard through the grapevine

CHINA AIRLINES will attempt to make the first Taiwan-to-Kalibo flight on Wednesday, in what is hoped to be the start of a seasonal charter run to bring Taiwanese tourists straight to Boracay.

kiretoce

December 27th, 2005, 08:09 AM

Official cites sorry state of Zamboanga airport
Monday, December 26, 2005

At least 900 meters in length of the 2.6-kilometer runway of the Zamboanga City International Airport has dilapidated, said Air Transportation Office (ATO) Manager Celso Bayabos.

Bayabos has lamented the runway's sorry-state since he transferred to ATO Zamboanga from Pagadian last July 2005.

He disclosed that hundreds of pot holes on the runway have already become craters and only a meager fund from their central office's Maintenance Operating Expenses was allocated for its repair.

Bayabos said that his office had already asked ATO Manila to send in 200 pales of cold mix to cover the craters and other repair and maintenance of the airport runway, but only 112 pales have arrived.

He said Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific flight safety representatives have already taken cognizance of the runway's deterioration and have warned their respective pilots to exercise caution whenever they use the runway for taxiing, landing, and, departure to prevent accidents.

Bayabos also bewailed the two-month delayed salary of the security guards and janitorial services of their central office.

He said that even their electric bills with Zamcelco are also delayed.

Bayabos bared that it is not only Zamboanga International Airport that is affected in maintenance and repairs but as well as other airports throughout the country.

ATO Manila has only allocated P3 million for maintenance operating expenses for all airports in the country.

Meanwhile, Bayabos called on the government to help de-clog the San Roque River that overflows to the runway to avoid flooding of the airport.

kiretoce

December 27th, 2005, 08:10 AM

Runway workers collect loose gravel daily to convince airlines to continue serving Cotabato airport
MindaNews 23 December 2005

KORONADAL CITY -- Airport workers in Cotabato City are collecting loose gravel daily in the runway in a unique symbolism of the resolve of th eairport authorities to convince airline companies to continue serving this airport.

While the gesture maybe acceptable to airline companies, the Philippine Airlines appeared also to push on with its threat to suspend flight operations at the Cotabato Airport in Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao, the Air Transportation Office in Cotabato City has warned.

“Our workers are manually collecting daily loose gravel in the dilapidated runway,” said Leon Masalta, Jr, Cotabato Air Transportation Office general manager. “That’s why we hope to fast track the airport’s rehabilitation and development,” he added.

However, the ATO admitted that the repair the runway, which PAL insisted was immediate, has been sent into the backburner.

With only P20 million that could be made available for repair work, Masalta said that the fund would not be utilized until January or February next year “because the project will have to undergo the bidding process”.

“As far as I know, there’s still no winner,” he pointed out.

He confirmed that Philippine Airlines threatened to suspend flight operations at the Cotabato Airport and only about two weeks ago, PAL officials inspected the airport for any likelihood of the damaged runway destroying their aircrafts and endangering passengers.

Masalta said he remained uncertain of the fate of the airport despite the marching orders of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to the Department of Budget and Management to release P3 billion to the Department of Transportation and Communication for the repair of airports across the country.

“Until the bidding process is finished and the availability of funds, we have to contend manually clearing gravel debris from the dilapidated runway of the Cotabato Airport,” he said.

To assuage other airline operators, Masalta said the ATO would undertake repair, mainly asphalting, of damaged portions of the runway next week.

Masalta said that the repair of the airport was already expressed in 2003 which would have only cost government P45 million, P20 million of which was approved and was ready for utilization.

Once rehabilitation works would start next year, Masalta assured travelers that “airline operations would not be disrupted.”

Cotabato Airport presently serves the daily flights of Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific to and from Manila and every other day for Sea Air’s Zamboanga and Cebu flights.

kiretoce

December 27th, 2005, 08:25 AM

Two more roads to Mactan planned
Friday, December 23, 2005

Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA) plans to open two more roads, one leading to Barangay Ibo and the other to Barangay Basak, to ease traffic and give tourists favorable first impressions of Cebu.

General Manager Adelberto F. Yap said the MCIAA Board will soon discuss how much it will cost to build the two roads, scheduled to be finished in time for the Asean Ministers’ Summit in December 2006.

Yap said the proposed road to Barangay Ibo will pass by the airport’s cargo forwarding firms and the Mactan Economic Zone (MEZ) 1. This will connect to the business areas and tourist destinations of Barangays Bangkal, Mactan and Punta Engaño.

The proposed road to Barangay Basak will link the airport road to the area where the Pag-asa Weather Station is and will pass through the soon-to-rise P120-million administration building, MEZ 2 and the Mactan Benito Ebuen Air Base. It will also connect the airport to some resorts.

“They said the airport is the first impression of foreign tourists, who may criticize us if they get caught in heavy traffic. So we have to open roads for their convenience,” Yap said.

Yap said the MCIAA may seek the assistance of the Lapu-Lapu City Government in building the roads, which will also benefit the Province. Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia is a member of the MCIAA Board.

The 250-hectare lot occupied by the Mactan Benito Ebuen Air Base is owned by MCIAA, under Republic Act 6958.

But the Philippine Air Force was allowed to temporarily retain 150 hectares, based on an executive order issued by then president Fidel V. Ramos in 1995.

In her speech during the groundbreaking of the future administration building, Governor Garcia said she expects more projects to be undertaken by MCIAA next year because it enjoys the support of the MCIAA Board and airport personnel.

kiretoce

December 27th, 2005, 08:38 AM

TransGlobal Airways expands operations in Clark
Tuesday, December 27, 2005

CLARK ECOZONE -- A cargo airline based in China has signed an agreement with officials of Clark Development Corporation (CDC) for the expansion of their operations at the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA), infusing at least US$12 million for its new investment project.

This followed the signing of an agreement between TransGlobal Airwways president and chief executive officer (CEO) Edgar Lim and CDC president Antonio R. Ng recently.

TransGlobal will mount China-Clark-China flights at least 12 times weekly.

Ng said the expansion project of the new cargo airlines is in support to the vision of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo for Clark--to transform DMIA into a world-class logistics hub in Asia.

DMIA general manager Bienvenido Manga said the cargo airline started operations last July with an initial two flights every week between Clark and Zhunai in China. Zhunai is located in Zhenzen, which is near Macau and Hong Kong.

The airfreight firm will be the third cargo airline that would operate in Clark. The first is the United Parcel Services (UPS), which has made Clark Aviation Complex its Intra Asia hub; and the Royal Cargo, which flies once a week in Clark.

The air cargo firm is expected to build its own hangar inside the aviation complex to complement their operations in Clark.

TransGlobal will use Boeing 737-200 cargo planes in transporting goods to several key destinations in China.

DMIA is one of the four growth engines introduced by Ng when he was appointed as CDC president. The growth engine, as per the economic agenda of President Arroyo between Clark and Subic, is expected to pump prime economic and tourist activities inside the economic zone.

Since April, DMIA has been a destination of low-cost carriers such as the Air Asia Berhad, which flies to Kota Kinabalu and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and in January in Bangkok, Thailand; and Tiger Airways, which flies to Singapore and Macau.

Other international airlines that operate at the DMIA are Asiana Airlines of South Korea, which flies to Seoul; and China Rich Airways which flies three times a week to Hong Kong; while German-owned South East Asian Air Lines (SeaAir) and Asian Spirit Airlines, which made DMIA as its main hub, fly regularly to various domestic routes in the country from Clark.

tigidig14

December 27th, 2005, 09:02 AM

time out: lets splurge ourselves to these airlines first :D

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b84/tigidig14/airplane/129449673rInelX_ph.jpg
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b84/tigidig14/airplane/lastflight26march2004.jpg
last flight was March 26, 2004

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b84/tigidig14/airplane/355726073feaOFJ_ph.jpg
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b84/tigidig14/airplane/179601490UptRfl_ph.jpg
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b84/tigidig14/airplane/179599602JgcXCW_ph.jpg
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b84/tigidig14/airplane/179598101nuBYNY_ph.jpg

and

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b84/tigidig14/airplane/179600650ihlUXa_ph.jpg

kiretoce

December 27th, 2005, 03:26 PM

^^ Awesome photos Tigs! It's sad that no European airline services MNL these days. :(

richard fischer

December 27th, 2005, 06:30 PM

^^ Awesome photos Tigs! It's sad that no European airline services MNL these days. :(

except KLM (codesharing with air france) and lufthansa (star alliance).....and i think also transaero from russia (with love) ;-)

allin101

December 28th, 2005, 02:36 AM

nice pics tigidig14, just a question, is there an increase or decrease in terms of departure and arrival at NAIA? all airlines

richard fischer

December 28th, 2005, 08:28 PM

nice pics tigidig14, just a question, is there an increase or decrease in terms of departure and arrival at NAIA? all airlines

i would say an increase. there are some 400.000 more tourists comming in the country and PAL has higher income due to more pax too (see a few articles back on this thread)

ryanr

December 28th, 2005, 10:42 PM

great pics, tigs. Swiss airline is beautiful, too bad they went bankrupt and no longer service the Manila flights.

Skyblade

December 29th, 2005, 12:10 AM

I recognize those Swiss Airline A340 pics. :D Anyhow thanks for sharing em once again tigidig. m))

i would say an increase. there are some 400.000 more tourists comming in the country and PAL has higher income due to more pax too (see a few articles back on this thread)
Indeed there has been an increase even though over the years Manila has been disappearing in the route maps of some foreign carriers. Hopefully this steady growth will reach a point where we'd see some old faces in NAIA once again. :D

bustero

December 29th, 2005, 04:48 AM

I think this will increase over the next 5 years.

What's been happening has been the hubbing in the middle east of nearly most fliers to the west, so anyone going to europe, africa and of course the middle east fly via the Emirates, Gulf Air to the middle eastern hubs. These airlines price their fares agressively hence even if there is a big demand from certain European coutries, they just pass through the mid east.

Over the long run people will ussually prefer to pass straight through to their destinations rather than hub somewhere. With eventually increasing traffic plus if PAL starts serving them direct then this will spur greater interest in the routes again.

richard fischer

December 29th, 2005, 07:54 AM

when will china airlines fly to kalibo ? i heard/read they are chartering a flight directly from taiwan to boracay via kalibo. and what aircraft will they be using ?

tigidig14

December 29th, 2005, 08:00 AM

^for real next thing will be seeing HK, singapore, or Macau heading straight to boracay
great pics, tigs. Swiss airline is beautiful, too bad they went bankrupt and no longer service the Manila flights.
aaaah

bustero

December 29th, 2005, 09:43 AM

Askal82

December 29th, 2005, 12:58 PM

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b84/tigidig14/airplane/129449673rInelX_ph.jpg

^^ Ugly election posters showing trapos They should be :banned:

Sou-jiro

December 29th, 2005, 02:00 PM

nice pics...
im finishing my 3 model kits in which i will turn into Philippine airlines

they have a 1:200 scale a Boeing747-400, Airbus320 and maybe ill turn a boeing 767-400 into Pal as well though i know Pal doesnt use 767's opting for a340 & A330-300s instead.

i like my flight on A330-300...its much quiter than the noisy B747

i dont know what paint job to give my B777-200 maybe Northwest

richard fischer

December 29th, 2005, 03:27 PM

For the moment , Caticlan can not take a 737 from what I know, it's only about a 1km from what I remember plus it's not cement (is it) ( can't remember anymore). I think that's why the Mcdonalds Group want's to expand the airport there. They anticipate the increased demand for direct flights from abroad.

the runway is cemented or asphalted, but is only approx. 930 meters long. so all 737 or A320 flights have to land in kalibo (for boracay). PAL, AP and CEB fly there with their jet fleets. asian spirit flys to caticlan with their Bae 146 jets though (short runway capabilities).

richard fischer

December 29th, 2005, 03:31 PM

swiss (former swissair) now belongs to lufthansa. they are not broke, but were taken over and have cancelled about half of their international destinations due to a recovery plan. lufthansa consulting is to bring back the airline to profits, just like it advised PAL years ago.

sugbuanon

December 29th, 2005, 05:38 PM

http://img466.imageshack.us/img466/6528/img03122yv.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

welcome to Mactan-Cebu International Airport

http://img466.imageshack.us/img466/8307/img03133we.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img483.imageshack.us/img483/6629/img03148os.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img483.imageshack.us/img483/466/img03153wk.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img483.imageshack.us/img483/9769/img03168rd.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img483.imageshack.us/img483/1133/img03171iz.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img483.imageshack.us/img483/8962/img03199rd.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img483.imageshack.us/img483/9462/img03207pt.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img361.imageshack.us/img361/9227/img03222sa.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img361.imageshack.us/img361/1033/img03241nx.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

goodbye kimchis.. :D

http://img361.imageshack.us/img361/247/img03259xz.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

kiretoce

December 29th, 2005, 05:42 PM

:applause: Awesome photos Sugbuanon!

Skyblade

December 29th, 2005, 07:47 PM

when will china airlines fly to kalibo ? i heard/read they are chartering a flight directly from taiwan to boracay via kalibo. and what aircraft will they be using ?
They'll be deploying a 737-800 since it's the smallest aircraft in their fleet as well as the only type in the fleet that could be accomodated in KLO.

allin101

December 29th, 2005, 07:54 PM

thanks for the info guys, i just notice that some airlines don't fly to manila anymore, only 2 carriers fly to manila from europe and 2 from US if i'm not mistaken and mostly asian carriers. just hoping the opening of the new terminal would attract more airlines to fly to manila.

Skyblade

December 29th, 2005, 08:13 PM

We should also hope for a bigger demand for airlines to offer such services to MNL along w/ newer facilities (ala T3). Who knows, maybe it could be seen soon thanks to the coming of more economical aircraft such as the A350 and 787 which could make flights to Manila sustainable as compared to using other types.

richard fischer

December 29th, 2005, 08:14 PM

great stuff sugbuanon ! you just keep it comming.......really great stuff !
:-)

kiretoce

December 29th, 2005, 08:15 PM

Zamboanga airport tagged one of RP's most dangerous

ZAMBOANGA CITY -- Danger lurks at the Zamboanga International Airport (ZIA) because of potholes, some as deep as four inches, littering its runway system, officials said.

Celso Bayabos, director of the Air Transportation Office here, said the runway systems are deteriorating.

"There are many potholes, about 3 to 4 inches deep," Bayabos said.

He said for runway 27 alone, about 900 meters out of the 2.7-kilometer stretch needed immediate repair.

But airline officials said the entire runway system needs to be repaired and not just a portion of it.

"It's the entire runway that is deteriorating. The most critical is runway 27," Captain Ismael Dalisim, Air Philippines' safety and security chief, said.

Dalisim said because of this, "our pilots are living on luck."

"We are giving credit to our pilots and their expertise in using ZIA (for the continued safety of passengers)," Dalisim said.

He said that in their assessment of airports in the country, Zamboanga City has the worst and the poorest runway followed by Iloilo Airport.

"Because aside from deteriorating runway, runway markings or taxi center lines are no longer clear especially at night time," Dalisim said.

He said the condition of the runway system here "might cause accident" if left unattended.

Dalisim said that the poor runway could cause damage to the aircraft's engine, which could trigger accidents.

"The engine sucks the air. Debris would be sucked and aircraft might be flying with one engine and that is very dangerous," he said.

Chito Atilano, branch manager of the Philippine Airlines here, said their pilots also made similar complaints.

Bayabos admitted that the potholes indeed pose danger to the safety of aircraft and passengers.

But he said they do not have enough funds for the maintenance and repair of the runway system.

"There was an allocation of P2 million in 2002, but we only received funds good for 100 pails of premix cold asphalt just recently," he said.

Each pail costs about P1,600 and they get the asphalt from Cebu City.

"So we just pick the most critical portion for repair and unfortunately only one fourth of the 900 meters were asphalted," Bayabos said.

He said they were asking the Department of Budget and Management for the immediate release of the fund so that repairs could immediately start.

"We just hope that no accident would happen before action is taken," Bayabos said.

He said that to make the airport safe, ATO personnel should conduct manual sweeping every hour to ensure that no pebbles litter the runway.