BXU | Butuan-Bancasi Airport

[litigs]

Originally Posted by Franz-Bxu

Travelers prefer the bigger airplane of Cebu Pacific, an Airbus A319, which is used in the CEB-BXU leg, than the turbo-prop Bombardier Dash 8 Q300 of PAL Express that's why PALex succumbed to 5J. Kaya ayun, wala nang PALex dito.

Thanks, that confirms my previous post.Good to hear it from Butuanon's themselves.

[Franz-Bxu]

Originally Posted by litigs

Thanks, that confirms my previous post.Good to hear it from Butuanon's themselves.

Hoping for more flights this summer!

There are rumors daw na Zest Air might fly over Butuan airspace pero it's impossible for now.

[BOB-bXu]

Originally Posted by litigs

Calm down folks! If the drawings and contract amount is consistent, its hard to see corruption there.By the way, it is "standard" in construction to short-changed some materials so the contractor can compensate for the loss of profit due to the pay-off's being done to rig the bidding process.Unfortunately, this is the cancer of any government infrastructure projects.It's not the ideal improvement you've envisioned but at least something was improved.

I must say to some degree...a victim of national government coruption.

the original plan under the Third Airports Development Project (TADP) under the ADB program (which seeks to develop airports of Butuan, Pagadian, Cotabato, Puerto Princesa and Kalibo) into world class standards entails a totally new structures and facilities...but due to government's inaction, the loan went on an expiry and the government was forced to scale down the project...that's why you can see such developments supposedly world class as envisioned ...yet so mediocre in actual..

only the airports project under the Obuchi Fund from JICA (Silay-Bacolod, Iloilo)..went on as planned and built acording to the letter...

[romix]

marami ng ticketing outlets ang cebu pacific around the city, may we know kung paano magput up ng ticketing outlet, ano ang mga terms and conditions, magkano ang franchise fee, we are interested to put up one here in libertad

[Franz-Bxu]

BUTUAN-BANCASI AIRPORT Latest Photos







Cebu Pacific Airbus A320-214 at the apron









Getting ready for departure to Manila. A Cebu Pacific A319-100 from Cebu was about to land so they stayed for a while before taxiing for takeoff.

[Franz-Bxu]

RP, Australia partnership defines strategic nat’l transport network

By EDU H. LOPEZ
March 15, 2010, 3:12pm

The Philippines-Australia Partnership for Economic Governance Reforms (PEGR) has defined a strategic national transport network under the proposed national transport plan for the country.

The strategic national transport network will serve to create a unified, well-integrated economy where people and goods can move and trade swiftly and efficiently both domestically and internationally, according to assistant team leader George Esguerra.

The network would expand capacities and level of service in the inter-regional and inter-provincial transport links based on the emerging concentrations of demand generated by industries and services.

Esguerra stressed that the country’s roads, seaports, airports, and railways have been spotty and many of them are operating beyond asset capacities.

As specified in the plan, the strategic national road network consists of north-south road backbone, east-west laterals, and other roads of strategic national importance which inter-link regional and provincial capitals, growth centers, and defined principal ports and airports of the country.

The plan aims to increase the paved ratio from 21% to 90% of the entire road network by end-2016.

As regards the national port network, it covers the base ports and terminal ports under the jurisdiction of the Philippine Port Authority (PPA) and the Cebu Port Authority (CPA), and ports directly managed by the special economic zones, particularly the Subic Port (SP) and the Mindanao International Container Port (MICP).

The plan targets to improve or construct 15 RORO terminal ports and nine ports for international transport and strengthen port security systems and procedures of all national ports by end-2016.

The national airport network, on the other hand, consists of the international ports under the special airport authorities and the national airports in the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) airport classifications, except the 40 community airports while the road RORO terminal system includes the identified Western, Central and Eastern Nautical Highways.

Under the plan, four international airports (Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA), Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), Mactan, Cebu and Laoag) will be developed and four intermodal and tourism airports such as Panglao, Caticlan, Puerto Princesa, Butuan and Cotabato – are to be EXPANDED.

The strategic national transport network translates to a seamless, intermodal transport logistics network connecting production hubs, distribution centers and markets to establish high-quality, efficient logistics chains.

Part of the plan is to establish a single transport document for customs, immigration, quarantine and security purposes that can be used in all transport modes and a single access point for administrative processes and procedures to promote the simplification and decentralization of exchanges of freight-related information and to substantially reduce the cost of regulatory requirements.

The proposed NTP is estimated to cost P748 billion or about 1.2 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), about 69% of which are for road and road transport.

The investment cost is slightly higher than the average actual investment in transport infrastructure during period 1999-2008, which is less than 1% of GDP, but is significantly lower compared to about 4% for other Asian countries.

[Noize_320]

Originally Posted by Franz-Bxu

BUTUAN-BANCASI AIRPORT Latest Photos

great photos...can't wait to come back in May and planespot here again...

[Franz-Bxu]

Originally Posted by Noize_320

great photos...can't wait to come back in May and planespot here again...

Thanks Noize.

[jameslab8470]

kelan matatapos ang renovation sa terminal? sana matapos na to before may

[regjeex]

uli ka karong mayo james? we'll meet there sometimes on may...

Originally Posted by jameslab8470

kelan matatapos ang renovation sa terminal? sana matapos na to before may

[regjeex]

I agree with Bob...

They're posting the proposal with photos saying this and that, but what happen now, turns to unrealistic... yes! there's some renovations on going but not the real proposal anymore...

Originally Posted by BOB-bXu

I must say to some degree...a victim of national government coruption.

the original plan under the Third Airports Development Project (TADP) under the ADB program (which seeks to develop airports of Butuan, Pagadian, Cotabato, Puerto Princesa and Kalibo) into world class standards entails a totally new structures and facilities...but due to government's inaction, the loan went on an expiry and the government was forced to scale down the project...that's why you can see such developments supposedly world class as envisioned ...yet so mediocre in actual..

only the airports project under the Obuchi Fund from JICA (Silay-Bacolod, Iloilo)..went on as planned and built acording to the letter...

[jeffphilippines]

AIRPHIL EXPRESS AIRBUS A-320
originally posted by skyliners/sky harbor

[jeffphilippines]

New jets mark Airphil Express relaunch
(March 28, 2010)




Low-cost carrier Air Philippines is re-launching itself under the brand name Airphil Express starting March 28, 2010 with the acquisition of two Airbus A320-200 aircraft.

The two A320s, sporting the new Airphil Express livery and configured mono-class of 177 seats, will fly starting March 28 from Manila to Iloilo, Bacolod, Puerto Princesa and Cagayan de Oro, signaling the resumption of jet service to these domestic points.

The first A320, with registry number RP-C3227, will be formally blessed in a simple ceremony on March 27 at the airline’s hangar at Nichols, Pasay City.

Airphil Express is acquiring a total of 20 new airplanes over the next four years, to be added to the current fleet of eight Bombardier Q400 and Q300 turbo-prop aircraft.

Aside from the two leased narrow-body jets, four brand-new A320s will also be delivered from Airbus’ manufacturing facility in Toulouse, France, between September and November 2010. Four more A320 aircraft will join the fleet next year, five aircraft in 2012 and another five in 2013.

"We want to position Airphil Express as a low-cost carrier offering quality service," said David Lim, President of Airphil Express.. "The modernization of our fleet will hopefully enable us to increase market share while the industry braces for the eventual rebound."

The route network of Airphil Express will continue to expand as it adds to its existing flights to the following domestic destinations: Tuguegarao, Naga, San Jose (Mindoro), Busuanga, Boracay (Caticlan), Catarman, Calbayog, Tacloban, Ormoc, Iloilo, Bacolod, Cebu, Surigao, Dipolog, Cagayan de Oro, Ozamiz, Zamboanga, Davao and Masbate.

More domestic points will be added to the route network when more jets join the fleet.

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Last edited by jeffphilippines; Today at 08:24 PM.

[jeffphilippines]

Wednesday, April 7, 2010


AIRPHIL EXPRESS ASSURES SAFETY DESPITE EU BAN




Low-cost carrier Airphil Express today (March 31,2010) assured its passengers and the riding public that flying by air is still one of the safest modes of transportation in the Philippines.

Airphil Express issued the statement amidst the recent decision by the European Commission’s air safety committee to ban all Philippine carriers from flying to member-states of the European Union.

“While no Philippine carrier currently flies to any point in Europe, we wish to assure our loyal patrons that our planes are well-maintained and adhere to a strict maintenance policy that puts a premium on passenger comfort and safety, “said Airphil president David Lim.

He explained that while the EC ban has no direct effect on local airlines, it gives the impression that Philippine carriers are unsafe.

“Airphil Express is committed to safety. In fact, that is precisely the reason why we are uncompromising when it comes to aircraft maintenance. We also continue to boost our fleet with the acquisition of new jet aircraft in addition to our well-maintained fleet of turboprop aircraft,” said Lim.

Three days ago, the former Air Philippines re launched itself under the brand name Airphil Express, signaling its entry into the budget airline business.

It took delivery of two Airbus A320s which sport the new Airphil Express livery and configured monoclass with 177 seats. The new jet aircraft began flying from Manila to Iloilo, Bacolod, Puerto Princesa and Cagayan de Oro last March 28.

Taipan Lucio Tan, chairman of Airphil’s sister firm Philippine Airlines, said Airphil Express is acquiring a total of 20 new airplanes over the next four years, in addition to the current fleet of eight Bombardier Q400 and Q300 turbo-prop aircraft.

Aside from the two leased narrow-body jets, four brand-new A320s will also be delivered from Airbus manufacturing facility in Toulouse, France between September and November 2010. Four more aircraft will join the fleet next year, five aircraft in 2012 and another five in 2013. Tan added.
Posted by airphil express at 12:35 AM 0 comments --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[jeffphilippines]

Cebu Pacific offers P999 all-domestic seat sale

April 7, 2010, 3:04pm


Cebu Pacific (CEB), the Philippines’ low-fare airline pioneer, will offer a P999 ‘‘Go Lite’’ seat sale for all domestic destinations on April 7 and 8, 2010, for travel from June 1 to August 31, 2010.

CEB’s 33 domestic destinations include Boracay (Caticlan), Coron (Busuanga), Puerto Princesa (Palawan), Iloilo, Bacolod, Laoag, Tacloban, Cebu, Davao, Pagadian and Cagayan de Oro.The seat sale includes routes serviced by buses and ferries with direct flights from Cebu to Dumaguete, Butuan, Dipolog, Surigao, Siargao, Ozamiz and Pagadian, or from Davao to Cagayan de Oro, Zamboanga, Iloilo and Cebu.

Passengers with check-in luggage just need to add P100 upon booking.

The airline is also offering ‘Go Lite’ seat sales for Incheon from Manila and Cebu to Incheon, and Cebu to Pusan flights for P2,999 and Manila to Osaka for P2,499. These are for travel from September 1 to November 30, 2010.

“CEB remains consistent with its vision of ‘It’s Time Every Juan Flies.’ With this seat sale, more first-timers and frequent travelers are given the opportunity to travel not only locally but also to Korea and Japan. Leisure and business travelers also get the chance to visit various destinations more often with CEB’s trademark low fares,” CEB vice president for marketing and distribution Candice Iyog said.

“We hope our guests can take advantage of this seat sale to experience the convenience of air travel, using CEB’s Manila, Cebu and Davao hubs’ inter-island direct flights,” she said

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[jeffphilippines]

Passenger shipping industry drowns while budget airlines fly high


While overloading used to be an easy culprit in most sea mishaps in the Philippines involving passenger liners, the case of the recently capsized Princess of the Stars shows that traveling by sea is not the primary choice to reach any of the archipelago's over 7,100 islands anymore.

The ill-fated Sulpicio Line ship plying the primary Manila-Cebu route had a capacity of 1,992 passengers, excluding crew members. But when it encountered rough waters during a typhoon and capsized in June 21, it was only carrying over 700 passengers and more than a hundred crew members.

It means the massive 23,824-ton ship was going ahead with an expected business-as-usual day with just about 40 percent load.

Compare that with another ship also owned by Sulpicio Line, the M/V Dona Paz, which sank in 1987 after colliding with a small oil tanker. Its weight was just 2,215-ton, a fraction of M/V Princess of the Stars'.

M/V Dona Paz had a capacity of only 1,518 passengers, but after the tragedy it was found to be carrying more than twice what it was allowed. Investigations following its sinking showed that it was overloaded and up to 4,375 people onboard died. It has gone down in history as the worst maritime disaster during peacetime.

The M/V Dona Paz tragedy, however, occurred during the Christmas holidays, a peak season in the travel industry. M/V Princess of the Stars, on the other hand, was traveling during a traditionally low season.

Nonetheless, transportation industry observers note that a 40 percent load factor even during an off-peak season is low.

This could be explained by recent realities in the inter-island shipping industry and the dynamics in the overall transportation industry in the Philippines, especially those that occurred in the past three years.

Flying more affordable

The changes in the inter-island transportation were not due to competition among passenger liners themselves. The threat came from substitutes.

It started in 2005 when Cebu Pacific, a local airline which used to compete with legacy and full-service airline, Philippine Airlines, changed its business model and decided to follow a growing trend among the global aviation players—it converted into a low-cost, no-frills airline.

Cebu Pacific and other local carriers were born after the aviation industry in the Philippines was deregulated during the Ramos administration in the nineties.

Cebu Pacific dramatically dropped its fares for various domestic destinations by reducing turnaround time, thus increasing per-plane utilization. In other words, its planes were up in the air most of the day, which meant more revenue per passenger. It also reduced operating cost by removing traditional freebies, such as complementary food. They computerized ticketing and offered lower fares for early bookers.

In other words, it was going for volume. Eventually, other local airlines followed suit. Now, PAL Express, Asian Spirit, and Southeast Asian Air are also offering more affordable plane fares to local and international destinations.

Budget airlines proved to be a hit as more flying passengers increase every year. The increases in airline passengers did not only account for new—and more frequent—inter-island hoppers, it also meant passengers who were on budget and considered flying a luxury now have an alternative mode of transport.

Depending on the season and timing of purchase, a round trip plane fare between Manila and Cebu could go as low as P3,000. In the past, round trip boat fares on the same route hovered between P4,000 to P8,000. But even at reduced rates of up to a little over P2,000, the small difference with the cost of flying have enticed some to convert.

The airlines could afford to offer these low fares after they adopted a sophisticated pricing strategy that guided budget carriers in allocating more discounted seats during the lean months of June to October to improve their load factor, or the measure of how full the aircraft is. Thus, even on lean months, Cebu Pacific's load factor can go as high as 80 percent.

Flying budget airlines is not only more affordable now, it is also more convenient. A Manila-Cebu boat ride, for example, takes almost a day. A plane ride, on the other hand, takes just over an hour.

Richard Pinkham, a Singapore-based aviation expert previously with the Center for Asia Pacific Aviation, explained to abs-cbnNEWS.com/Newsbreak what this means to the customers: "If you can lure a new passenger onto an airplane with a super low fare, then it will be harder for that person to accept a long ferry ride in the future. They may return to the airplane even though the price has gone up."

Diminishing sea passengers

The diminishing trend in the number of people taking sea craft as a means of transport was evident in the decreasing growth rates. According to the Philippine Ports Authority data, in 2005, overall recorded passengers taking sea-based transport grew by only 2.55 percent. It has been downhill since.

In 2006, total sea craft passengers dropped by 8.27 percent. That's only 42.56 million passengers for the entire year. Data for 2007 is expected to show that passenger counts plunged deeper.

The business decisions of market leader and publicly listed Aboitiz Transport Services in 2007 provided indications on where this industry is headed. The dramatic reduction in their passenger loads cut their revenues up to 30 percent in 2007.

To adapt, they have converted several of their passenger-cargo lines, under the Superferry brand, to accommodate more cargo than passengers.

This means shipping companies such as Aboitiz Transport and Sulpicio lines have joined another competitor—the government-backed roll-on-roll-off (RORO) operations, which resulted in lower operating costs not only for cargo operators but also as another substitute for passengers who still could not afford flying.

Roro is less expensive for those involved in the cargo business because of its multi-port approach. For example, a Roro boat that leaves the Batangas port can pass by various smaller islands, such as Mindoro and a few more islands, which are not traditionally serviced by other big boats because business there used to be not as brisk as, say the likes of Cebu, Iloilo, Davao and Cagayan de Oro, where there are more commercial activities.

Roro, which was launched in 2003, has since led to changes in areas and islands that used to be left behind in terms of economic development. According to Henry Basilio, a transportation export from the University of Asia and the Pacific, cargo traffic for Roro vessels in 2003 was only at 30,000 metric tons. He said this has since increased exponentially to 240,000 metric tons recently.

Poorer customers take sea-based transpo

Several short-haul inter-island ferries have also increased their business as cargo and passengers between two nearby islands have increased. These routes are usually serviced by fastcraft ferries that could carry a few hundred passengers.

Basilio said the Roro is also cost competitive for passengers. Roro vessels carried only 130,000 passengers in 2003, and has since skyrocketed to about 700,000 passengers in 2007.

"The winner in this case is the riding public. The competition not just among the shipping liners’ peers but from other modes of transport as well," Basilio said.

Basilio said that the budget airline industry has eaten into the first and second class passengers of the shipping industry. "Those who still could not afford the few hundreds or thousands of peso difference between a plane and ferry fare are still taking the latter."

These include housemaids from the southern part of the country who are working in Metro Manila or students from the south studying in universities in Metro Manila.

"Domestic sea passengers in the country are mostly the C and D crowd or low-income group of the society," Basilio said.

Passengers are gravy

Shipping companies which ply longer inter-island distances, such as Manila-Cebu and Cebu-Zamboanga, among others, are traditionally not dependent on revenues from passengers alone.

"Passengers are just their gravy," Basilio said. "They [shipping companies] really earn their dough from their cargo business."

These liners derive about 70 percent of their revenues from cargo and about 30 percent from passengers, Basilio explained.

Historically, ships carry passengers onboard because it translates to scheduled departures and specific routes, elements that assure a cargo client that he could plan and manage the movement of his goods.

This 70:30 ratio is almost similar to that of long-haul commercial passenger airlines, which also carry cargoes in their bellies. Electronic shipments are particularly sensitive to delivery timing, since electronic companies require limited transportation lead time from the port of origin to their destination.

Bigger, better ships

Nonetheless, the different alternative modes of transportation for passengers have wreaked havoc on shipping companies' previous plans and investment strategies. When sea travel was still the preferred mode of inter-island transportation, especially between Manila and the regions of Visayas and Mindanao, the players, such as Aboitiz Transport and Sulpicio Lines, were forced to improve the quality of their service to passengers.

Improvement in the quality of service meant the introduction of new facilities and amenities on board, and improvement or upgrading of facilities in passenger accommodation and in ticketing and booking facilities.

Improvement and upgrading of facilities resulted in the modernization of the domestic fleet. Bigger and better vessels were acquired starting in the nineties. M/V Princess of the Stars, which was acquired for $5.25 million in 2004 and was the newest and most technologically advanced in the fleet of Sulpicio Lines, featured spa services, a karaoke lounge, a pool and a game room on board.

But these investments were based on expectations of increase in demand, which did not materialize. Shipping companies, such as Aboitiz Transport and Sulpicio, have since reduced their fleet and rationalized their operations to adjust to the changing transportation game.

Nonetheless, M/V Princess of the Stars, which had a gross tonnage of 23,824, was meant as a Roro vessel. Its cargo operations meant it was important to be at its destination as scheduled.

as of 03/30/2010 9:55 PM

[jeffphilippines]

Gov’t alarmed by tour cancellations due to EU ban on carriers



04/09/2010 1:30 AM




MANILA, Philippines - The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines should promptly resolve the European Union’s (EU) ban on Philippine air carriers, since the move has already triggered "an alarming number of tour cancellations from Europe," the Tourism department said in a statement yesterday.

Last March 31, the EU included the Philippines in its 13th updated list of countries with carriers banned from that region’s airspace, as a precautionary step based on the US Federal Aviation Administration’s downgrading of the country’s safety rating to Category 2 and the International Civil Aviation Organization’s concern on aviation safety regulators.

European tourists in the Philippines in January 2010
EU country Tourism arrivals January '09 vs '10 (%age increase)
United Kingdom 7,837 18.%
Germany 5,161 0.6%
France 2,537 11.9%
Sweden 2,048 15.0%
Netherlands 1,579 12.4%
Denmark 1,491 3.5%
Austria 1,249 17.0%
Spain 912 8.7%
Belgium 763 25.0%

"Major European travel operators from Germany, UK and France have regretfully informed us their booking cancellations. The entire industry is affected, as European arrivals account for a significant percentage of our target in the first quarter. In January 2010, air arrivals from European countries already posted an 11% growth," the statement quoted Tourism Secretary Joseph "Ace" H. Durano as saying.

The department noted that tourist arrivals from Europe started the year on a promising note last January (see table).

Tours which were cancelled were mainly for the April-August period, the department noted. "The longer we remain in the blacklist, the harder it would be for us to recover from these significant losses. If we resolve this matter by the second quarter, we can expect a recovery in the third and fourth quarters," Mr. Durano said.

While Philippine carriers have not been flying to EU states since 1999 even before the ban, the EU’s prohibition has prompted travel insurance firms in Europe to advise travel operators that tour packages to the Philippines which include domestic air travel will not be covered. Hence, tour operators had to cancel bookings due to the difficulty of selling travel packages to the country which include inter-island travel by air.

"It’s a very sad day for us. All our blood, sweat and tears in building up the European market in your country are all down the drain," an executive of a major French travel operator said in the same statement.

as of 04/09/2010 1:44 PM

[jeffphilippines]

(UPDATED) Philippine aviation body says local carriers safe



abs-cbnNEWS.com | 03/30/2010 8:42 PM

Printer-friendly version | Send to friend | Share your views


MANILA, Philippine - The civil aviation agency defended on Tuesday the safety standards of the country's carriers after the European Union imposed a ban on local airlines flying to European destinations.

Read Newsbreak's special reports on the regulation of Philippine aviation
•Aviation Body Needs to Shape Up
•Wanted: Independent Aviation Body
•PAL controls gateways through CAB, say experts
•Aviation Body 'Captured' By Vested Interests
•ATO Bungles, PAL Suffers
•Aviation Reform Efforts Hampered


The European ban on Philippine carriers followed a downgrading by the U.S. Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) to category 2 from category 1 on safety ratings last November.

"Even if the Philippines is listed by the EU, it does not mean that Philippine aircraft are unsafe," Alfonso Cusi, head of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), said in a statement.

"Our aircraft meet the international standards in safety. It's a matter of adopting the internationally accepted audit procedures."

Cusi said he had invited members of the EU safety aviation commission for another inspection this May to show the problems raised had been corrected.

The agency has started hiring 47 aviation safety experts, improved surveillance and inspection of air operators and will ground small domestic air operations if not certified by December 2010, he said.

Cusi assumed the post only in March 10, 2010. "The task is daunting but I am confident we will surpass the challenges that the CAAP is now facing,” Cusi stressed.

Air service agreements

The only airline registered and flying in and out of EU was Philippine Airlines (PAL). Their last operational flight to the region was in 1999, when PAL was facing financial troubles.

The country's oldest airline has been eyeing the long-haul routes to further boost its bottomline as the local airline industry becomes more crowded with players focused on domestic and Asean routes.

In the past months, more wide-bodied aircrafts meant for long haul routes that PAL has previously ordered have been arriving. These Boeing 777-300 Extended Range fleet were originally intended to increase number of flights to the US. These plans had to be shelved due to the FAA rating of the country's aviation regulator.

Meantime, PAL has been keen on mounting flights to Europe as the government arm in-charge of beefing up bilateral air service agreements with various countries concluded air talks with European countries, including the United Kingdom.

The EU ban means these newly inked air service agreements--which are designed to mutually benefit commercial airlines from both the Philippines and the other country in the agreement--will be useless until the EU lifts the ban. - with a report from Reuters

[jeffphilippines]

To all Butuanos airphil express will be back next year at butuan airport. Butuan-Manila route utilizing airbus A320.

[Franz-Bxu]

Originally Posted by jeffphilippines

To all Butuanos airphil express will be back next year at butuan airport. Butuan-Manila route utilizing airbus A320.

...and your source?