Airlines in the Philippines

[Solblanc]

PR isn't a stranger to connecting traffic, though, for their NA routes.

One route in Europe that comes to mind is MNL-BKK-FCO. TG hasn't discontinued their FCO flights just yet, though they've been meaning to. If PR were to start this route with their A330s, they could potentially get TG to finally discontinue those flights and fold.

[Arianespace]

No official figures at my end. Feedback from MCIAA has an average of about 180 passengers of late. That is hovering about 70%LF better than launch. Encouraging indeed. Perhaps because its leading to July (Jul, Aug typical peak summer times). If the figure is true, it can easily support another flight come December when the passengers come in droves.

PAL can actually support 3 daily flights MNL-LAX. It just have to manage its fare right. As you can see, there was an average of 1600 passengers heading to LAX in 2012 daily, that is roughly equivalent to 5 triple seven, I would say one of that comes from Taipei, one from Hongkong, one from Japan and one from Korea. They could probably support 6 triple seven now.

Lately though, more of that comes from Hongkong perhaps due to multiple connections to MNL. Did you know that two of CX flights from HKG to LAX are almost always filled with pax from the Philippines? This was my basis then why PAL would eventually fly the morning flight because of this data, and they briefly did. Try HKG noon and midnight flight to LAX and see what I mean.

[romantic_guy08]

New CAAP Officials:
DG: Antonio Buendia
DDG Operations: Jim Sydiongco
DDG Administration: Manuel Antonio Tamayo
Donaldo A. Mendoza, assistant director general II, FSIS
Ma. Aurora Carandang-Gloria, head executive assistant
Gil Macapagal, chief of staff

CAAP gets new director general

MANILA, Philippines -- The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines has a new director general, Antonio Buendia, who has replaced William K. Hotchkiss III.

Buendia is the fifth CAAP director general since the agency was created in 2008, replacing the Air Transportation Office.

Transportation Underscretary for Aviation and Airports Roberto Lim said joining Buendia are Jim Sydiongco, deputy director general for operations; Manuel Antonio Tamayo, deputy director general for administration; Donaldo A. Mendoza, assistant director general II, FSIS; Ma. Aurora Carandang-Gloria, head executive assistant; and Gil Macapagal, chief of staff.

[Evodesire]

Any updates on the Farnborough International Airshow, aircraft orders? Who who is winning this time?

[romantic_guy08]

As per the pronouncements of the DOTr... some flights will be transferred to CRK...

From a few months/weeks back, I think there were some concerns that the runways of CRK can't simultaneously function due to centerline separations.

Would it be possible though to have A320 and B737 family aircraft operate in the smaller runway (02L/20R) while wide bodies operate in the primary runway simultaneously? If I'm not mistaken, the secondary runway of CRK is 45m, and under ICAO Annex 14, this is the nominal width required.

[Arianespace]

No flight will be transferred to Clark. That is merely a proposal and its been an iteration of many solutions that never saw the light of day from the time of El Tabaco to Digong. If you want to see all the studies from past to today, there's been one element present. Railway.

I like the enthusiasm of Tugade. Last week we had a meeting about it and to be blunt, he do need emergency powers to make it possible. And I doubt if he ever succeeds.

Few reasons for failure. The Northrail project is in court. Even if China wants it completed, they have to struggle defending excessive project costs, and that is finding its way in court too. You remove the courts and you resolve half the problem. Next is resettlement and ROW acquisition, there are lots of them pending in courts too. So even if you have the money to spend on this project you still have to contend with TROs from the courts. So you see, even grant of emergency powers is a futile exercise. Because the one thing that makes Clark viable airport is the railway that is never there in the first place.  

As to the airports role, there really is no problem with Clark other than its utter lack of passengers as it can make use of both its runways when the need arises. Technically though the other one is limited to VFR for simultaneous use with the other instrument parallel. It is even better than LAX, separation wise.

[Arianespace]

Delighted to see Digong echoed in SONA what I just said in this forum

[xzibit31]

does the other runway at clark need extensive work to make it active again? it has been left unused for a long time.

[romantic_guy08]

Arianespace wrote

No flight will be transferred to Clark. That is merely a proposal and its been an iteration of many solutions that never saw the light of day from the time of El Tabaco to Digong. If you want to see all the studies from past to today, there's been one element present. Railway.

I like the enthusiasm of Tugade. Last week we had a meeting about it and to be blunt, he do need emergency powers to make it possible. And I doubt if he ever succeeds.

Few reasons for failure. The Northrail project is in court. Even if China wants it completed, they have to struggle defending excessive project costs, and that is finding its way in court too. You remove the courts and you resolve half the problem. Next is resettlement and ROW acquisition, there are lots of them pending in courts too. So even if you have the money to spend on this project you still have to contend with TROs from the courts. So you see, even grant of emergency powers is a futile exercise. Because the one thing that makes Clark viable airport is the railway that is never there in the first place.  

As to the airports role, there really is no problem with Clark other than its utter lack of passengers as it can make use of both its runways when the need arises. Technically though the other one is limited to VFR for simultaneous use with the other instrument parallel. It is even better than LAX, separation wise.

Agreed. A rail link would be required to connect Manila and Clark.

I think though that for the meantime, an airport limousine/bus with several pick-up points in different areas in Metro Manila will do for now if ever. Similar to the airport limousine going to NRT that have pick up points in Tokyo, Shinjuku, Kichijoji and other parts of Tokyo.

PRRD also reiterated during his SONA yesterday, transfer of some flights to CRK, and it was in the news that PR was already studying the possible transfer of some domestic flights. While I know that before this can happen it will take a lot of time and it may not even happen, however, I think that if ever it happens, I think it would be more logical to transfer the international flights to CRK rather than domestic. Just like the set-up of NRT/HND before HND was opened up.

[Arianespace]

PAL hired 10 buses to ferry passengers of one aircraft alone to MNL when NAIA was closed. Imagine how many buses would it take to ferry at least 50,000 people more daily?

To think, almost 100,000 passengers uses NAIA airport nowadays, excluding well-wishers and multitudes of airport workers.

With Northrail its easy to move 100,000-200,000 people in one day from the airport to the metro without congesting the road.

CRK cannot support either domestic or international flights coming from MNL. It cannot even support flights of either PR or 5J due to inadequate landside support.

The idea to transfer international flight from MNL to CRK is not novel one as it was conceived 14 years ago. CEB and GAP tried to make it worked followed by AAP. All turned out to be disaster for all of them, even when they are LCCs.

The best short term solution is actually in NAIA and not anywhere else.

[seven13]

Last week, PAL's NorthAm ops went haywire! PR102/104 alternately retimed to depart as 5102/5104 the following day. Did a T7 went tech along with the A340(PR720) that made an emergency landing last week? PR definitely needs those 2 77W ASAP since the 340s are already busy doing LHR rounds on a daily basis that it cannot sub when a 777 goes tech.

[Solblanc]

On another note, I'm really curious about the 5J A330 top-up order. Current A330s of 5J are the 235t version if I'm not mistaken. If 5J gets 242t A330s, theoretically, those have enough range to fly to FCO, right, even with 414 pax?

The press release was also silent on the delivery. It must be soon, because the NEOs are coming

[seven13]

And 5j is planning to fly to mainland US.

[romantic_guy08]

Solblanc wrote

On another note, I'm really curious about the 5J A330 top-up order. Current A330s of 5J are the 235t version if I'm not mistaken. If 5J gets 242t A330s, theoretically, those have enough range to fly to FCO, right, even with 414 pax?

The press release was also silent on the delivery. It must be soon, because the NEOs are coming

5J is getting the A333s of D7 that were NTUs... and if I'm not mistaken, one is already undergoing reworks.

[Baghag]

Lurker here.

Read an Article that PAL is looking to revive MNL-BKK-DEL flights. This is intersting, i recall that they used to have direct flight but it opted to run via BKK. What iss the demand for this segment?

[chowpau]

A321 for sure...If I recall, MNL-DEL was too large and expensive to operate A330 while the A320 is too small in terms of capacity and demand. That time, PAL does not have an aircraft between the A330 and A320....

[Evodesire]

Nope. None of those. No crew or crew lacking to fly it.

[Evodesire]

seven13 wrote

Last week, PAL's NorthAm ops went haywire! PR102/104 alternately retimed to depart as 5102/5104 the following day. Did a T7 went tech along with the A340(PR720) that made an emergency landing last week? PR definitely needs those 2 77W ASAP since the 340s are already busy doing LHR rounds on a daily basis that it cannot sub when a 777 goes tech.

Nope none of those. No crew to fly it. PAL is now lacking crew members, a problem that happened prior to RSA's take-over. Seems like the JJB management is poor when it comes to personnel handling.

RSA had the solution of having PAL Express take over domestic and PAL main to take international. Due to PAL Express lacking crew, some are transfered to fly GAP routes.

What they seem they can't fix is PAL Express. I don't get it why PR Holding won't buy into Air Philippines Corp. Heard many are quitting because of low salary. Lower than 5J.

PAL Express as AirPhil Express was doing good. I am not against the single branding, but I think they really have to do something with the PR-2P arrangement. Why not copy the Cathay Pacific - Cathay Dragon arrangement.

[Arianespace]

The sardine canned 235t A330-300 can't do HNL. It may have to fly directly to Clark every time there is an hour of holding. Unless of course they don't fly there just yet.

[Arianespace]

PAL is looking for 6 A321LRs to do Australia and India. With that in mind there should be no more BKK stop-overs.