Luchtvaartnieuws / binnen en buitenland.

[Kano]

New air carrier gets permit to operate


Businessworld, Dec 4, 2012

THE NEW CARRIER formed by the founders of South East Asian Airlines, Inc. (SEAir) has bagged a flying permit from the government, paving the way for the start of its operations by January, officials said last week.
 
South East Asian Airlines International, Inc. (SEAir I) obtained its Air Operating Certificate (AOC) from the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) on "16 November 2012," Beda B. Badiola, assistant director-general of the agency's Flight Standard Inspectorate Services division, said in a text message on Thursday.

The AOC, which SEAir I applied for "in the first quarter," is needed for the airline to commence operations, Nikos Gitsis, co-owner of SEAir I, told reporters in a chance interview late Wednesday in Taguig City.

"I think, we will fly after New Year, hopefully. We plan to start with Batanes," said Mr. Gitsis, who owns 20% of SEAir I.

"We are also planning to develop routes within Palawan, like from Puerto Princesa to El Nido to Busuanga."

Mr. Gitsis and SEAir co-founder Iren Dornier in August completed the sale of their combined 40% stake to Singaporean carrier Tiger Airways Holdings Ltd. for $2.5 million.

Mr. Gitsis said SEAir's new investor planned to transform the carrier into a low-cost airline, which led to the suspension of its Manila-Batanes flights in August.

"Tiger and SEAir decided to focus on a purely low-cost model. Small planes are not conducive to a low-cost operations, it requires a different modality," he explained.

Mr. Gitsis said while SEAir and SEAir I have "common shareholders" such as marketing professor and SEAir co-founder Tomas B. Lopez, one is not a unit of the other.

Mr. Gitsis, who remains a consultant of SEAir, said both airlines will launch revised brands next year. "The two airlines will roll out a revised branding to differentiate the two from each other in the first quarter," he said, adding that SEAir I may change its name in the future.

Mr. Gitsis said he wanted SEAir I to be known as a "niche carrier."

"SEAir, which we call 'Sea Tiger,' will focus on the low-cost model serving mass routes," he said.

"SEAir I will be a niche carrier, focusing on the development of places in the Philippines that need to be developed," he added.

"There is a need to develop new routes, because areas like Batanes are underserved, there is a tourism potential there that needs to be supported."

Prior to the AOC, SEAir I had secured the Civil Aeronautics Board's (CAB) Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity in July.

The new airline will operate a 32-seater Dornier 328 Turbopop and a Boeing 737 for cargo operations. -- Cliff Harvey C. Venzon   

source: http://www.bworldonline.com/content.php?section=Corporate&title=New-air-carrier-gets-permit-to-operate&id=62328

[Kano]

Cebu Pacific launches flights from Cebu to Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok


ABS-CBNnews.com Posted at 12/08/2012 11:26 AM

MANILA, Philippines - Budget carrier Cebu Pacific will start flying between Cebu and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Saturday.

The Gokongwei-led airline, in a statement, said the maiden flight for the new route will leave Cebu at 4:45 p.m. and arrive in Kuala Lumpur at 8:10 p.m.

Cebu Pacific added it will be operating flights from Cebu to Kuala Lumpur every Tuesday and Saturday.

Meanwhile, the budget carrier is set to launch its Cebu to Bangkok, Thailand flights on Sunday. The maiden flight will depart from Cebu at 4:50 p.m., the airline said, noting it will be flying said route every Thursday and Sunday.


Source: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/business/12/08/12/cebu-pacific-launches-flights-cebu-kuala-lumpur-bangkok

[Kano]

Air Asia Drops Kota Kinabalu
Amidst Intense Competition



Philippineairspace December 8, 2012

Clark - Malaysia-based airline subsidiary AirAsia Philippines(AGP) announced Friday that it will drop flights to Kota Kinabalu because of poor sales from its hub at Clark airport.

It is the second international route abandoned by AGP less than a year after the airline opened in March. it earlier left Macau due to intense competitions offered by Tiger Subsidiary Seair and Cebu Pacific.

Citing "commercial reasons," the local unit of Malaysia-based Air Asia Berhad said it would ditch its flights effective February next year.

Source: http://philippineairspace.blogspot.com/2012/12/air-asia-drops-kota-kinabalu.html

[Kano]

PAL to seek exemption from European ban on PH carriers


By Lawrence Agcaoili, The Philippine Star Posted at 12/10/2012

TORONTO, Canada — National flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) is set to ask the European Commission from an exemption from a ban on Philippine carriers from European airspace.

PAL vice president for marketing Felix Cruz said in an interview with reporters that the airline is seeking an exemption from the ban using its certification from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) as well as its connections with European companies.

In April 2010, the 27-member European Commission decided to impose a ban on Philippine carriers including PAL from European airspace for the failure of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) to reform the country's civil aviation system.

"In the case of Europe, the airlines can work out an exemption unlike in the US where the ban is imposed on the country and not the airlines," Cruz said.

He added that it could use the ISO certification issued by the IATA on PAL and the fact that the airline is maintained by Luftansa Technik AG of Germany.

In 2008, the safety rating of the Philippines was downgraded by the US Federal Aviation Administration upon the recommendation of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to Category 2 from Category 1.

Category 2 indicates that the FAA had assessed that the Philippines' civil aviation authority had failed to comply with ICAO safety standards for the oversight of air carrier operations. While in Category 2, Philippine air carriers are permitted to continue current operations to the US under heightened FAA surveillance.

Both decisions made by the European Commission and the FAA prevents airlines from the Philippines to mount additional flights to the US and Europe.

"We have issue in Category 2, it is preventing us from redoing our operations in the US and also affecting us in Europe," he said.

Cruz said he is hopeful that the Category 2 status would finally be lifted by the US FAA after an audit to be conducted by the ICAO this coming February. "This coming February, there is an audit to be conducted by the US FAA. So we will know by February and once lifted will open the possibility to really maximize the utilization of our aircraft and our entitlements," Cruz stressed.

PAL recently entered into a contract close to about $10 billion for the acquisition of 65 Airbus aircraft and has existing orders for the acquisition of six Boeing 777-300ER planes.

The first 10 Airbus planes of the 65-strong order is scheduled for delivery in 2013 while two more Boeing 777-300ER are scheduled to arrive in April and November next year.

"Hopefully if we get the Category 1from the US, it will trigger actually if we get exemptions from Europe. It will trigger either or, whichever come first," he added.


Source:  http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/business/12/09/12/pal-seek-exemption-european-ban-ph-carriers

[vvjoris]

PAL to seek exemption from European ban on PH carriers

Die ban is compleet belachelijk, de  carriers vliegen bijna allemaal met nieuwe toestellen, ik heb geen weet van crashes de laatste tijd. Daarentegen vliegt Ryanair met wrakken, die kunnen in  rustig rondvliegen, en in Indië storten vliegtuigen neer aan de lopende band, maar mogen maatschappijen zonder probleem van en naar  vliegen.

[Ketelbinkie]

PAL to seek exemption from European ban on PH carriers

Die ban is compleet belachelijk, de  carriers vliegen bijna allemaal met nieuwe toestellen, ik heb geen weet van crashes de laatste tijd. Daarentegen vliegt Ryanair met wrakken, die kunnen in  rustig rondvliegen, en in Indië storten vliegtuigen neer aan de lopende band, maar mogen maatschappijen zonder probleem van en naar  vliegen.

De ban is niet zo zeer het gevolg van crashes en het materiaal waarmee wordt gevlogen maar:

In April 2010, the 27-member European Commission decided to impose a ban on Philippine carriers including PAL from European airspace for the failure of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) to reform the country's civil aviation system.

Wilt men daar niet aan voldoen, tja............!

Duurt soms even voor "het kwartje" valt in de  .
Goed voorbeeld de rechtstreekse vluchten van KLM. Ze dachten slim te zijn in MNL, maar KLM ging gewoon een tussenlanding maken.
Intussen hebben hotels in MNL duizenden zo niet tienduizenden overnachtingen misgelopen, nog afgezien van andere bestedingen door cabine personeel.

[Rich]

PAL to seek exemption from European ban on PH carriers

Die ban is compleet belachelijk, de  carriers vliegen bijna allemaal met nieuwe toestellen, ik heb geen weet van crashes de laatste tijd. Daarentegen vliegt Ryanair met wrakken, die kunnen in  rustig rondvliegen, en in Indië storten vliegtuigen neer aan de lopende band, maar mogen maatschappijen zonder probleem van en naar  vliegen.

De ban is niet zo zeer het gevolg van crashes en het materiaal waarmee wordt gevlogen maar:

In April 2010, the 27-member European Commission decided to impose a ban on Philippine carriers including PAL from European airspace for the failure of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) to reform the country's civil aviation system.

Wilt men daar niet aan voldoen, tja............!

Duurt soms even voor "het kwartje" valt in de  .
Goed voorbeeld de rechtstreekse vluchten van KLM. Ze dachten slim te zijn in MNL, maar KLM ging gewoon een tussenlanding maken.
Intussen hebben hotels in MNL duizenden zo niet tienduizenden overnachtingen misgelopen, nog afgezien van andere bestedingen door cabine personeel.

Een luchtvaartmaatschappij bannen doen ze niet zo maar, en de reden is dus duidelijk    Ze laten door hun laksheid wel het kaas van hun brood eten. Ik zie het nog niet snel gebeuren dat de ban wordt opgeheven trouwens.

[gosternokke]

Klopt , de ban is niet vanwege de staat van de vliegtuigen, want die zijn vrijwel allemaal nieuw, het probleem zit hem puur in de CAAP, de instantie in    die de toestellen moet controleren.

   redeneerd  CAAP  duegd niet, dus ook hun inspectie van de toestellen deugen niet  

[Kano]

Geen glimlach meer van stewardessen Cathay Pacific


AMSTERDAM -

Passagiers van Cathay Pacific moeten in februari niet raar opkijken als hun hapje en drankje niet wordt geserveerd. Ook moeten de reizigers niet rekenen op de vertrouwde glimlach van stewards en stewardessen.......


Lees verder http://www.telegraaf.nl/reiskrant/21150520/__Geen_glimlach_meer_van_stewardessen_Cathay_Pacific__.html

[vvjoris]

Klopt , de ban is niet vanwege de staat van de vliegtuigen, want die zijn vrijwel allemaal nieuw, het probleem zit hem puur in de CAAP, de instantie in    die de toestellen moet controleren.

   redeneerd  CAAP  duegd niet, dus ook hun inspectie van de toestellen deugen niet  

Het is al enkele dagen geleden, daarmee weet ik niet meer war het precies staat, maar ik heb gelezen dat PAL aanvraagt om op Europa te mogen vliegen .... dan zal die CAAP toch een beetje bakzeil moeten halen, en zal er iets in orde moeten komen.... elders staat dat in februari 2013 de FAA (USA instantie) het dossier gaat herbekijken, misschien is er al iets in orde gebracht....

De laatste dagen kwam Brussels Airlines ook op TV en in de pers ivm de moeilijkheden die ze hebben. Naast de extreem hoge loonkost in  heeft dat het er mij ook mee te maken dat ze liever naar Afrika vliegen met een gemiddelde bezetting van 68 % in plaats van naar Azië met een bezetting van 90 %. Mijn ervaring is dat vliegtuigen vanuit  richting Azië altijd quasi vol zitten. Waarom vliegt SN BA niet naar bijvoorbeeld HKG of zelfs CEB of MNL? Het zal wel met iets financieel te maken hebben ivm landingsrechten en 'windows' vastkrijgen of zoiets?

Het KLM verhaal, met die tussenstop in Taipeh, heeft dat iets te maken met extra taxen die ze voor NAIA moeten betalen of zo? Zou me niet verwonderen, want ze kunnen heel erg dom en koppig zijn ginder....