Solon’s charge vs Caticlan airport’s safety false–CAAP

THE Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (Caap) yesterday denied allegations made by a Marikina congressman that the Caticlan airport is a hazard to aircraft because of the removal of a perimeter fence, allowing stray animals to roam on the runway.

The accusation was made by Marikina Rep. Del de Guzman, which appeared in several newspapers, including the BusinessMirror, saying that Caap director general Ruben Ciron should be sacked for removing the perimeter fence.

De Guzman added that unidentified foreign tourists have seen the animals while inside the airplane and complained about it to airport authorities.

Ciron wrote the Marikina solon to deny the allegations, saying that it might mislead visitors to Boracay resorts. He gave de Guzman point-by-point answers to the accusations.

“Like you, I am deeply concerned with the safety and security of the flying public, but the exposé you aired in newspapers appear to be full of heat, but lacking the light of reality,” Ciron said. “It appears that whoever gave you the ‘facts’ about the Caticlan airport appears ignorant of the workings of aviation, in general, or simply biased or dishonest in telling the truth, in particular.”

According to Ciron, Ma. Mecine Torres, Caticlan airport’s officer in charge, had written to categorically deny that there have been stray animals such as “dogs, carabaos, goats and chickens wandering in the runway.”

She told Ciron that any stray animals would have been easily spotted by the Airport Crash and Rescue unit, who are on a 24-hour duty inspecting and clearing the airport.

Also, if such animals have actually roamed the runway, this would not have escaped the attention of the pilots.

So far, the Caap has not received any report of animals on the runway from any pilots that fly in and out of Caticlan, Ciron said.

The Caap chief said that foreign tourists who reported the presence of animals sounded too apocryphal to merit attention and appeared to be manufactured to mislead the public and discredit the Caap.

As to the matter of my having ordered the removal of the perimeter fence, let me again comfort you by saying that yours truly does not make unilateral decisions regarding the matter.”

He said that improvements are going on right now at the airport and the Caap has spent P32 million for its upgrading, so far. The work is not yet finished and construction is still taking place.

The removal of the perimeter fence at both ends of runway 06-24 last Nov. 30, is in compliance with an agreed-upon plan by many sectors, he said.

RP, Oman sign air accord

The Philippines and Oman have agreed to increase the flights between the two countries to serve the rising number of overseas Filipino workers in the Middle East.

Camilo Arcilla, executive director of the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB), said there would now be four Manila-Oman flights per week, seven Clark-Oman weekly flights, four Cebu-Oman flights and four Davao-Oman flights per week.

Under the existing air service agreement (ASA), the Philippines is entitled to fly once a week from Manila to Oman and Cebu to Oman.

Arcilla said these existing flight entitlements have not been used by any airline carriers from both countries, but Oman Air has already signified its interest in doing so.

Next year, the country’s air panel may be going back to the negotiating table with 10 countries for similar agreements, CAB said.

The Philippine air panel is composed of officials from the Department of Transportation and Communications, Department of Foreign Affairs, Department of Tourism, Department of Trade and Industry, CAB, and representatives from the airline companies.

Earlier, the Philippines concluded an ASA with Cambodia as the two countries both agreed to a total of 35 weekly flights, or seven flights per week on Manila-Cambodia route, 14-weekly flights on Clark-Cambodia, 14 flights per week on points in the Philippines except Manila and Clark.

In addition, the Philippine air panel and its counterpart in the United Kingdom have agreed to a total of 14 weekly flights to Manila and/or Clark and to other points in the country.

ZEST Air to cease Hong Kong flights starting Jan. 3

MANILA, Philippines - ZEST Air (Z2), one of the low cost carriers that operate out of the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport at Clark will cease to fly to Hong Kong starting Jan. 3, 2010, barely two months after it started flying out of the Chep Lap Kok airport in November 2009.

The airline goes to Hong Kong three times weekly, on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, leaving the Dmia at 3:50 p.m.

Z2, is owned by Alredo Yao, whose family founded the popular juice drink Zest-O, which has grown into a multi-million peso food and beverage company.

The carrier has a fleet of three Airbus A320 for its foreign routes and three MA60, a 56-seater turbo-prop plane for local destinations.

The website says that Z2 flies to 21 domestic and three international routes-Hong Kong, Malaysia and Korea- and plans to fly to China, Japan and Singapore.

However, Z2’s website schedules say that its current foreign destination is only Hong Kong but its Singapore schedule will start on Jan. 30, 2010.

No further reasons were given to the sudden termination of flights to the former Crown Colony.

Airport sources said that the carrier appears to have too many destinations but too few planes to sustain its undertakings.

The Star tried to get in touch with Z2 but yesterday, being a Sunday, there were no officials available for more information.

The carrier’s reservation department confirmed that they received information of the cessation of Hong Kong flights in January, but were told that this may not be permanent.

“We were told that flights to Hong Kong will remain on-hold,” the reservations agent said, requesting anonymity since she is not in a position to divulge confidential information.

Most, if not all airline companies are in a slump worldwide in the wake of the financial crisis of 2008.

The economic meltdown has prevented many would-be tourists and business travelers from withholding their trips, thus affecting the balance sheets of air carriers who are mostly dependent on them for their profits.

This is confirmed by a report from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), which says that “airlines around the globe are in their most widespread financial crisis since World War II.”

Philippines and ASEAN countries push ‘open skies’ with China

MANILA, Philippines—The Philippines and neighbors in the region are pushing for an “open skies” deal with China to boost trade between Southeast Asia and the world’s third-biggest economy.

Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) Deputy Executive Director Porvenir Porciuncula said aviation officials in the region were in discussions to allow more liberalized air travel between members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China.

He said talks on the new deal, which was taken up in several meetings between officials from different countries in Beijing early this month, were in line with the push for a “free trade” area that would allow the region to benefit from China’s booming economy.

“Basically, in the meetings in Beijing, we were able to agree on the draft of opening up of all points in ASEAN and China,” he said.

“The direction is that leaders in the region will have this signed by November or December next year,” Porciuncula said.

The adoption of an open skies regime in the area will make way for increased air travel between China and Southeast Asia. The deal will result in less government regulation in the granting of rights to fly to points within the area.

“We already have a draft that is consistent with the planned ASEAN-China free trade area,” he added.

The free trade area aims to remove trade barriers between the two regions. This will mean lower tariffs on products shipped between China and countries in ASEAN.

China (including Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau) is currently the Philippines biggest trading partner.

The open skies deal being discussed will involve the granting for third and fourth air rights between China and the ASEAN region.

These rights simply allow airlines to ferry passengers and cargo from their home countries to another and back.

One of the few factors that will be under consideration in an open skies deal is the availability of space or the capability of airports to handle the increase in flights.

Another main issue, according to Porciuncula, was how to deal with the expected increase in air traffic that may lead to airspace congestion in the area as a result of the accord.

Aviation safety regulations in the region also have to be harmonized, he said.

“All the countries expect air traffic to grow substantially because of this deal, so they want some kind of way to determine whether or not the airlines in the region comply with [the safety standards of the different countries],” Porciuncula said.

Philippines - P2.5-B Caticlan expansion set to break ground

THE expansion of the Caticlan Airport may get underway as early as next month, paving the way for the resumption of full-scale flight operations to the gateway of Boracay Island in time for the peak summer travel season.

In an interview, Caticlan International Airport Development Corp. (CIADC) president Lino Barte said his firm, which won the right to undertake the P2.5-billion project, would start clearing the hill blocking one end of the runway by January 2010.

“We will need about three months to partially reduce its height,” he said, explaining that the first stage calls for CIADC to shave off approximately one-third from the existing 45-meter high hill.

Reducing the hill by this much will allow larger aircraft used by Cebu Pacific and Zest Air—currently servicing only the Kalibo airport, one and a half hours away by land—to ferry tourists directly to Caticlan.

“We expect to receive our ‘notice to proceed’ from the Neda-ICC within the next few weeks,” Barte said, referring to the Investment Coordination Committee of the National Economic and Development Authority.

The Caticlan airport expansion will be made over a seven-year construction period, after which CIADC will operate it under a 25-year, build-operate-transfer (BOT) contract.

CIADC is owned by businessman George Yang—the former owner of the local McDonald’s franchise—who also chairs the firm.

Barte said it will take another six months to completely level the hill and move an estimated 1 million cubic feet of earth to an adjoining property to make way for the eventual extension of the runway, from its present length of 890 meters to the 1,900 meters needed to accommodate Airbus A320 passenger jets.

“We will also build a new airport terminal that can accommodate 1.5 million passengers a year,” he said.

At present, an estimated 800,000 passengers pass through the cramped Caticlan airport terminal. Other tourists are forced to take the long and inconvenient land route via Kalibo.

This inefficient system erodes the attractiveness of Boracay as a tourist destination as many international tourists are put off by the inconvenience.

Meanwhile, Civil Aviation Administration of the Philippines (CAAP) director general Ruben Ciron said the CIADC project will serve as a test case since it will be the first time a Philippine airport will be run by a private corporation—a trend that has long been established in other countries.

Weird, wild and wonderful stories from 2009:

Not all aviation related, but some good stories ..

- Anti-corruption officials in the Nepalese capital Kathmandu found a way to literally stop airport workers from pocketing bribes. They issued them with pocketless trousers.

- A Norwegian man landed himself in hot water when police caught him having sex with his girlfriend as he raced at over 130 kilometres (80 miles) an hour through a 100km/h zone on a highway near Oslo.

- Old technology came to the aid of the new in a Brazilian prison, when guards found that inmates were getting mobile phones flown in to them strapped to carrier pigeons.

- Life imitated fiction when paid-for copies of George Orwell's book "1984" were mysteriously deleted from the Amazon company's new electronic reading device. Apologising, the firm said it had not been emulating Orwell's sinister "Big Brother", but had simply realised that it didn't have the rights to sell the title.

- An 11-month-old boy accidentally dialled an emergency number while playing with a house telephone in the Canadian province of British Columbia. When police arrived, they arrested his father, who was growing marijuana plants in his home.

- Farmers who pay individual attention to their cows, notably by giving them names, are rewarded with higher milk production, a team at Newcastle University in England said, quoting the results of a poll.

- Tired of seeing his parishioners give weird and wonderful names to their offspring, a Catholic priest in Croatia offered monetary rewards worth around 135 euros (195 dollars) to anyone who chose good old-fashioned monikers such as Lana, Petra, Luka or Karlo.

- "There's probably no God - now stop worrying and enjoy your life," proclaimed an ad campaign backed by atheists and aimed at London commuters. Religious groups were not amused, but the advertising standards body ruled that the posters were acceptable.

- For several hours a publicity stunt mesmerized US networks as they scrambled to broadcast live footage of the flying-saucer shaped balloon feared to be carrying a six-year-old boy. The parents later admitted that it was a hoax perpetrated in a bid to land their own reality television show.

- A group of Greek anarchists organised a collection to rebuild the newspaper kiosk of a 74-year-old woman that had burned down during a riot they were involved in. "We should support a fellow human being victimised by violence," said the group, which collected 13,000 euros (19,000 dollars) for the woman.

- A British academic who spent seven years collecting the dung of rare lizards in the Philippines was devastated when a clean-up team threw it out of his laboratory with the trash. "To some people it might have been just lizard shit... but to me it represented years of painstaking work," he said.

- Fans of a baseball team in the Japanese city of Osaka scoured a river to pull out a statue of the US fast-food icon Colonel Sanders that they had thrown into it 25 years before. They had hurled the object into the water in the honour of a successful player who they said looked like the good colonel -- but ever since they did so their team's fortunes had plummeted. Recovered from the mud, the figure was duly blessed in a Shinto ceremony.

- Irish police were scratching their heads to find out how a single Polish driver whose name had been recorded as "Prawo Jazdy" could have chalked up so many traffic offences -- until they realised that the phrase simply meant "Driving Licence" in Polish.

- Hoping to symbolise a new era in US-Russian relations, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton handed what was billed as a "reset" button to her Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov. But the Americans were red-faced when they realised that the Russian word printed on the large red device actually meant "overload".

- A Hong-Kong financial journalist was so overcome with emotion when the shares of the HSBC bank plunged 24 per cent at the close of trading that she burst into tears while on the air. She later explained that she was upset at the consequences for small investors, and did not hold shares herself.

- The local council of a village in southeast England decided not to repair the many potholes in their roads because they forced drivers to go more slowly. The safety-conscious councillors were overruled by a regional body.

- A 34-year-old Briton beat off over 30,000 competitors to win what Australian officials touted as the "best job in the world" -- spending six months as a caretaker on a tropical island of the Great Barrier Reef.

- A British woman won a famous victory -- and lots of publicity -- in forcing a supermarket chain to stop charging more for large sizes of bras than for smaller ones. The group she founded on the Facebook internet site was called "Busts 4 Justice".

- One of dozens of British members of parliament caught up in a scandal over illegal claims for expenses had to admit that he had been reimbursed by taxpayers for installing an ornamental duck house on his private estate. Announcing his resignation, he had to admit that the ducks had not even liked the thing.

- Australian officials in charge of handing out cash as part of an economic stimulus plan accidentally credited the accounts of 16,000 people who were no long living. Local media dubbed the beneficiaries "the grateful dead."

- Roman Catholics in two Swiss mountain villages said they wanted to give up a century-old prayer that asked for the local glacier to retreat. Due to global warming, the request was being answered more than they had ever wanted, they said.

- Fans of the recently deceased US pop singer Michael Jackson started taking great interest in a 3,000-year-old Egyptian artefact at a Chicago museum. The limestone bust, of an unidentified woman, looked uncannily like their hero.

- A regional official in France had to settle a fight between two adjoining Parisian suburbs, which had redirected traffic down a shared one-way street in opposite directions, meeting head-on at their boundary.

- An intrepid museum guard saved a national treasure when floods hit the Philippine capital Manila. He managed to move most of the 200 pairs of shoes once owned by the country's big-spending former first lady, Imelda Marcos, onto an upper floor.

- Another museum, in the US state of Ohio, was upset when what it had thought was a lock of hair from the aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart turned out to be only a piece of thread. The International Women's Air and Space Museum had sent it for DNA testing, hoping to find a clue to why Earhart disappeared while flying over the Pacific Ocean in 1937.

- A six-year-old girl became an instant media celebrity in China when a TV interviewer asked her what she wanted to be when she grew up. "A corrupt official, because corrupt officials have lots of things," she replied

Philippines Lawmaker wants civil aviation officials sacked over airport perimeter fences

A Marikina lawmaker asked Secretary Leandro Mendoza of the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) to immediately sack the officials of Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), who ordered the removal of perimeter fences at the Caticlan Airport in Aklan, allowing animals to roam around.
In an interview, Representative Del de Guzman of Marikina informed Mendoza that stray animals like dogs, carabaos, goats and chickens started to wander around the runway after CAAP Director General Ruben Ciron ordered last month the removal of the fences at the end of the runway, reportedly to accommodate bigger aircraft.

De Guzman, who was also the House committee vice chairman on Tourism, was informed by foreign tourists who visited the white sand beaches of Boracay that hundreds of visitors of the island observed and witnessed the presence of animals at the runway when their plane landed the Caticlan airport last weekend.

In July, flights of major carriers to Caticlan, the main airport servicing the popular beach island of Boaracay, were suspended after successive accidents because of miscalculation and overshot in landing.

Studies made by aerodrome on the runway’s configurations confirmed that the current design of Caticlan runway poses a hazard to aircraft operations.

The CAAP, an agency under the DOTC, also designated Caticlan as a one-way airport for all carriers take off towards the sea and land in the opposite direction, shortening the runway.

According to Ciron, the CAAP spent P32 million for runway extension of 60 meters to bring its total usable length to 896 meters but industry people claimed that the real clincher was the removal of the perimeter fence.

However, contrary to Ciron’s assurance that there are special requirements that airlines must comply with to observe the highest level of safety, it is the CAAP itself that consciously risks the lives of passengers and destroys the image of Boracay as renowned tourist destination by unilaterally removing the fence, said de Guzman.

Philippines DOT secures new charter flights to Russia

MANILA, Philippines -- Russia’s second largest airline TransAero is launching daily chartered flights on a Boeing 747 from Moscow-Cebu-Moscow, beginning April 2010.

The new chartered flights follow the amendment of the 1992 RP-Russia Air Services (ASA), to allow all Russian carriers to unlimited flight frequencies from any 3 points in Russia to 3 points in the Philippines, namely Manila, Clark, and another destination (such as Cebu, Davao, Iloilo) and vice-versa. Under the old 1992 ASA, RP and a designated Russian air carrier had one flight per week, via Manila-Moscow route.

The said bilateral air services agreement had been previously endorsed by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and Tourism Secretary Ace Durano to Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in June 2009 during President Arroyo's attendance at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.

"We have intensively campaigned to open the Philippine skies further to address the influx of Russian tourists. We can certainly look forward to a bright year ahead for this market,” said Durano.

The tourism chief likewise believed that previous efforts such as the salvos of familiarization tours, and travel trade missions have more than captured the market, but have also given rise to a close strong business portfolio for the country.

“With the long winter coming, we expect more tourists trooping to our tropical beaches. And we also see a rise in leisure destinations, as more than 80 percent of Russians come from the high-end market,” said Eduardo Jarque Jr., Undersecretary for Tourism Planning and Promotions.

Jarque further said that previous deliberations with the market have prompted three big Russian travel wholesalers, South Cross, Paks, and Capital Tours to launch packages to Cebu, Bohol, Palawan and Boracay, “We are expecting the arrival of several major tour groups from these operators next year.”

Capital Tours is considered the largest travel wholesaler in Russia; while Paks is a specialist travel agency targeting long-haul travelers and South Cross a multi-destination tour operator.

The DOT had recently hosted Capital Tours’ first Director’s Tour Program, the highlight of which was the company’s launch of Philippine tour packages. Inna Beltyukova, Capital Tours General Director said, “Your pristine beaches and sunny tropical climate are very ideal to our tourists.”

One of the longest-staying and high-spending markets, the Russians are high up in the list of DOT’s arrivals.

The ASA pact, which is “set to facilitate and intensify two-way tourism, trade and investment, and cultural exchanges through the opening of direct flights between the Philippines and Russia,” was formally signed last December 1, 2009, with Deputy Minister for Transport Valeriy Mikhailovich Okulov representing the Russian government.

The number of flights and the approval of fifth-freedom air rights, which indicates the right of the carrier to pick up passengers from a third country before proceeding to its destination, rest on the agreement between the civil aviation authorities of the two countries.

CEBU PAcific mounts extra flights for December

Cebu Pacific (CEB) has increased December flights to select destinations as demand surges during peak travel season.

CEB added an additional daily frequency to its Manila-Hong Kong route, giving passengers an option among five daily flights. Manila-Singapore route also gets a boost with an additional daily flight to four times daily.

Manila-Ho Chi Minh and Clark-Bangkok also get a new six times weekly frequency, while Clark-Hong Kong and Clark-Singapore flights are now daily.

CEB also increased flights for the following domestic routes: flights from Manila to Roxas, Iloilo, Kalibo, Ozamiz and Virac, and from Cebu to Iloilo, Surigao and Zamboanga. Passengers bound for Manila or Cebu can also take Cebu-Clark flights for more available seats.

“We wanted to widen the availability of seats for our passengers because there are a lot of people who travel during Christmas break. Our Kalibo (Boracay) flights, for example, still have available seats from December 26-30, 2009, especially after we increased our Manila-Kalibo frequency to 8-10 flights per day,” said CEB vice president for marketing and distribution Candice Iyog.

“We encourage our CEB passengers to arrive at the airport early during peak travel period. It is also advised to book in advance to take advantage of our trademark low fares,” she said.

CEB, Asia’s third-largest low-cost carrier, flies to 32 domestic and 14 international destinations using one of the youngest aircraft fleets in the country. It has the most extensive domestic network in the Philippines and offers the lowest year-round fares.

CAAP AIS Login URL

I think I found the login address for the AIS system, now, how to register ..

http://www.caap.gov.ph/sysMain.php?sys=AIS

CAAP and Type Certificate Licensing System - Interesting Tid Bit

Check out the Job Vacancy for CAAP below. Notice the two items highlighted in Red. Most Interesting is item 3, does it meant that the "Type Rating" system may be going??

====================================================================
NOTICE OF JOB VACANCY
The Project Office of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in Manila is in search of qualified
candidates for the following post:
PERSONNEL LICENCING OFFICER
for the Project Office located at 5th Floor, CAAP Building, Old MIA Road, Pasay City.
Functionally reporting to the Flight Standards Inspectorate Services of the Civil Aviation Authority of the
Philippines, and contractually/administratively reporting to the Director, Technical Co-operation Bureau of
ICAO through the Project Coordinator, she/he will perform the following functions:
1. Be responsible to the Head of Personnel Licensing (H/PEL) section.
2. Ensure that licenses and type ratings held that are essential to the exercise of the duties shown
below are maintained as valid.
3. In the event that such duties are changed to a condition where validity of licenses and type ratings
are not required in order to exercise the required duties, then the preceding item may not be a
requirement.
4. Undergo a continuing training programme, as defined by the H/PEL, in order to ensure currency
of knowledge and competence to International Standards, as a Personnel Licensing Officer.
5. Assess applications for flight crew licenses and type ratings and license and type rating renewals,
and produce written recommendations to H/PEL.
6. Assess applications for the validation and/conversion of foreign licenses, and determine the depth
of knowledge of the applicant, if necessary by either oral examination or a standard prepared
examination to be conducted by the AEB, and produce written recommendations to H/PEL.
7. Participate in routine and non-routine inspections of CAAP Approved Training
Organizations(ATOs), using CAAP ATO inspection manuals, in order to ensure that the
instructional standards meet CAAP requirements for the eventual issuance of a CAAP license or
type rating.
8. Conduct flight examinations (as appropriate to type ratings held) on applicants for the initial issue
and renewals of pilot licenses and type ratings using current CAAP Licensing Inspector manuals
and check lists.
9. Advise and assist Flight Operations (F/OPS) as required in licensing matters pertaining to
operators of Large Aircraft.
10. Hold meetings with operators, as required, on issues relating to PEL and participate in decisionmaking
processes with written recommendations to the Director General (DG).
11. Work in co-operation with the Airman Examinations Board (AEWB), to prepare and periodically
review the syllabi for flight crew license and rating examinations for pilots and flight engineers, and
in particular , defining the standards and qualifying conditions for the issuance of such licenses.
12. Produce and organize the publication of pamphlets and information circulars for the guidance of
applicants for flight crew licenses.
13. Work in co-operation with the AEB on the preparation and periodical revision of flight crew license
examination in order to maintain international standards of any flight crew license that is issued by
the CAAP.
14. In cooperation with the AEB, conduct periodic reviews of the flight crew license and type rating
examinations in order to ensure the effectiveness commensurate with the needs of the CAAP and
the industry.
Page 2 of 2
15. Carry out other related duties as may be required by the H/PEL.
The candidate must have the following qualifications:
1. Holder of a valid Commercial Pilot Licence with Instrument Rating or;
2. Holder of a valid Air Transport Pilot License with Multi-engine rating.
3. Have accumulated not less than 1000 hours of flight as pilot in command (PIC), of which no fewer
than 500 hours must have been as PIC of an - aircraft of not more than 5700kg Maximum Take
Off Weight (MTOW).
4. Turbo propeller powered aircraft experience is desirable.
5. Hold a current Certified Flying Instructor (CFI) rating on Single-Engined (SE) and/or Multi-Engined
(ME) aircraft.
6. Have accumulated not less than 300 hours of instructional experience as a CFI, preferably when
engaged at an Approved Training Organization (ATO).
7. Be able to demonstrate proven ability and experience in delivering Ground Instruction to students
in an ATO, in preparation for examinations for the Commercial Pilot Licence/Private Pilot Licence
(CPL/PPL).
8. Experience in delivering ground instruction to students in preparation for the ATPL examination is
desirable.
9. Knowledge of the Civil Aviation Regulations (CARs) of the Philippines.
10. Knowledge of ICAO Annexes is desirable.
11. Ability to work as a team member in the planning and implementation of organizational structures,
such as Personnel Licensing (PEL) Section.
12. Proven ability to produce concise, accurate reports.
13. Ability to identify, define and analyze problems and other issues pertaining to issues arising out of
PEL matters.
14. Ability to recognize aviation-related needs and act accordingly commensurate with the CARs.
15. Initiative, tact, sound judgment and the ability to maintain an harmonious working relationship
within an integrated PEL Team.
Applicants are requested to send their CV together with an attachment clearly addressing each one
of the fifteen qualification requirements above, indicating the Post Title, via courier or fax, on or before
15 May 2009, to:
The Project Coordinator
ICAO Office
5th Floor, CAAP Building
Old MIA Road, Pasay City
Tel: (632) 879 9171

P50-million automated system installed in RP airports

Ok, so they have it running, how do we access it?? Nothing on the web site ..
============================================================

The country’s top aviation body has installed a cutting edge communications system, linking the Philippines with other countries to get the latest aeronautical and other relevant information critical to flight safety.

Dubbed as the Automated Aeronautical Information Service (AIS), the new facility has brought the country closer to achieving Category 1 status, two years after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has moved the country one notch lower to Category 2.

Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) Director General Ruben F. Ciron said the new system will automatically update information in real time, reaching subscribers without the time lag associated with the old mode.

“The new system brought the CAAP closer to regaining its category 1 status,” said Ciron. “We have now one of the most advanced telecommunication systems and this would hopefully convinced the FAA of our serious concern to bring our aviation body at par with the world.”

The AIS facility, costing P50 million is fully automated and is capable of sending updates and new data to subscribers in a flash. It is housed at the CAAP compound in Pasay City and was put by the Energy Systems and Resources Inc. (ISRI), with the help of Frequentis, a European firm represented by Christian Troemer, Chief Regional Officer of the company.

The new AIS replaced a dated and decrepit system that broke down a few years ago and temporarily disconnected the Philippines with the rest of the International Civil Aviation Community.

In recent past, Air Transportation Office (ATO) (now switched to the CAAP) air communications experts were using typewriters and outmoded teletype in sending Notice-to-airmen (Notam) and other contents of aeronautical publications to all the members of the International Civil Aviation Organization.

Flight plans and the flow of critical data transmitted way ahead of flights leaving the Philippines could not be processed in advance, thus delaying international flights coming and going into the country.

These prompted authorities to facilitate the provision of needed funds to update the system. Consequently, an upgraded AFTN was put up and linked to the internet but still manually operated.

Present during the ribbon cutting ceremony were Ciron of the CAAP; Susan Tecson, Managing Director of ESRI; Consul Florian Brandl of Austria, Isabel Schmiedbauer, Commercial Attache.

For those unable to download them, hard copies of maps, charts and voluminous records of the AIP could also be obtained from the CAAP.

The AIP contains all there is to know about the status of the country’s airports, including maps, charts, route of flights, available navigational aids and their locations, ongoing constructions of airports and facilities and upgrading of other services.

Troemer said the Philippines is the first Asian country to have adopted the new automated system and would soon be followed by New Zealand, Australia, and Japan.

RP aviation office meets ICAO standards

Another slant on the Audit ...

THE International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) subjected the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) to a 10-day audit last month and found 88 items which affected 278 of the so-called protocols or code of procedures.

The ICAO-Universal Safety Audit Program (USOAP) does not give "passing" or "failing" ratings, but a ratio between a given set of out of 987 questions gives CAAP a 28.19 percent grade compared to the global average of 40.31 percent.

The lower the ratio means less need for corrective actions, according to CAAP director general Ruben Ciron.

The audit team was comprised of a six-member mission led by CJ Collins, which conducted briefings Oct. 18-29.

The team covered 987 predetermined questions, aimed mostly at critical areas like Primary Legislation and Civil Aviation Regulations; Civil Aviation Organization; Personnel Licensing and Training; Aircraft Operations Certification and Supervision; Airworthiness of Aircraft; Aircraft Accident and Incident Investigation; Air Navigation Service; and Aerodromes.

The USOAP audit is more comprehensive than the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) audit which covers only the safety aspects of the then Air Transportation Office (ATO), predecessor to the CAAP.

In November 2007, the FAA downgraded the CAAP from Category 1 to Category 2 status, which prohibits Philippine carriers from mounting new flights to the United States. – Jay Chua

The CAAP is now in the process of upgrading its technical personnel to improve its safety program and improving all the other critical areas noted by the USOAP.

In another development, the Department of Foreign Affairs informed CAAP last month that Ambassador Cristina Ortega met with James Moran, director for Asia of the European Commission, to explore the availability of at least two European experts to assist CAAP in addressing the technical issues raised by the Committee on Air Safety.

Ortega also informed Ciron that the experts are set to arrive in March.

An update of the audit was likewise sent to Daniel Calleja, EC’s director of air transport, in Brussels to inform him of the substance of the draft findings and to confirm his commitment to send the certification experts and also to verify the date of the visit of the European Union Air Safety Committee.

"CAAP is now on track for the next two audits – the European Union Safety Committee and the FAA that will finally determine our eligibility for restoration to Category 1 status," Ciron said. the USOAP audit is on March 26, 2010.

A highlight in the draft finding of USOAP is the lack of qualified technical personnel which significantly handicapped the CAAP. This is because training policies cannot be executed until new and qualified technical personnel are hired.

Ciron said during a board meeting last Oct. 29, the members approved Special Plantilla of Positions to address the lack of qualified technical personnel.

"Hopefully, the new salary structure will attract qualified applicants, even as CAAP has to compete with higher salaries offered by the civil aviation labor market.

RP scores well in Icao’s audit of safety, efficiency

THE Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) was audited for overall safety and efficiency by the International Civil Aviation Organization (Icao) the last week of October and bested the global average of 40.31 with a score of 28.19. The lower the score, the less corrections are needed.

The Icao-Universal Safety Audio Program score is a percentage of a given set of 987 questions. The audit team was led by CJ Collins, who conducted the audit from October 18 to 29.

CAAP Director General Ruben Ciron said the questions are focused on critical areas such as primary legislation and civil-aviation regulations, civil-aviation organization, personnel licensing and training, aircraft operations certification and supervision, airworthiness of aircraft, aircraft accident and incident investigation, air navigation service, and aerodromes.

The Icao audit is more comprehensive than the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) audit, which covers only the safety aspects. In November 2007, the FAA downgraded the CAAP to Category 2 status from Category 1, which means Philippine carriers cannot make new flights to the United States.

The CAAP is now in the process of upgrading its technical personnel to improve its safety program and all the other critical areas noted by the new audit.

The Department of Foreign Affairs has informed the air authority, meanwhile, that Ambassador Cristina Ortega has met with James Moran, director for Asia of the European Commission (EC), to explore the availability of at least two European experts to assist it in addressing the technical issues raised by the Committee on Air Safety.

As a result of that meeting, EC experts are considering a visit to the Philippines in March 2010. In the meantime, an update of the Icao audit was sent to the EC’s director of air transport, Daniel Calleja.

“The CAAP is now on track for the next two audits —the European Union Safety Committee and the FAA—that will finally determine our eligibility for restoration to Category 1 status,” said Ciron.

A major negative finding of the audit is the lack of qualified technical personnel. The board on October 29 approved a “special plantilla of positions” to address this lack.

Ciron said it is the board’s hope that the new salary structure will attract qualified applicants, most of whom gravitate to the civil aviation sector because of higher salaries.

Only 1 of 8 CAAP check pilots sent for training qualifies

ONLY one of the eight check pilots sent for training on higher-category aircraft was able to make the grade, marginally at that.

Thus, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) has to resort to the hiring of consultants from the military and the airlines.

The agency spent some P2 million each for the training of the eight to qualify them as check pilots for higher-category aircraft, such as the Boeing 747, Airbus 340 and A320.

CAAP Director General Ruben Ciron told Lakas Rep. Al Francis Bichara of Albay: “It is no wonder that when it comes to courses where true knowledge and skills have to be measured, this group [pilots and other technical personnel] has been found wanting.”

Ciron said quantifying the success rate of the training of the eight examinees, for whom the CAAP spent P15 million for training, is a return of only 12 percent.

“Given this situation, and given the International Civil Aviation Organization [Icao] minimum requirements, there is no other recourse but to source from the industry or the Air Force, which are about the only sources that can be considered if the CAAP will ever hope to be Federal Aviation Administration and Icao compliant.”

Ciron pointed out that pilots in the private sector are usually compensated by as much as P250,000 to P500,000 a month “and would only consider joining the Caap when the new salary rates are approved.”



Bichara earlier filed House Resolution 1181, seeking congressional inquiry into the alleged “militarization” of the Caap after it hired retired military officials and personnel as consultants.

The Bicol representative warned that “the country might not regain Category 1 status from the US FAA [Federal Aviation Administration] if the agency could not address the organizational problems and ‘demoralization’ among CAAP rank-and-file.”

He said the presence of several retired military personnel has created an impression that the agency is being “militarized.”

The basis of Bichara’s resolution is a letter to the House of Representatives on June 2, 2009, allegedly signed by 63 officials and employees of the Caap’s Flight Standards Inspectorate Service (Fsis), which used to be the abolished Aviation Safety Division (ASD) of the Air Transportation Office (Ato).

The group is reportedly seeking the help of anybody who could help its members get appointed in the CAAP.

Ciron told Bichara that the 63 personnel from the FSIS have been forum-shopping, hoping to get sympathy for imagined grievances. He added that these same officials are holdovers from the Ato, who have been “presumptuously claiming that they are the regular and career personnel of the Caap.”

He said the 63 officials and personnel of the defunct ASD constiture only a small portion of the 3,700 employees of the agency, who have been supportive of the new management.

“The [personnel of] other three main services of the Caap—the Air Traffic Service—the Air Navigation Service and the Airport Development and Management Service continue to professionally perform their duties, even as there are delays in the approval of the new salary structure.”

Ciron said the Ato has been totally abolished when the Caap was created by Republic Act 9497. “The law did not provide automatic absorption of Ato personnel. It only provided for accommodation of ‘qualified’ Ato personnel in the new organization, subject to civil-service rules.”

He told Bichara that one of the most critical findings of the FAA International Aviation Safety Audit (Faa-Iasa), “is the [Caap’s] lack of qualified technical personnel.

“This is reflected in the 51-percent fill-up rate at the then-Aircraft Safety Division [Asd], where the highest item is no more than the equivalent of a Division Chief, or Salary Grade 24.

Given this situation, Ciron said it was a common situation that Ato inspectors who flew nothing more than single-engine Cessna aircraft are inspecting and checking flight deck crew members of Boeing 747s, Airbus 340s and A320s.

“That was enough for the FAA to conclude the lack of qualified personnel,” he added, leading to the then ATO’s downgrading.

Ciron said the agency has been trying to institute improvements and reforms, but within the budgetary limits and constraints of civil-service regulations.

Given this situation, he said even if a new salary scheme were put in place, it would approximate only 50 percent of the lower end of the aviation industry scale for the highest position in the agency.

He added that the chances of attracting qualified personnel lie among Filipino airmen working abroad, who may eschew their financial gains if only to be with their family in the Philippines.

“Hopefully, these Filipino airmen enjoying $8,000 to $10,000 entry- level pay would forgo higher salaries if only they can be with their families and subsist on the local diet that they are accustomed to.”

Air Force consultants in the Caap who may have retired or have pursued second careers in private businesses and corporate boardrooms are the only one willing to accept the agency’s low consultancy fees, on the promise of better pay in the future, Ciron told Bichara.

He also informed the Bicol lawmaker that a Joint Congressional Committee, chaired by Sen. Ramon Revilla Jr. for the Senate and Lakas Rep. Monico Puentevella of Bacolod for the Lower House, exercises oversight functions over the agency.

“I am sure that with your wholehearted support and understanding of the birth pains that a new organization invariably suffer, we will soon achieve a world-class Philippine civil aviation,” Ciron added.

Read the CAAP Manual of Standards for Aerodromes

The Manual of Standards for Aerodromes may be found here

CAAP - AN OVERVIEW OF AERODROME REGULATION

Republic of the Philippines
Department of Transportation and Communications
AIR TRANSPORTATION OFFICE
www.ato.gov.ph
Advisory Circular
AC 139-01-A
AN OVERVIEW OF
AERODROME REGULATION
May 2008
Advisory Circulars (AC) are intended to provide recommendations and guidance to illustrate a means, but not necessarily the only means, of complying with regulatory requirements, or to explain certain regulatory requirements by providing interpretative and explanatory material.
ATO will generally accept that when the provisions of an Advisory Circular have been met, compliance with the relevant regulatory obligation has been satisfied.
Where an AC is referred to in a ‘Note’ within regulatory documentation, the AC remains as guidance material.
ACs should always be read in conjunction with the referenced regulations.
i
CONTENTS
1. References 1
2. Purpose 1
3. Status of the AC 1
4. The aerodrome regulatory system as prescribed in Administrative Order 139 1
5. Registered aerodromes 2
6. Other aerodromes used in air transport operations 3
7. ATO approved persons to conduct safety inspections 3
8. Aerodrome standards 3
9. Exemptions 3
10. Aerodrome safety management system 4
11. Further information 4
ii
1. REFERENCES
1.1 This document may refer to portions of the following:
• Republic Act 776 as amended;
• Civil Aviation Authority Act of 2008;
• Administrative Order 139;
• Manual of Standards for Aerodromes; and
• ICAO Annex 14 Volume 1 4th Edition as amended.
2. PURPOSE
2.1 Republic of the Philippines has developed a multi-tier system for regulating aerodromes as prescribed in AO 139. The new aerodrome regulatory system will affect all existing aerodromes in someway. The multi-tier system is in recognition of the fact that there is a great disparity among aerodromes which have been established to serve a nation with an uneven spread of population and with a large geographical area. The rules governing aerodromes serving major cities and supporting busy international operations are necessarily more complex than those governing less busy aerodromes supporting only domestic air transport activities, which in turn will be more involved than the rules applicable to small aerodromes only occasionally used by light aircraft. This Advisory Circular (AC) provides aerodrome operators, aircraft operators and pilots with an overview of the general obligations relating to aerodromes as encapsulated in the aerodrome regulatory system. It is stressed that the regulations must always be read for complete and detailed information on requirements.
3. STATUS OF THIS AC
3.1 ACs are numbered to reflect the regulatory basis, the serial number of the circular issued for that regulation and the revision status for that AC. In this case the regulatory basis is AO 139, this is the first AC to be issued regarding AO 139 and it is revision A. Consequently the status of this AC is 139-01-A.
4. THE AERODROME REGULATORY SYSTEM AS PRESCRIBED IN AO 139
4.1 The main changes brought about by AO 139 are intended to modernize the preceding ATO rules (AO 5), thus ensuring there is conformity with the standards and recommended practices as described in ICAO Annex 14 Volume 1, Aerodromes, and also to provide for the specific conditions experienced in the Philippines. These changes require that some aerodromes shall be certified or registered.
4.2 An aerodrome must be certified when it is used by aircraft conducting any:
(a) international air transport operations: or
(b) domestic air transport operations by aircraft with more than 30 passenger seats.
4.3 Aerodrome operators need to register an aerodrome when the aerodrome is:
(a) used by aircraft conducting any domestic air transport operations with aircraft certified for between 10 and 30 (inclusive) passengers; or
(b) not certified, but open to public use with a published instrument approach procedure.
4.3 Other aerodrome operators may apply to have their aerodromes certificated or registered. All certified and registered aerodromes will be subject to audit and inspection by ATO inspectors from time to time.
- 1 -
4.4 For aerodromes not covered by AO 139, the responsibility for ensuring that aerodromes meet minimum safety standards rests with aircraft operators who use those aerodromes. The Manual of Standards for Aerodromes (MOS) provides required standards for aerodromes used by aircraft not exceeding 5700kg. Aerodromes that are not certified or registered may still be audited by ATO through an audit of the airline or aircraft operator, or by an aerodrome inspector.
4.5 Operators of certified aerodromes will need to develop and implement an acceptable safety management system (SMS) defining the way the aerodrome operational safety is managed.
4.6 AO 139 also introduced a number of changes to the way certified aerodromes are to be managed and operated. These include:
(a) Responsibility for an Aerodrome Manual. The Aerodrome Manual will need to set out the aerodrome administration structure and clearly nominate a person who will be responsible for ensuring that relevant aeronautical information, including all changed data, is included in the aerodrome manual, is accurate and brought to the attention of relevant persons.
(b) Training of key aerodrome personnel. AO 139 requires certified aerodrome operators to be able to demonstrate that key aerodrome personnel, viz. reporting officers and works safety officers, are trained to perform their functions. This requirement is also applicable to registered aerodromes.
(c) Annual aerodrome technical inspection report. The technical inspection reports are meant to demonstrate that the aerodrome operator has arranged periodic internal audits of the aerodrome by qualified persons, and that appropriate remedial actions have been taken to arrest deterioration of the aerodrome. The technical inspection reports must be kept for at least 3 years and are subject to ATO audit.
4.7 For registered aerodromes, a quality assurance scheme has been introduced which requires these aerodromes to be inspected either by an ATO Inspector or a person approved by ATO (Approved Persons). This scheme allows ATO to check that persons originating and verifying important aerodrome operational information are able to perform that function and their continued approval will be subject to periodic ATO audit.
5. REGISTERED AERODROMES
5.1 This option is provided for non-certified aerodromes used by aircraft with between 10 and 30 (inclusive) passenger seats to be incorporated within the regulated aerodrome system. Registration is less complicated than certification because there is no requirement for registered aerodromes to have an aerodrome manual or safety management system. Where practicable, operators of registered aerodromes are encouraged to document procedures. The aim of the registration scheme is to ensure the safety status of non-certified aerodromes is at a level appropriate for public use. This scheme is predicated on the aerodrome operator meeting a number of registration conditions.
5.2 When an aerodrome is registered, it signifies that the aerodrome has been checked and verified by a ATO Inspector or a qualified person approved by ATO. The aerodrome operational information published in AIP should therefore be accurate and can be used by aircraft operators and pilots with confidence. In addition, there should be a trained person called a “reporting officer” who will monitor the on-going serviceability of the aerodrome, such that, if there are any changes to the aerodrome conditions which can affect aircraft operations, the matter will be notified through the NOTAM system.
5.3 Application for registration of an aerodrome must be accompanied by a safety inspection report of the aerodrome carried out by an ATO Inspector or a person approved by ATO. Refer to Advisory Circular 139-03-A “Application for approval to conduct aerodrome safety inspections of registered and certain other aerodromes”.
- 2 -
5.4 Registered aerodromes used by aircraft with more than 9 passenger seats will also be required to be inspected and reported on by an ATO Inspector, or a qualified person approved by ATO, on an annual basis.
5.5 Although ATO may have a scheduled audit program for registered aerodromes, these aerodromes are still subject to ATO unscheduled audit and registration may be cancelled if the conditions for registration are not met. An ATO unscheduled audit can be initiated for various reasons, including but not limited to, receipt of adverse pilot advice, as a part of the audit of the approved person who has verified the aerodrome, or as a part of the audit of an airline that operates into the aerodrome.
6. OTHER AERODROMES USED IN AIR TRANSPORT OPERATIONS
6.1 MOS requires the operator of a non-certificated and non-registered aerodrome, used by aircraft with a maximum takeoff weight less than 5700 kg, to ensure the standards associated with the aerodrome and its facilities are suitable for the type of aircraft that operate at the aerodrome.
6.2 These aerodromes do not have information published in AIP and the aircraft operator must have a reporting system in place to ensure that the pilot has adequate information about the aerodrome and its current serviceability status prior to operations being conducted.
7. ATO APPROVED PERSONS TO CONDUCT SAFETY INSPECTIONS
7.1 AO 139 empowers ATO to issue approval to persons to conduct safety inspections of aerodromes in the “registered” category. The aim of this scheme is to allow ATO to regulate persons providing the aerodrome inspection service. This is an aviation safety related service as the end result of the service is direct input of aerodrome operational information used in aircraft operations.
7.2 This approval scheme is not yet established. Until the scheme is implemented, ATO will conduct inspections or accept safety inspection reports prepared by a person meeting the requirements of AO 139.
7.3 Guidelines on how to become an approved person are given in Advisory Circular AC 139-03-A “Application for approval to conduct aerodrome safety inspections of registered and certain other aerodromes”.
8. AERODROME STANDARDS
8.1 In general, the physical standards for movement area and other aerodrome facilities, as specified in MOS, are related to the category of the largest and most critical aircraft using the aerodrome, irrespective of the status of the aerodrome, whether it is certified, registered or other.
8.2 The applicability of operating standards as applied to certified, registered and other aerodromes will vary, as the management and operational effort involved has to be commensurate with the level of aircraft activities and the size and complexity of the aerodrome.
8.3 Chapter 13 of MOS sets out the aerodrome standards for aerodromes used by aircraft of not more than 5700 kg engaged in air transport operations operating under an air operators certificate.
- 3 -
9. EXEMPTIONS
9.1 An aerodrome facility which does not meet current standards may be exempted where:
(a) it was an existing facility and the standard change does not warrant immediate rectification of the facility – ‘grandfather provision’;
(b) full compliance is impracticable, and intent of the standard has been addressed by an acceptable alternative means;
(c) full compliance is impracticable, but the risk is mitigated by the introduction of certain aerodrome or aircraft operational procedures; and
(d) the risk is assessed by ATO to be low due to infrequent activity levels and the type of aircraft activity.
9.2 AO 139 empowers ATO to grant exemptions where a regulatory requirement or standard cannot be met due to exceptional circumstances. ATO exemptions are time limited and subject to review. MOS requires aerodrome operators to demonstrate that efforts are being made to bring non-standard aerodrome facilities up to standard. Efforts made should be reasonable, commensurate with the degree and nature of usage of the facility and the risk that the non-standard facility poses to the safety of aircraft operations.
9.3 MOS requires non standard facilities at certified aerodromes to be identified and recorded in the Aerodrome Manual, together with the date or period when those facilities were first introduced or last upgraded. The aerodrome operator is required to provide an indication of how each non standard facility will be made to comply with the standard, including, where possible, a plan or timescale.
10. AERODROME SAFETY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
10.1 AO 139 requires operators of certificated aerodromes to have in place an acceptable aerodrome safety management system (SMS).
10.2 ATO will issue guidelines on SMS from time to time. Currently there are mandatory standards on the SMS contained in MOS.
11. FURTHER INFORMATION
11.1 This overview is aimed at addressing general issues likely to be encountered by aerodrome operators as AO 139 is implemented. Please refer to the ATO Executive Director for specific individual aerodrome matters not covered by this AC.
By authority of the Secretary, DOTC
DANIEL A. DIMAGIBA
Executive Director
Air Transportation Office 6 June 2008
- 4 -

The Current Ais as obtained from the CAAP Web Site today

The Philippine AIS receive and/or originate, collate or assemble, edit, format, publish/store and distribute aeronautical information/data concerning the entire territory of the State, or in other words - the whole Philippine Flight Information Region (FIR).

The Philippine FIR occupies one of the largest area in the region. Bounded to the north by Hong Kong, Taipei and Naha (Japan) FIRs, to the east by Oakland Oceanic FIR, to the south by Ujung Pandang and Jakarta FIRs, to the Southwest by Kota Kinabalu and Singapore FIRs and to the west by Ho Chi Minh FIR. Within the Philippine FIR are 3 terminal movement areas (TMAs), 16 prohibited/restricted/danger areas, 22 military/civilian exercises/training areas, 50 ATS and RNAV routes, 245 reporting points, 65 radio navigation aids, 54 instrument approaches, 7 international airports, 81 national airports, 324 heliports and private aerodromes, and 130 Air Traffic Service (ATS) and Air Navigations Service (ANS) operational facilities.

The AIS maintains and manages all related data within the Philippine FIR, and process it to an information essential to flight - to satisfy the needs of the users (pilots, document producing agencies, ATS, etc.). However, the effective functioning of AIS is dependent upon the co-operative effort of all other services, such as communications, aerodromes, ATS, etc., since raw data must be originated by such services. With this in mind, AIS is continually looking for ways of improving the lines of communications and harmonize working relationship.

AIS also maintains liaison with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLS), Bureau of Customs (Dept. of Foreign Affairs), Bureau of Immigration and Deportation (Dept. of Justice), National Quarantine office (Dept. of Health), Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB), Dept. of Tourism (DOT), and other international & national agencies.

LOOKING FORWARD

AIS, in its effort to improve its products and services, and to provide information of defined quality and integrity has entered into agreements with other agencies and geared itself towards automation.

One of the most important undertaking it has entered into is the collaborative effort with the National Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA) of the US DoD, and the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority (NAMRIA). The project - "World Geodetic System - 1984 (WGS-84) survey of 13 key airfields", met the accuracy standards set forth by ICAO and FAA. Currently, AIS and NIMA are in a good working relationship and continually collaborating to contribute in the safety of flight.

Another very important project of AIS is its automation project, which in the eyes of others is a "big leap". Yes, as it would be aptly said, because form a manual way of doing things, AIS will be pursuing a very bold step - that of automating the whole of AIS. Not only the NOTAM system, or the Aeronautical Information Publication, or the Flight Briefing System, or the Flight Plan Filing, or the Weather Briefing�but all AIS systems. It will be automated and totally integrated and can be accessed either through AFTN, direct cable connection, and the internet.

The Automation of Aeronautical Information Service will involve the development of a Central Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) Processing System and four (4) interconnected Briefing Offices at the Manila International Flight Operations Briefing Station (IFOBS) & Domestic Flight Operations Briefing Station (DFOBS), Mactan and Davao Airports. The project is geared towards establishing six more briefing offices at Clark, Laoag, Legaspi, Puerto Princesa, Subic Bay and Zamboanga Airports - all international gateways and strategic national airports. And, eventually interconnecting all national airports.

These briefing offices interconnected to the Central NOTAM Processing System will form an integrated Aeronautical Information Service network aimed at ensuring a safe, regular and efficient international civil aviation through the delivery of aeronautical information in a defined quality and integrity. This project is consistent with the requirements of the International Civil Aviation Organization wherein the Philippines is a Member State.

CAAP launches automated aviation information system

MANILA, Philippines - The country’s aviation information system is now fully automated and linked to the European aviation database, which provides global access to the latest aeronautical and weather information.
The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) inaugurated last week the Automated Aeronautical Information Service (AIS), a fully automated database linked to the European Organization for the Safety of Air Navigation (Eurocontrol) network, which provides member countries information critical to aviation safety.
The United States is expected to connect to Eurocontrol next year.
CAAP spent P50 million for the new AIS which generates information in real time.
Christian Troemer, Chief Regional Office of Frequentis, the firm that constructed the AIS, said that the CAAP can recover its expenses by charging fees to airline companies and member states of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), which uses the database.
Companies that make maps and engage in aerial surveys will also benefit from the new AIS.
The Philippine’s AIS yields information about the country’s airports

 by providing maps, charts, route of flights, available navigational aids and their locations, ongoing constructions of airports and facilities and upgrading of other services.
Troemer said the Philippines is the first Asian country to adopt the new automated system. New Zealand, Australia and Japan will follow soon.
CAAP Director General Ruben Ciron said the installation of the new system brought the CAAP closer to regaining its category 1 status.
“We have now one of the most advanced telecommunication system and this would hopefully convinced the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of our serious concern to bring our aviation body at par with the world,” Ciron said.