Rp-C3244 Cebu Pac Airbus is doing Touch and goes at Clark at the moment ....
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
On the Ramp at RPUZ Bagabag
time ....
Friday, May 22, 2009
RP - Spain complete air deal Clark and Manila get Flights
The two parties allocated daily flight entitlements from Manila to Madrid and Barcelona, and vice versa.
Clark’s Diosdado Macapagal International Airport got 14 weekly flights to and from Madrid and Barcelona.
Other points in the Philippines, except Manila and Clark, were allocated daily flights to and from other points in Spain, except Madrid and Barcelona.
Manila was granted rights to service 200 tons of cargo per week while Clark got 300 tons per week. Both points of origin were allowed daily cargo flights to and from Spain. “The original agreement was signed in 1951 without frequencies,” Civil Aeronautics Board executive director Carmelo Arcilla, who is a member of the Philippine air panel, said.
Currently, there are indirect flights from Madrid and Barcelona to the Philippines and back. The routes are served by Asian airlines such as Singapore Airlines and a number of Middle Eastern carriers such as Qatar Airways.
Philippine aviation officials have not disclosed whether any airline, including flag carrier Philippine Airlines and Spain’s Iberia, expressed interest in serving the direct flight entitlements agreed upon.
This is the eighth air services deal entered into by the Philippines this year.
The Philippines has completed aviation talks with Qatar and United Arab Emirates in January, Kuwait and Bahrain in February, and Brunei and Australia in March, and Singapore earlier this month.
The International Air Transport Association has projected that world travel may decline by 3 percent in 2009.
The Philippines’ transport department views air deals as part of preparations for the eventual recovery of the global economy and the resurgence in air travel.
Transportation Secretary Leandro Mendoza said having more air service agreements would be good for the country.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Cebu Pacific needs 250 female flight attendants
“Our continued domestic and international expansion and rapidly growing passenger base require us to hire and train more cabin attendants. They have to exemplify Cebu Pacific’s fun, reliable, and high-quality service,” CEB vice president for marketing and distribution Candice Iyog said.
Interested female applicants between 18 and 25 years old with good eyesight, a pleasing personality and at least a height of 5’3” and weight proportional to height may apply at the CEB Training and Development Center located at Domestic Road, Pasay City.
Applicants must at least have completed second year college, should be fluent in English and Filipino and willing to be based in Manila, Clark (Pampanga), Cebu and Davao.
CEB requires applicants to submit their resume with a 2×2 ID photo and credentials; and to undergo a series of interview, training, and practical tests.
Screening of applicants is scheduled from 9:00am to 4:00pm on May 20 and 27 for Manila, May 21 in Tuscany Room of Hotel Veniz in Baguio City, and June 3, 10, 17 & 24, 2009 in Manila. CEB applicants must be in business attire, with full make-up, and hair neatly tied.
Iyog concluded, “We encourage young graduates to apply in CEB. We are a young, fun, and service-oriented firm committed to providing high-quality service Filipino travelers across Asia and the Philippines.”
CEB, the country’s leading domestic airline, has a fleet of 10 A319 and 11 A320 Airbus aircraft and eight turbo-prop ATR 72 aircraft. It expects to take delivery of two more ATR aircraft this year allowing it to open more inter-island routes.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Former ATO head refuses to face probe
Instead, Daniel Dimagiba, suspended deputy director for operations of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), said he is willing to be investigated by an “independent, unbiased and objective body where I could get a fair and just treatment.”
“I would like to be investigated because I want to clear my name and for truth to come out, but not by a kangaroo body,” Dimagiba said in a letter to CAAP Director General Ruben Ciron.
Dimagiba’s outburst came in the wake of his preventive suspension for various irregularities, including the issuance of a certificate to operate without authority to an airline company whose aircraft had conducted business in other countries.
Dimagiba said he “condemns in the strongest possible term” Ciron’s decision and the manner by which the latter arrived at his conclusion, which Dimagiba said “doesn’t find a place in a civilized democracy like the Philippines.”
Dimagiba questioned Ciron’s authority to try him before an adjudication board, and threatened to elevate the matter before the proper quasi-judicial or judicial forum.
“The aforementioned documents are mere figments of the imagination of sinister minds, being deplete with basis in fact and in law,” Dimagiba said, referring to the eight charges being leveled against him.
He added the accusations were made against him because Ciron wanted to ease him out from the newly created agency.
Interviewed by the BusinessMirror over the weekend, Ciron said there is no truth to the accusations that he wanted to ease out Dimagiba from the Caap, saying that President Arroyo appointed him to the post after the passage of Republic Act (RA) 9497 creating the Caap and abolishing the ATO.
RA 9497 virtually abolished the ATO, and its former personnel are the subject of new appointments.
Ciron reminded Dimagiba that under the Civil Service Administrative Code of 1987, if a prima facie case exists, Ciron shall notify Dimagiba in writing of the charges, which the latter shall answer within 72 hours.
Ciron said he wrote Dimagiba several letters urging him to answer the accusations being made regarding the alleged irregularities committed, and asked Dimagiba to send back his reply under oath.
“I wrote him several letters but his response was brief, evasive and was not made under oath,” Ciron said.
He said he was forced to create the adjudication board after several letters and documents from complainants came into his possession, where it was alleged that Dimagiba had engaged in some illegal transactions.
Ciron said it was unfair for Dimagiba to say the board is a “kangaroo body” since it members are his former peers in the ATO, including two service chiefs who, like Dimagiba, also rose from the ranks.
“In the end, it is the Caap board of directors that will determine Dimagiba’s culpability, the same board that approved the latter’s appointment to his present position.”
Ciron reminded Dimagiba that it was him who submitted the latter’s name as one of the two candidates for the two vacant positions of deputy director general shortly after the ATO was abolished.
“It would be for Dimagiba’s best interest to submit himself to the jurisdictions of the special board rather than indulge in trivial matters and forum-shopping,” Ciron said, referring to the former’s attempt to seek the help of the media to air his grievances.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
"Philippine Mars" Flying Boat
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Philippines Civil aviation deputy probed for airline permits' anomaly
Daniel A. Dimagiba, former acting director of the abolished Aviation Transportation Office, has been suspended from his post as deputy director-general for operations pending results of the probe.
A 3-man special hearing and adjudication board headed by Deputy Director for Administration Eduardo E. Kapunan Jr. with members Andrew B. Basallote, Director for Air Navigation Service, and Wilfredo S. Borja, Director for Air Traffic Service, will do the investigating.
“The creation of the board is to ensure an impartial hearing and adjudication of Dimagiba and to make sure that his right to due process is not violated,” said Ciron.
Dimagiba is accused of having issued an Air Carrier Operating Certificate to Sky Aviation Services, Inc. (SASI) on August 1 last year; and this apparently irregular certificate drew the attention of the Australian aviation oversight authority and the European Union Air Safety Committee, which were worried about its provenance and safety concerns that go with it.
He allegedly issued the certificate despite the absence of a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity from the Civil Aeronautics Board or a Temporary Operating Permit, a mandatory requirement.
With the unauthorized certificate, SASI used its two aircraft, RP-C8019 and RP-C8020, to engage in commercial operations, in direct contravention of the Certificates of Registration of the aircraft that were registered for general aviation purposes only.
On February 5, Ciron ordered Dimagiba to explain in writing his actions but Dimagiba replied with only a copy of his “Letter of Apology” to Daniel Calleja, Director-General for Energy and Transport of the European Commission, dated February 10.
Dimagiba claimed he honestly thought it was within the scope of his authority to issue such certificates while the CAAP was then just newly organized, and the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of RA 9497 creating the CAAP was still being prepared.
Among the charges against Dimagiba are: allegedly collecting an unauthorized P1,500 from each foreign student before giving them flight-student certificates; intervening improperly for “organic pilots” Capt. Jayfred Basawil and Capt. Saturnino dela Cruz by asking Capt. Andrew Florentino and Capt. Ismael Lapus Jr., who are Flight Operations Inspectors, to change the failing grades of the duo; and unauthorized correspondence with and misrepresenting the CAAP before foreign authorities and international organizations.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Singapore Air Show 2010
There is also a Wings Over Asia (http://wingsoverasia.com) Social during teh event
To join us, go to http://wingsoverasia.com and join up, its free, and look at the events and let us know you are coming
Full details on the airshow are at: http://www.singaporeairshow.com
Saturday, May 9, 2009
RP confident of passing FAA safety review
Transportation Department spokesman Thompson Lantion said the creation in 2008 of a new agency, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, to oversee safety standards, was a major step in reforming the aviation sector.
"We are very confident that we'll be able to achieve that (FAA approval), with all the efforts being done now," Lantion said.
He said the FAA's scheduled audit of its aviation sector would take place in October and include a check on safety and the standards of aircraft mechanics and pilots.
Lantion expressed optimism that the Philippines would return to its old status of Category 1, after the FAA in December 2007 reduced the Philippines' rating to Category 2.
At that time the FAA said the Philippines' air transport agency had failed to meet international safety standards.
This prompted the government to create a Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, with the power to collect fees to address safety issues and offer better salaries to skilled personnel.
The FAA's decision prevented the national flag-carrier, Philippine Airlines PAL, from increasing its flights to the US from 33 a week or from changing the type or number of aircraft used on those services.
Lantion said there was always the risk the Philippines would be downgraded further and its airlines would not be able to fly to US airports but was optimistic that Philippines officials could address these concerns.
Light plane crashes in Iloilo, student pilot unhurt
Friday, May 8, 2009
Expanded air pact - Philippines - Singapore
AIR links between Singapore and the Philippines have been expanded to allow for more flights between the two countries.
For travellers, this should result in more choices and hopefully, lower fares.
Under the new agreement which was inked following two days of air talks, Singapore carriers will be able to fly an additional 16 weekly Airbus 320 services to and from Manila.
The same entitlements have been accorded to Philippine carriers.
In addition, Singapore and Philippine carriers will also have greater access to and from other city points in the Philippines, such as Cebu, Davao and Clark.
Currently, airlines on both sides together operate more than 100 weekly services between the two countries - maximising the number of flights allowed under the previous air deal which was signed in August 2001.
Traffic between the Philippines and Singapore has grown by an average of 17 per cent annually since 2004.
Despite the global economic and traffic downturn, traffic grew last year by 12 per cent.
MOT said: 'This is no mean feat considering the decline of 2.2 per cent in international passenger traffic across the Asia-Pacific region.'
Its deputy-secretary (international) Lee Yuen Hee, who led the Singapore team in the negotiations said: 'The expanded agreement between Singapore and the Philippines demonstrates the commitment of both countries to develop closer aviation ties.
'The increased air services would further promote people-to-people ties, boost tourism and enhance bilateral economic relations.'
Philippines CAAP urged to close Catarman airport over safety concerns
The proposal has been made by several aviation groups, saying that safety is always the paramount concern when it comes to airport operations.
It also came in the wake of the suspension of Cebu Pacific’s (CEB) four-times- weekly Manila-Catarman flight, after the air carrier had to abort several landings in the past owing to people and vehicles on the runway.
In an earlier incident, the landing of a Cebu Pacific ATR-72 turbo-prop plane at the airport in Legazpi City had to be aborted after a vehicle was found running around the runway.
Subsequent investigation showed that the son of the Legazpi airport manager was teaching his girlfriend to drive.
CAAP director general Ruben Ciron suspended the Legaspi airport chief.
Ciron said CAAP has sent five security personnel to Catarman to enforce the rule preventing residents from using the runway as playground, or crossing it willy-nilly aboard their cars, but to no avail.
A few years back, the then Air Transportation Office constructed a perimeter fence around the runway, but residents, whose houses sit cheek-by-jowl with the runway’s edge, have destroyed the infrastructure.
It was gathered that the residents were encouraged by the local government, which filed a petition for a temporary restraining order (TRO) to stop CAAP from enforcing the rule that forbids trespassing on the runway and its immediate environment.
A Catarman official said that since the TRO was filed, the runway has often been used by residents to congregate, treating it as a playground, a park and a lover’s lane, all rolled into one.
“At night, it becomes a convenient motel,” the Catarman official said, adding that the paved runway make for an ideal trysting place for lovers, because it is dark and has concrete pavement that makes parking easier.
Keeping the runway free of obstacles is an overriding concern of the CAAP, even if there are no longer regular scheduled flights in that airport.
In an incident some years ago, the pilot of a distressed light plane was forced to ditch in the sea after seeing people and vehicles on the Catarman airport’s runway. The pilot thought that the runway was a provincial road.
CAAP and CEB officials met on Tuesday to resolve the issue.
CEB officials asked Ciron to act decisively in enforcing security measure at the Catarman airport before a serious accident happens.
As a result, Ciron sent a team to Catarman to talk to local officials and convince the residents to avoid congregating on the runway, especially during daytime.
A short-term solution is the reconstruction of the perimeter fence, but funds for that project are not available.
Ciron said the long-term solution is to relocate the runway far from the town so that it would be inaccessible to those who wanted to use it for their personal pleasure.
Part of the runway abuts the Catarman National Park.
Although CEB suspended flights to Catarman, Philippine Airlines and Zest Air continue to fly there.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Safety concerns prompt Cebu Pacific to suspend flights to Catarman
“Since we started operations last February there had been three runway incursions by both people and vehicles. Since these incidents remain unresolved despite our repeated request for action by government agencies, we have decided to suspend our flights to Catarman in the interest of passenger safety,” said Candice Iyog, CEB’s vice president for marketing and distribution.
Iyog said the Catarman operations will resume once flight safety is assured and the runway is properly secured for commercial operations.
“We take safety seriously and cannot operate under these conditions. We are working closely with our colleagues in the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines and local authorities to resolve these open issues,” she added.
CEB started its ATR72 service to Catarman on February 14 with scheduled flights every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.
In March one of CEB flights had to abort landing when a motorcycle suddenly entered the runway. The said flight landed safely afterward. This incident was followed by a similar aborted landings by CEB, which prompted the local carrier to eventually suspend its flights to Catarman.
Catarman Airport has been the subject of complaints from the aviation community because of the presence of so many vehicles on the runway during the afternoon. The airport is usually busy in the morning with the arrival and departure of domestic scheduled flights.
However, the presence of people and vehicles on the runway, even when no scheduled flights are expected, proved to be disastrous to a light aircraft when it attempted to make an emergency landing about two years ago.
According to a Catarman Airport employee, the light aircraft had engine trouble and was about to land on the runway when the mass of people and vehicles convinced the pilot that he was headed toward a provincial road, instead of a runway.
The aircraft aborted its emergency landing and ended up ditching in the sea instead, the Catarman Airport official said, requesting not to be named for obvious reasons.
In the meantime, Iyog said CEB will increase its Manila-Calbayog flights to daily, up from three times weekly to accommodate the affected passengers.
“We hope that this issue is resolved soon so we can resume our flights to Catarman and continue to offer our trademark low fares.”
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
UPS assigns RP market to Aboitiz Transport System
Stephen Paradies, chief financial officer of Aboitiz Equity Ventures (AEV), said the American firm also has allowed ATSC to use its worldwide network for express delivery of goods, or those cargoes that will be shipped through air.
AEV owns about 77.1 percent of ATSC. “We were recently appointed by UPS as the agent in the Philippines to handle all courier parcel delivery for UPS into the Philippines and we can use their network for parcel, courier, going outside the Philippines,” Paradies said. It is not clear if the discussions between the two companies involve the entire assets that will be left by UPS in Clark Field in Pampanga when it transfer its intraregional hub to Shenzen, China, by next year.
UPS said it will still maintain its facilities in Clark, which can sort some 7,500 packages per day.
In an earlier interview, Maurice Gahoc, country manager of UPS Philippines, said UPS is repositioning its Clark operations in a former US military air base camp in Pampanga to target more of the country’s importers and exporters.
“Our Clark operations will handle cargoes to and from the Philippines. But not all cargoes that we handle now will go to our Chinese hub. Some cargoes will still be handled in Clark,” Gahoc said, but declined which type of cargoes.
Aboitiz may use its brand name 2Go for its UPS business for express delivery, or those parcels, documents and other cargoes that should be in its destination between one day to six days, as the company already has formed a joint-venture entity with another firm for its sea-freight cargo movement and forwarding.
Imprimis discusses Piper Acquisition
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Friday, May 1, 2009
Pal joins the LCC market. A Good analysis of how it works ..
As low cost airlines buck the global aviation trend of declining revenues, more Philippine airline companies are embracing the budget business model.
This seems to be the case even with Philippine Airlines (PAL), the country's and Asia’s oldest commercial aviation company.
Long considered a legacy airline—as opposed to a budget airline—PAL, however, is learning that embracing the new business model could be thorny.
In recent days, travelers have been flocking the offices of PAL after ticket buyers could not complete their flight bookings via the Internet. PAL has launched its “Real Deal” promotional fares where travelers could avail of prices slashed by more than half if they purchase the tickets online.
Cecil David, one of the many who wanted to avail of the promo, told ABS-CBN News while waiting at PAL’s Cubao office that she has been trying to book online since 1 a.m. on Monday. By Tuesday, she still could not complete the transaction on PAL’s site. “I could have saved a lot. Can you imagine, I could go to Sidney with a ticket that's only $318?”
PAL's one-way fares on economy class to other international destinations have been cut as well. A roundtrip flight from Manila to Los Angeles, San Francisco, Vancouver could be had for only $488 for travels made between May 16 and August 31 this year. Travels to Jakarta and Hong Kong could go as low as $48, and to Bangkok, $58.
While the promo fare rates exclude surcharges and fees, the savings have been attracting a throng of PAL website visitors, causing the site to bog down.
In a statement, the airline company said, “PAL is experiencing an unusual number of website visitors who want to avail of its Internet Promo Real Deal. PAL is implementing measures to get in touch with these customers to assist them in completing their transactions.”
Been there done that
These birthing pains are not new to Cebu Pacific, PAL’s fierce competitor.
Cebu Pacific, the first budget airline in the Philippines and Southeast Asia, also tapped the Internet to sell low-priced ticket to travelers destined for local and international destinations. Cutting on all possible costs on top of the fares, the Internet transactions was the low cost airline’s way to reduce add-on expenses traditionally given to middlemen, such as travel agents.
When Cebu Pacific introduced fares way below PAL’s rates both for local and regional destinations, its servers also bogged down when excited passengers visited the site. The company had to build up strong consumer service and corporate image groups to address numerous complaints.
Candice Iyog, Cebu Pacific’s spokesperson, had to constantly remind the public that the promotional fares are only applicable to limited number seats. She and the rest of the airline’s top officers hammered the message that passengers who would like to avail of the promotional fares have to book their tickets way before the flight date itself, otherwise the travelers would likely lose the lower-priced tickets to someone else.
This reinvented the Filipino’s previous mindset, which was shaped by legacy airlines like PAL.
Before, to avail of promotional fares from, say PAL, one could take his chances that the airline would place the tickets on sale a few days before or on the flight date itself. The logic would be that the airline has already sold enough seats in a particular flight to cover its operating costs and meet required margins. The tickets sold and considered under promo are just financial gravy.
Aviation expert Benjamin Solis gave an illustration: “If the seats normally cost P3,000, and the number of minimum seats worth P3,000 have already been sold, they can now afford to sell the extra seats at promo prices, say P1,000. If 8 people decide to avail of the P1,000 tickets, then the company earns an extra P8,000.”
Solis added, “To an airline, P8,000 is better than nothing at all." After all, an airline seat is considered a “perishable product."
Cash management
Budget airlines, however, have an entirely different mindset. Solis explained that the number of seats that a budget airline throw away for a promo has been pre-computed. "They know the historical performance of a flight, which is dependent on seasons, fiestas, graduations, holidays, name it, they have added those variables in their computation."
"They already know that, at a certain period of the year, a certain number of Filipinos will travel by air. So they know that if they have one million seats for that period, they could sell, say 650,000 seats without batting an eyelash. They could then afford to sell the 350,000 seats for, say P1. That’s still P350,000 additional funds for the company," he explained.
Why then would budget airlines want travelers to book ahead?
Solis said that as soon as the budget airline has come up with a good estimate of how many seats could be included in the promo, it immediately launches campaigns to entice travelers to book their tickets online. Again, the budget airline’s carrot for booking ahead is that someone else could buy the lower-priced fares ahead.
In other words, budget airlines are highly dependent on revenue management models—they compute how many seats could be sold for less—and the cash management team. The latter plays on the time value of money concept as applied to the cash paid by early bookers.
This means that since early bookers buy their tickets way ahead of the flight date—sometimes up to 3 months ahead of the flight—the company could invest the fares collected to earn extra.
Solis explained that since the budget airline also earns from the payment of the early bookers, by the time the flight date nears, it is not as desperate anymore to sell extra seats. In fact, most of the time, fares sold on the day of or a few days before the flight itself are even priced higher than the normal rates.
“This shows that the DNA of a budget airline is very different from a legacy airline,” Solis stressed.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Logistics park for Clark?
The 65-hectare logistics centre will house companies involved in aviation support, plus logistics operations and distribution centres.
The 51-hectare business park will have aviation and airport support offices and airline services.
Other facilities will include space for flight and air crew training providers, aeronautical research and development, modelling and simulation centres.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Air Asia looking to set up an affiliate in the Philippines, could be good news for Clark ..
AirAsia now has a 49 per cent stake each in affiliate airlines Indonesia AirAsia and Thai AirAsia.
"It will be great to have operations in the Philippines and Vietnam - the two biggest countries in Asean that we have yet to establish a base in," group chief executive officer Datuk Seri Tony Fernandes told Business Times in an interview last Friday.
By setting up affiliate airlines in the two countries, AirAsia will have access to a combined population of roughly 180 million.
"We have been offered a lot of joint ventures around the region and this shows the power of our brand," Fernandes said.
However, he has not set a time frame for the expansion as AirAsia is still searching for the right partners and working on securing licences from the respective governments.Fernandes said the planned venture with Vietnam's shipbuilding giant Vinashin to form a Vietnamese low-cost carrier was frozen by the Vietnamese government.
AirAsia had signed a letter of intent in 2007 for a 30 per cent stake to set up its third affiliate airline, Vina AirAsia, which was to have been operational by the middle of last year.
According to a Vietnamese daily, its government has since told state-owned companies, such as Vinashin, to focus on their core activities.
Furthermore, the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam has proposed to its Transport Ministry not to issue new airline licences in Vietnam until 2011.
"But we are very patient. After all, we waited seven years to get the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore route. So I'm sure it will happen," Fernandes said.
He added that his ultimate vision was for all the AirAsia affiliates in Asean to become a single entity.
"My dream, without sounding like Martin Luther King, is that we are one airline in the end. Basically, for us to become one quoted company in Asean."
In the meantime, AirAsia will continue to position itself as an Asean company and strive to be a dominant airline in the region.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
42 in ChemTrad crash search team stranded
Melchito Castro, regional civil defense chief, said the heavy rains triggered by the tail end of a cold front in Northern Luzon delayed the team’s return here.
He said two Huey helicopters that were supposed to airlift the team members failed to land in a designated pickup area because of the foul weather.
On Tuesday, Chief Superintendent Roberto Damian, Cagayan Valley police director, called off plans to airlift the members from the site where the twin-engine Islander owned by ChemTrad Aviation Corp. crashed. He said the “erratic” weather had made flying over the area very risky.
Damian, who is also chairman of the Cagayan Valley regional disaster coordinating council (RDCC), lauded the bravery and proficiency of Air Force pilots who flew into bad weather over the Sierra Madre mountains on Monday morning in what he described as a daring retrieval operation.
“I can say that though we have the best pilots around, who have the guts to fly the harshest missions, we just cannot take any more risks,” he said, halting plans of additional sorties to the site on Tuesday to get the rescuers.
The Britten-Norman BN2 plane, known as Islander, crashed in Mt. Alas Diyes in Sitio Bayang in Baggao on April 2, minutes after it took off from the airport here for Maconacon town in Isabela.
Rescuers found the wreckage only on April 14, 12 days after it was reported missing.
The pilot, Captain Tomas Z. Yañez, co-pilot Captain Reiner Ruiz, and passengers Senior Police Officer 2 Rolly Castaños, Celestino Salacup, Abelardo Baggay, Joel Basilio, and James Bakilan, died in the crash.
The retrieval of their bodies capped more than two weeks of search and rescue operations deep in the mountains of Sierra Madre.
Captain Mannie Barradas, ChemTrad owner and board chairman, said the crash site was 5,000 meters above sea level, on a thickly-forested ridge with a 60-degree slope.
Because airlifting them from the site was no longer possible, rescuers would have to walk for another day and a half to a river below the mountains where it was safer for them to be ferried by a helicopter, he said.
The rescuers, including mountaineers, and village volunteers, hiked for three to four days to reach the site.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Manila's Secondary Runway should get approach lighting CAAP - More Woes!
Director General Ruben Ciron of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (Caap) made this statement in the wake of Miaa General Manager Alfonso Cusi’s suggestion that runway 13-31 should be used by smaller aircraft classified as belonging to “general aviation [GenAv].”
Cusi made the suggestion to decongest international runway 06-24, and also to avoid its temporary closure during emergencies or accidents.
The Naia’s main runway was closed for three hours on Sunday after a light aircraft, belonging to the Care Jet Co. of the United States, aborted its takeoff about 8 p.m. when its landing gears erupted in fire and smoke.
The aircraft stopped in the middle of the runway, while responding firefighters prevented the fire from spreading.
No one among the four persons onboard were hurt, including the pilot, copilot and two medical assistants.
The Cessna jet flew in from Guam at 6 p.m. Sunday with a patient onboard, seeking medical treatment in the Philippines.
Due to the accident, scores of arriving international and domestic flights were diverted to the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport in Clark, Pampanga. Normal operations at the Naia resumed at 11 p.m.
The Miaa chief, not wanting a repeat of the debacle, has suggested to the Naia Time Slotting Committee to review the scheduling of small aircraft, weighing 25,000 kilograms or below, by directing them to domestic runway 13-31.
“Aircraft like these are usually owned by operators at our GenAv and, therefore, would be most logical to make them use the domestic runway for landing and take-off. In so doing, we can maximize the use of the international runway for commercial operations,” Cusi added.
When asked to comment about the incident, Ciron said that air-traffic controllers assigned the Westwind II aircraft to take off on runway 06-24 since runway 13-31 is only used by light aircraft during daytime, or when good weather condition prevails.
“One of the solutions to decongest runway 06-24 is to convert runway 13-31 into an instrument runway,” Ciron said in a letter to Cusi on April 16.
“Instrument runways” could be used at day- or nighttime or during bad weather when pilots could use the navigational aids, such as the distance-measuring equipment, and the very high-frequency Omni-directional range, to land and take off safely.
However, before the domestic runway could be made into an all-weather runway, Ciron suggested that Cusi install in it a Runway Threshold Identification Light “to complete the airfield lighting system requirements for such runway.”
The Caap chief said a New Zealand aviation company, which also conducted flight checks in scores of provincial airports, had already subjected runway 13-31 to several flight checks. “The Caap had already designed the approach chart of runway 13 and had finished the corresponding flight checks,” Ciron said, adding that the foreign aviation experts have declared the runway safe for instrument approach.
The domestic runway used to be an instrument runway about 10 years ago, but was temporarily decommissioned after several tall buildings on Roxas Boulevard were built, disrupting the radio signals from the navigational aids.
The buildings were aligned with the domestic runway, and the radio signals coming from the navigational aids tended to be disrupted due to the buildings’ interference, Ciron said.
A decade ago, the then-Air Transportation Office sued the owners of the buildings for violation of aviation rules, forcing them to reduce the height of the concrete and glass buildings.
However, some of them remain at heights in violation of Caap rules, which made the nav-aids ineffective and dangerous to use, since their signals could mislead pilots.
Lately, Ciron has led the move to restore runway 13-31 to an all-weather runway, seeking the cooperation of the Miaa for a joint effort, so that the Naia could have two instrument runways and reduce the congestion that is now the bane of the 30-member Airline Operators Council.
The Caap has realigned the angle of radio signals for the safe use of pilots landing on the domestic airport, in conjunction with the proposed threshold lighting system.
Despite this, however, the domestic airport would remain a “nonprecision” runway due to the absence of an “instrument landing system,” which only runway 06-24 is equipped at the moment.
The presence of the tall buildings on the approach of the domestic runway would never allow an ILS to be installed there, Ciron told the BusinessMirror.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
NAIA Woes - Philippines Main Airport still Struggles
Cusi recently asked Gen. Ruben Ciron, chief of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), “to consider the utilization of Naia’s domestic runway, runway 13-31, during daytime for aircraft weighing 25,000 kilograms and below.”
He explained the rationale for the decision: “Aircraft like these are usually owned by operators at our general aviation, therefore, would be most logical to make them use the domestic runway for landing and takeoff. In so doing, we can maximize the use of the international runway for commercial operations.”
The Philippines is the only Asian country that has only one international runway (runway 24) at its premier airport, thus disrupting so many international flights when even just a single incident occurs on that runway.
In the latest incident, Cusi reported that at about 8 p.m. on Sunday, a Westwind-II aircraft with registry number N-911GU aborted takeoff at Naia’s international runway after the pilot noticed smoke emanating from its left wheel. Rescue teams were quickly deployed to the site, but heavy rains delayed their work.
But whether the rains are pouring or not, the fact that there’s only one international runway is a real constraint.
Disruptions to flights owing to this congestion compound the already problematic situation in general, as this paper’s aviation reporter, Recto Mercene, had long been writing about. As a result, air-traffic control has to use a “bag of tricks” in order to ensure the safety of all flights going into and out of Manila, i.e., imposing longer separation times between flights during peak seasons or holidays like Christmas and New Year. Again, the bottom line: Flights are delayed because—rightly so—air-traffic controllers must pick safety over convenience.
But the point is that if the necessary hardware are budgeted for and actually installed, so many of the problems faced by aviation personnel could be reduced. For instance, in Sunday night’s fiasco, it turns out the air ambulance was not an exception: Small aircraft are routinely deployed to runway 24 (the sole international runway) because domestic runway 13-31 cannot be used after sundown. The excuse: It’s “not an instrument runway,” and can only be used for visual flight rules. Sources said efforts to install an instrument system at runway 13-31 ran into technical snags a few years ago, and no one, it seems, has bothered to review the problem.
And, speaking of personnel, it’s been nearly a year since Congress passed the CAAP law, but the latest word is that reforms to boost staffing morale and competence are proceeding slowly. The problem of getting, training and keeping competent airmen is thus something that won’t go away soon.
Taken together, these persistent problems are bound to affect our status as an aviation center—or derail hopes to reverse the dismal Category 2 status imposed by international bodies.
Reacting to Cusi’s move to review the runway slotting system, MIAA Airport Development and Corporate Affairs Assistant General Manager Tirso Serrano was quoted saying: “This move is intended to likewise increase terminal capacities for Naia Terminals 1, 2 and 3. With the recent opening of NAIA Terminal 3, we have increased our potential to 32 million passengers a year.” Between that potential and fruition is a wide chasm that requires, among others: the political will and a clear, unified vision among turf-conscious aviation agencies, and the budget to obtain crucial hardware and pay aviation personnel salaries they deserve.
Bodies from crashed Chemtrad plane finally retrieved - police
A report from Region 2 police said combined elements of Army’s 17tth Infantry Battalion, policemen from Baggao town, personnel from the Bureau and Fire Protection in Kalinga and volunteers successfully retrieved the remains of the seven crash victims from the 10-seater Islander RPC764 airplane.
The report said that the remains of the victims would be airlifted to Tuguegarao on Tuesday.Additional equipment and food supplies were airlifted and dropped to the crash site Monday to boost the retrieval team's operations.
Much-needed power tools were delivered to the crash site so that the team could retrieve bodies stuck inside the wrecked plane which went missing on April 2. Three investigators from the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines and two embalmers were also brought to the site.
The plane took off from Tuguegarao carrying two pilots and five passengers on board, but failed to reach its destination in Maconacon town in Isabela province. The plane was spotted on April 15 in Baggao town, but rescue planes could not land immediately because of harsh weather and terrain.
Chief Superintendent Roberto Damian, Philippine National Police Region 2 director and Regional Disaster Coordinating Council chairman earlier said they expect to airlift the first bodies on Monday afternoon or Tuesday if weather conditions permit.
Philippines - Disabled plane closes NAIA runway
The Westwind2 twin-jet air ambulance belonging to CareJet, a medivac company based in Guam, lined up for take-off on Runway 24 at 8:18 pm. As it powered-up to gain speed, its left landing gear suddenly blew up and exposed the metal rim causing sparks to fly all over and setting the wheels on fire. As this happened, the flight crew, identified as Capt. Charles Cooper and Capt. Toshihiro Shima, brought the aircraft to an abrupt stop, jumped out of the aircraft and put out the fire using a fire extinguisher.
Airport emergency workers rushed to the disabled aircraft, which stopped some 200 meters from the take-off point, and assisted the airplane crew to completely put out the fire using chemical foam.
Both crew and the two Intensive Care Unit nurses, Matthew Keith and Eunice Neil, all got out of the incident unscathed.
With the aircraft blocking the main runway, the runway had to be closed with the air traffic controllers immediately releasing a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) about the disabled aircraft. As a result, 14 arriving flights from international and domestic destinations had to be diverted to other airports in the country.
Seven international and six domestic flights were diverted to the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport in Pampanga while one PAL domestic flight was diverted to Cebu. The diverted flights included those from Cebu Pacific, Philippine Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Continental Airlines, Royal Brunei Airways and Emirates Airlines. 28 other domestic flights were delayed as a result of the temporary runway closure.
Airport assistant general manager for Operations Octavio Lina disclosed that the plane recovery team had a hard time removing the aircraft from the runway because they lacked the necessary equipment to lift the airplane.
According to Lina, the airport management has the necessary recovery tools but only for aircraft types that are normally found in the country.
The Operations chief disclosed that the medivac aircraft was specially designed with an extremely low profile for easy egress and ingress making all of their tools unusable. It was learned that even the pneumatic lifting bags, which are normally placed under the wing and then inflated to raise a plane, proved useless as the bags were too big for the aircraft. The special axel jack was also too big for the type of aircraft and could not fit underneath the wheels to be lifted.
Finally, borrowing a forklift from a nearby hangar, the recovery team was finally able to lift the aircraft, place it on skates and tow it to a nearby aircraft maintenance hangar—clearing the runway by 11 pm.
An airport official said he will recommend to airport authorities the purchase of more aircraft recovery tools to considerably lessen the time it takes airport workers to clear the runway of any disabled aircraft. The equipment will include newer jacking and towing tools including an overhead crane with slings.
The airport official added that they will also try to decongest the airport runway by pushing earlier plans of moving General Aviation flights to nearby airports in Batangas, Cavite, or Pampanga.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Cebu Pacific expresses interest in launching service to Brunei & Australia
"We’re very interested to operate flights to Brunei and Australia. We’ve been asking for entitlements so that we can offer low fares for these markets," said Candice A. Iyog, Cebu Pacific vice-president for marketing.
Cebu Pacific has sought 540 seat entitlements for three weekly Manila to Sydney flights, 300 seat entitlements for a twice-weekly Manila to Melbourne flight, and 360 seat entitlements for a twice-weekly Manila to Brisbane flight.
Cebu Pacific has also applied for "designation as official Philippine carrier to Brunei".
Flag-carrier Philippine Airlines, Inc. (PAL), meanwhile, said that it has no plans to increase flights to Australia at present and had not yet considered whether to mount fights to Brunei.
"We are on status quo for our flights to Australia," Jonathan P. Gesmundo of PAL’s Corporate Communications office said.
Last October, Lucio C. Tan-led PAL increased its Melbourne and Sydney flights from five times a week to daily flights.
Businessman Alfredo M. Yao said his budget airline Zest Airways, Inc. would also apply for entitlements to Australia.
"Yes, we have plans to mount flights to Australia as we are really aiming to carve niche markets in our flights. We also see some demand from there," Mr. Yao said.
Mr. Yao said that Zest was still weighing up their options as to whether they will mount flight to Brunei.
Last March, the country’s air panel finished air service negotiations with their Australian counterparts.
Over the course of two days it was decided that seat entitlements would be increased up to 6,000 seats from 2,500, for flights between Manila and Clark to Sydney, Brisbane and Perth.
Flights between other regional airports in Australia and airports in the Philippines have no frequency or capacity restrictions.
The country also sealed new air service agreements with Brunei last April, with flight entitlements for both countries increased from one to two carriers, and from five to seven weekly flights.
Puerto Princesa Airport devt project gets $71.61M from Korea
The Korean Exim Bank and the Philippine government signed the minutes of discussion (MOD), which confirmed the discussion between the Philippines and the appraisal mission. MOD will form part of a report by the Korean Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF) that would be submitted to the Korean government for further processing of the loan.
“The project aims to improve transport accessibility, efficiency and sustainability in Palawan; contribute to ongoing poverty reduction efforts, and support the Philippine government’s peace and development efforts in the region. The project is proposed for implementation from 2009 to 2013,” the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) said in a statement.
The Neda said that based on the Korea Exim Bank’s appraisal, the project will cost some $92.1 million, or P4.4 billion, based on an exchange rate of P47.4 to the dollar.
Of the amount, around $71.61 million, or 78 percent, of the project cost is proposed to be sourced from Korean Exim Bank, while some $20.5 million, or 22 percent, will be the Philippine government’s counterpart fund.
Approved by the Investment Coordination Committee early this year, the PPADP involves the redevelopment of the existing Puerto Princesa Airport to be compliant with the International Civil Aviation Organization standards.
The project will involve the construction of a new passenger terminal with facilities to accommodate increased domestic passengers and international flights. It will also involve the construction of a new access road and provision of navigational aids, among others.
The Neda also said the Department of Transportation and Communications and the Korean Exim Bank also signed the procurement arrangement (PA) for the PPADP.
The PA covers information on arrangements for procurement for the contract packages, disbursement schedules and measures to ensure successful implementation of the project, among others.
The MOD were signed by Transportation Undersecretary Doroteo Reyes II, Neda Deputy Director General Rolando Tungpalan, OIC-Undersecretary Rosalia de Leon of the Department of Finance, and Chae-hwan Lim, operations chief for the EDCF Operations Division of the Korean Exim Bank.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Direct flights to S. Korea airport set from RPUS
Direct flights between the two airports are set to commence on May 8, with an initial passenger traffic volume of 20,000 Korean tourists, mostly students, their parents, and other family members wanting to visit La Union, Baguio City, and Benguet.
Top executives of Poro Point Management Corp. (PPMC), a subsidiary of the government-run Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA), made the announcement upon arrival from their recent visit to Chungcheongbuk-do province in South Korea.
The delegation, headed by PPMC executive vice president and chief operating officer Anthony C. Manguiat, came back last April 2 from a “highly fruitful” visit to South Korea.
The BCDA, which spearheaded the expansion and upgrading of the San Fernando Airport, expected substantial increase in tourist arrivals and investments in Northern Philippines.
The group met with their Korean counterparts headed by Jang Soon Ja, director of the Korean Airports Corp., as well as with tourism and aviation officials of Chungcheongbuk-do. Poro Point’s development and the San Fernando Airport’s expansion are part of BCDA’s sustained conversion program through which former American bases are transformed into centers of socio-economic development.
Chungcheongbuk-do (North Chungcheong) is a province in the center of South Korea. It was formed in 1896 from the northeastern half of the former Chungcheong province. Its provincial capital is Cheongju.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Bataan Death March - A Story from an Aviatior - Lest we Forget
The atrocities of the Japanese Imperial Army, which began that day on the Baatan Peninsula in the Philippines and continued for Templeton three and one-half years as a prisoner of war, are vividly etched in his mind some 67 years later.
Billy was one of about 76,000 American and Filipino prisoners forced to trudge through blistering heat to prisons some 80 torturous miles away. They became prisoners April 9 when Maj. Gen. Edward King Jr. formally surrendered to a Japanese force of 54,000.
Tagged the Bataan Death March, the infamous walk is known for its brutality, executions and inhumane treatment. Thousands died before reaching the end of the line.
Billy, an Army Air Corps radio operator with the 19th Bomb Group, was one of the prisoners.
In an interview at his Lee’s Summit home, Billy says it was “hope” that got him through the weeklong ordeal.
“You had to think you were going to make it; otherwise, you could give in,” he says pausing. “What was your alternative?”
Billy, whose military career began in 1939 as a 17-year-old, made aviation history on Nov. 3, 1941, when he landed at Clark Field on Luzon Island in the Philippines in one of the 26 history-making B-17 bombers.
Why all the hype about a mission that resulted in Billy and all the other participants receiving the Air Medal?
This marked the first time a mass flight of heavy bombers had attempted to fly from the West Coast of the United States to the Philippines.
“In those days, planes were moved long distances over water by ship,” Billy explains, noting the 26 “Flying Fortresses” were dispatched to beef up bases in the Philippines in case hostilities erupted in the Pacific.
One month later, Japan bombed Pearl Harbor and Clark Field, destroying numerous B-17s – including Billy’s bomber. War had come to the Pacific.
Following the attack, a radio group in Headquarters Squadron – of which Billy was a member – received orders to assist the Signal Corps. So, on Christmas Eve 1941, a contingent of 13 men left Clark Field and set up a radio communications shack in the jungles on the Bataan peninsular.
With the small detachment suffering from lack of food, dysentery, malaria and beriberi, the men were not ready for what faced them – the Japanese invasion of Baatan, which led to the capture of Billy and his companion Glenn.
Unarmed and trying to cross a jungle road, Billy and Glenn encountered two armed Japanese soldiers who captured them without firing a shot.
“They pointed in the direction they wanted us to go, and with a rifle butt to the kneecap, we headed out,” Billy recalls.
As they walked along the dusty road, Billy and Glenn saw more Japanese rounding up other prisoners who had surrendered and searching them for valuables.
“We joined the larger group,” he says, recalling everything of value was taken off them except their canteens, which were full. “We didn’t realize that such a small thing could be the difference between life and death in the coming days.”
With atrocities occurring one after another – sometimes hourly – it didn’t take long to figure out that only the strong, obedient and fittest would survive.
Some of the soldiers carried swords and used them to behead those who disobeyed their orders. Others found with Japanese currency, guns or knives in their possession were executed on the spot. There was no mercy.
Marching four abreast, Billy says it was instant death for anyone who couldn’t keep up or fell out of line. To keep that from happening, the weak were put between the strong.
Keeping the weak in the middle for support wasn’t foolproof, though. Once, a captain suffering from malaria fell out of rank and into a ditch. While kneeling and pleading for his life, a guard executed him.
Executions were common and carried out in many sickening ways. Like the man who was stabbed, strung to a tree and “used for bayonet practice.”
Even villagers weren’t immune.
Billy remembers villagers tossing rice balls wrapped in leaves to the weary prisoners passing by their bamboo huts when the guards weren’t looking.
Touched by what he saw, Billy’s joy turned into sorrow and fear when an observant guard spotted one of the tossed rice balls in flight. He entered a house, killed the occupants and came out wiping blood off his bayonet.
Walking on dusty roads in 100-degree heat, the hot, dirty, smelly prisoners lived in their own squalor. There were no bathroom breaks.
Death was everywhere, Billy says, recalling the stench of death, infection and other smells “stung their senses,” as did the rancid, decaying bodies strewn on and along the “road to hell.”
At Capas, the exhausted prisoners were jammed into boxcars and taken to Camp O’Donnell, where the only source of water for some 9,300 prisoners was from a single spigot. They remained there four months before boarding a “hell ship” for their final destination – Manchuria, where they spent the rest of the war doing slave labor.
For the rest of the story, read “Manila Bay Sunset: The Long March Into Hell.” Written by Billy Templeton, the 144-page soft-cover book has been called “a moving story of survival and personal triumph.”
Published in 2006 by River Road Press of Laguna Vista, Texas, “Manila Bay Sunset” is available for $15.95. To purchase a copy, call the author at 816-373-6983 or go to www.manilibaysunset.com.
Bad weather hampers Chemtrad rescuers
Retrieval teams on board helicopters encountered bad weather at around 3 p.m., prompting them to turn back, said Chief Superintendent Roberto Damian, Cagayan Valley regional director.
Three helicopters, one with lift and hoist capabilities, were unable to drop equipment and food supplies to the retrievers as strong winds and low clouds prevented the choppers from making a steady hover over the bivouac area of the retrievers, Damian said.
The 54 rescuers from the Philippine National Police, the Philippine Army, and local government officials are now in the area.
The Chemtrad light plane (tail no. 764) was found on a heavily-forested slope in Sitio (sub-village) Bayang, Barangay (village) San Miguel in Baggao town after it went missing last April 2.
Onboard were Captains Tomas Yañez and Reiner Ruiz, the pilot and co-pilot, Senior Police Officer 2 Rolly Castaños, Celestino Salacup, Abelardo Baggay, Joel Basilio and James Bakilan.
The plane and its crew were bound for Maconacon town in Isabela province.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Wreckage of crashed plane found but no survivors
MANILA, Philippines (Xinhua) - Rescuers today found the wreckage of the private plane that was declared missing 12 days ago shortly after its take-off in northern Philippines but none of the seven people on board survived the crash.
"There were no survivors according to the report," said Cagayan Valley regional police director Chief Superintendent Roberto Damian, adding that the wreckage was found along the slope of a heavily vegetated area in Baggaop, Cagayan province.
The islander plane owned by Chemtrad Aviation Corp. took off on the morning of April 2 from Tuguegarao city in Cagayan but failed to reach its destination in Maconacon, Isabela province on time, prompting authorities to declare it missing.
Damian said military aircraft attempted retrieval operations in the past week but bad weather and strong winds and the lack of landing zone prevented the rescuers from reaching the crash site.
It was one of the two plane crashes in this month in northern Luzon region.
A presidential chopper crashed in the mountains of Ifugao province last week, killing eight people on board including senior aids of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Bad weather, again, was blamed for the tragedy while the authorities are still probing other possible causes.
Bad news for expat pilots
The move will benefit more than 5,000 youth who during the pre-meltdown aviation boom trained as commercial pilots in countries such as Canada, Russia, the US and the Philippines, spending Rs25-30 lakh in the process, but are now without jobs. It will also benefit about 2,000 youth who are soon to complete pilot training.
The DGCA has prepared a draft proposal recommending foreign pilots' period of employment be reduced from three to two years and the retirement age for a pilot brought down from 65 to 60 years. The policy is likely to create 2,000 vacancies in the next six months, the official said.
Such is the job drought that Air India has received more than 1,350 responses to an advertisement for 30 trainee pilot posts. But just three years ago, there was a serious shortage of pilots in the country, necessitating emergency recruitment of pilots from abroad.
In 2007-08, 600 pilots were recruited on three-year contracts. It was then that thousands of Indians went abroad for pilot training. But by the time they finished their courses, the situation back home had changed leaving no demand for new pilots.
Friday, April 3, 2009
Northern Philippines - Missing plane spotted in Isabela – police
The Chemtrad light plane with tail number 764 that suddenly went missing in the province of Isabela Thursday morning was spotted by police rescue teams from Maconacon town between the villages of Flores and Riena Mercedez, said Chief Superintendent Roberto Damian, police regional office 2, director.
Damian said they have no information yet if the seven passengers, including a policeman, are alive, adding low visibility prevented a police team from pursuing the rescue operation.
However, rescue teams from nearby Divilacan and Maconacon towns have now been dispatched to the area to verify the report, he said.
Earlier, Damian said they have received reports that the light plane made an emergency landing in an air strip owned by American missionaries in Valley Cove in Baggao town.
The private plane piloted by Captain Tomas Yañez went missing after it took off from the Tuguegarao Airport at 8 a.m. Thursday. The plane was bound for Maconacon town in Isabela but it did not reach its destination.
The plane had seven passengers: Captains Yañez and Ruiz (pilot and co-pilot), Senior Police Officer 2 Rolly Castaños, Celestino Salacup, Abelardo Baggay, Joel Basilio and James Bakilan.
Damian earlier said that the weather condition in the provinces was rainy.
Islander missing in Northern Philippines - 7 on Board
Regional police commander Chief Superintendent Roberto Damian says the 10-seater BN Islander left northern Tuguegarao city in Cagayan province early Thursday for the remote township of Maconacon in nearby Isabela province some 35 minutes away.
Damian says it never arrived and that there has been no communication from the plane.
It is possible the aircraft, carrying two pilots and five passengers, landed at another air strip. But he says authorities are "preparing for the worst."It has been raining in the area for two days.Damian says the plane is owned by ChemTrad Aviation Corp.
Damian identified the plane’s pilot as Capt. Tomas Z. Yaňez and co-pilot as Capt. Reiner Ruiz.
The passengers included SPO2 Rolly Castaňos, Celestino Salacup, Abelardo Baggay, Joel Basilio and James Bakilan.
Damian identified the plane’s pilot as Capt. Tomas Z. Yaňez and co-pilot as Capt. Reiner Ruiz.
The passengers included SPO2 Rolly Castaňos, Celestino Salacup, Abelardo Baggay, Joel Basilio and James Bakilan.
Chief Supt. Roberto Damian, PNP regional director for Cagayan Valley, said the Chemtrad plane with tail number 764 left Tuguegarao airport in Cagayan province past 8 a.m.
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