DOTr Seals Deal To Digitize Two Mindanao Airports

16 July 2024

Davao and General Santos International Airports joins Manila, Clark, and Cebu to have digitize Airport Operational Database (AODB) system as Department of Transportation (DOTr) and software company TAV Technologies of Turkey signed contract for installation of digital system on two Mindanao airports Friday, July 12. 

The Airport operational database (AODB) is the “heart” of airport operations management. The Airport Operational Database integrates airport control systems, airport resource allocation, and airport invoicing systems for business users.

DOTr said it enables pilot to see in real time if their aircraft has parking position when they arrive and automatically bills them for aeronautical and airport charges.

Signed by Undersecretary for Aviation and Airports Roberto Lim, Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) Executive Director Carmelo Arcilla, and Aziz Can Aksoyek of TAV, the agreement is for the pilot digitalization project in Davao International Airport and General Santos International Airport. 

Lim said that under the old manual process all flight filings are coordinated and paid in Manila.

"This time, filing and payment would be automatic" adds Lim.

AODB allows growing airports to optimize operations and reduce costs as it becomes digital and automatic without human intervention.

The aviation initiative aims to digitalize airport operations by implementing an AODB to streamline the traditional manual process in Philippine airports.

Philippines Adds 58 New Flights in 2023

 2 August 2023

International Flights

Philippine airports has added 58 new weekly international flights this year from various gateway points according to the Department of Tourism (DoT).

DOT said Wednesday almost all international gateway in the Philippines has received new and resumption flights in 2023, citing data from its Routes Development report for June 2023.

The gateway airports are Manila, Clark, Cebu, Panglao, Kalibo, and Davao.

DoT said their data doesn't include yet the plan resumption of daily flight from United Airlines, as well as four more airlines that wishes to operate in the Philippines.

For its midyear data, Manila added seven weekly flights from Tokyo with ZipAir B787 flights and And two additional Air China B737 flights to Chengdu, while Cebu received seven new flights from China Eastern Airlines to Shanghai, four Philippine Air Asia weekly flightsto Tokyo, two Cebu Pacific weekly flights to Taipei, and two additional weekly flights by Asiana Airlines to Incheon.

Two additional weekly flights is also added to Bohol offered by Asiana Airlines and seven more by Air Busan, both originating from Seoul's Incheon airport.

Kalibo likewise attracted three new weekly flights from Hangzhou, three from Ningbo, and three from Wenzhou, all by Loong Air; four from Chengdu by Ok Airways, and two from Taipei by TigerAir Taiwan.

Clark also added seven Asiana Airlines weekly flights from Seoul; Caticlan three Royal Air weekly flights from Hong Kong; and Lallo airport in Cagayan Province, two Royal Air flights from Macau.

DoT said eight of the country’s international gateways reported more incoming flights and seats each week.

In its June data, the DoT said Clark posted a 180% increase in incoming scheduled weekly frequencies and a 215% rise in incoming weekly seats. The corresponding gains for Manila were 75% and 120% respectively.

“In Visayas, Kalibo recorded a 640% increase in incoming frequencies and 409% increase in incoming seats, Cebu 300% and 297% (respectively), and Bohol 200% and 128% (respectively),” the DoT said.

“Davao saw a 50% increase in incoming frequencies, and 38% increase in incoming seats,” it added.

Domestic Flights
Tourism Department also disclosed massive increased in offered domestic seats despite airlines aircraft problem, due to new routes and the resumption of services.

“The industry gained from at least 17 city pairs, with about 83 incoming weekly frequencies that were launched between July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023. 

These new city pairs included new domestic flights between Cebu-Baguio (4 frequencies per week), Cebu-Borongan (2 frequencies per week), and Cebu-Naga (4 frequencies per week),” the DoT said.


“Among the domestic flights that resumed in the same period were: Clark to Bacolod, Busuanga, Cagayan de Oro, Caticlan, Davao, Iloilo, General Santos, and Puerto Princesa; Manila to Tablas and Lal-o; Davao to Bacolod, Cagayan de Oro, and Siargao; and Zamboanga to Cotabato,” it added.

For 2023, the DoT is targeting 4.8 million international arrivals, mainly from China, Korea, and Japan, against 2.65 million it received last year. The Philippines has logged over 3 million international arrivals as of July 19.

Philippine Airspace To Be Close on May 17

2 May 2023

Department of Transportation (DOTr) announced Tuesday that the country’s airspace will be shut down for six hours on May 17 for maintenance schedule of its navigational equipment.

DOTr said the shutdown to Philippine Airspace will allow it to replace an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) unit of the Air Traffic Management (ATM) system installed at the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines complex in Pasay City.

The closure of the Philippine airspace will begin at 12 midnight and to end at 6 a.m.

Ninoy Aquino International Airport and operating airlines were notified in advance of the scheduled disruptions, and would operate early or delayed flights for this maintenance schedule.

NAIA was recently advised by the CAAP that the replacement of the UPS may take shorter than expected.

“These are all proactive efforts to, of course, make sure that the CNS/ATM (Communication, Navigation and Surveillance/Air Traffic Management) is reliable as an offshoot of what happened this year,”MIAA Senior Assistant General Manager Bryan Co said in a news conference this afternoon.

Co said MIAA, CAAP, and airport authorities across the country as well as various operating airlines will also be meeting Wednesday morning to discuss plans for the shutdown.

The MIAA is asking airlines to step up in communicating the shutdown to passengers who will be affected as their will be travel delays affecting their plans.

DOTr To Bid 10 Regional Airports

 21 April 2023

Transport Secretary Jaime J. Bautista bared government plans to privatize operations and maintenance of 10 regional airports across the country.

Airports prepared for privatization are Bohol-Panglao, Laguindingan, Bicol, Iloilo, Puerto Princesa, Davao, Bacolod, Kalibo, Busuanga and Siargao.

Sec. Bautista also disclosed at the Management Association of the Philippines meeting Wednesday, a plan to create Philippine Airports Authority (PAA) to manage all other airports, and the National Transportation and Safety Board (NTSB) to investigate transport related accidents, be it in the air, land, or sea.

"we also need legislative action to separate the regulatory and operator functions of airport authorities," Bautista said.

"We also need an independent body to perform standard aviation investigations." Bautista adds.

Currently, both regulatory and airport operator functions are managed by the Civil Aviation Authority.

Bautista said the two conflicting functions should not be dispensed by the same agency and the country needs a law to delineate them.

"A new agency should regulate airport users while another operates the airport," the Secretary points out.

Revenues generated from the lease of operations and maintenance services of the airport will be use to expedite the improvement of other airports that needs major infrastructure investments.

Among the airport beneficiaries are four regional airports in Dumaguete, Siargao, Zamboanga and Masbate which will be improved and transferred to a new location.

"We are also fast-tracking the airside improvement at Bicol International Airport, the country's newest international gateway." he said.

Boeing Offers New Generation Triple Seven for PH Government

20 September 2022

New York- Aerospace giant Boeing has meet with the President of the Philippines Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. relative to its acquisition of a long haul jet.

According to Palace Officials, Boeing offered to the Philippine government the brand new Boeing 777-8X powered by GE9x engine, with a price tag of $410 million, (₱22.6 billion) at listed price in 2022 for its long haul travel needs.

Boeing said the aircraft has a range of up to 8,730 nmi (16,170 km) with 310 passengers. It is capable to fly to all continents, except South America.

No further details is provided. 

 

DOTr To Privatize Airport Operations in Davao, Kalibo, Iloilo, and Panglao

 

29 August 2022

The Department of Transportation (Dotr) intends to offer for privatization the development, operations, and maintenance of four major airports under the public private partnership program, Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista said over the weekend.

Bautista said the airports considered for privatization are the development, operations and maintenance of the Panglao, Davao, Iloilo and Kalibo airports.

DOTr earlier privatized the operations of Cebu and Clark airports, while Duterte administration cancelled the development, operations and maintenance of the Bacolod-Silay, Davao, Iloilo, Laguindingan and Panglao airports under the PPP procurement process due to financial pressures on the general public.

The Agency instead decided to pursue the projects through official development assistance from Korea for Panglao and Laguindingan airports for completion of the project. 

Meanwhile, airport development for Davao was earmarked under the general appropriations.

The Regional Airport PPP Projects were originally approved under a bundled PPP structure by the National Economic and Development Authority-Investment Coordination Committee and the NEDA Board. The board approved the unbundling of the five airports in November 2016.

DOTr To Complete Tacloban in 2024

 29 August 2022

The Department of Transportation (DoTr) has allocated ₱2.5 billion to upgrade three airports in 2023.

Under the DoTr's ₱2.5-billion Aviation Infrastructure Program in the 2023 national budget, Daniel Romualdez Airport would receive ₱1.42 billion, for construction of passenger terminal building and terminal support infrastructures, while Antique Airport would get ₱500 million for airside development. 

Meanwhile, Laoag International Airport would receive ₱445 million also for airside development, Bukidnon Airport would get ₱80 million for landing instruments, and Ninoy Aquino International Airport would receive P43 million for terminal improvements.

Marcos To Complete Duterte Airport Projects

 4 August 2022

The Marcos administration will complete the building of provincial airports of the Duterte administration, the Department of Transportation (DoTr) said on Wednesday.

“We are building new airports in Zamboanga, Dumaguete, Masbate, and Bukidnon,” Transportation Undersecretary for Planning and Project Development Timothy John R. Batan said during a briefing.

Mr. Batan said these airport projects in Zamboanga, Dumaguete, Masbate, and Bukidnon were originally part of the Build, Build, Build project of the Duterte Administration whose funding was diverted to fight the Covid19 pandemic.

“They are in the pipeline, and except for Bukidnon Airport which is already being constructed, Zamboanga, Dumaguete and Masbate  are still in the early stages of project development.”

DoTr earmarked P1.8-billion in 2019 for airport development in Barangay Maraymaray in Don Carlos, Bukidnon.

Under the Duterte administration, completed projects included the new passenger terminal at Clark International Airport, the new Bicol International Airport, Mactan-Cebu International Airport, Bohol-Panglao International Airport, Puerto Princesa International Airport, Zamboanga International Airport, Catarman Airport, Calbayog Airport, Siquijor Airport, General Santos Airport, and Ormoc Airport.

“Other notable projects for the country’s aviation and airports include the establishment of the long-delayed communications, navigation, surveillance/air traffic management, as well as the night-rating of 23 commercial airports,” the DoTr said.

Mr. Batan also clarified that San Miguel Corp.’s P740-billion New Manila International Airport (NMIA) project in Bulacan is part of the Build, Build, Build Project which the Marcos Administration will continue.

“We will also coordinate with the Cavite province for the Sangley airport,” he said.

 DoTr disclosed that among the pipeline for airport development next year is the expansion of airports in Vigan, Baler, Roxas City, and Virac, as well as completion of night rating of airports across the country which funding was also affected by the pandemic.

JJB Heads DOTr

24 June 2022

Jaime J. Bautista has been named as Department of Transportation secretary of the incoming Marcos administration.

Bautista, a Certified Public Accountant, worked at Philippine Airlines for 25 years culminating his career as President and Chief Operating Officer for a combined 13 years before retiring for good in 2019.

He will be replacing Arthur Tugade, who manifested his intention to retire from government service, having served the agency since 2016.

Sorry, PH Still Closed To Foreigners

20 October 2021

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has clarified that Foreign tourists are not yet allowed to enter the Philippines despite coming from “green list” countries, as only Filipinos, Balikbayans, Diplomats, and those with valid and existing long-term visas from green and yellow-list countries are allowed to enter the country, according to its top official.

BI Commissioner Jaime Morente said that travel to the Philippines is severely restricted to Filipinos by the National Task Force Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (NTF-IATF), which capped the ceiling of allowed persons to enter the country at 3,500 passengers per day. NO restrictions however is imposed for those going out of the country. The Civil Aeronautics Board has maintain the cap on arrivals until November 15.

"If you are not anyone of these passengers, you are not allowed to enter the Philippines," says Morente.

The Philippines however allow transit of passengers to other countries, but limit the transfer at Ninoy Aquino International Airport. Philippine Airlines for example carry transit passengers to Vietnam and Indonesia from the US.

"Technically, the Philippine border is still closed to Foreign guests, at the moment", adds Morente.

Earlier, the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) released an updated list of Red, Green and Yellow List countries.

The lists are effective starting October 16, 2021 up to October 31, 2021.

Romania has been classified under Red List, while 49 countries have been placed under the green list.

Included in the Green List are Algeria, American Samoa, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cayman Islands, Chad, China (Mainland), Comoros, Republic of the Congo, Cook Islands, Eritrea, Falkland Islands (Malvinas), Gibraltar, Hong Kong (Special Administrative Region of China), Kiribati, Madagascar, Mali, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Montserrat, Nauru, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Niue, North Korea, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, Poland, Saba (Special Municipality of the Kingdom of the Netherlands), Saint Helena, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Samoa, Sierra Leone, Sint Eustatius, Solomon Islands, Sudan, Syria, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Tokelau, Tonga, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu and Yemen.

All other countries not mentioned are classified under the Yellow List.

Quarantine protocols of arriving passengers from the updated lists shall be implemented and monitored by the Bureau of Quarantine.

“Despite these travel restrictions, we remain hopeful that international travel will be safely revived soon,” said Morente.

National Gov't Orders CEB-bound International Flights To Land In MNL

As Duterte Shuts Down Garcia Directive

 

 28 May 2021

By Keith Calayag

MALACAÑANG has issued a memorandum ordering all international flights bound for Mactan Cebu International Airport (MCIA) to be diverted to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) starting on May 29 until June 5.

The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) recommended the diversion of flights, according to a memorandum issued by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea dated May 27.

  

360p geselecteerd als afspeelkwaliteit

According to the memorandum, the Department of Transportation and the Manila International Airport Authority shall ensure smooth diversion of inbound flights.

The memorandum also stated that heads of departments and local government units must enforce the IATF-EID's current testing and quarantine protocols for inbound international travelers "regardless of any specific protocols that may be issued by local government units (LGUs) to the contrary."‬

"Heads of departments shall ensure that all offices and instrumentalities under or attached to their departments abide by this directive, while the Department of Interior and Local Government shall enforce compliance with respect to LGUs," the memorandum also stated.

Malacañang issued the memorandum after Cebu Governor Gwendolyn "Gwen" Garcia issued an order to test all arriving passengers, including returning overseas Filipino workers for Covid-19 upon their arrival to the MCIA, contrary to the protocol set by the IATF-EID which says testing should be done seven days after the date of arrival.

According to Garcia's order, Filipinos will no longer be required to undergo quarantine for 14 days upon arrival in Cebu Province if they test negative for Covid-19.

This also contradicts current IATF-EID's protocol which mandated travelers to stay in a government approved quarantine facility for 10 days even after testing negative before they can be discharged so they can move to their hometowns or hotels to complete the required 14-day quarantine. (Manila Times)