Yamato Bakery's Cronuts + PNoy + NAIA T3

All Saints day and All Souls day (Nov. 1 and Nov. 2 respectively) are days that  people fluctuate to different terminals to go back to their respective province and greatly commemorate the dead relatives.

Greatly commemorate. It's because here in PH where relatives sleep overnight at the cemetery, you can hardly cross the other side of the cemetery due to volume of people. It is also the time where relatives have their family reunion and of course prepare food.

My Dad and I agreed to meet at my office around 1:00 pm to go to NAIA T3 to catch a 5pm flight. Traffic in Manila is the worst! We left Makati at around 1:30 and drive along EDSA where we find ourselves stuck in traffic. I was calm at that time because we had a lot of time to spare, I slept at the car all the way trough the traffic. I woke up 3:30pm only to find out that our car is not allowed to enter since parking is full and my dad (diabetic, impatient , and maliglaig) is going hyper, I told him that I'll walk and proceed to check-in our bags and he just wait for a few minutes so he can enter the parking lot.

Thank God he was able to get a parking slot (park n fly). Luckily, increase in parking fee is not yet in effect at that time (Read this: Worlds worst airport strikes again one thousand peso parking tickets at NAIA)

I told  my dad the new rate scheme and both of us agreed to just take the cab going to NAIA on feb 2014 going to Hong Kong. I don't mind since our house is a 20 min. ride going to the airport via C5 and our departure time is at 5am, so no worries.

Amazingly, there's no queue of line (Dec. 31  is our departure date. We didn't want to travel on Nov 1 with the exodus of people) at the check-in counters and check-in of bags is done within 10 min. Thank you web-check in. 

As I passed trough the final security, I realized that it only took me 15 min from baggage check-in to final security. No more manual check-in and terminal fee payment. Check in time is cut by half, saved some time for coffee and plane spotting. 

I was ecstatic to have rows of chair for myself.

Then I saw a commotion. I hurriedly went to Cafe France and left my bag to my dad.

Dept. of Transportation and Communication Sec. Jun Abaya ( I'm not thrilled to see him because I find him too inefficient to become a transportation secretary. A transportation secretary should be firm and work fast, transportation is a big contributor to the economy, and the DOTC took a lot of months just to bid out the renovation of Mactan-Cebu International airport) 

President Noynoy Aquino.

Wide! 50% of the travelling people I saw was foreigners.

Hong Kong Day 3 - Ngong Ping 360

Day 3 of my Hong Kong Vacation.

It's my first time to visit Ngong Ping 360 and I'm really excited about it. Although it was raining hard before we ride the long cable car but after some time rain stopped and they allow people to get in.

Me =)

MTR map of Hong Kong

Line to Tung Chung

Ticket for the cable car

We arrive around 9am because the exodus of people come in aroung afternoon.

view of the airport area

Airport runway. The cable car are for people who enjoy heights and view, unfortunately i don't. 

Clark International Airport / Hong Kong International Airport Planespotting (Hong Kong Day 1)

I was not particularly excited about this trip (except for Macau - Day 2) since I visited HK many times but I never get bored travelling especially food escapades at  local restaurants.

 I got the free ticket (via clark) from my trip to beijing last spring. The ticket excluded the surcharge, PH travel tax, and terminal fee which I didn't mind since it's free naman and the taxes are cheap.

Ongoing expansion of Clark (Qatar and Emirates will commence daily service to the middle east starting October)

2 foreigners lying on the grass.

Spirit of Manila (defunct airline company)

Food stalls

w/ the gang

Happy Face 

Royal Caribbean

Upper Terminal (spacious and nice compared to NAIA T1)

Happy tummy! (Hen Lin's special Bola-Bola siopao - Mantao Bread with pork filling, salted egg)

Avnormal in Manila

I like to take this opportunity to promote my good friend Kit Stephen Agad's aviation picture blog: Avnormal in Manila

Some of his works were posted in this blog. Some samples =)

Open Letter to Gen. Jose Angel Honrado (Ret) from The Naia Guy

Open Letter to Gen. Honrado from The NAIAguy (@naiaguy)

June 28, 2013

Gen. Jose Angel Honrado (Ret)
General Manager
Manila International Airport Authority
Pasay City, Philippines

Dearest fellow aviator,

Hope this letter finds you well. It seems that you missed to reply on two email messages I sent to you regarding:

http://www.naiaguy.info/2013/01/22/dear-gen-honrado-issues-with-planespotters-again/
http://www.naiaguy.info/2012/11/13/an-open-letter-to-the-miaa-general-manager-planespotting/
I tend to believe that you had overlooked to send me your responses on those messages of mine (hoping that they were not misplaced nor intentionally discarded by your loyal assistants).

It has came to my attention that some MIAA personnel (particularly your IID and AGM-SES/APD people) again are “harassing” members of the Philippine Planespotters Group (PPSG), who often times watch planes land and fly out of Manila via the NAIA at the end of Runway 06/24 (outside of the airport’s perimeter fence; along the Multinational Avenue — a public domain).

Members of the PPSG are hobbyists, who are armed with just digital cameras (from the simple cellphone camera, to the point-and-shoot ones, and to a certain extent — dSLR’s for some). Did I mentioned that this group’s membership include our fellow aviators, aeronatutical engineers, private pilots, and even students from all over the country? There are even some local tourists who take time and exerts a little bit of effort going to that spot along Multinational Avenue just to take a shot or two of their favorite airlines before flying back to their hometowns.

I do not see the point of your security personnel shooing PPSG members away from the fence (which is already outside of the airport; along the public road called Multinational Avenue) to the extent of “inviting” them for questioning (by means of sending out a government vehicle to fetch them from the Multinational Avenue to the IID Office at the Basement of the NAIA Terminal 1) to the Intelligence and Investigation Department office of the airport for questioning.

In your response letter to me dated June 08, 2012 and if I may quote:

“There is no existing airport security regulation which prohibits plane spotters from taking pictures of airplanes from outside the NAIA perimeter fence. These plane spotters are not considered threats to airport security for as long as they keep their activities outside the restricted airside area.”

Will appreciate if you can enlighten and explain to your IID personnel what you meant of PPSG or  planespotters, in general being NOT CONSIDERED as THREATS to airport security, since they are outside of the airside restricted area. Better, if you can define what is inside ando/or outside of the airside restricted area.

You see, PPSG members are here to help us promote a safer Philippine aviation industry. Not to mention that they are also contributing to the promotion of local tourism — with some of the photos taken by PPSG members being used by the local and foreign media. Also, in the event of an accident (knock on wood), who knows … maybe one of the PPSG members were able to capture something that may be of great value during such incident investigation?

Appreciate to receive your response the soonest.

PS: Let me remind you of RA9485 (Section 8B: All requests submitted shall be acted upon by the assigned officer or employee during the period stated in the Citizen’s Charter which shall not be longer than five (05) working days …”


Original Article

Exciting news for legacy flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL)

Ever since San Miguel Corporation (SMC - one of the biggest conglomerate in the Philippines) bought 49% of  PAL, PAL is glowing tremendously! Losses are getting smaller and Profits are higher this year compared last year. My previous post: Reviving PAL reveals the biggest aviation deal done in Philippine History and that is made by PAL. Mr. Ramon Ang (president of SMC) is familiar with industry since he is a licensed pilot and trough the track record of San Miguel under his leadership, PAL is in good hands.

So what's new with PAL?

1) Re-Fleeting for Long-Haul Airplanes.
2) New destinations
3) Return to Europe
4) New Interiors

1) Re-Fleeting

PAL is currently on a major re-fleeting program in with their short-haul and medium-haul routes. PAL has an existing fleet of 45 aircraft composed of 19 Airbus A320s, 8 A330s, 4 A319s, 4 A340s, 5 Boeing B777-300ERs, and 5 Boeing 747s. PAL's order with airbus are: 34 A321ceos, 10 A321neos, and 10 A330s. It also has another $2.5 billion option to acquire 10 more A330 aircraft.- Rappler.com

When Cebu Pacific fully embraces being an LCC, they became the leading domestic carrier in the Philippines. Actually, If it weren't for CP airfares will not go down and maybe, Pinoys are still traveling by boat.


So it's Boeing for the wide bodies =)

PAL plans to initially acquire 10 Boeing 777X aircraft, the airline's president and CEO Ramon S. Ang told reporters on the sidelines of the 5th year anniversary celebration of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP).

“It depends on the price. We are looking at the new Boeing 777X. We will buy 10 and if it performs well, we’ll exercise an option for 10 more,” he said.

“We want those planes for our long-range flights,” he added. PAL captures the most international traffic among local competitors.

PAL is undergoing a major refleeting program that involves acquiring 100 new aircraft to cut fuel costs, which account for bulk of the airline's operating costs. The new aircraft feature feature more fuel efficient engine, bigger wings, and lighter cabins. - Rappler.com

I'm excited about all the news! PAL would be another pride for the Filipinos. However, the government should act fast in fixing our airports and the congestion at NAIA. Also, regaining the category 1 status imposes by the FAA and lifting the Ban of the Philippine Carriers to fly to Europe imposes by European Union. The good news is that ICAO have lifted the SSCs this year and more or less FAA and EU will follow.


2) New Destinations

In a kick-off ceremony on Friday, April 26, PAL announced 12 new destinations in the Philippines, Southeast Asia, China, Australia and the Middle East in its growing route network.

This is double the 6 routes it previously announced in March.

The following new routes will be operated from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in Manila using Boeing 777 aircraft:

Basco, Batanes in northern tip of the Philippines, starting May 1 (operated by PAL Express)
Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, starting May 2
Darwin, Brisbane and Perth (Australia), June 1
Guangzhou (China), June 2
Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, starting Oct. 1; and Dubai, by Nov. 1
Doha in Qatar, starting Nov. 1
Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam in Saudi Arabia, starring Dec. 1

PAL president Ramon Ang said the new routes are meant to address the needs of the overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), as well as that of the tourism market, which the Philippines is banking on as a new leg for economic growth.

PAL also will start introducing on board wifi services to the some of these new flights June onwards. By August, all their A330's will have wifi.

Also, PAL also launch new route to Sao Paulo, Brazil starting next year via Los Angeles (w/ 5th freedom rights).

- Rappler.com

3) Return to Europe

PAL plans to have direct access to key cities in Europe such as Paris, Milan, Rome, Madrid, and London as soon as the lifting of ban from the EU commission is set.

4) New Interiors

I have seen the new interiors for the Business class of PAL and It's so amazing! It's like first class! I will not post the picture here because I'm afraid of legal constraints =) Also, I don't want to spoil Mr. Ang's moment for PAL.

Photo courtesy of my good friend Mr. Kit Stephen Agad

Photo courtesy of Philippine Airlines.

Indigo Gardener's Plane spotting adventures!

Love airplanes? check this awesome young blogger who loves planespotting!

Indigo Gardener

Diego is a Highschool student and based in Manila. =)