Category Archives: Air travel

Tacloban Airport arrival

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After landing at Tacloban Airport during one trip last April, I took a few photos as our plane was taxiing towards the airport terminal. Following are those photos with annotations/comments.

IMG05958-20130425-0537A view of the runway as our plane turned to taxi towards the airport passenger terminal. The terminal is somewhat visible in the photo. The control tower can be seen just to the right of the Cebu Pacific plane that arrived ahead of us.

IMG05959-20130425-0538Philippine Air Force buildings at the Tacloban Airport – you tend to wonder how we can defend our country when there are no aircraft at an air force base facing the Pacific Ocean. I remembered seeing impressive planes and helicopters of the Japanese Self Defense Forces and US Marines lined up along the tarmac at Okinawa.

IMG05960-20130425-0538Fire trucks and other emergency vehicles are always ready (SOP) for whatever incident may happen during aircraft take-offs and landings. You just wonder if they have sufficient skill and equipment to handle the more serious cases.

IMG05961-20130425-0539Air traffic control tower at Tacloban Airport

IMG05962-20130425-0539The Daniel Z. Romualdez Airport terminal building

IMG05963-20130425-0539From the looks of it, the terminal has seen better days and badly needs repairs/renovations.

IMG05964-20130425-0543Passengers file towards the arrival area to await their baggage before exiting the terminal to proceed to their respective destinations. Many passengers may not necessarily be heading to Tacloban or other towns in Leyte but will cross over to Samar, which is physically connected to Leyte via the San Juanico Bridge. Tacloban has more regular flights in the region and is the best bet for people opting for flexibility in their travel schedules.

IMG05965-20130425-0544Baggage claim is similar to other old airports around the country. With passenger arrivals well above 1 million per year, Tacloban, which is the principal airport in Region VIII (Eastern Visayas), needs an upgrade.

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Mactan Cebu International Airport

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I haven’t been able to get decent photos inside Mactan Cebu International Airport (MCIA) in previous trips to Cebu. And so, when I finally had the opportunity recently, I wasted no time taking a few photos inside the terminal. MCIA is frequently in the news these days as its proposed expansion is being bidded out. The airport is the second busiest airport in the country after Manila’s NAIA; serving more than 6 million international and domestic passengers in 2011. This will continue to increase as Cebu develops further in terms of business and tourism.

IMG05891-20130422-1733Check-in counters for Philippine Airlines

IMG05893-20130422-1734The check-in counters for Zest Air (formerly Asian Spirit) and Seair (now operated by Tiger Airways) were practically beside PAL’s. The PAL counters between Zest Air and Seair used to be Air Phil Express counters. The latter is now known as PAL Express, PAL’s repackaged budget airlines.

IMG05894-20130422-1734Cebu connects with many other cities in Visayas and Mindanao. The number of domestic flights are comparable to Manila and there are destinations in Mindanao that do not have direct flights connecting to Manila. Instead, one would have to fly via Cebu or Davao.

IMG05889-20130422-1729Information on designated terminals for flights to and from Manila. PAL subsidiary Air Philippines, which became Air Phil Express and now PAL Express used to fly out of NAIA Terminal 3 with PAL exclusively using Terminal 2. With the re-organization of PAL and its more aggressive approach at present, the airline now seems to have expanded and is now competing with Cebu Pacific for space at Terminal 3.

IMG05890-20130422-1729There are many souvenir shops at the airport, many selling food items like the popular dried mangoes, otap, rosquillos, and dried sea food. Popular brands are Titay’s and Shamrock. The items at the shops at the airport are priced higher so it is advisable for people to purchase souvenirs at local shops or supermarkets in the city. Titay’s and Shamrock have their own shops in Cebu and Mandaue. Dried fish is best bought at the market in Cebu (Ask your driver to take you to the “tabuan” market.).

IMG05895-20130422-1738Islands Souvenirs is an established brand in the Philippines specializing in souvenir shirts and other items. I used to collect shirts from the cities I have visited and I have already collected quite a lot from my travels in the country. There is an Islands Souvenirs shop at most major cities in the country. MCIA also has a Timex stall at the pre-departure area. Timex is a watch company producing high quality watches out of the economic zone in Lapu-lapu City.

IMG05896-20130422-1738Pre-departure area at MCIA – the area can get quite crowded during the day when most flights depart out of the terminal. PAL fields wide bodied aircraft to address the high demand between Manila and Cebu during the day.

IMG05897-20130422-1739Gate 4 seats at the MCIA

IMG05898-20130422-1755Passengers waiting for their flight. My flight back to Manila wasn’t a full one probably because it was a later flight.

There’s been a lot going on in MCIA ever since the former Cebu City Planning and Development chief Paul Villarete took over as General Manager. I’ve noticed the improvements as I have been to Cebu quite frequently since 1996. These include a cleaner terminal and more efficient services in the airport. MCIA is a work in progress and should soon be upgraded with a new terminal building. I’m hopeful that the groups bidding for the project will do a great job as at least two of them are associated with top airports in Changi (Singapore) and Incheon (Korea).

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Daniel Romualdez Airport in Tacloban

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I had been to Tacloban only once before and was not able to take some photos of the airport. This time around, I was able to get a few photos as I checked in for my flight back to Manila. Tacloban Airport is among the busiest airports in the country serving more than 1 million passengers annually. Tacloban is the regional center of Eastern Visayas and is the only airport in that region with jet airline (A319s and A320s) service. Despite the increasing demand due to growth in both industry and tourism, the airport is limited by its runway and terminal. A planeload of passengers already crowd the pre-departure area on a regular basis and conditions in the area is not at all comfortable. While there is a room for changing diapers and another for breastfeeding (thanks to DOTC’s Gender Awareness and Development program), there are few other amenities at the terminal.

IMG06003-20130425-1534Philippine Airlines check-in counter

IMG06004-20130425-1534Cebu Pacific and Zest Air check-in counters

IMG06005-20130425-1545Ceb Pac passengers waiting to board the aircraft on the tarmac

IMG06006-20130425-1545Another shot of the crowded pre-departure area

IMG06008-20130425-1739PAL passengers waiting for their plane to arrive

Tacloban Airport is due for expansion with a new terminal proposed for construction nearby. The land where the new terminal will be constructed has been acquired and cordoned off and I was told that the runway will be lengthened. I am just not sure if DOTC or CAAP has acquired the lands necessary for the runway component of the project but upgrading the runway for the airport to accommodate wide bodied aircraft will indeed require much land. Nevertheless, it is a project that is long overdue and needed to push for development of the region, which has one of the higher incidence of poverty at 37.2% for Region 8. Leyte has a 31.9% poverty incidence while Southern Leyte is at 36.4%. Neighboring Samar provinces have even worse statistics with Western Samar at 36%, Northern Samar at 43.7% and Eastern Samar at a staggering 59.4% poverty incidence. These stats are based on the figures recently released by the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB) based on the Family Income and Expenditure Survey (FIES) conducted in 2012.

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Francisco Bangoy International Airport revisited

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The number of views for Davao’s international airport spiked a few days ago and from the responses to the posting on Facebook, it’s clear that people are appreciative of good infrastructure provided to them. People in other cities expressed similar or related feelings in relation to the post with many expressing that they hoped their city could have a good airport. Well, we know at least that Iloilo and Bacolod have good airports in Cabatuan and Silay that are now serving international flights as well. Hopefully, we’ll have more airports upgraded like Tacloban, Tagbilaran, Legaspi and Puerto Princesa that are all very crowded as more people fly to these cities including tourists whose numbers are steadily increasing. Cebu’s airport expansion is up for bidding and Northern Mindanao will soon have a large airport opening at Laguindingan. Cagayan De Oro’s Lumbia Airport will eventually be phased out. Meanwhile, here are a few more photos on DVO from a recent trip I had.

IMG05924-20130423-1649Check-in counter for Philippine Airlines passengers

IMG05925-20130423-1649Check-in counters for PAL and Cebu Pacific

IMG05926-20130423-1652The spacious terminal is desirable for large cities like Davao and generally serves the entire region.

IMG05927-20130423-1657Cebu Pacific’s self service terminal that I first saw in Davao and now is also in other airports as well

IMG05928-20130423-1658The check-in counters as seen from the escalator as I went up to the departure level

IMG05929-20130423-1738The corridor to the pre-departure area Gates 1 and 2 of the terminal

IMG05930-20130423-1743View of PAL Airbus A320 at the airport

IMG05932-20130423-1754Spacious pre-departure area at the airport

IMG05934-20130423-1902Another look at the spacious pre-departure area at Davao’s airport – I assume that the area can become full if the aircraft happens to be a widebody like the B747 or A330.

More on airports soon…

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The benefits of local airline competition in the Philippines

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With the announcement of Cebu Pacific (CEB) that it is applying for flights to Australia (Sydney and Melbourne) and Russia (Moscow), a new challenge has been posed by the Philippines’ leading airline to its competitors. This challenge is but a continuation of one they have been issuing to Philippine Airlines (PAL), which used to be the country’s only flag carrier, since the Gokongwei airline started operations in the late 1990′s. Earlier, CEB have announced flights to Dubai starting in the fourth quarter of 2013 as well as international flights connecting Iloilo and Bacolod to Hong Kong and Singapore. The general perception is that such aggressiveness has benefitted travelers though CEB is classified as a budget airline to PAL’s full service status.

While CEB has been carrying the most passengers among local airlines, its network of destinations abroad is still quite limited to mostly regional flights (e.g., Singapore, Hong Kong, Bangkok, etc.) but with higher frequencies than PAL. CEB still has no long haul flights. Meanwhile, PAL has been flying regularly to the United States (Los Angeles, San Francisco, Honolulu, Las Vegas), Canada (Vancouver), and Australia (Sydney and Melbourne) while recently opening service to India (Delhi). The airline used to have flights to Europe and the Middle East but these have been scaled down (read: currently no flights) due to increasing costs and losses. But with CEB’s announcement of Dubai flights, PAL countered with the announcement that it will be flying direct to Doha, Qatar also by the fourth quarter of this year. PAL has been enjoying a resurgence of sorts after a majority stake was acquired by San Miguel Corporation (SMC), which has diversified from its main business of beverages.

IMG02007-20120308-1533Revving-up! – Cebu Pacific has made orders for more aircraft including its first wide-bodied jets for long haul flights.

IMG03122-20120614-0919Playing catch-up? – PAL is now being run by San Miguel and has also made orders for additional aircraft as it plans more flights to the US and reviving its European routes.

PAL actually wanted to have more flights to the US including expanding to new destinations like Chicago and New York, where there are sizable Filipino communities, but it is currently restricted by the Philippines being degraded to Category 2 status by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Now, with the recent favorable assessment by the ICAO, it is expected that other countries outside the US will lift the current restrictions on Philippine carriers. Also, it is expected that the FAA will soon follow with its own evaluation and that a favorable result then will lead to more flights to more US destinations. With CEB also stating its interest to have US flights, it would come as no surprise that fares might just become more competitive for direct flights to the US. Maybe the next step is for either or both airlines to join one of the airline alliances, One World, Asia Miles or Star Alliance, to add their benefits to those already enjoyed by travelers in what has been a healthy competition favorable to both local and foreign travelers.

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Suvarnabhumi Airport check-in

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I forgot to post a few more photos of my recent trip to Bangkok where I was able to explore its large Suvarnabhumi International Airport. I will write more about the airport in installments to describe the airports features in more detail. For this post, the following photos show the entrance, check-in and pre-immigration areas. Taking photos at the immigration areas is not allowed so I didn’t take a chance to take photos there as I might be accosted by authorities.

IMG04412-20120928-1256Entrance to the airport from the driveway - we took a taxi from our hotel. There were four of us and some had a little shopping so it wasn’t convenient to take the train to the airport.

IMG04413-20120928-1256Greetings from His Royal Majesty, the King of Thailand – the Thais are proud and very respectful of their king.

IMG04415-20120928-1302Check-in counters for the full service airlines – we traveled via Thai Airways, which is currently one of the best airlines in the world.

IMG04414-20120928-1257Ticketing counters for budget airlines – I found it quite unusual that the ticketing counters for some budget airlines like AirAsia was along what should have been a wide corridor leading from the entrance to the check-in counters.

IMG04421-20120928-1313Thai Airways check-in – I had already checked-in prior to arriving at the airport for my return trip, thanks to the online check-in feature of the airline, so I just had to drop off my luggage for tagging. Others who were just checking-in to get their seats and drop off their luggage had to go through the usual procedure.

IMG04417-20120928-1305Information board for departing passengers provide directions

IMG04422-20120928-1314After checking-in, people have the option to shop, eat or proceed to immigration to enter the pre-departure area where there are more shops, restaurants and the airline lounges.

IMG04416-20120928-1303Sentinel? – among the things I like about Suvarnabhumi are the features such as this that define the airport in as far as character is concerned. It is a modern airport and yet they were able to infuse Thai culture wherever its possible. A similar case may be found in Bali and I hope they’re able to retain that airport’s character with their new terminal (under construction when I was in Bali last February 2012).

More on Suvarnabhumi Airport later!

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Airport congestion and options to decongest NAIA

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Airport congestion refers to two things – congestion at the passenger terminal and congestion at the runway(s). The first may be found in several areas of an airport terminal. Among these areas are at the check-in counters, the immigration counters, customs and the baggage claim counters. Congestion may also refer to the areas allotted to well-wishers although depending on the terminal layout or design, these can be integrated with the check-in or arrival areas. The second concerns aircraft take-offs and landings, and queuing is present both on the ground and in the air. Congestion on the ground can be observed at the end of a runway from where aircraft may be queued according to air traffic control. Congestion in the air is observed in the form of aircraft circling the vicinity of the airport at various designated distances (radius) and altitudes.

Congestion of the first kind is a given at most major airports in the Philippines especially for international flights where security is tighter and there are immigration and customs processes that passengers need to go through. In most cases including domestic flights, airports are usually congested due to the well-wishers taking passengers to the airport or welcoming the same as they arrive. It is not uncommon to see jeepney-loads or tricycle-loads of well-wishers at Philippine airports as it is customary to take relatives or friends (hatid) to the airport or fetch (sundo) people at the terminal

The second type of congestion hogged the headlines earlier this year and during the summer months of April and May when take-off and arrival delays plagued aircraft at Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA). Some flights were even cancelled, causing much headaches for passengers and particularly those with connecting flights both for domestic and international destinations. The culprit, technically, seems to be the limited capacities of NAIA’s intersecting runways. Some critics, however, have pointed out that the airlines should share part of the blame for having schedules packed during the day times and offering so many promos. While they have a poin there in as far as scheduling is concerned, one can’t blame airlines from offering such as day flights are more attractive to passengers.

Aircraft queued along the taxiway leading to NAIA’s main runway

A newly arrived plane cuts into the  queued along the taxiway towards the eastern end of NAIA’s main runway

There are currently several options to decongest the airport in Manila. Many of these are actually proposals that are impractical if not too expensive. One option is to transfer international operations to Clark, which is about 220 kilometers from NAIA or 200 kilometers from Quezon City via the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX). It seems to be the most viable solution and has been compared with the location of other international airports like Narita and Suvarnabhumi, which are outside the metropolitan areas. The thing here is that there needs to be a good link between the airport and the metropolis, which presumably generates much of the demand for the airport. So far, there is already the NLEX for road transport and it should not take so long for someone to travel from, say, Quezon City to Clark. Meanwhile, a rail link has taken so much time in the planning (or procrastinating?) stage that it seems more and more that the Northrail will never become a reality in the foreseeable future.

Two other options have been put forward recently, one by a major corporation that has now expanded its portfolio to include infrastructure, particularly on transportation, and another by a consortium that has developed reclaimed areas along Manila Bay. The head executive of the San Miguel Corporation, which now controls Philippine Airlines, announced plans to build their own airport, initially likely to be somewhere in the province of Bulacan, which is just north of Metro Manila and a shorter distance away compared to Pampanga, which hosts Clark. No details were given making a lot of interested parties including airport aficionados think about which areas in Bulacan are viable and spacious enough to host an airport of international standards. More recent is the idea for the development of the Sangley Point airport that will require reclamation and still another airport link towards the reclaimed areas that include PAGCOR City and the SM MOA. This last proposal seems to be morphing into something that San Miguel is said to be considering based on at least one report that came out today. I think the bottomline here, which ever option is taken, is that we need to have a modern airport that will be able to handle current and projected passengers and freight given our aspirations for commerce and tourism plus the fact that more and more Filipinos are traveling given the OFWs abroad. Decisions will have to be made and government should have a say here considering it is a major piece of infrastructure being considered. One opinion is that we simply cannot rely on the private sector to decide on this and such decisions need to be guided based on the public interest and good.

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Views from a landing plane

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I like taking photos when I am traveling and have always tried to get some clear shots when I’m on-board a plane, trying to identify certain landmarks like volcanoes and bodies of water or perhaps roads that I could identify from above. Aerial shots are quite tricky with a point-and-shoot even though one can have the benefit of zoom and other pertinent functions digital cameras have these days. On one particular trip I had the fortune of being able to take photos of Mayon Volcano while in another, I was able to take a photo of Taal Volcano. I missed one opportunity to take a photo of the Chocolate Hills of Bohol in one return flight from Mindanao.

The following photos were taken during one flight when the conditions were just right for some clear pictures of roads and then some familiar places as our aircraft approached NAIA.

Roman Highway in the Bataan peninsula – there are many industrial estates and plants along the highway, most having their own seaports.

Ortigas Avenue Extension with Cainta Junction on the upper left of the photo – one of the busiest roads connecting Metro Manila to the eastern province of Rizal, this avenue is often constricted due in part to varying road widths between Rosario and Junction and undisciplined public transport drivers stopping just about anywhere along the road.

Close-up of Cainta Junction, the intersection of Ortigas Avenue and Imelda Avenue (formerly Felix Avenue) – this intersection is usually congested even during weekends as residents in Rizal with workplaces or schools in Metro Manila have steadily increased over the years.

Manggahan Floodway – along the west and east service roads flanking the floodway are thousands of informal settlers. Notice the haze in the background?

The high-rise buildings of Bonifacio Global City and the Makati CBD – Market! Market! is on the right side of the photo. While the photo seems clear, one can see the haze, probably from pollution, in the background and obscuring the buildings further away.

McKinley Hill – development west of Bonifacio Global City and beside the Philippine Army Headquarters. Buildings in the City of Manila are visible in the background/horizon despite the haze.

Philippine Army Grandstand and Parade Grounds at Fort Bonifacio. What looks like a wide green area between the Fort and the Makati CBD in the photo are actually parts of exclusive high-end residential subdivisions (i.e., Forbes Park and Dasmarinas Village).

SLEX, Skyway, and the East Service Road – that’s the conspicuous TESDA building on the right with its reverse pyramid feature.

View of the NAIA Terminal 2 upon touchdown – also known as the Centennial Terminal, this is used exclusively by Philippine Airlines for both international and domestic flight.

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NAIA Terminal 1 Arrival

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Arriving at NAIA Terminal 1, I was curious to see if there have been significant improvements in the terminal as the arrival corridors and facilities would probably give visitors a first impression of Metro Manila and the country as well. Terminal 1 serves all other international carriers with flights to Manila with only Japanese airline All Nippon Airways using Terminal 3 for its flights. Domestic carriers Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific operate to and from Terminals 2 and 3, respectively.

The corridors are definitely cleaner and neater than before (when Terminal 1 was heavily criticized as being one of the worst international airports in the world) and I think the tarps featuring tourist destinations around the Philippines help promote the country.

The corridors are spacious enough and the walk is not so long to require moving walkways or “walkalators.” There are staff and equipment at the end of the corridor scanning for indications of high body temperature usually associated with flu.

There are still long queues at the immigration counters despite additional booths and personnel posted at Terminal 1.

There are separate counters for Philippine passport holders and those bearing passports from other countries. Previously, there were special counters for Overseas Foreign Workers (OFW).

Checked-in luggage emerge and move along at the carousel for our flight.

Singapore Airlines placed these signs on old luggage to caution passengers on picking up or identifying luggage from the carousel.

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NAIA Terminal 1 Departure

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I was able to take a few photos inside NAIA Terminal 1 during one recent trip. Terminal 1 is the oldest of the three main terminals of Manila international airport with the exception of the old domestic terminal. It is this Terminal 1 that was known as the New Manila International Airport until 1986, when it was renamed the Ninoy Aquino International Airport after the husband of former President Corazon Aquino, father of current Philippines President Noynoy Aquino. It is also this Terminal which has been the subject of criticisms for being dilapidated and unfit to be a major gateway to the country, particularly its capital.

Corridor leading to the pre-departure area and gates at one wing of the terminal – the carpets seem tidy enough and airport staff may be found cleaning the area near one of the airline lounges.

Corridor leading to the pre-departure area – the area

View along the escalator descending towards the pre-departure area – upon reaching the bottom, one will find himself/herself facing counters selling food and drinks to travelers.

Shops selling local goods like dried fruit, cookies, preserves, souvenirs and other stuff at the pre-departure area of the terminal. Notice the newly tiled floors?

Shop specializing in products made out of Philippine mangoes – they even sell fresh mangoes aside from the popular dried fruit and candies

Seats at the pre-departure area of the terminal – this is the free seating area that is not associated with any airline. Normally, areas are cordoned off for passenger control and security measures prior to boarding by any airline. The seats are relatively old but are clean and some appear to have been re-upholstered.

Passengers waiting at the designated area for Singapore Airlines. The airline conducts a security check of all hand-carried baggage for all passengers similar to the practice for US-bound flights.

Admittedly, there is still much work to be done for NAIA’s Terminal 1 in order for it to be able to handle more passengers and well-wishers. There are also a lot to be done in terms of amenities and we can be hopeful that issues pertaining to its facilities will be addressed sooner rather than later.

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