The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines

[parsifal]

two cents worth

miki . . .

your two cents worth is more than a penny for your thoughts.

i definitely agree with you. the CAAP is a microcosm of the government, where inefficiency, insensitivity, non-accountability and rudeness is the norm. people in government flaunt the law but when they find themselves in a corner, they take refuge in the same law that they mock.

what can we do? us . . who still care.

"the greatest failure is the one never attempted."

[Habagat]

Turf war

Very well said Parsifal!

RC and his consultants do not really know what to do with the highly technical operations of CAAP.

This is what we get of the palakasan system. kesyo bata ni Enrile at Ermita, kesyo malakas kay Lucio Tan, kesyo malapit kay ganito...ayun nilagay na sa puwesto.

Isa rin sa dapat nag iingay ay ang aviation sector. Dapat nirereklamo nila ang mga kapalpakan ng CAAP, pero ginagawa ba nila? Hindi rin...bakit? Dahil marami sa kanila ang nakikinabang sa ganitong sitwasyon. Aminin na nating lahat na ang dami daming operators airline man o gen av ang gumagawa ng mga milagro kaya ok lang sa kanila kahit mali mali na ang mga ginagawa nila Ciron and Co.

Sa lahat ng mga nag iingay dito tungkol sa kapabayaan ng CAAP, matanong ko kayo...may ginawa na ba kayong solidong hakbang para punahin o ituwid ang mga ito??? Wala rin di ba? Kasi natatakot kayo sa pwedeng gawin nila sa careers nyo!!!! KAYA HANGGANG GANYAN ANG PAG UUGALI NG AVIATION SECTOR WALANG MAGANDANG MANGYAYARI SA AVIATION NATIN.

Meron naman sanang CAAP employees' union na pilit ibinibunyag at nilalabas sa publiko ang mga kalokohan at kapalpakan ni Ciron pero ANG TINGIN NATIN SA KANILA AY MGA "GRIPING" PEOPLE LANG. When in fact, they have already brought to the courts their legal issues against Ciron and his consultants.

AVIATION SECTOR, WHEN WILL YOU REALIZE THAT AS LONG AS THESE PEOPLE ESPECIALLY THE CONSULTANTS (FOREIGN OR LOCAL) ARE RUNNING THE SHOW IN CAAP WE WILL NEVER TAKE OFF? We cant talk of solid programs in CAAP when your status therein is outright illegal. Simula pa lang mali na. Have you checked your certificates? Sino mga nakapirma? Batac? Alamillo? Las Marias? These people are not employees of CAAP!!! God forbids, have you realized the implications of an invalidly issued licenses and certificates in times of accidents an/or surprise inspection by FAA and EU?

The CAAP employees' union knows what they can do. I know their members especially their core officers. By the way the CAAP employees' nion is mainly and largely led by incorruptible people from ATS kung integrity lang ng Union nila ang pag usapan. These leaders have taken a very strong stand to resist and repulse illegalities committed by RC and consultants.

Let us, in the aviation sector make our stand also in light of the difficult times the civil aviation is going through.

BY THE WAY PARSIFAL, IF YOU WANT TO SEE THE DATA OR STATUS OF NAVAIDS IN THE ENTIRE PHILIPPINES YOU CAN ASK FOR IT FROM CAAP EMPLOYEES' UNION. BY THE END OF THIS FEBRUARY, NO MORE AS IN ZERO OUT OF THE 197 NAVAIDS AND FACILITIES WILL BE CURRENT/CALIBRATED.

RPLL RWY 06/24 IS NO LONGER INSTRUMENT PRECISION APPROACH RUNWAY FOR ALMOST A YEAR NOW. TWO OF THREE ENROUTE RADARS COVERING THE ENTIRE PHILIPPINE AIRSPACE ARE NON FUNCTIONAL!!!

Now ask yourself......WHAT TO DO.

[win_faa]

Sa lahat ng mga nag iingay dito tungkol sa kapabayaan ng CAAP, matanong ko kayo...may ginawa na ba kayong solidong hakbang para punahin o ituwid ang mga ito??? Wala rin di ba? Kasi natatakot kayo sa pwedeng gawin nila sa careers nyo!!!! KAYA HANGGANG GANYAN ANG PAG UUGALI NG AVIATION SECTOR WALANG MAGANDANG MANGYAYARI SA AVIATION NATIN.

The only thing you or me can do is to exercise your right on May 10, 2010, and then hope and pray that the Philippines chooses the right President This is what I think I can do

For now we can't do anything else as nobody in the government will ever hear your sentiments now because politicians are busy with the upcoming elections.

[parsifal]

what to do . . . in the and by the aviation sector

let us list the players of the aviation sector team:

flight mechanics air traffic controllers
flight attendants flight deck crew
flight dispatchers aircraft operators
airline owners aviation employees
others . . . etc

not much of a population to make some thunder in the halls of power and influence, don't you think? but if we convince all air travellers that the safety of the skies is also their concern, then we might just be able to get the "kalampag" we need.

politicians, as we know, look at numbers(as in votes) and not on issues. we know that we don"t have the numbers now but we can launch a campaign to generate that number.

ultimately, we might just be able to muster that mental strength to join in the partylist election in the future. gargantuan task? well, we got to start something and somewhere and sometime.

[win_faa]

Filipino airlines suffering from poor aviation rating
GOTCHA By Jarius Bondoc (The Philippine Star) Updated February 17, 2010 12:00 AM

RP aviation’s poor international rating has begun to trouble Filipino airlines. This is the gist of Foreign Undersecretary Franklin Ebdalin’s recent letter to Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines chief Ruben Ciron.
On Feb. 8 Ebdalin wrote Ciron that Korean civil aviation officials had nixed Philippine Airlines’ bid for a Cebu-Seoul route. Saudi Arabia too may delay resumption of the flag carrier’s Manila-Riyadh flights. Authorities in Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Australia have begun inquiring about RP’s aviation record and policies. Meaning, international operations Cebu Pacific and Zest Air too could be impaired. Revenues would be lost from the traditional high-profit routes.
The cause of all this is twofold. First, in Nov. 2007 the US Federal Aviation Administration downgraded RP to Category-II in security and safety. Facilities and personnel of the Air Transport Office were found wanting. Sadly it was the private sector that suffered from government’s poor grade. Filipino carriers to the US were barred from setting up new or expanding old services. The CAAP hastily was formed to stop the decline. Hardly any improvements happened, though. So hit, second, the recent posting by the International Civil Aviation Organization of “significant safety concerns.” RP was lumped with backward or failing states like Angola, Bangladesh, Congo, Djibouti, Kazakhstan, Rwanda and Zambia. The UN agency found that of 191 navigational facilities RP-wide, only 16 are reliable, eight are due for recalibration by end-Feb. 2010, and the rest are in disrepair. Again private carriers are the ones punished for the CAAP score, in terms of restrictions like the Korean action against PAL. Yet 90 percent of CAAP revenues come from navigational charges on airlines.
Ebdalin in his letter asked Ciron what CAAP is doing to address the US-FAA and ICAO concerns. The answer is yet unknown, as Ciron’s performance is being reviewed by Malacańang. Meanwhile, Transportation Secretary Leandro Mendoza is claiming in press releases that airports RP-wide improved under President Arroyo. This was supposedly because of an 800-percent funding increase in 2001-2009.

Filipino airlines suffering from poor aviation rating - GOTCHA By Jarius Bondoc | The Philippine Star >> News >> Opinion

Seems to be that the aviation industry in the Phil is already f**ked up

[win_faa]

Cusi in, Ciron out

Cusi in, Ciron out at CAAP
By Rudy Santos (The Philippine Star) Updated March 07, 2010 12:00 AM

MANILA, Philippines - Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) general manager Alfonso Cusi will soon leave his post to head the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP).
Cusi, who withdrew his candidacy for a congressional seat in the 2nd district of Oriental Mindoro last Thursday, confirmed the appointment in a telephone interview yesterday.
He will replace CAAP director general Ruben Ciron after a transition period.
Cusi said for the remainder of his term in MIAA, he will focus on getting an ISO 900 certification for Terminals 2 and 3, which will mean that the terminals have met international standards for service, safety, and security.
As the new CAAP chief, Cusi will face the task of restoring the country’s civil aviation rating to Category 1 after the US Federal Aviation Authority (US-FAA) downgraded it to Category 2 in 2007 because of safety issues and the lack of technical personnel.
“Of course, there is an urgent need to address the downgrade,” Cusi said.
The civil aviation downgrade prevents the Philippines from taking advantage of routes to rebounding global economies, whose citizens are traveling more.
To restore the country’s aviation rating to Category 1, the CAAP needs to hire more technical experts. Its employees are also demanding higher salaries.
On Thursday, Ciron announced that the CAAP is now hiring check-pilots, aircraft inspectors and other technical personnel after the Civil Service Commission approved the qualification standards for the applicants.
Ciron said he is preparing to brief the incoming aviation chief on the status of the restoration of the civil aviation rating.
Ciron is scheduled to leave for Brussels next week to present to European aviation bodies the response of the CAAP to the October 2009 audit conducted by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
Cusi said he will announce who his successor will be in a few days. Airport sources said MIAA executive assistant Robert Uy and Terminal 3 manager Melvin Matibag are at the top of the list of officers likely to replace Cusi.

Cusi in, Ciron out at CAAP | The Philippine Star >> News >> Metro

[parsifal]

what we ask for

Ciron out . . . yes, we ask for that.

Cusi in . . . . . no. we didn't ask for that, did we?

the NAIA was his turf for many years.
and every year, the portion of taxiway charlie from E-5
to holding point of rwy 06
is always undergoing repair. and more . . .

he is also a part of the problem. he doesn't see
the need to move the international operations
to DMIA or elsewhere. he cannot comprehend
the airspace congestion at the Mla TMA. he would love to
build more terminals. as a matter of fact, he has
allotted Php40B for the upgrade of NAIA in the next five
years.

[parsifal]

hopelessly hoping

hope springs eternal. . may your optimism be rewarded, Cessna95!

for all our sakes.

[jamestaylor]

Al Cusi

Sorry but he will make a great Choice - Congrats Al - onl man to get terminal three up and running plus plus. Can you please give him a chance..................

[win_faa]

Another score for the Philippine government

RP aviation faces European blacklist
Manila Standard Today, March 18, 2010
by Vito Barcelo

The Philippines faces being blacklisted by the European Community over aviation safety issues, according to Alfonso Cusi, director general of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines.

In a draft resolution circulated among the European community, the air safety committee had proposed blacklisting the Philippines because of its failure to resolve aviation safety issues, Cusi said.

But the Europeans have been assured that the Philippine aviation industry meets international safety standards, said Cusi who attended a conference in Brussels convened by the European Community’.

“Our delegation will prove that the Philippine aviation system meets safety standards and that the blacklisting is not necessary,” Cusi said.

Cusi met with European Union Ambassador Alistair MacDonald and informed him of the steps taken to address the safety concerns raised by the International Civil Aviation Organization.

The Philippines will invite the EU Air Safety Committee to conduct its own safety inspection of Philippine airports, Cusi said.

Cusi’s agency will apply with the international aviation regulators for the lifting of the significant safety concern during the ICAO Aviation Safety Conference to be held on March 29-31 in Montreal.

The Federal Aviation Administration assessed the now-defunct Air Transportation Office in July 2007 and raised serious concerns about ATO’s inability to conduct consistent, effective safety oversight.

[twotters]

Who is this Alfonso G. Cusi? Any good? Got silent here.

[FlipFly]

Yea; he's good, he actually cares and wants to make a change in the system. But like most governments it needs a cooperative effort from all who're within.

[parsifal]

!shame! shame!

up to the '90s, we have an ILS for the NAIA. then it downgraded to VOR/DME. now its just a visual approach for the premier airport of this country. imagine foreign int'l airlines arriving from other countries being asked by approach controller if they accept a visual approach upon their arrival. what is their choice? they have only a few gallons of fuel left for their alternate.

this is not an int'l airport. it is a runway in the bushes. the only difference is that the bushes here are concrete.

the officials of CAAP, if ever they have any delicadeza at all, should own up to this fiasco - a result of their incompetence, inefficiency and lack of knowledge of what their office is all about. do not blame the airlines for flight cancellations. they are only concerned with the safety of their passengers. besides, IFR flight plans and clearances require instruments.

[fr8tdoggy]

Agreed!!! I love the country, fantastic people, beautiful women, but horrendous airport and facilities. I don't think there's a major airport in Asia that doesn't have at least one operable ILS...even little Penang island. What gives!?! Going down for maintenance is one thing, but how long does it take to replace/repair a glide path indicator? Oh well, at least I can use the ILS into Cebu..uhm ok, Clark.

[pare]

IFR flight plans and clearances require instruments

very well said parsifal. while other countries are using RNAV/GPS approaches we are still using vor/ils/dme approaches. worse, we are not doing a good job maintaining these navaids which is really, really shameful.

lots of unacceptable practice right now in CAAP. maintenance check being done only when equipment fail. Manila ACC don't even have thermal strips. they do manual, handwritten flight progress strips.

bad planning on the management part.

[parsifal]

bad or absence of management

but what can we really expect from these officials of CAAP and MIAA. they know nothing about flying and what is takes to have a safe flight. i am so riled at the gall & temerity of this attorney-spokesman of the MIAA when he said in a press con that capt pena do not have the authority to say that VORs are requirements for the safe conduct of flights. capt has more than 20,000 airline flying hours which include times in the big airline jets. he is the president of ALPAP and a consultant of ICAO. he may not have the authority of a person in a government position but he certainly have the knowledge and experience on the matter. what about this joker-lawyers?

this is what happens when you put nincompoops in government positions. the only thing they can do is to wash their hands and put the blame to somebody. no sense of responsibility at all. in other countries, this kind of situation calls for the resignation of these officials. not to expect here in the phillipines. no sense of shame at all.

i hope that all foreign airlines cancel their flights to manila until at least a vor/dme is installed and calibrated. for us here in the philippines lets us observe the minima for day and night VFR as stated in our CAR. lets take care of our flights. nobody at CAAP and MIAA will.

[chairwrecker]

new guy?

can somebody enlighten us about the rumor that P-Noy will be installing a new guy in CAAP to replace the current DG?

[valiant05]

Aquino plans on replacing Cusi with an airline executive. Let us wait and see!

[subsonic69]

hi

any clues who the airline executive is?

is it from yellow, green and blue or red white and blue ??

Aside from that is it true that Lufthansa Technik will not be maintaining Philippine Airlines in the near future?

I heard PAL is looking at its main competitors garage for maintenance services?

tsk tsk tsk.. will that even work ??

[parsifal]

cusi and matibag

1. they should really be replaced by somebody who has airline experience. these two jokers know nothing about what their office is all about. their continued stay in the CAAP and MIAA will ensure our continued stay in Category II. one of the findings of the FAA and ICAO audit was that many unqualified people are holding responsible positions in the above mentioned offices. the two mentioned above and some others are the persons the audit was talking about. 2. the prospective replacement has vast management experience both in the corporate air and airline industry. 3. time for change. time for hope. cross our fingers.