PAL Express
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Behind You.....
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Bupak's ATR's do fly to laoag and kalibo daily, and there are plans of stretching it's legs to other airports. And with an average of 600 kgs/hr fuel burn... and the add to that the rising cost of jet fuel... they must've done their homework.
If the Q400's do arrive it's gonna be one hell of a show.. Q300's + Q400's vs. ATR 72's
Let the show begin....
If the Q400's do arrive it's gonna be one hell of a show.. Q300's + Q400's vs. ATR 72's
Let the show begin....
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: At W11's End
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Well, no question. If you have to have a turboprop, make it an ATR. It's hard to argue with the type's economics. The ATR42/72 just about killed the Fokker 50. The F50's sturdy build and long landing gear legs meant it would be heavier. The heft however meant higher landing fees, and for many operators that tipped the balance in favor of the ATR.
I don't have time on them, but I've ridden the ATR 72 and the Q400 as a passenger. Great planes, both. The Q400 is a hotrod! Deck angle on climbout is more like a jet's.
Anyone operating them in the tropics, or will PAL Express be the first?
I don't have time on them, but I've ridden the ATR 72 and the Q400 as a passenger. Great planes, both. The Q400 is a hotrod! Deck angle on climbout is more like a jet's.
Anyone operating them in the tropics, or will PAL Express be the first?
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Philippines
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I think PAL Express will be the first one to use the Q300s/400s in the tropics. The closest operators in the regime that come to mind would be Island Air (Hawaii) and Royal Jordanian.
Q300s/400s seem to be more popular in the N.American and European markets vs. the ATRs which are more popular in these areas.
However, we must consider the context and strategy being used here. The Q400's near jet speeds has been constantly marketed by Bombardier. Perhaps PAL 's strategy is to use them for the more the previous routes that used the 737-300s such as CEB-GES/ILO/DVO/PPS or MNL-LGP/VRC and the Q300s in the CEB-DIPOOG/OZC/CDO/ZAM/CATICLAN/TAC or MNL-BUSUANGA/CAUAYAN/SANFERNANDO/SUR routes. The Q300 would fly the <300nm routes while the Q400 would take the denser and longer routes.
Whether the economics of higher speeds and shorter flying time justifies the higher fuel burn for the Q400 another question. And yes, while it is important for smart, operational people to be involved in decisions, it is a fact of life that bean counters are still needed to crunch the numbers such as RPK, ASK and other mundane things like operational (fixed and variable) and financing costs.
In any case, turbo-prop prices are less regulated than they were before. Besides, airlines can always levy surcharges to their fuel costing and pass it to the consumer.
Truly exciting times...
Q300s/400s seem to be more popular in the N.American and European markets vs. the ATRs which are more popular in these areas.
ATRs seem more economical than the Q400 in terms of fuel burn as expressed in other threads and in other fora (no figures here though). Don't exactly know the relative numbers vs. the Q300. The Q400 is indeed a hot rod and some claim even way overpowered(don't they all use the same PW engines?).
However, we must consider the context and strategy being used here. The Q400's near jet speeds has been constantly marketed by Bombardier. Perhaps PAL 's strategy is to use them for the more the previous routes that used the 737-300s such as CEB-GES/ILO/DVO/PPS or MNL-LGP/VRC and the Q300s in the CEB-DIPOOG/OZC/CDO/ZAM/CATICLAN/TAC or MNL-BUSUANGA/CAUAYAN/SANFERNANDO/SUR routes. The Q300 would fly the <300nm routes while the Q400 would take the denser and longer routes.
Whether the economics of higher speeds and shorter flying time justifies the higher fuel burn for the Q400 another question. And yes, while it is important for smart, operational people to be involved in decisions, it is a fact of life that bean counters are still needed to crunch the numbers such as RPK, ASK and other mundane things like operational (fixed and variable) and financing costs.
In any case, turbo-prop prices are less regulated than they were before. Besides, airlines can always levy surcharges to their fuel costing and pass it to the consumer.
Truly exciting times...
Join Date: May 2008
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Yes, PALex will be utilising most of their Q operations down in Cebu, reopening their HUB for the first time since, well, the big bust.
if you look at the shedules of Air Phil and PALex, you will notice a ton of Air Phil flights ceasing operations and PALex launching routes the very next day. PALex is likely going to follow the path of its former glory days, reopening past routes once served by the Fukker fleet, just this time with haveulands.
Batanes is on that list makocoleta
But cebu is their primary selling point, and of course Caticlan. And its a matter of when, the bubble will burst on the Caticlan Route. Good luck to Asian Spirit and SeAir, which are actually expected to reach a merger agreement sometime soon thanks in part to the new CEO of RIT, mr Yao - Zesto-Juice King.
if you look at the shedules of Air Phil and PALex, you will notice a ton of Air Phil flights ceasing operations and PALex launching routes the very next day. PALex is likely going to follow the path of its former glory days, reopening past routes once served by the Fukker fleet, just this time with haveulands.
Batanes is on that list makocoleta
But cebu is their primary selling point, and of course Caticlan. And its a matter of when, the bubble will burst on the Caticlan Route. Good luck to Asian Spirit and SeAir, which are actually expected to reach a merger agreement sometime soon thanks in part to the new CEO of RIT, mr Yao - Zesto-Juice King.
Join Date: Feb 2008
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Accident: Philippine Airlines DH8D at Catarman on Aug 11th 2008
Here comes the landing gear problems!!!!
A Philippine Airlines de Havilland Dash-8-400, flight PR29 from Manila to Catarman (Philippines) with 75 passengers and 3 crew, had safely landed on runway 04 at Catarman Airport and was going to taxi off the runway, when the airplane's nosewheel struck a soft spot in the runway's surface, the airline reported.
While doing a 180 degrees turn to backtrack the runway, the airplane's right main gear hit a soft spot in the runway's surface, causing the airplane's gear to collapse, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) said.
No injuries were reported. The runway needed to be closed down for the entire Monday
A Philippine Airlines de Havilland Dash-8-400, flight PR29 from Manila to Catarman (Philippines) with 75 passengers and 3 crew, had safely landed on runway 04 at Catarman Airport and was going to taxi off the runway, when the airplane's nosewheel struck a soft spot in the runway's surface, the airline reported.
While doing a 180 degrees turn to backtrack the runway, the airplane's right main gear hit a soft spot in the runway's surface, causing the airplane's gear to collapse, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) said.
No injuries were reported. The runway needed to be closed down for the entire Monday
Join Date: Apr 2008
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Catarman Incident
I learned the airplane nosewheel had to be lifted out of a rut and immediately flew out later that day without any issue. Like on most remote news source the info was more of a sensational rumor.
