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Finnair plans to outsource TCP and lay off 450 employees
Finnish airline Veneer Announced a cost-cutting plan considering outsourcing in-flight passenger service on routes to/from Thailand and the United States. If the subcontracting, which is.....»»
PAL stops elderly Fil-Am with COPD from flying sans oxygen tank
MANILA, Philippines — Flag carrier Philippine Airlines stopped an elderly Filipino-American woman from flying back to the United States due to her medical condition, a US media report said. Jovita Domingo, 86, was not allowed to board a PAL flight despite showing a doctor’s certificatioon saying she was “fit to travel by air” and that.....»»
US airlines cancel over 2,000 flights due to massive winter storm
Airlines in the United States canceled more than 2,000 flights on Friday after a massive winter storm knocked out power and affected businesses in 12 states ahead of a likely brutal freeze over the weekend. A total of 2,058 flights were canceled and 5,846 flights were delayed as of 5.30 p.m. ET, according to flight-tracking.....»»
NAIA passenger volume recovers to 95% of pre-pandemic, sets all-time flight record in 2023
THE Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) concluded 2023 on a high note, surpassing pre-pandemic flight movements, marking the highest in NAIA’s history with passenger volume reaching 95% of the totals in 2019, the year before the severe impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the aviation market. The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA), which manages NAIA, […].....»»
5 killed in collision between Japan Airlines, Coast Guard planes
TOKYO— A passenger plane and a Japanese coast guard aircraft collided on the runway at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport on Tuesday, January 2, 2024, and burst into flames. Transport Minister Tetsuo Saito confirmed that all 379 occupants of Japan Airlines flight JAL-516 got out safely before the plane was entirely engulfed in flames. The pilot of.....»»
Immigration bureau bars entry of convicted American sex offender
The bureau said Thursday that its Border Control and Enforcement Unit intercepted Terry Lynn Spies, 60, upon his arrival aboard an Eva Air flight from Taiwan on November 3. He was sent back to the United States the following day. .....»»
CEB, UFG vow OFWs support
Cebu Pacific on Saturday, 28 October 2023 announced that it has entered into a partnership with United Filipino Global, a non-government organisation that helps Filipino migrant workers, to collaborate on projects aimed at improving the welfare of overseas filipino workers. CEB and UFG on 27 October 2023 signed a memorandum of understanding indicating the provision of free flights for chosen OFW beneficiaries and support for OFW kids’ scholarships. In the event of natural disasters, emergencies, or life-threatening circumstances, the airline will also organise special flights to deliver humanitarian aid and transport to affected OFWs. In addition, CEB will organize informational campaigns to update OFWs on safe and responsible air travel procedures. Internship programs The airline will also provide financial assistance to OFW families so they may be able to send their kids to internship programs for to become future flight attendants and crew members. CEB chief marketing and customer experience officer Candice Iyog said that Cebu Pacific looks forward to this partnership with UFG with the objective of assisting OFWs. The partnership of CEB with UFG is a testament to the airline’s commitment to uplifting the lives of OFWs by connecting them to a wide international network and offering the quickest way back to the Philippines. UFG president Gemma Sotto said that with this collaboration, they are “praying” that their upcoming programs will be felt and received. CEB has already mounted several flights in recent years to provide free transport to distressed OFWs back to the Philippines. In 2021 alone, CEB repatriated over 11,000 Filipinos from Dubai and the Middle East affected by Covid-19 lockdowns through a series of Bayanihan flights. The airline currently flies to 35 domestic and 25 international destinations spanning across Asia, Australia and the Middle East. The post CEB, UFG vow OFWs support appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
AirAsia Phl all set for long Undas weekend
AirAsia Philippines on Friday, 27 October, assured all its guests flying to various provinces for the observance of All Souls' Day and All Saints' Day of a smooth and on-time customer journey at NAIA Terminal 2. AirAsia Philippines CEO Ricky Isla and Manila International Airport Authority OIC Bryan Co, along with other airport officials, conducted an inspection of AirAsia check-in counters, kiosks, and boarding gates at NAIA Terminal 2 to demonstrate the airline's readiness for Undas and the long weekend. The airline expects to operate more than 700 domestic flights and carry more than 90,000 guests from 27 October to 1 November. This is 8 percent higher than the figures for the same period in 2022, with all domestic destinations averaging 90 to 93 percent passenger load. In order to effectively handle the influx of guests, four customer happiness counters in addition to the 20 check-in stations were activated. In addition, four self-check-in kiosks are provided to make contactless check-in easier, particularly for passengers who aren't checking bags. "We would like to guarantee our guests a smooth journey this holiday as they travel to their provinces and fly back to Manila. We have activated all and even augmented our ground operations staff to man the check-in counters without breaks. This exercise will also support MIAA's positive on-time performance," Isla said. AirAsia Philippines is closing the month of October with a positive 90 percent on-time performance. "With the commitment of our airline and industry partners, we aim to maintain our strong OTP record from the long weekend rush this year. Our objective is to minimize crowding in passenger and aircraft movement areas through the timely dispatch of flights. We're striving to establish this as a norm at NAIA. Thanks to our partnerships with airlines and government agencies, passengers are starting to notice a positive shift in NAIA operations," shared Co. To avoid being stuck in the traffic rush, AirAsia Philippines is encouraging all its guests to allot extra travel time, at least three to four hours before their flight schedule. Guests are also advised to regularly check their mobile and email accounts or visit the AirAsia Superapp, the AirAsia website (www.airasia.com), and AirAsia social media channels for the latest travel advisories. The post AirAsia Phl all set for long Undas weekend appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Philippine Airlines apologizes to Vice Ganda
Philippine Airlines (PAL) has apologized to Vice Ganda after the "It's Showtime" host aired his frustrations about the alleged overbooked flight. .....»»
BI says ready for Undas travel influx
The Bureau of Immigration said it will have sufficient manpower at airports to handle the increase in travelers during the All Souls' Day and All Saints' Day break. BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco said that BI personnel deployed in all major international airports remain sufficient to cater to the needs of the travelling public. As previously practiced, officers are disallowed from going on vacation leaves during the peak season. Apart from the new immigration officers, augmentation teams have been assigned and mobile counters are ready for deployment as needed, said the BI chief. The BI is forecasting 4 million arrivals for the entire 2023 fourth quarter. From October to December, the BI also anticipates 3.8 million departures -- numbers that are close to pre-pandemic figures. “We have implemented numerous changes in our systems to cater to the resumption of international travel after the pandemic,” said Tangsingco. Prior to the pandemic, passenger volume at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport increased by an average of 6 to 10 percent. Tansingco reminded the public to arrive at the airports at least three hours prior to their flight and proceed directly to the immigration area for clearance after check-in. All BI officers in all airports are likewise placed on heightened alert. “I have ordered all terminal heads to conduct close monitoring of our operations in the coming weeks to ensure smooth processing,” said Tansingco. The post BI says ready for Undas travel influx appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Pilot who tried to shut flying plane’s engine on magic mushrooms
The off-duty American pilot who tried to shut down the engines of a plane mid-flight on Sunday had taken magic mushrooms and had not slept for 40 hours, court documents showed Tuesday. Magic mushrooms contain hallucinogenic chemical called psilocybin according to Medical News Today. After being cuffed with wrist restraints and seated at the rear of the aircraft, Joseph Emerson also tried to open an emergency exit “because I thought I was dreaming and I just want to wake up,” he told police, according to a criminal complaint. Emerson told the investigating officer it was his first time taking mushrooms. The 44-year-old was arrested on Sunday evening after the Alaska Airlines flight he disrupted made an emergency landing in Portland, Oregon. Emerson had boarded the flight — which was operated by Horizon Air — between Everett, Washington and San Francisco, sitting in the jump seat of the cockpit, in line with airline policy for non-working staff. A short way into the journey, after chatting with the pilots “Emerson attempted to grab and pull two red fire handles that would have activated the plane’s emergency fire suppression system and cut off fuel to its engines,” the United States Department of Justice said. “After a brief physical struggle with the pilots, Emerson exited the cockpit.” Alaska Airlines said Monday that pilots had reacted quickly to reverse the handles, and the aircraft with 80 passengers had landed safely. The US Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon said Emerson faces a federal charge of interfering with flight crew members and attendants. He has also been charged in Oregon with 83 counts of attempted murder, 83 counts of reckless endangerment and one count of endangering an aircraft. US media reported that he pleaded not guilty to these charges during a brief court appearance in Portland on Tuesday. The post Pilot who tried to shut flying plane’s engine on magic mushrooms appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Pampered passengers
Adult diapers are getting a “bum” rap and not for the use they are intended. In 2017, morning rush hour passengers on Metro Rail Transit Line 3 were inconvenienced when the train’s southbound service was halted for more than an hour. Commuters could only take the MRT 3 between the North Avenue and Buendia stations. Trains could not run through to the Ayala Avenue Station as power there had been cut following the discovery of an adult diaper hanging from the power line. After the diaper was removed, train safety was restored, and service went back to normal at 7:46 a.m., according to news reports. On 13 October, a Copa Airlines flight from Panama to the United States turned back due to a supposed bomb threat. On the tarmac at Panama City’s Tocumen International Airport, 144 passengers were evacuated from the plane and it was searched by an anti-explosives team. The bomb squad discovered a suspicious package inside the plane’s toilet. Bomb-sniffing dogs were brought in and special forces officers gingerly handled the package — only to find a harmless adult diaper, recalled José Castro, head of the airport’s security team. Thereafter, the Copa flight resumed, landing in Tampa, Florida at 6:54 p.m. WITH AFP The post Pampered passengers appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Moscow detains another American journalist
A Russian-American journalist working for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty has been detained in Russia and charged with failing to register as a foreign agent, her employer and a journalist watchdog group said Wednesday. Alsu Kurmasheva, an editor with the United States Congress-funded outlet’s Tatar-Bashkir service, “needs to be released so she can return to her family immediately,” RFE/RL acting president Jeffrey Gedmin said in a statement. “Alsu is a highly respected colleague, devoted wife and dedicated mother to two children,” Gedmin said. She is the second US journalist to be held by Russia in recent months. Evan Gershkovich, a reporter for the Wall Street Journal, has been detained since March, accused of spying. Kurmasheva was being held at a temporary detention center as of Wednesday evening, the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists said in a statement, citing state media Tatar-Inform. A representative of Russian human-rights news website OVD-Info told CPJ that Kurmasheva would “most likely” be transferred to pre-trial detention shortly. Kurmasheva lives in Prague, Czech Republic, but entered Russia on 20 May for a family emergency, the CPJ said. She was temporarily detained at the Kazan airport on 2 June before her return flight, where both her US and Russian passports were confiscated and she was fined for failing to register her American passport with Russian authorities, according to RFE/RFL. Citing Tatar-Inform, the CPJ said Kurmasheva is accused of having “deliberately conducted a targeted collection of military information about Russian activities via the Internet in order to transmit information to foreign sources” last year, and providing international authorities with “alternative analytical materials” as part of “information campaigns discrediting Russia.” Kurmasheva was awaiting the return of her passports when the new charges were announced Wednesday, the CPJ said, adding that if found guilty she faces up to five years in jail. The post Moscow detains another American journalist appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Immigration officer convicted
The National Bureau of Investigation yesterday revealed that a Bureau of Immigration officer has been convicted for the falsification of travel records showing that former Wirecard chief operating officer Jan Marsalek was in the Philippines even if he did not arrive and leave the country in 2020. The NBI said BI officer Marcos S. Nicodemus has been found guilty by the Pasay City Regional Trial Court of violations of Republic Act 10175, the Cybercrime Prevention Act, and RA 3019, the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act. Though the RTC decision was not provided by the NBI, it said that Nicodemus “was sentenced by the court to a maximum imprisonment of nine years for each of the criminal cases with perpetual disqualification to hold public office.” Marsalek, an Austrian national, has been wanted by the German government for his involvement in the $2.2 billion Wirecard fraud. In 2020, the Philippine government joined the hunt for Marsalek due to Wirecard’s links in the country and discovered travel records that showed that the Austrian came to the Philippines in 2020. Then Department of Justice Secretary and now Solicitor General Menardo I. Guevarra ordered the NBI to conduct an investigation. In August 2020, the NBI “recommended to the DoJ the prosecution of subject Marcos Nicodemus for falsifying the travel records of an Austrian national.” “Investigation conducted by NBI-IAID (NBI-International Airport Investigation Division) revealed that based on Marsalek’s travel records, he arrived in the Philippines through NAIA Terminal 1 on 23 June 2020, processed by Immigration Officer Darren Ilagan but with a mysterious ‘canceled by user’ remark and departure on 24 June 2020 at Mactan-Cebu International Airport processed by Immigration Officer Perry Michael Pancho,” the NBI said. “However, NBI-IAID discovered thru CCTV (closed circuit television) footages that Marsalek never entered the Philippines and he did not even depart through MCIA,” the NBI said. The records of Marsalek were found to be spurious due to the following: Existing immigrations protocol as of that date disallowing passengers from entering Philippine territory due to Covid situation; absence of actual scanned data page of the passport; existing protocol that incoming flights of airlines disallowing the boarding of a passenger who will be prevented entry based on the destination country’s protocol as of flight date. The NBI said that Ilagan testified that Nicodemus, who was his supervisor, “ordered him to conduct a derogatory check upon Marsalek despite the fact that he was already not on duty on that date and that Marsalek is not present during checking.” Guevarra in 2020, said that the travel records of the Marsalek were falsified possibly as “diversionary tactics to mislead his pursuers.” The post Immigration officer convicted appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
CAAP adopts Borongan’s airport-building style
BORONGAN CITY — It was the necessity of getting a direct flight started the soonest that prompted the local government here to build its own airport, albeit in a novel and most cost-effective way given its limited budget. But the novel idea of using a modular construction system in the construction of an airport terminal gave the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines the idea on how it will build airport terminals in the future across the country. Rupert Ambil, Borongan City Information Officer and Flights Operation Chairman of the Borongan City Airport, said the city is the first local government unit in the country to construct its own airport terminal. “Thanks to the innovative design by the engineering team and the remarkable speed at which this project was completed, the CAAP is now adopting the modular design for other airports in the country,” Ambil said. On Thursday, CAAP issued a statement that it will be expanding the use of its modular construction system to more airports across the country, following its completion at Borongan Airport. “CAAP is actively implementing alternative approaches to swiftly address the concerns of passengers such as check-in areas and passenger terminal buildings with limited spaces,” CAAP said. “To address these areas for development, CAAP aims to create more spacious, efficient, and passenger-friendly environments that meet international standards and accommodate the increasing passenger volume of airports,” it added. “The modular construction system, which initially piloted at Borongan Airport, offers a sustainable approach to constructing terminal facilities with passenger amenities, as it minimizes construction waste. It uses pre-fabricated structural steel, a sustainable and cost-effective approach that allows for flexibility in design and rapid construction.” CAAP said it has identified additional airports where the construction system will be implemented. One of them is the Laguindingan Airport in Cagayan de Oro where construction aimed to increase passenger movement is set to start in December 2023 with a total budget of P36 million. The post CAAP adopts Borongan’s airport-building style appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
External headwinds
The price shocks besetting Filipinos, now the main preoccupation of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., is a global phenomenon rippling down to the nation. Greatly affected are rice prices that had surged with the government hoping to tame them through price caps of P41 per kilo of regular-milled and P45 for well-milled grains. In its latest review of the domestic fiscal situation, an International Monetary Fund team said that while the economy has emerged from the pandemic strongly, it now faces “a confluence of global shocks.” Growth moderated from 7.6 percent in 2022 to 4.3 percent in the second quarter of 2023, which IMF attributed “to a weak global economy and tightened policy settings.” The IMF, thus, recognized that the weak state of the global economy has had a strong impact on the country and that the response through the tightening of the money supply by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas resulted in a growth slowdown. An acceleration in public spending and an improvement in exports is expected to lift the gross domestic product by year’s end to 5.3 percent in 2023 and 6 percent in 2024. The risks associated with the slowdown in the economy all originated beyond the Philippines. The IMF review said the main downside risks to the outlook include the persistently high global and domestic inflation that could necessitate a further tightening of monetary policy. This abrupt global slowdown may further weaken goods and services exports, intensifying geo-political tensions and depreciation pressures stemming from capital outflows under volatile market conditions. Recent surveys showed that rising inflation has been the major culprit for the weakening of the public ratings of President Marcos and other high officials. Consider the resolute actions taken to arrest the price upsurge, particularly the calculated measures to place a ceiling on retail costs while the National Food Authority intervenes to keep farmgate prices high. Another budding concern should be the weakening in foreign direct investments, or FDI, which needs to be reflective of the high confidence level of investors, according to Trade Secretary Fred Pascual. Pascual cited the capital being plowed back and the rising cost of business projects listed with the Board of Investments and other investment promotion agencies, which would mean optimism in long-term prospects. He said FDI numbers reflect investors’ decisions well before the funds were released that go into the BSP records. The past practices of market manipulators with political agendas were to hit the equities and foreign exchange markets while influencing the flow of investments. Keeping these economic indicators weak makes it easy for opportunists to paint the perception of a looming economic crisis where there is none. For instance, during the shortened term of President Joseph Estrada, the peso depreciation that caused a dip in the stock market and a supposed capital flight were thoroughly exploited to show mismanagement of government that resulted in his eventual downfall. The recent association of high prices and the plunge in the survey ratings of Marcos and other officials raises suspicions of another black operation, which had been heard since the new leadership assumed office. It is not farfetched that the playbook of EDSA 1 and 2 is underway to undermine the Marcos administration. Another element that should be considered is the growing insecurity of China amid the strengthened relations between the Philippines and the United States. Considering its economic clout, China can manipulate situations that may pave the way for political conditions to favor its interests. The accurate picture is that most of the problems confronting Marcos are outside his control since they emanate from beyond the border. The post External headwinds appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Head hunting
Unusual contraband seized by French authorities last year exposed the illegal trade in endangered wildlife between Africa and the United States. Customs agents at Charles De Gaulle Airport in Paris found 392 monkey skulls and 326 skulls of other animals in the luggage of smugglers during a seven-month period in 2022, Sputnik News reported. Authorities believe American collectors and hunting clubs bought the contraband. According to SN, the skulls ended up in the Natural History Museum in Aix-en-Provence in southern France for scientific evaluation. In Utah, USA, the Transportation Security Administration said that vigilant security officers at the Salt Lake City International Airport also found a skull in one bag while an X-ray machine was scanning it on 18 September. The human skull raised an alarm that forced the TSA to halt baggage screening for two hours so the item could be safely inspected and removed if necessary. Unidentifiable components resembling an improvised explosive device were inside the skull and regarded as a potential security threat. A police bomb squad with a bomb-sniffing dog was brought in, and the passenger who owned the baggage was called. The passenger said it was a plastic skull with a built-in battery and sensor. Neurosurgeons use the medical training device to teach how to conduct a brain operation called a lobotomy. Fox News reported that the passenger was bringing the skull to a trade show in Cancun, Mexico, but TSA said it was not allowed to be transported on a commercial aircraft. According to Fox News, TSA officials confiscated the device and told the traveler to pick it up when he returned to Utah. The post Head hunting appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Hawaiian child porn convict denied entry
The Bureau of Immigration reported that an American national who was previously convicted for crimes against children in his country was denied entry to the country. BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco identified the passenger as Ronald Huy Young, a 54-year-old male, who was excluded on Sunday (1 October) after arriving at Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 on board a Philippine Airlines flight PR101 from Honolulu, Hawaii. Tansingco said that Young was denied entry by the BI officer at NAIA for a violation of the Philippine Immigration Act of 1940. Under the said law, foreign nationals who have been previously convicted of crimes involving moral turpitude are inadmissible in the country. According to the Hawaii Criminal Justice Data Center records, Young pleaded guilty to first-degree electronic enticing of a child. He was listed on the state’s sex registry and given a 10-year prison sentence by Hawaii’s first circuit court in 2008. The BI chief reiterated that aliens with records of sexual crimes are not welcome to the country. Tansingco said that the law is very clear in its intent to protect Filipinos from foreigners who might be engaged in sex tourism and may prey upon the vulnerable. Any aliens with such criminal records are barred from entering the country. The post Hawaiian child porn convict denied entry appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Sex convict Chinese man barred from entering NAIA
A Chinese national previously convicted of sex crimes in the United States was barred by Bureau of Immigration (BI) officers from entering the country upon his arrival at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA). BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco identified the excluded passenger as Kang Gong, 26. He was intercepted at the NAIA 3 terminal upon […].....»»
‘Total lawfare’: Ukraine’s other front in the war
On 26 February 2022, while Russian tanks were barrelling towards Kyiv, Ukrainian lawyers were fighting on a different front, submitting a case against Moscow at the International Court of Justice. The gilded halls of the Peace Palace in The Hague, where the court sits, are a world away from the trenches of Donbas but Ukraine believes its legal attacks on Russia are a critical part of the fight. What cases are open in Ukraine's campaign of all-out "lawfare" against Moscow and, with little chance of Russian compliance, what's the point? Where are the legal front lines? The Hague, Strasbourg, and Hamburg. Ukraine has dragged Russia before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which rules on disputes between nations, arguing that President Vladimir Putin abused the UN Genocide Convention when he used an alleged "genocide" in eastern Ukraine as a pretext for invasion. The final arguments in this case will be heard later Wednesday. Also in The Hague, the International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued an arrest warrant for Putin, accusing him of unlawfully deporting Ukrainian children, a war crime. Neither of these courts, however, can try Russian leaders, including Putin, for the crime of "aggression", defined as an attack on one state by another in breach of the UN charter. So a special group of prosecutors from Ukraine, the EU, the United States, and the ICC has been set up in The Hague with a view to establishing a special tribunal to bring senior Russians to trial. Ukraine also has cases open at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in Strasbourg over alleged Russian human rights abuses. Finally, Ukraine also brought cases to the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague and the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea in Hamburg over what it says is Russia's disregard for international maritime law. Will Russia comply? It seems unlikely that Russia would comply with any ruling from an international court -- for example, in March 2022, the ICJ ordered Moscow to immediately halt its invasion. Russia didn't even turn up to the hearings in that case. But it's far from an academic exercise, said Cecily Rose, assistant professor of public international law at Leiden University. "There are examples of cases in which Russia has complied at least partially with an adverse ruling by an international court," Rose told AFP, citing a 2015 verdict in which Moscow reportedly stumped up half the cash it was ordered to. "It shows that non-compliance cannot be cynically assumed. Most of the time, states do comply with awards and judgments rendered by international courts and tribunals." What's the point? Even if Russia doesn't comply, Kyiv and most legal experts think the international community needs to draw a line in the sand. "Some countries do not comply with the law, including Russia. However, it is still important to call them out and to bring a case against them when they do breach the law," said Melanie O'Brien, assistant professor at the University of Western Australia Law School. "The case demonstrates that other countries do not view Russia's conduct as acceptable -- but rather, as unlawful," O'Brien told AFP. A ruling from the ICJ against Russia would be a further element in isolating Moscow and confirming it broke international law, she said. "It is also an important acknowledgment for victims of human rights abuses and international crimes such as war crimes that what happened to them and their loved ones was not lawful," she added. Proving that Russia's actions were in contravention of international law could also be key in future peace negotiations, including over potential reparations, noted Rose. How long will it take? The wheels of justice grind slowly. The ICJ "genocide" case is only about whether the court even has jurisdiction. A special tribunal is politically sensitive and will take a long time to establish. But the wheels of justice also grind exceedingly fine. "Just because Putin won't comply with a ruling now, he won't be in power forever," said O'Brien. "At some point, a change of regime will occur and may lead to compliance with international law." The post ‘Total lawfare’: Ukraine’s other front in the war appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»