Neha Jain: http://philippinesaviationnews.blogspot.com/16

1. IATA forecasts $600-B airline revenues in 2011

MANILA, Philippines – The airline industry expects to haul in almost $600 billion in revenues this year, with the burden of $205 billion in debt, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) projected over the week-end’s Vision 2050 meeting in Singapore.

Aviation supports 32 million jobs and facilitates the global village by supporting $3.5 trillion in economic activity. “Our commitments to tackle climate change are the most ambitious of any global industry and we are the safest mode of transport,” noted Giovanni Bisignani, IATA’s Director General and CEO.

However, “Our margins are pathetic just 0.1% over the last 40 years This is not sustainable. We need to look ahead to anticipate change as we prepare to handle the 16 billion passengers and 400 million tonnes of freight that we will handle in 2050,” he stressed.

The Vision 2050 meeting included 35 strategic thinkers, delegates representing governments, airlines, airports, air navigation service providers, manufacturers, leasing companies, general business and academia.

They debated four areas that will play key contributing roles in the industry’s sustainable development into an industry that will serve 16 billion passengers and carry 400 million tonnes of cargo in 2050. The four areas covered: (1) an industry structure for financial sustainability, (2) understanding the passenger of the future, (3) aircraft and technology for the future and (4) infrastructure for the future.

“Over the last decade of crises, the industry lost $50 billion. It also changed completely improving productivity by 63%, cutting sales and distribution costs by 19% and improving fuel efficiency by 20%,” according to the IATA CEO. “The association contributed with $55 billion in savings since 2004 through campaigns to simplify the business, improve the cost-efficiency of infrastructure providers and reduce fuel burn with shorter routes and shared industry best practices in fuel management.”

Yet, “We only earned a 2.7% margin in 2010 which we expect to shrink to 1.5% this year.

2. Famous Author Donates Plane to LU's Aviation Program

Lynchburg, VA -A best-selling author landed in Lynchburg Tuesday with a gift for Liberty University. Gracia Burnham is a writer, a missionary and a survivor. She was kidnapped with her husband in the Philippines in 2001. After a year in custody, Martin Burnham was killed. She was lucky to survive.

Burnham donated the plane her husband used to fly on missions trips. After he was killed, Gracia didn't want it sitting around. Now, it belongs to the Aviation program at Liberty, and students there are thrilled.

The Piper Super Cub isn't new, but, students say the oldie's still a goodie.

"It is an old school way of flying," said Ben Shipps, Liberty aviation student.

"It's more rugged of an airplane to be able to handle different types of environment and different conditions on the ground," said Nathan Johnson, Liberty aviation student.

As missionaries working in the jungle, Gracia and Martin Burnham needed a rugged plane for their work. 10 years ago, their work turned from saving souls to trying to save their own lives.

"Spent a year running for our lives through the jungle," said Burnham.

"Growing up in the mission community, you kind of hear the stories of other missionary families and the sacrifices some have made," said Johnson.

Burnham's story is full of sacrifice, including the newest chapter - giving this plane for the purpose of training missionary pilots like her husband.

"I think Martin would be proud that this is training the next generation of missionary pilots," said Burnham.

And her donation's already jet-setting their career paths.

"I got a job offer flying J-3 cubs, which is basically the same plane as the super club," said Burnham.

Burnham is in town for Liberty's Missionary Week. She says she donated the plane to the aviation school because her son graduated from the program.

3. Rivals prefer underdog tag

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Philippines – Defending champion Luisita and rival Canlubang both preferred to carry the “underdog” label as they set out for what could be another two-team duel in the 24th Philippine Airlines Seniors Interclub golf championship beginning today.

“Canlubang is favored,” said Iggy Clavecilla, one of Luisita’s top guns after a practice round at the Pueblo de Oro Golf and Country Club here.

He rattled off the reasons: “Mari Hechanova has been playing well; Tommy Manotoc has been shooting under par, same with Dave Hernandez; Rolly Viray is always dependable; Tony Olives is good at shotmaking.”

Clavecilla, the perennial national senior champion, will be backstopped by Francis Gaston, Philippine Sports Commission chair Richie Garcia, Pepot Inigo, Bong Sison, Carlo Gamban, Lino Magpantay and Herminio Maravilla in the four-day event.

Last year, Luisita upended the four-year reign of the Sugar Barons with Gaston outgunning Manotoc in the final day to lift the Tarlac-based squad’s to victory at his Marapara home course in Negros Occidental.

Yulo also refused to call themselves the prohibitive favorite in the golfest backed by platinum sponsors Boeing, Airbus, Radio Mindanao Network, Business Mirror and Interactive Broadcast Media (DWWW).

“We have the same lineup as last year. We just have to finish strong,” he said.

The four-day event will be played at the modern Pueblo de Oro here and the tough Del Monte golf course in nearby Bukidnon.

But aces from the two perennial contenders expressed contrasting views on which course will decide the winner in the prestigious tournament.

“The Pueblo course is suited for long hitters and high scorers. If anyone will get hot, he will be rewarded with nice numbers. And if all four members get hot, it will be a sure win in the championship division,” Clavecilla said.

As for Del Monte, Clavecilla said the course that’s laid out on a vast pineapple plantation will still give the players a challenge. “It will be hard to get good scores at Del Monte because it is shorter and has more trees lined up in the fairways,” he said.

“The trickiness of Del Monte will be the key,” Manotoc, for his part, said. “It’s a straight-hitters’ course, which would demand a lot from players for them to score.”

Pueblo de Oro, he noted, is a long-hitters’ course that could be rewarding at times. “But practically all of the players can hit it long, that’s why Del Monte could be the turning point.”

The Molave scoring system will be applied with a double bogey worth 1 point, bogey 2 points, par 3 points, birdie 4 points and eagle 5 points. A score of 72 in stroke play is equivalent to 54 points.

The event’s major sponsors are People Asia, 105.1 Crossover, GE Aviation and Traversing the Orient. Corporate sponsors Manila Bulletin and Bombo Radyo Philippines, while minor sponsors are Lufthansa Technik Philippines, MasterCard and Century Park Hotel. Prize donors include Panasonic Avionics and Tanduay.

4. UPS transports balloons for Clark's aviation sports

CLARK, Pampanga, Philippines – Since 2003, UPS has been the logistics sponsor for the annual Philippine Hot Air Balloon Fiesta, transporting balloons from across the world to Clark, Philippines. For this year’s event, UPS moved 26 balloons from 11 countries for the event, which was stagedl on Feb. 10-13, 2011.

The Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta is the largest aviation sports event in the Philippines. As the nation marks the centennial year of airplanes in the Philippine skies, this year’s celebration is expected to be bigger and more spectacular with more than 100,000 people expected to visit the four-day event.

“We are proud to continue to be associated with this exciting annual event which has become one of the most highly anticipated aviation events in the Philippines. The job of carrying the balloons from different parts of the globe from countries as far away as Sweden and the Netherlands and neighboring Asian countries demonstrates the range, reliability and flexibility of the UPS network,” said Tim Gohoc, managing director of UPS Philippines.

UPS covers more than 220 countries and territories worldwide with 216 aircraft and a delivery fleet of more than 100,000 vehicles.

“The sponsorship has allowed us to showcase UPS’s abilities in handling special cargo and the mastery of logistics we offer customers. These balloons are extremely important to the owners given their high value. Being a partner of the event since 2003 is a testament to the trust and confidence the organizers and the balloonists all over the world have placed in UPS,” added Gohoc.

Since it started in 1994, the Hot Air Balloon Fiesta has been recognized as one of the major ballooning events in the world, alongside similar events held in Japan and New Mexico, U.S.A. The Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta has given Filipinos a unique entertainment experience from balloon take-off to aerial displays and exhibits.