Friday, July 16, 2010

News update Aviation firm targets P50-million SBIA rehab

SUBIC BAY FREEPORT - The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) has already established ties with a Guam-based aviation company that will invest $1.1 million (around P50 million) to make the Subic Bay International Airport (SBIA) into a world-class, full-service aviation center.
Internal Flow: Concepts and Applications
Aviation Concepts Holdings (AC), an American-Canadian joint venture, is investing US$1.1 million to rehabilitate facilities at the SBIA and start operations by mid-September, said Anthony Decostes, the firm's senior vice president.

Decostes said they are committed to offer a full range of aviation services and facilities to clients.

These include ground handling, maintenance repair and overhaul, FBO facility with VIP crew lounge and amenities, air ambulance, aircraft scheduling and recordkeeping, aircraft detailing, hangarage and technical stop services.

Decostes and AC aviation security head Edward Pooley signed the contract for the aviation service project here last week with Stef Saño, SBMA senior deputy administrator for business, and retired B/Gen. Marcelo Santos, head of the SBMA airport department.

SBMA Administrator Armand Arreza referred to the AC project as the ''resurrection'' of the SBIA, which has lain dormant since February 2009 when the Federal Express transferred its Asia-Pacific hub here to China.

He said that just as FedEx in 1995 ushered in the first wave of foreign business locators to this free port, the AC project could now open new opportunities by attracting intercontinental jets to the SBIA.

''Aviation Concepts has transformed an abandoned and dilapidated military hangar into Guam's aviation center. SBIA will surely reap huge benefits from the expertise of this international firm,'' Arreza also said.

Decostes echoed this optimism, saying the jets his company services will bring aircraft owners and VIPs here to see ''what a wonderful area Subic Bay is, physically and business-wise.''

''Our concept here is to basically copy what is in Guam, bring it here and expand it,'' said Decostes, who also serves as AC's country director in the Philippines.