Hi-tech airships to be built in Subic

By: Jess V. Antiporda - People's Journal

A new industry from the United Kingdom, called solar-powered communication airships, will be introduced at the Subic Bay Free Port in the very near future.

Stratospheric Airship Technologies of the United Kingdom, a pioneer in the manufacture of commercial airships, said the world is soon to witness a new industry rising here in Subic.

SAT, which chose to base its operations in Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, is projecting jobs for about 2,500 employees once the project goes full-blast.

SBMA Administrator Armand C. Arreza, who signed a memorandum of agreement with SAT managing director Bryn Lloyd Williams on Thursday, said SAT intends to invest $500-million to build solar-powered commercial airships that will carry broadband and telecommunications equipment.

He said the company is eyeing to take over an area at the Subic Bay International Airport, which is now used by FedEx as a hub for its Asian operations.

FedEx said it will transfer its Asian hub to Guangzhou, China this year.

Williams said the airships will operate at a height of 65,000-70,000 feet -- high above the clouds and air movement.

During their 15-year lifespan, the airships will be brought down once every five years for repairs.

The design of the airships, Williams added, is based on the early 20th century zeppelins or big dirigibles, but is now “totally different” since inert helium will be used instead of hydrogen, so it won’t catch fire.

For this project, Williams said SAT would be also be constructing in Subic “the largest single-spanned building in Southeast Asia.”

“It would be a great sight to behold,” said Arreza, who said the SBMA is bullish about more investments coming into Subic from countries like the United Kingdom and Dubai.

“When the SAT project pushes through, we will see Subic as a high-tech manufacturing center, and this fits very well with what we are trying to do,” the SBMA official said.

“Our objective is to really expand development in the Subic Freeport and the surrounding regions. With the opening of the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway, we hope to have more manufacturing jobs move along the expressway,” the officials also said.

Hi-tech airships to be built in Subic

A new industry from the United Kingdom, called solar-powered communication airships, will be introduced at the Subic Bay Free Port in the very near future.

Stratospheric Airship Technologies of the United Kingdom, a pioneer in the manufacture of commercial airships, said the world is soon to witness a new industry rising here in Subic.

SAT, which chose to base its operations in Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, is projecting jobs for about 2,500 employees once the project goes full-blast.

SBMA Administrator Armand C. Arreza, who signed a memorandum of agreement with SAT managing director Bryn Lloyd Williams on Thursday, said SAT intends to invest $500-million to build solar-powered commercial airships that will carry broadband and telecommunications equipment.

He said the company is eyeing to take over an area at the Subic Bay International Airport, which is now used by FedEx as a hub for its Asian operations.

FedEx said it will transfer its Asian hub to Guangzhou, China this year.

Williams said the airships will operate at a height of 65,000-70,000 feet -- high above the clouds and air movement.

During their 15-year lifespan, the airships will be brought down once every five years for repairs.

The design of the airships, Williams added, is based on the early 20th century zeppelins or big dirigibles, but is now “totally different” since inert helium will be used instead of hydrogen, so it won’t catch fire.

For this project, Williams said SAT would be also be constructing in Subic “the largest single-spanned building in Southeast Asia.”

“It would be a great sight to behold,” said Arreza, who said the SBMA is bullish about more investments coming into Subic from countries like the United Kingdom and Dubai.

“When the SAT project pushes through, we will see Subic as a high-tech manufacturing center, and this fits very well with what we are trying to do,” the SBMA official said.

“Our objective is to really expand development in the Subic Freeport and the surrounding regions. With the opening of the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway, we hope to have more manufacturing jobs move along the expressway,” the officials also said. By: Jess V. Antiporda - Journal online

UK firm takes over FedEx Subic facility

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) has forged an agreement with UK-based Stratospheric Airship Technologies (SAT) which has committed to invest $ 500 million for aircraft manufacturing by taking over the facilities of logistics giant FedEx, which is leaving Subic Bay freeport to transfer its regional logistics hub to China.


SAT legal counsel Atty. Inky Reyes said that SAT UK Ltd. managing director Bryn Lloyd Williams and SBMA administrator Armand C. Arreza signed the memorandum of agreement last Friday.

According to Reyes, SAT is not going to replace the Asia Pacific hub operations of FedEx but rather transform the facility into an aircraft manufacturing hub. The airships are designed to become communication platforms.

"It is an entirely different operations," Reyes said.

Its facilities will be located in a 20-hectare area adjacent to the FedEx facilities, Reyes said.

"It will not operate as a logistics facility but if there is a company interested to operate like the operations of FedEx we will make adjustments so everybody can be accommodated," Reyes said. The lease contract of FedEx with SBMA will expire in December this year.

This will be SAT’s first entry into the country although but it has operations in Spain, India, Sri Lanka and Malaysia.

In a statement, FedEx confirmed that some employees who hold positions that do not support the operations of the Asia Pacific Hub in Subic Bay have been offered an option to relocate to Manila, Hong Kong, Singapore, or China on March 26, 2008.

"We are taking immediate steps to keep as many employees in the FedEx family as possible," the statement said.

During the transition and after the relocation of employees, FedEx operations in the Philippines will operate as normal. FedEx remains committed to providing the best possible services to its customers in the Philippines.

"We are taking immediate steps to keep as many employees in the FedEx family as possible," the statement added.

Affected employees who are not successful applying for other comparable jobs within FedEx or who do not have the opportunity to relocate will be provided a severance payment which is in excess of that required by the labor law in the Philippines.

Since the time FedEx has informed the government of its decision to relocate to Guangzhou, China, the SBMA also started looking for possible replacements.

UPS, another US-based cargo handler worldwide, was reportedly being eyed to replace FedEx but so far has stayed in Clark as its regional base.

SBMA contributes about P180 million a year for SBMA in terms of rentals.

FedEx aside from landing fees.

Its departure means lost of job losses and adversely affect the companies which support FedEx operation in Subic .

FedEx will make its facility in Guangzhou , China as its Asia Pacific hub, which has 80,000 square meters of floor space seated in the 63,000 hectares of land, its biggest facility outside the mainland USA .

Meantime, FedEx will be maintaining its operations in the country through Air 21, nevertheless its transfer means a significant loss to the government as it close its local hub. By BERNIE CAHILES–MAGKILAT - Manila Bulletin