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Jet operators can meet their fleet’s maintenance requirements through the Corporate Jet Maintenance Bubble (CJMB) established at Subic international airport
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CJMB is a business jet maintenance hub patterned after the maritime crew change hub in SBIA and with accommodations, amenities and services in one place
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Under this bubble concept, business jets may come to Subic for maintenance work without the limiting restrictions being implemented at other local airports
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SBMA developed the project to generate income and push Subic airport as a regional aviation hub
Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) has developed an end-to-end platform that enables business jets in Asia Pacific to come to Subic for maintenance works with less restrictions imposed despite the COVID-19 pandemic.
Located at Subic Bay International Airport (SBIA), the Corporate Jet Maintenance Bubble (CJMB) is a business jet maintenance hub with accommodations, amenities and services all in one place.
SBMA administrator and chairperson Wilma Eisma noted that the CJMB has a similar concept to the existing maritime crew change hub in SBIA, as it will house the complete process that precludes any third-party engagement and “everything stays isolated.”
The CJMB has been created pursuant to Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) Resolution No. 84 issued in November last year.
The resolution approved the setup of a corporate jet flight maintenance and crew layover hub at the Subic Special Economic and Freeport Zone under a strict “bubble” concept, as recommended by the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP).
Eisma said SBMA recognized the financial pressure faced by the aviation industry as an effect of the COVID-19 pandemic, and developed the CJMB to provide a safe, seamless, and efficient mechanism for business jet operators in the Asia-Pacific region to meet their maintenance needs in the Philippines.
“With this project, we can also generate income for the Subic airport and once more push its potential as a regional aviation hub,” Eisma added.
Under the bubble concept, business jets may come into Subic for maintenance work without the limiting restrictions currently being implemented at other local airports.
The end-to-end process is carefully tailored to ensure a level of safety that would meet existing guidelines from regulatory agencies like CAAP, International Civil Aviation Organization, International Air Transport Association, as well as the World Health Organization, Department of Health, and IATF.
Eisma said SBMA “will strive to continuously work with the IATF, Bureau of Immigration, DOTr, and other stakeholders to ensure transparency and commitment to safety while facilitating the safe positioning of flights and their respective crew to and from Subic.”
Aviation maintenance, repair, and overhaul services at SBIA are currently provided by Aviation Concepts Technical Services, Inc., which in August 2019 was given the go-ahead to fully develop the local airport as a 24/7 hub for business aviation.
SBMA had also since marketed SBIA for its strategic location, being only 1.5 hours away from Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan, and just three hours away from Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.
