DAVAO CITY-based Fiesta Airways, owned and managed by AYP Holdings, Inc., is expanding its air ambulance services with new equipment and two additional aircraft. AYP President Albert Y. Pingoy said they are expecting next year the delivery of medical equipment such as a cardiac monitor, respirator, and intravenous pumps that could be loaded in one of their carriers. “It is an ICU (intensive care unit) on wings. I just got back from Dallas to get all these equipment. Medivac (Medical evacuation) is a combination of aviation and medicine,” Mr. Pingoy said. Apart from the medical equipment, Mr. Pingoy said they are also adding a Learjet 35A plane and a Bell 206 L3 helicopter to their fleet, which will be used for medivac as well as charter flights, cargo delivery, and air surveillance services. He said both these aircraft have the capability to fly as far as Thailand, northern part of Darwin, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore. “We are currently (working on) regulatory papers because no one knows how to handle who,” Mr. Pingoy said. AYP currently owns eight aircraft, some of which are being utilized for trainings. Its Airvan GA8, an eight seater Australian-made aircraft, is mainly used for Fiesta Airways services. — Maya M. Padillo

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