MANILA: Search efforts for a missing Saudi aviation student and his Filipino teacher will be widened following a decision by Philippines authorities to put ocean sonar scanning on hold.
A spokesman for the Philippines Civil Aviation Authority (CAAP), Eric Apolonio, told Arab News that the search will be “repositioned” to include coastal and inland areas of Occidental Mindoro.
“Unfortunately, after days of unsuccessful sonar scanning in the search area, the sonar operation is temporarily on hold,” he said.
Representatives from the aviation authority are due to meet with Saudi embassy officials in Manila on Wednesday to provide an update on efforts to find the missing Beechcraft Baron 55 (BB-55) trainer aircraft and its two passengers, Abdullah Khalid Al-Sharif, a student of the Orient Flying School, and his flight instructor, Capt. Jose Nelson Yapparcon.
The twin-engine BB-55 operated by Orient Aviation Corp. disappeared from radar shortly after taking off from San Jose airport on May 17.
Personnel from the Philippines Armed Forces and Coast Guard, along with private divers, have been scouring the waters off San Jose since the flight went missing.
Abdullah Al-Bussairy, the Saudi ambassador, also sent embassy staff to assist in the search and investigate the disappearance of the aircraft.
Capt. Patrick Jay Retumban, a spokesman for the Army 2nd Division which has jurisdiction over Occidental Mindoro, confirmed that a meeting was held between a Saudi embassy delegation and CAAP officials on May 31 to discuss the next phase of the search operations.
Discussions centered on the condition of the pilot and aircraft, flight audio recordings before communication was lost, extension of the search operations, and the investigation of three fishermen who found a black backpack belonging to the flight instructor.
Apolonio earlier said that computer-generated information gathered during the sonar search had been brought to Cebu for analysis.
“We’re still hoping that they (Al-Sharif and Yapparcon) will be found safe,” he said.
Search widened for Saudi student pilot who went missing in the Philippines
Search widened for Saudi student pilot who went missing in the Philippines
- The twin-engine BB-55 disappeared from radar shortly off San Jose airport in Mindoro Island on May 17
- Flight instructor Jose Nelson Yapparcon and Abdullah Khalid Al-Sharif, a student of the Orient Flying School, were on board.
Riyadh university takes part in academic conference
- The deanship said that its participation in the international conference aligns with a strategic direction to strengthen King Saud University’s institutional presence on specialized academic platforms
RIYADH: The Deanship of the Common First Year at King Saud University took part in the 45th Annual Conference on the First-Year Experience, held in Seattle, US.
This year’s edition focused on students’ academic and social transitions, guided advising, retention strategies and enhancing student engagement, in addition to showcasing successful institutional models for building sustainable transitional pathways.
The university’s participation aligns with a strategic direction that positions the first-year experience as a cornerstone of the quality of university outcomes.
During the scientific sessions and workshops, the dean delivered remarks highlighting the importance of intentionally designing the first-year student experience, emphasizing that academic support and advising programs should not be viewed as parallel services, but rather as an integral part of the educational experience’s structure.
He also reviewed models of the deanship’s initiatives to support new students, including early follow-up mechanisms and academic and skills development programs aimed at fostering university readiness from the first weeks of study.
The deanship said that its participation in the international conference aligns with a strategic direction to strengthen King Saud University’s institutional presence on specialized academic platforms and to leverage global expertise to develop policies and practices that support new students.
