Short Takes
December 1st 2014
AIRLINES: Juneyao Airlines’ low-cost subsidiary, Jiuyuan Airlines postponed its inaugural flight from Guangzhou to Zhanjiang to early this month following approval of its routes application. It has 50 B737-800 and MAX aircraft on order. Thai long-haul budget start-up, NokScoot, has unveiled its livery, a combination of Nok Air’s quirky bird beak with Scoot’s yellow swoosh. Read More » Vistara, the Singapore Airlines – TATA Group start-up will commence operations next year after encountering delays in obtaining its Air Operator Permit from India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation.
CARGO: On December 3, Qatar Airways Cargo will launch a new three times weekly A330 freighter service between Doha and Guangzhou. China’s largest privately owned express delivery company, SF Express Co, aims to more than double its freighter jet fleet from 36 to 100 by 2018.
CODESHARES: All Nippon Airways will add 15 additional United Airlines services from Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles and San Francisco to Mexico. American Airlines commenced a codeshare with Jetstar Japan, adding five of Jetstar’s domestic routes out of Tokyo Narita. Subject to government approval, Singapore Airlines plans to add its ‘SQ’ code to EVA Air’s services from Taipei to Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York starting this month. Xiamen Airlines has formalized its code share on China Southern Airlines’ regional services from Guangzhou, including Bangkok, Jakarta, Ho Chi Minh City, Denpasar, Phuket and Singapore. Myanmar Airways International (MAI) and Garuda Indonesia will code share on Garuda Indonesia’s services between Jakarta, Bangkok and Singapore and on MAI flights between Yangon, Bangkok and Singapore. MAI said it planned to sign a codeshare agreement with Air France. JAL will code share on SriLankan’s four-weekly Tokyo (Narita) –Colombo service, as well as onward connections to Bangkok and Male. Meanwhile, SriLankan will add JAL’s services from Tokyo (Narita) to Seoul’s Incheon and Pusan, its domestic rotations from Tokyo (Narita) to Osaka (Itami) and Nagoya, and services from Osaka (Kansai) and Nagoya to Bangkok. TAM Airlines and All Nippon Airways will codeshare on five ANA domestic routes from Narita and four domestic routes from Haneda. Qantas has added its ‘QF’ designator to eight additional domestic American Airlines routes, three out of Dallas Forth-Worth and five out of Los Angeles.
FLEETS: Boeing has announced Kuwait Airways intends to purchase ten B777-300ER aircraft worth $3.3 billion at current list prices. The Everett-based manufacturer also has signed a Memorandum of Collaboration with Air Mandalay that will see it assist the Yangon-based carrier in procuring B737NG aircraft through leasing channels to support the airline’s expansion plans. Thailand’s “boutique” carrier, Bangkok Airways, has taken delivery of the first of nine 70-seat ATR 72-600s. Indonesia’s Lion Group has ordered 40 additional ATR 72-600s in a deal worth more than $1 billion at current list prices, bringing the group’s order log for the new generation turboprop to 100. Chinese start-up, Ruili Airlines, has received its first direct-purchase B737-700 aircraft as part of an order for 14 B737 aircraft. Ho Chi Minh-based VietJet Air has accepted delivery of the first A320 ordered directly from Airbus as part of a firm commitment for 63 A320 Family aircraft.
MANUFACTURERS: Using a B787, Boeing has begun flight testing more than 25 new technologies aimed at improving aviation’s environmental performance through every phase of flight. ATR has obtained European Aviation Safety Agency certification for approach avionics developed for its ATR 42-600 and ATR 72-600 aircraft. United Airlines will be the launch customer for the first Dreamliner built at the North Charleston factory. Russia’s Interstate Aviation Committee’s Aviation Register has granted a Supplemental Type Certificate to Sukhoi Civil Aircraft Co. for its Sukhoi Superjet 100 to perform vertical navigation for all stages of flight.
INFLIGHT: Japan Airlines (JAL) has introduced a new variant of its B787-8 Dreamliner. The 161-seat configuration comprises 38 fully-flat business class seats, 35 premium economy and 88 economy seats and will debut on the Tokyo – Frankfurt and Tokyo – JFK routes this month and January 1, respectively. The oneworld alliance member will also introduce domestic first class on its B767-300 aircraft between Haneda and Osaka (Itami) from December 8.
ROUTES: Air China’s B747-8 will make its international debut as a daily service between Beijing and New York’s JFK from January 7. China Eastern Airlines will add a fourth daily B737-800 service on the Shanghai – Nagoya route from December 26. Finnair has added a weekly Helsinki – Ho Chi Minh City service, using two-class A330-300 aircraft. HK Express will increase frequency on the Hong Kong – Incheon A320 route from double daily to 18 times a week from February 5 and will increase its Hong Kong- Tokyo (Narita) schedule to 12 flights a week. Jin Air will also expand its Incheon – Hong Kong B737-800 service to 12 times a week in mid month. Thai Airways International postponed the introduction of the B787-8 on the Bangkok – Nagoya route by three weeks to December 21. Xiamen Airlines will introduce a daily Xiamen – Manila flights using B737-800s from February 8. Separately, the carrier is accelerating the retirement of its B777-200ER fleet with the last scheduled service of the aircraft type flown from Guangzhou to Beijing on December 7. Emirates Airline has added a third daily two-class B777-300ER Male flight from Dubai. IndiGo will introduce a daily Mumbai – Kozhikode and a daily Kozhikode – Dubai service from January 1. Japanese budget carrier, Peach Aviation, will add a four-weekly Okinawa – Hong Kong A320 schedule to add its network from late February. Philippine Airlines increased frequency on the A330-300 Manila – Dammam route from three to five a week and from four to five flights weekly from Manila – Riyadh. Taiwanese budget start-up, V Air, will launch Taipei – Bangkok and Taipei – Chiang Mai services from December 17 and January 7, respectively, subject to government approval.
