Short Takes
March 9th 2015
AIRLINES: Peach Aviation has announced plans to establish a secondary hub at Naha International Airport in Okinawa. It currently flies to four destinations from Naha, including Hong Kong and Taipei. It will introduce a new route to Seoul from September 4. Read More » Chinese low-cost carrier Spring Airlines will open five new routes to Japan at the end of the month, including Shanghai – Asahikawa, Chengdu – Osaka, Zhengzhou – Osaka, Xi’an – Osaka and Jinjiang – Osaka. Spring said it wants to set up a base at Kansai International Airport to support its growth in the Japanese market, as well as that of local subsidiary Spring Japan. Xiamen Airlines has signed a memorandum of cooperation with KLM and the city of Amsterdam “to strengthen collaboration and accessibility between China and the Netherlands” ahead of its planned launch of Xiamen – Amsterdam flights this summer. Lufthansa has expressed confidence its planned joint-venture with Air China on all routes linking and Germany and China would be “up and running by the end of this year”. The partnership is valued at $1.65 billion in total annual revenue.
CODESHARES: Aeroflot has added its ‘SU’ designator to six Garuda Indonesia services from Denpasar to Hong Kong, Seoul (ICN) and Tokyo (NRT), together with Jakarta to Bangkok, Hong Kong and Seoul (ICN), while Garuda has added its ‘GA’ code to Aeroflot’s Moscow (SVO) – Hong Kong service. China’s Shandong Airlines and Qingdao Airlines have started a new partnership that saw both airlines add their respective designators to ten domestic services from Qingdao. Malaysia Airlines has added its ‘MH’ code to four additional Etihad Airways services from Abu Dhabi to Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Munich and Muscat.
FLEETS: Air Tahiti Nui has decided to order four B787-9s to replace its ageing fleet of five A340-300s. Boeing and the carrier said they would formalize the order soon, with deliveries due to begin from fourth-quarter 2018. The Papeete-based carrier will own two of the aircraft, while the other two will be leased.
MANUFACTURERS: The US Federal Aviation Administration has added Boeing South Carolina-built 787-9s to the company’s production certificate, PC 700, which allows the manufacturer to produce and deliver the type from the Charleston facility. Embraer reported a full-year net profit of $347.7 million in 2014, up 0.5% from the company’s $346 million net profit in 2013. It delivered 92 commercial aircraft in 2014, up to 2 from 2013, including 62 E-175s, 19 E-190s, 10 E-195s and one E-170. At the end of 2014, the company’s reported backlog was valued at $20.9 billion, up 14.8% from $18.2 billion in 2013. Embraer expects to deliver between 95 and 100 jets in 2015.
ROUTES: Air China will launch a twice-weekly Dalian – Sapporo B737-800 service from April 18. Effective June 7, Asiana Airlines will add an eighth weekly frequency on the Seoul (ICN) – Chengdu A321 route. Cebu Pacific will cancel its thrice-weekly Manila – Dammam A330-300 route from March 29. For the first time, China Eastern Airlines will serve the Shanghai (PVG) – London (LHR) A330-200 route daily with the addition of a seventh weekly rotation from April 27. China Southern Airlines will add a thrice-weekly Guangzhou – Nairobi A330-200 service commencing August 5. Dragonair will add a sixth weekly rotation on the Hong Kong – Kolkata A320 route starting May 12. Emirates will cancel its four-weekly Dubai – Dakar A340-300 service from March 29. Etihad Airways plans to replace the B777-300ER with the A380 on one of its two daily Abu Dhabi – New York (JFK) rotations, effective December 1. Korean Air will launch a thrice-weekly Daegu – Shenyang B737-800 service from June 22. Turkish Airlines will increase capacity on the daily Istanbul – Karachi route by replacing the B737-800 with the A330-200 from June 15.
