Short Takes
May 11th 2015
AIRLINES: Indian regional carrier, Air Costa, has ordered three additional E-190s to join its current fleet comprising two E-170s and two E-190s on around 35 flights a day from its home base at Chennai International Airport. Air Tahiti Nui has finalized an order for two B787-9s and will lease two more from Air Lease Corp. Read More » to replace its aging A340-300 fleet from 2018, coinciding with its 20th anniversary. Cathay Pacific Airways has taken delivery of its 50th B777-300ER, and is slated to receive three more this year.
CODESHARES: SriLankan Airlines has added its ‘UL’ designator to American Airlines’ services from Frankfurt to Dallas, as well as Paris (CDG) to Chicago, Dallas and New York (JFK). From June/July, China Southern Airlines will add its ‘CZ’ code to ten ex-Detroit Delta Airlines domestic services, as well as Delta’s Minneapolis-Vancouver, and New York (JFK)-New Orleans operations. Etihad Airways has added its ‘EY’ designator to eight additional ex-Dallas American Airlines domestic routes. Singapore Airlines (SIA) and Croatia Airlines have started a new partnership whereby SIA adds its ‘SQ’ code to Croatia Airlines’ Zagreb-Copenhagen and Zagreb-Heathrow rotations and the Croatian carrier places its ‘OU’ designator on SIA’s services from Heathrow and Copenhagen to Singapore.
MANUFACTURERS: Airbus Group has reported a first-quarter net income of €792 million ($880 million), up 80% from €439 million in the year-ago quarter. Meanwhile, the manufacturer and Singapore Airlines (SIA) have begun building a 9,250 m² training centre at Seletar Aerospace Park, to be named Airbus Asia Training Centre (AATC), which will house eight full-flight simulators, comprising four A350s, two A320s, one A380 and one A330 when completed in early 2016. Embraer reported a $61.7 million net loss in the first quarter, reversed from a net profit of $110.6 million in the year-ago period. The Brazilian manufacturer attributed the loss largely to income tax expenses of $118 million. Honeywell will supply the avionics suite for IndiGo’s 250 A320neos on order. Boeing and CFM International have started in-flight testing on the LEAP-1B engine that will exclusively power the B737 MAX, after certification scheduled for 2016. The new engine promises between 14-20% greater fuel efficiency over current models.
MRO: SITA OnAir and UTC Aerospace Systems have launched AIRCOMConnect, the new Electronic Flight Bag and ACARS software solution. Meanwhile, the Government of the Republic of Korea is set to ease restrictive regulations limiting foreign investment in Korean MRO companies, in a dramatic change of direction forced through by South Korean president Park Geun-hye.
ROUTES: Air China will launch a thrice-weekly Hangzhou-Osaka A319 service from July 1. Air India will further reduce frequency on the Delhi-Moscow (DME) B787-8 route, initially from four- to three-weekly until May 22, and to twice-weekly thereafter. Air New Zealand will replace the B767 with the B787-9 on the five-weekly Auckland-Nadi route beginning November 27. Asiana Airlines will decrease frequency on the Incheon-Hiroshima route from daily to five-weekly commencing May 27. American Airlines will replace the B777-200ER with the B787-8 on the daily Chicago-Narita rotation from August 18, resulting in the loss of first class on the route. Cambodian start-up, Bassaka Air, has launched twice-weekly Phnom Penh-Macau A320 operations. From June 15, Cebu Pacific Air will reduce frequency on the Iloilo-Singapore A320 route from thrice- to twice-weekly. China Airlines will add a fourth-daily Taipei-Bangkok operation, using the B737-800, beginning June 18. China Southern Airlines will cease daily Xiamen-Manila A321 operations from May 20, and will instead codeshare with Skyteam partner Xiamen Airlines on the route. Etihad Airways will replace the A330-300 with the B787-9 on the daily Abu Dhabi-Singapore route from August 1. HK Express will add a tenth-weekly A320 rotation to the Hong Kong-Narita route from June 9. Indonesia AirAsia has launched a daily Denpasar – Bangkok (DMK) A320 service (in addition to Thai AirAsia’s daily rotation). Jetstar Pacific will launch a four-weekly Hanoi-Hong Kong A320 service from September 7, subject to government approvals. Philippine Airlines will increase frequency on the Manila-Osaka A321 route from four-weekly to daily starting July 18. From July 1 through to August 28, Qatar Airways will increase frequency on the Doha-Vienna B787-8 route from daily to nine-weekly, and has temporarily suspended operations to Maputo until June 30. Singapore Airlines will offer a seasonal thrice-weekly Singapore – Sapporo B777-200ER service from November 30 through to January 9, 2016. VietJet Air will increase frequency on the Ho Chi Minh-Taipei A320 route from five-weekly to daily starting June 19.
