Short Takes
October 4th 2019
ROUTES: In the final week of this month, Spring Airlines will introduce daily Guangzhou-Jeju, Nanjing-Phnom Pehn, Shanghai Pudong-Tokyo Narita and Xi’an-Phnom Penh flights. Read More » In the same week, it will begin operating Xi’An – Ibaraki four times a week, three a week flights between Xi’An – Saga and twice a week Yangzhou/Taizhou – Seoul Incheon. It also will expand its network to four a week services on the routes of Jieyang/Chaoshan – Macau, Shenyang – Jinan – Macau and Taizhou – Macau. Zhejiang Loong Airlines is offering its first route to Central Asia, twice a week flights from Xi’An to Tashkent from October 25. EVA Air will increase Taipei Taoyuan – Cebu to eight a week from November 10. China Southern Airlines will launch Shanghai Pudong and Shenzhen to Tokyo Narita from October 27 and October 29, respectively. Sichuan Airlines will commence nonstop twice a week flights between Chengdu and Vancouver on November 5. It will continue to operate one a week Chengdu – Shenyang – Vancouver services with A330s. AirAsia will launch a four times a week Kuala Lumpur – Da Lat route on December 20. Malaysia Airlines has commenced flying Kuala Lumpur to Pekanbaru and to Solo/Surakarta, both twice a week.
AIRLINES: Air New Zealand has finalized an order for eight 787-10s at an estimated value of US$2.7 billion. All Nippon Airways has signed a NacelleLife support contract with Safran Nacelles for the carrier’s three A380s. As it continues to cut costs, Etihad Airways said last week it would delay the entry into service of five A350-1000s. The airline lost US$1.28 billion in its last financial year. The first upgraded Qantas Airways A380 has commenced service on Sydney-Singapore-London. Qantas is re-configuring 12 A380s that will be equipped with 30 fewer economy seats and a 27% increase in premium capacity.
LEASING: Air Lease Corporation (ALC) delivered a new A321 LR aircraft on long-term lease to Air Astana. The Pratt & Whitney-powered jet is the first of seven of the type to arrive at the airline and is from the lessor’s order book. ALC also has announced a long-term lease agreement with MIAT Mongolian Airlines for a new 787-9, scheduled for acceptance by the airline at its home hub in early 2021.
MRO: India’s newest international carrier, joint venture Vistara, has signed a long-term contract with Airbus Flight Hour Services for its Tailored Support Package that will eventually cover the MRO of 62 aircraft. ST Engineering’s European subsidiary, Singapore Technologies Engineering (Europe), has completed the 100% purchase of Newtec Group NV and will change the name of the newly acquired company to ST Engineering iDirect (Europe) NV.
PEOPLE: Air New Zealand chairman, Dame Therese Walsh, has announced the appointment of Laurissa Cooney to the airline’s board. Cooney has worked in senior consulting and auditing roles with Deloitte in Auckland and Deloitte Touche in London. She holds several C-Suite positions across tourism and cultural affairs in New Zealand.
