by ORIENT AVIATION 

May 1st 2014

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AIR TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT: The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has signed on Airbus ProSky to develop an Asia-Pacific air traffic flow management strategy that will have a major goal of integrating and co-ordinating ATFM capabilities across the region. Read More »

AIRLINES: HNA Group subsidiary, cargo operator Yangtze River Express, has applied to the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) to operate passenger services from its Shanghai base.

AIRPORTS: Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific Airways is the first airline to sign up for tenancy at Singapore’s Changi Airport Terminal 4 (T4), which will open in 2017. Airport infrastructure company, GMR, has won a US$387 million contract to upgrade and operate the Philippines’ second airport, Mactan-Cebu International Airport, the home of budget carrier, Cebu Pacific Airways.

BUSINESS: Shanghai-based LCC, Spring Airlines, Mainland China’s largest budget carrier, has filed preliminary listing documents for an Initial Public Offering (IPO) with the Shanghai Stock Exchange, where it outlined its plans to raise US$410.3 million if the IPO is approved.

CODE SHARES: Cathay Pacific Airways and Qatar Airways have announced a code share agreement that will provide twice daily services between Hong Kong and Doha. Cathay Pacific flights from all the cities in Australia, New Zealand, Japan and Korea that the airline serves will carry the QR code. Qatar Airways flights from Doha, Jeddah, Nairobi, Athens, Geneva, Madrid, Barcelona and Venice will carry the CX code.

ENVIRONMENT: Lufthansa, in conjunction with U.S. biofuel company, Gevo, and German military researchers, is examining a process that could convert “mainly plant waste” to distilled aviation kerosene.

FLEETS: China Express Airlines, set up in 2014, has converted three Bombarider CRJ900 aircraft to firm orders. The confirmation was part of a commitment of eight options and firm orders for three CRJ900s signed last December.

Japan Airlines subsidiary, Japan Transocean Air, has ordered 12 B737-800s, powered by CFM engines, in a fleet renewal program that will see the new aircraft arriving at the Okinawa-based carrier from 2016. Singapore Airlines (SIA) will become the first airline to fly A380s into the Indian cities of Delhi and Mumbai after the Indian government lifted its ban on allowing the aircraft to operate into India.

OEMs: Rockwell Collins CETC Avionics Co., a joint venture between the U.S. aerospace company and state-owned China Electronics Technology Avionics Co., will manufacture communications systems and navigation equipment for China’s narrow body jet, the C919, which is to debut late next year after several years of delays. CETC is based in Chengdu in Sichuan province.

MRO: Ameco Beijing has signed its second three-year contract with Ethiopian Airlines to overhaul the African carrier’s RB211 engines. Lufthansa Technik Philippines and long-haul budget carrier, AirAsia X, have extended their contract to conduct base maintenance on the Kuala Lumpur-headquartered airline’s A330s. The Manila MRO is jointly owned by Lufthansa Technik AG and Philippines aviation service provider, MacroAsia Corporation.

TRAINING: Australian carrier, Regional Express, has officially launched its SAAB A340 full flight simulator, which the regional carrier acquired from Flight Safety International in the U.S. and has installed at its Flight Training Academy in Wagga in Australia.

ROUTES: Air China will be flying four times a week between Beijing and the eastern coastal city of Vladisvostok from June 3. Air China also flies to Moscow and Chita from the flag carrier’s home base of Beijing. Cathay Pacific Airways will commence a four times a week direct service between Hong Kong and Manchester, in United Kingdom in December, using B-777-300ERs. Jetstar has commenced a four times a week service between Tokyo Narita airport and Melbourne, Australia. Budget carrier, Vanilla Air, the airline that has emerged from the ashes of the All Nippon Airways/AirAsia Japan collapse, will fly daily between Narita and Kagoshima from July 1 this year.