Short Takes
September 1st 2014
AIRLINES: Full service carrier, Batik Air, which is a subsidiary of Indonesia’s Lion Air, has taken delivery of the first of six leased B737-800s that it will use to extend its operations to regional services by year end. Aviation Corp. of China (AVIC) has launched Cambodia Bayon Airlines and announced it plans to build its fleet with an order for 20 of AVIC’s MA60s and 10 A320s by 2019. Read More » Tibet Airlines (51%) and two Nepalese partners, Yeti Air International and the Himalaya Aviation Investment Co. (49%) , are planning to launch Himalaya Airlines next month, flying Kathmandu-Lhasa as the launch service.
ALLIANCES: Flag carrier, Air India, formally joined Star Alliance on July 11, adding 40 flights a day and 40 destinations to the alliance network and increasing Star Alliance’s market share on the Indian subcontinent to 30%.
CARGO: Cathay Pacific Airways will add a twice a week Calgary cargo services its U.S- Hong Kong freighter network. B747-8 freighters will fly the Hong Kong-Anchorage-New York- Calgary-Hong Kong route from mid- October, with a Columbus, Ohio pick up for one of the twice weekly flights.
COMMUNICATIONS: Immarsat, a leading global provider of mobile satellite communications services has opened an office in Beijing. China was among the 88 countries that founded Inmarsat in 1979 and now promises to be one of the biggest markets for the company’s mobile satellite based communications services.
 |
ENVIRONMENT: South African Airways, Boeing and SkyNRG have announced their first major feedstock project will be Solaris, a nicotine free energy tobacco crop developed by an Italian company, Sunchem. The feedstock will be grown in the South Africa. Thai Airways International (THAI) has joined Air New Zealand, Fiji Airways and Cathay Pacific Airways with its decision to ban the transport of shark fin from July.
MRO: Hong Kong Aircraft Engineering Company (HAECO) reported an interim net profit drop of 21% to June 30, to HK$239 million (US$30.89 million) despite a 66 % climb in revenue. Its core business of airframe maintenance continues to be challenged because of the five to seven years needed to train new staff, HAECO boss, Augustus Tang said.
OEMs: Airbus has chosen Taiwan’s Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation (AIDC) as a new tier one supplier for the Toulouse manufacturer producing composite panels for A320 family aircraft aft belly fairings. Airbus is actively increasing its collaborations with aerospace companies globally, especially in the Asia-Pacific.
PEOPLE: Agatha Lee, a MSc in Electronic Commerce, who has spent her working life at Cathay Pacific Airways and Dragonair will succeed Winnie Lau as the general manager for Abacus Hong Kong. Lee has been country manager Italy for Cathay Pacific since 2011. Giorgio Moreni has succeeded Eric Baravian as chief financial officer at turboprop manufacturer ATR. The company’s mandate does not allow senior executives at the company to work for more than four years at the European manufacturer. Bombardier Aerospace’s president and chief operating officer, Guy Hachey, has left the company following the announcement of a corporate restructuring by Bombardier Inc. president and CEO, Pierre Beaudoin. Mike Arcamone has kept his position as president of Bombardier Commercial Aircraft. Kelvin Ko is the new CEO of Cathay Pacific Services Ltd, a subsidiary of Cathay Pacific Airways and the operator of the new Cathay Pacific Cargo Terminal.
ROUTES: Hong Kong based budget airline, HK Express, will add a third city in Mainland China, Hong Kong-Zhengzhou, to its network from September 26. It also has commenced flying to Busan and Nagoya, bringing its network to 16 destinations across the region. Cathay Pacific Airways will launch a four times a week service to Boston in May next year.
TRAINING: CAE and Lufthansa Flight Training have established a joint venture to train cockpit and cabin crew for Bombardier’s new CSeries airliner.
