Short Takes
October 1st 2014
AIRLINES: Air India has suspended a pilot and 10 cabin crew for habitually showing up late for work and delaying, amongst others, flight AI144 from Newark to Mumbai by over two hours on September 13. Apsara International Air, a new start-up financed by Chinese investors, has received its AOC and plans to commence domestic services out of Phnom Penh later this month using an A320. Read More » China Airlines plans to commence a codeshare partnership with WestJet from October 1, initially covering selected domestic Canadian routes via Vancouver. China Eastern Airlines has introduced a new livery after 25 years. Garuda Indonesia has invited bids for participants in the financing of an order for 18 A320s, consisting of eight A320ceo and ten A320neo, to be delivered between 2016 and 2018. Hawaiian Airlines will become the first passenger airline to install Inmarsat’s SwiftBroadband for flight deck applications, including safety services on its B767-300ERs. Philippine Airlines will install OnAir wireless IFE on a further five A330s and six A340s. Vietnam Airlines has again identified Japan’s All Nippon Airways (ANA) as a possible strategic partner for a 20% stake in the Vietnamese flag carrier. Xiamen Air has launched a Beijing branch company and allocated 13 aircraft on 10 routes to operate from the Beijing hub. Indonesian authorities have approved an AirAsia X joint venture, PT Indonesia AirAsia Extra,although its first routes and launch date have not yet been announced. Cathay Pacific Airways has received regulatory approval to allow passengers to keep their digital devices on during take-off and landing. Hong Kong Airlines has filed for the city’s first-ever dual currency initial public offering, looking to tap a massive pool of yuan deposits in local banks. Japan Airlines (JAL) will introduce the B787 on its Tokyo – Beijing and –Delhi services from October 26. Qatar Airways’ first of 80 ordered A350s has rolled out of the paint shop and is set for delivery in October. Meanwhile, the airline has introduced the B787-8 on the Doha-Vienna route, replacing an A320. Etihad will fly its new B787-9 aircraft to Dusseldorf, Doha, Washington DC, Mumbai, Brisbane and Moscow from December throughout June, 2015. Xi’an-based Joy Air has placed an order for 60 MA60 aircraft with AVIC Xi’an Aircraft Industry Co. worth US$437 million at current list prices. Philippine Airlines has announced it would not exercise an option to acquire eight of the 20 A321neo it had agreed to purchase last year. Royal Jordanian has received the first of 12 ordered B787-8s and will put it on its Bangkok, Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur routes from October 1. Qantas has decided to hang on to its profitable Qantas Frequent Flyer programme after talks of selling it to raise capital. Qantas and Virgin Australia have received regulatory approval to allow passengers to keep their digital devices on even during take-off and landing. New Taiwanese LCC, Tigerair Taiwan, has started its first service, between Taiwan and Singapore.
AIRPORTS: Sri Lanka’s Colombo Bandaranaike International Airport has launched the second stage of the second phase of its development that will see the airport’s capacity raised from currently six to 15 million passengers by adding an additional pier and a new terminal by early 2017. The government has revealed plans to build a new Dalian International Airport on reclaimed land off the coast of Dalian as part of a 26.5 billion yuan ($4.3 billion) development project. Abu Dhabi International Airport has reported a 22% increase in passenger numbers and a 6% increase in cargo volume in July. Delhi Indira Gandhi International Airport has experienced a 12% year-on-year increase in passenger numbers in June, while cargo was up 23%. Dubai International Airport has reported a 6.2% growth in first-half 2014 despite the refurbishment of two runways, which resulted in a 26% reduction in flights in May and June. The Capital Airports Holding of China has approved the development of a second international airport at Beijing. LENKE AeroConsult has been given the task to develop an operational concept for the new airport due to open at the end of the decade. Darwin International Airport’s traffic has increased by 4.5%, with international traffic achieving double-digit growth of 14% this fiscal year. Dubai International Airport has reported a 6.2% growth in first-half 2014 despite the refurbishment of two runways, which resulted in a 26% reduction in flights in May and June. Mumbai Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport has registered 12% more passengers and 5% more cargo in June compared to the same period a year earlier.
CARGO: All Nippon Airways and Lufthansa Cargo will launch a cargo joint venture on routes between Japan and Europe, following antitrust approval from the relevant European Union regulators and the Japanese Ministry of Land Infrastructure and Transport. China Southern Cargo will have started a Shanghai – Tianjin – Los Angeles B777F service. Air freight carriers in the Asia-Pacific have boosted global cargo volume 5.8% in July, the best July performance in four years, according to IATA’s July air freight market analysis.
ENVIRONMENT: Cathay Pacific Airways has signed a long-term agreement to buy 375 million gallons of biofuel in the next decade. Last month, one of airline’s three chosen suppliers, Fulcrum BioEnergy shared U.S. government grants of US$210 million given to Emerald Biofuels, Red Rock Biofuels and Fulcrum for the commissioning of construction of biorefineries.
IFE: AirAsia and its partners roKKI and Inmarsat are providing instant messaging services via mobile phones for all AirAsia passengers. roKKI is owned by Malaysian company, Tune Box, which is a subsidiary of the Tune Group, the ultimate parent company of AirAsia founder, Tony Fernandes and his business partner, Kamarudin Meranun. Nok Air became the first airline in the region to use Thaicom’s new satellite based In-Flight Connectivity service, which now provides free broadband to all passengers of the energetic Don Meaung based carrier.
