Orient Aviation April 2014
Cover Story
Fourteen months into his job as CEO of Air New Zealand (Air NZ), Christopher Luxon, 54, could be forgiven for feeling a little smug. Across the Tasman Sea, the airline industry is in tumult. Bottom lines have being ravaged by a capacity war, big losses and a divisive political and public debate over the Australia’s competing carriers. Read More »
Main Story
In late February, Chang Hsien-yao, vice chairman of Taiwan’s semi-official Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) returned to Taipei after attending high-level talks between the organization and the Beijing-based Association of Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS) with good news. Read More »
News Backgrounder
Lessons learnt from MH 370 tragedy
On March 29, the Australian investigative agency, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, said it had “new information based on continuing analysis of radar data between the South China Sea and the Strait of Malacca before radar contact was lost with the MH 370”. Read More »
News Backgrounder
AirAsia India declares war on fares
AirAsia group chief Tony Fernandes latest venture, AirAsia India, is pushing ahead with plans to launch from next month despite the woeful state of the local industry’s profitability and a rising tide of objections from the country’s airlines. Read More »
News Backgrounder
Unions say no to Qantas job cuts
Qantas Airways CEO, Alan Joyce, is dealing with intensifying union opposition to his goal of eliminating 5,000 jobs from the group as part of a A$2 billion re-structuring of the struggling Australian airline group. Read More »
News Backgrounder
Industry in upward profit cycle says IATA
The world’s airlines remain on track to report a profit this year, but there are number of risks threatening the industry’s ability to make money in the months ahead. Read More »
Special Report: Training in the Asia-Pacific
Governments can act to ease crew shortages
Building pilot training academies are only part of the solution to the projected shortage of cockpit crew and technical staff at Asia-Pacific airlines, the region’s Association of Asia-Pacific Airlines told Orient Aviation. Read More »
Comment
China and Taiwan move closer to normalisation of aviation ties
Recent talks between Beijing and Taipei that indicate China might agree to making Taiwan a transit point for Chinese travelers destined for third countries will be the biggest step forward in Cross Strait aviation relations since scheduled flights were introduced in 2008. Read More »
Regional Round-Up
Exasperation at EU’s latest ETS decision
In another setback to finding a solution to the contentious Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) for the global airline industry, the European Parliament’s environment committee has voted to reject a deal that could “Stop the Clock” on the ETS for non-European airlines until 2016. Read More »
Regional Round-Up
China and Airbus deepen commitment
Airbus and China have agreed the Airbus Tianjin Final Assembly Line for A320s will be extended for 10 years from 2016, that corporation to develop Air Traffic Management systems in China will be enhanced with Airbus’ support, and assistance in improving China’s aviation sustainability through biofuel development and associated initiatives to reduce China’s aviation emissions will intensify between the manufacturer and China. Read More »
Regional Round-Up
Abacus wins IATA BSP approval in China
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has given Billing and Settlement Plan (BSP) certification for China to Global Distribution System (GDS), Singapore –based Abacus International. Read More »
Business Round-Up
Cathay Pacific triples profits
Conservative fuel hedging and strengthening passenger traffic were the keys to a triple plus profit improvement for Cathay Pacific Airways in 2013. “We are definitely back in profit,” said chief executive, John Slosar, at his last Cathay Pacific results announcement before he moved to parent, Swire Pacific, as chairman this month. Read More »
Business Round-Up
A leading government figure in Dubai, the largest city in the United Arab Emirates, said Emirates Airline, headquartered in the city, could be listed by the end of the decade, along with other Government Related Entities (GREs) such as Dubai Airport and the sheikdom’s aluminium smelting company. Read More »
Business Round-Up
Myanmar rush for gold is a crowded race
Andrew Herdman, the director general of the Association of Asia-Pacific Airlines, aptly summarized the state of Myamar civil aviation when he spoke at the recent inaugural Myanmar Civil Aviation Development conference. Read More »
People
Airbus expands presence in India
Airbus has appointed Dr. Srinivasan Dwarakanath (Dwaraka) as CEO of its new subsidiary, Airbus India. Read More »
Short Takes
AIRLINES: Planned new carrier, SaudiGulf, has signed on for four A320ceo, fitted with sharklets, in preparation for commencement of services from Damman in Saudi Arabia in early 2015. Read More »
