Air New Zealand (ANZ) CEO, Christopher Luxon, committed to ordering three A321neo, 10 A320neo and one A320ceo at a signing ceremony on the sidelines of IATA’s AGM in Doha last week and also confirmed his intention to an all-Airbus narrow body fleet. Read More »

AirAsia India launched in early June, offering fares of $17 on its maiden route between Bangalore, India’s IT capital and the coastal resort city of Goa. The bold carrier, a favoured child of LCC supremos, the AirAsia Group, gleefully announced its start-up fares were cheaper – and shorter – than a second class train paid journey between the southern Indian cities. Read More »

"We are keen to invest in IndiGo, if [a stake] is available. It is the most successful Indian carrier, the most cost efficiently run Indian carrier and the most progressive one. We, as you know, always like to associate ourselves with success," Al Baker said at the 70th IATA AGM in Doha. Read More »

At least 35 pilots from the Hong Kong Airlines have resigned in the last six months, reported the South China Morning Post, because they were dissatisfied with the airline’s conditions of service, including being asked to fly more hours per day than stipulated by the Civil Aviation Department of Hong Kong regulations. Read More »

Skymark Airlines’ ambitious A330 and A380 projects are one contributor to the Japanese carrier’s significantly weakened financial results for the 12 months to December 31, 2013. The airline reported an operating loss of US$25 million for the year, compared with an operating profit US$46.6 million 12 months earlier. Read More »

MANUFACTURERS:

Airbus is completing the final assembly of its fifth A350, MSN005, which will then join its sister aircraft in the flight-test programme. MSN006 is on the final assembly line. It will be part of the fleet of launch customer, Qatar Airways. Read More »

Orient Aviation learnt from someone at the top of Hong Kong’s Airport Authority that former chairman, Marvin Cheung did not resign from his position of Board Chairman for “health reasons”. Orient Aviaton learnt that Cheung was unhappy with appointments made to the board because he believed they did not have the experience required of Airport Authority board directors. Read More »

The ATR Assembly of Members has appointed Patrick de Castelbajac as new Chief Executive Officer of aircraft manufacturer ATR, effective immediately. He succeeds Filippo Bagnato, who has retired after a second, and also very successful leader of the European planemaker from 2010-2014. Bagnato had also been ATR’s boss earlier in the decade. Read More »

IATA has appointed Calin Rovinescu as new Chairman of the IATA Board of Governors for a one-year term, effective immediately. He succeeds Richard H. Anderson, CEO of Delta Air Lines, whose 12 month appointment expired at the conclusion of IATA’s 70th AGM in Doha. Read More »