Overview
This week in Asia-Pacific aviation was dominated by renewed speculation and suspicion surrounding missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 as Emirates chief Tim Clark repeated his contrary views about nearly all aspects of the ongoing investigation which is now in its ninth month.
"I think we will know more if there is full transparency of everything that everybody knows. I do not believe that the information held by some is on the table," Clark said. Read More »
Airline News
361 of Air India’s 370 daily departures unprofitable
India’s government told parliament that only nine of national carrier Air India’s 370 daily departures are profitable, The Times of India has reported. Read More »
Airline News
Jet Airways eyes Bangkok hub, cuts domestic capacity
Etihad-protégé Jet Airways told the Bangkok Post that it wants to turn Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) into a mini-hub to extend its network to East Asia by taking advantage of the fifth and sixth freedom rights already in place between India and Thailand. Read More »
Airline News
“I don’t care”: Al Baker to smaller Gulf carriers
Often outspoken Qatar Airways chief executive officer (CEO) has done it again. During a panel discussion at the Arab Air Carriers Organisation annual general meeting (AGM) in Dubai last week, he said he wanted there to be three “growing airlines” in the Gulf region – Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways. Read More »
Airline News
Chinese airlines close in on New Zealand
Air China and Air New Zealand (ANZ) have signed a Statement of Intent to form a strategic alliance on services between China and New Zealand to begin early next year, paving way for easier accessibility for the over half a million Chinese tourists New Zealand expects by 2020. Read More »
Airline News
B787-9 delays, Etihad next in line
Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Airways won’t be unveiling its new B787-9 Dreamliner on December 27, says GDS data provider Airline Route. Read More »
Financial Round Up
SpiceJet narrows losses, seeks fresh capital
Indian low-cost carrier (LCC) SpiceJet reported a net loss of 3.1 billion rupees ($50.4 million) for the second quarter ended September 30, narrowed 45% from a loss of 5.6 billion rupees in the same period a year earlier. Load factor increased 13.3% to 81.9%. Read More »
People
Etihad finalises Alitalia board appointments, engages new marketing SVP
Luca Cordero di Montezemolo – former Ferrari chairman – has been selected as non-executive chairman of the 9-head board of directors at the “new Alitalia” set to be re-launched on January 1 after Etihad’s 49% equity stake investment in the Italian carrier received formal regulatory approval last week. Read More »
Short Takes
Airlines: Juneyao Airlines’ low-cost subsidiary Jiuyuan Airlines has postponed its inaugural flight—from Guangzhou to Zhanjiang—to December 2 following approval of its routes application. It has 50 B737-800 and MAX aircraft on order. Read More »
