Overview
The focus in Asia-Pacific aviation this week was once again on safety when another Airbus A320 was involved in an air transport accident. This time around, an Asiana Airlines jet touched down short of the runway at Hiroshima, injuring 25 people and severely damaging the airframe. In their initial interpretations, investigators from Japan and South Korea reached conflicting conclusions about the possible cause of the crash. Meanwhile, there have been significant developments in the industry to make our skies safer as ICAO launched an online repository to better warn carriers of the risks associated with overflying conflict zones, while MAS will pioneer a new aircraft tracking system this summer.
Airbus official urges training changes amid second Asiana crash landing Read More »
Airline News
Lessons learned from MAS disasters
More than a year after the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines (MAS) flight MH370, and nearing the July 18th anniversary of the downing of flight MH17, MAS and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) have implemented significant stopgaps in safety protocol that they hope will prevent accidents. Read More »
Airline News
Canberra backs Qantas-China Eastern deal, Air NZ Houston bound
The proposed alliance between Qantas Airways and China Eastern Airlines has moved a step closer to fruition after the Australian Government expressed support for it. Read More »
Airline News
Airbus files $700 million claim against Skymark
Airbus has filed an 84 billion yen ($700 million) claim with the Tokyo District Court against Skymark Airlines, the latest move in the payment dispute between the manufacturer and the Japanese budget carrier after the airline defaulted on process payments for six Airbus A380s last December. Read More »
Airline News
Mainland carriers Africa-bound
Mainland flag carrier, Air China, and Haikou-based Hainan Airlines, have entered talks with executives at South African Airways (SAA) with the view of either creating a West Africa-based hub or buying equity in struggling SAA, said Bloomberg, citing sources familiar with the matter. Read More »
Airline News
This week, the AirAsia Group has made the headlines in Asia-Pacific aviation again, but this time it was for the right reasons. With the focus slowly shifting away from the fatal Indonesia AirAsia crash on December 28, 2014, the low-cost carrier consortium is back with renewed vigour, with chief, Tony Fernandes, saying he hoped AirAsia would “fly to every airport in China in the next ten years”. Read More »
Financial Round Up
Hainan Airlines said it will raise up to 24 billion yuan ($3.9 billion), through a private placement of 6.59 billion shares, to repay bank loans, finance acquisitions, including increasing its Tianjin Airlines holding from 44.65% to 48.21%, and to buy new aircraft. Read More »
People
Hong Kong Express has promoted deputy chief executive officer, Andrew Cowen, to the top job at the Hong Kong-based budget carrier. Former CEO, Kalid Razack, is now vice chairman and executive director at the airline, which flies to 19 regional destinations in the Asia-Pacific. Read More »
Short Takes
AIRLINES: China’s Spring Airlines has applied for permission from the Civil Aviation Administration of China to begin flights from Harbin, Hefei, Hohhot (via Shijiazhuang) and Shanghai Hongqiao to Nagoya’s Chubu from June, leading to reports the LCC will develop the port city into its second Japanese base after Osaka Kansai. Read More »
