Overview
This week in Asia-Pacific aviation marked important decisions in the region. South Korea’s aviation watchdog said it had made the skies safer by forging a voluntary deal with its carriers to replace all aircraft in service for 20 years or longer. In Tokyo, Skymark’s creditors reached consensus on who will lead the carrier’s rehabilitation, while at Malaysia Airlines in Kuala Lumpur, new chief Christoph Mueller struck again “with vigour” as the flag carrier sent out termination notices to thousands of staff. In Europe, at the Airbus annual innovation days, Airbus boss, Fabrice Bregier, said the company was considering increasing output of its single aisle A320s to more than 60 a month.
In focus: Safety in South Korea Read More »
Airline News
Skymark Airlines last week filed its rehabilitation plan with the Tokyo District Court with ANA Holdings, the parent of All Nippon Airways (ANA), to hold a 16.5% stake in Skymark, while Integral Corp. will take the majority 50.1% share and lead its reconstruction. Read More »
Airline News
Mueller to unveil new “MAS” this week
Malaysia Airlines (MAS) is set to unveil a rebranding strategy this week to complement its overhaul, including changes to its fleet and network strategy. Read More »
Airline News
Thailand’s aviation regulator pleads for time
Thailand’s Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) has asked Japan’s Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB) for an extension on the grace period, which ended on May 31, to fix the “significant safety concerns” raised in the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) audit in January. Read More »
Airline News
Garuda’s Amsterdam in jeopardy
Indonesian flag carrier, Garuda Indonesia, may need to end direct Jakarta-Amsterdam operations because the runway surface at Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta is not strong enough to accommodate the take-off a fully-loaded B777-300ER’s. Read More »
Manufacturers
Airbus debates A320 ramp up to 60 a month
At the annual Airbus “Innovation Days’ last week, the company’s president and chief executive officer, Fabrice Bregier, told the global media gathering the Toulouse-based manufacturer was considering increasing the production of its bestseller, the A320, to 60 a month. Read More »
Airline News
China’s Shenzhen, Juneyao, Ningxia, Hainan airlines continue expansion
A statement released by Air China last week said its board has given permission to subsidiary, Shenzhen Airlines, to purchase 46 B737s, but did not provide details of the order. Read More »
Financial Round Up
The first quarter profit of the Malaysia-headquartered AirAsia group has increased by 6.9%, or 149.3 million ringgit (US$41 million), after the February sale of 25% (for $86.3 million) of the group’s equity in online travel company, AirAsia ExpediaTravel to parent Expedia. Read More »
Financial Round Up
Etihad reports 52% profit hike
UAE national carrier, Etihad Airways, has reported a $73 million net profit for 2014, up 52% year-on-year. Read More »
People
Dominic Perrett is the new general manager for air crew at Cathay Pacific Airways, following the promotion of Anna Thompson, who held the position until she became director of flight operations in April this year. Read More »
Short Takes
CODESHARES: China Eastern Airlines and Alitalia have tweaked their codeshare partnership with the latter adding its ‘AZ’ designator to China Eastern’s services from Shanghai to Beijing, Chengdu, Qingdao and Shenyang. Air New Zealand will place its ‘NZ’ code on 33 ex-Houston routes operated by United Airlines from December 15, coinciding with its Auckland-Houston launch. Read More »
