Overview
It was a decisive week for Thailand aviation as the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) completed its week-long visit to the country to review the nation’s air safety. The FAA will present its findings by September 20, potentially leading to a costly and embarrassing downgrade to Category 2 for the country. Meanwhile, flag carrier, Thai Airways International (THAI), is on a slow recovery trajectory, but its yields are still falling. In China, the “Big Three” are bullish in their first-half profit estimates, while in Japan, U.S. carrier, Delta Air Lines, has offered to invest in struggling Skymark Airlines. Read More »
Airline News
Mainland Digest: China’s airlines ramp up international expansion
The Mainland’s “Big Three” are maintaining their growth strategy with announcements they have applied for new traffic rights to Europe and the U.S. Air China filed for a four-weekly Chengdu-Paris A330 schedule and China Southern Airlines sought permission to operate daily from Pudong to Chicago with B777-300ERs, both from October 25. Read More »
Airline News
New opposition to Qantas -American Airlines trans-Pacific alliance
Hawaiian Airlines is the latest carrier to oppose the Qantas Airways-American Airlines trans-Pacific alliance after it received interim approval from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) in early July, despite long-standing objections from Air New Zealand. Read More »
Airline News
Delta offers Skymark investment lifeline
The Nikkei Asian Review (NAR) has named Delta Air Lines as a potential investor in Japan’s bankrupt Skymark Airlines, adding to the controversy about who should control the reins at the Tokyo-based carrier and have access to valuable slots at the city’s downtown Haneda Airport. Read More »
Airline News
Qatar Airways expands its business jet subsidiary
Qatar Executive is expanding into aircraft management, providing “aircraft owners with services tailored to each individual’s requirements, but generally includes taking care of the entire flight operation. It includes trip planning and the allocation of pilots and flight attendants, right up to the organization of catering and all ground arrangements including fuelling, hangar parking and cleaning of the aircraft in Doha and worldwide.” Qatar Airways’ boss, who is also chief executive of Qatar Executive, said there was “substantial market potential” for the product. Read More »
People
Chinese lessor appoints new vice president
China Aircraft Leasing Company (CALC) has appointed Patrick Trant as vice-president of its technical unit, effective immediately. Trant, who has worked in the industry for 17 years, will be based in Dublin. He joins CALC from Air Lease Corporation, where he served as technical asset manager. Read More »
Airline News
Cathay Cargo says business is “flat”
Combined traffic figures for Cathay Pacific Cargo (including Dragonair) released last week showed a 2.2% year-on-year cargo load factor decrease in June, as volume grew 0.5% but capacity increased 5.9%. "Growth in the cargo markets has been softening ... and we saw a continuation of this trend in June," said Mark Sutch, Cathay's general manager for cargo sales and marketing. He added Cathay experienced "sporadic" demand and "strong competition" from Mainland China, its largest source market. Read More »
Short Takes
Airlines
Garuda Indonesia has signed an agreement with local cargo carrier Cardig Air, based in Jakarta, to coordinate on cargo shipping throughout the region. Cardig currently operates three B737-300Fs, principally on domestic routes between major hubs in Indonesia, but also to international destinations such as Singapore, Brunei, Vietnam and Malaysia. Read More »
