Overview
It was another eventful week in Asia-Pacific aviation as the Chinese central government devalued the yuan and sent Mainland airline stocks tumbling. However, the fall did not stop Shanghai’s China Eastern Airlines from confirming it would buy 15 A330 aircraft, for a reported US$3.63 billion before discount. In Indonesia, the national government appears to be playing devil’s advocate to Garuda Indonesia’s fleet planners, with the call by the country’s new maritime minister for cancellation of the airline’s order for 30 A350s. In Bangkok, flag carrier Thai Airways International (THAI) continues to struggle. Its second-quarter losses deepened and another round of stringent safety checks by foreign regulators are on the horizon.
At press time, a crashed Indonesian aircraft, which had 54 passengers and crew onboard, was found by villagers in remote Eastern Papua. The Trigana Air ATR 42-300 turbo prop lost contact with air traffic control on Sunday afternoon, August 16, after taking off from Jayapura, the capital of Papua province, and was reported missing in bad weather.
Cheered too soon: Mainland airline stocks plummet Read More »
Airline News
All lives suspected lost in weekend Trigana Air crash
Rescue crews are nearing the site of the Trigana Air crash in remote Jayapura, Eastern Papua, after the ATR 42-300 crashed in bad weather on August 16, with 49 passengers and five crew on board. The aircraft, which was bound for another remote town in Indonesia’s Papua, Oksibil, departed from Jayapura on the 45 minute journey to its destination mid-afternoon on Sunday. Read More »
Airline News
Government to force Garuda to cancel A350 order?
Indonesia’s new maritime affairs minister, Rizal Ramli, made the headlines last week when he requested that flag carrier, Garuda Indonesia, cancel its 30-on-order A350s and cited poor loads on Garuda’s existing long-haul routes, as well as the poor long-haul performance of its regional peers, as his reasons. Read More »
Airline News
THAI fails to meet cost targets as losses widen
Thai Airways International (THAI) has failed to significantly reduce costs as part of its rehabilitation, the carrier’s chief executive, Charamporn Jotikasthira, told the Bangkok Post last week. The airline managed to reduce expenses by 8.8% in the past six months, missing its target of 20% by a wide margin. Read More »
Airline News
MH370: more possible debris located
An Australian search and recovery team has collected sonar images that could provide the next breakthrough in the investigation into the loss of Malaysia Airlines (MAS) flight MH370. Read More »
Airline News
Emirates to fly to Panama amid U.S. overcapacity allegations
Emirates Airline will launch a daily Dubai-Panama City service on February 1, next year, the longest non-stop flight in the world, with a travel time of 17 hours 35 minutes heading westbound. It will be operated by a B777-200LR, seating eight in first, 42 in business and 216 in economy class, as well as carrying 15 tons of cargo. Read More »
Airline News
Asiana and Korean hit by MERS losses
Korean Air Lines, South Korea's largest carrier, posted a second-quarter net loss of 169.2 billion won ($144 million) from significant passenger reductions following the Middle East Respiratory System (MERS) outbreak in May, a sharp decline from the 361.8 billion won profit reported a year earlier. Read More »
Airline News
Virgin Australia narrows losses and tweaks network
Virgin Australia Group kicked off the reporting season in the Pacific with a full-year net loss of A$94 million ($72 million), narrowed from an A$354 million loss in the previous financial year. Read More »
People
Airbus appoints new Pacific sales boss
Airbus has appointed Iain Grant as new head of sales for the Pacific region. Grant will replace outgoing senior vice-president of sales for the Pacific, Isabelle Floret, who will run the group’s aircraft leasing business. Read More »
Short Takes
CARGO: Qatar Airways Cargo has taken delivery of its first B747-400BCF and is deploying it on flights to Hong Kong and Beijing from this month. Read More »
