Overview
Long and thin is back and trending in the Asia-Pacific as carriers race each other in announcing ever more ultra-long-haul routes. This week, Emirates Airline said it would launch a 8,810-mile nonstop service to Auckland following last week’s 8,448-mile Singapore-San Francisco announcement from United Airlines. Read More »
News
South Korea’s passengers grew 9.8% in 2015 but safety lapses also increased
South Korea’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MLIT) reported that despite the MERS outbreak, air passenger numbers in 2015 grew 9.8% year-on-year, to a record 89.4 million. Read More »
News
Japan’s leading carriers report solid profits
Japan’s All Nippon Airways (ANA) and rival Japan Airlines (JAL) posted solid profit gains for the first nine months of fiscal year 2015, citing robust demand, a weak yen and the record low oil price. Read More »
News
Ultra long haul routes return to favour?
With the oil price remaining at a record low and not looking to change anytime soon, carriers from around the Asia-Pacific have re-evaluated the economics of ultra-long-haul (ULH) routes, with the Airbus 380 and the Boeing 777LR, among others, attracting the attention of route planners. Read More »
News
Garuda Group targets 16% growth in 2016 and Soekarno-Hatta reveals global hub ambitions
Indonesian flag carrier, Garuda Indonesia, is targeting 27.5 million passengers in 2016, up 10% year-on-year, and is preparing for the delivery of 17 new aircraft, including five wide-bodies. Read More »
News
Turkish Airlines CEO, Dr.Temel Kotil, this week ruled out the carrier acquiring the A380 as long as the airline uses Ataturk International Airport as its primary hub. “It is a nice machine, but Ataturk is not suited for that type,” he said. Read More »
News
SAUDIA takes maiden B787 and Emirates soon to receive aircraft valued at $14.5 billion
Saudi Arabian Airlines (SAUDIA) this week took delivery of its first three B787-9s, in addition to its twentieth B777-300ER, at a ceremony held at Boeing’s Everett facility. The carrier has eight -9s on order from Boeing. Read More »
News
Singapore Airlines (SIA) boosts Q3 profit despite declining yields
Singapore Airlines (SIA) Group reported a 35% net profit increase, to S$275 million ($196 million), for the three months ended December 31, 2015, compared with a net profit of S$202.6 million in the corresponding year-ago period. Read More »
News
Thailand: ICAO red flag to stay in 2016 as Thai Lion covets 30% of the domestic market
Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) director, Chula Sukmanop, on Monday said it was “unlikely” the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) would lift its red flag against the kingdom’s aviation regulator during their next visit, scheduled for December. Read More »
People
China Southern’s Xi expelled from Communist Party
Si Xianmin, former deputy chairman of China Southern Airlines, has been expelled from the Communist Party of China (CPC) and removed from office for "severely violating political discipline, interfering with and hindering investigations," the ruling Communist Party's graft watchdog, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI), said on Wednesday. Read More »
News
Iran Air order 20+20 ATR72-600s, considers regional subsidiary
Iran Air has placed a firm order for 20 ATR72-600s, plus 20 options, valued at 1 billion Euros ($1.1 billion) at list prices. Deliveries will begin this year. The February 1 commitment builds on an order for 118 Airbus aircraft, including twelve A380s and 16 A350s, placed a week earlier. Read More »
Short Takes
Codeshares
Starting this week, Thai Airways International (THAI) will resume its codeshares with Air Canada when it adds its ‘TG’ code to Air Canada’s Montreal-/Toronto-Frankfurt, Vancouver-/Toronto-Hong Kong, Toronto-Heathrow, Toronto-Zurich and Vancouver-Narita services. Read More »
