Overview
It has been a mixed week in Asia-Pacific aviation as warnings about the impact of China’s slowing economy on the region’s airlines continues to be debated, especially in relation to capacity at some carriers. Clearly withstanding the trend is China, where its carriers posted bumper January gains and called on manufacturers to build more planes, faster. Qantas and Air New Zealand also were winners this week with both carriers posting record interim profits. In Japan, All Nippon Airways (ANA) and Japan Airlines (JAL) reported incidents involving their aircraft while the International Air Transport Association (IATA) warned Thai authorities about safety and capacity issues, after facing its own setback on initial funding for its New Distribution Capability (NDC) scheme. And in the Gulf, Etihad is said to be planning to increase its equity in India’s Jet Airways to 49%.
IATA warns Thai authorities of its safety and capacity concerns as THAI and Thai AirAsia open equity talks Read More »
News
Bumper first half profits at Air New Zealand and Qantas
Air New Zealand (Air NZ) and Qantas Airways have done it again. After posting record full year 2014-2015 net profits last summer, both carriers this week announced sharp profit hikes for their fiscal first halves, to December 31. Read More »
News
Incidents at All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines; AirAsia Japan plans July launch
In Japan, it has been a week marred by incidents at Japan’s two largest carriers, All Nippon Airways (ANA) and Japan Airlines (JAL). Read More »
News
China’s undiminished appetite for aircraft and routes despite slowing economy
Shanghai-headquartered Spring Airlines has a message for Airbus: produce more planes because China needs them, Bloomberg reports. Read More »
News
Garuda secures new MRO business at Singapore Airshow, plans India launch
GMF AeroAsia, the Garuda Indonesia MRO arm, has won new business from overseas by signing up AFI KLM E&M, SR Technics and Airbus during the 2016 Singapore Airshow last week. Read More »
News
Airbus posts 15% profit gain in 2015, Boeing launches B737BCF with new orders
Airbus Group reported a full-year 2015 net profit of €2.7 billion ($2.95 billion), up 15% year-on-year. The group’s commercial aircraft division increased its revenues 8% to €45.9 billion. Excluding special items, the commercial division’s 2015 earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) rose 10% year-on-year to €2.78 billion. Read More »
News
Etihad Airways to lift holding in India’s Jet Airways to 49%; SriLankan changes course - again
Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Airways is said to be increasing its equity in Jet Airways from 24% to 49% - the maximum foreign investment limit in an Indian carrier – India’s Financial Express reported, citing Jet sources. Read More »
News
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) this week announced that Travel Capitalist Ventures (TCV) is withdrawing as an investor in the New Distribution Capability Innovation Fund (NDCIF), citing “severely deteriorating global economic and market conditions affecting early stage investments”. The process to identify a new investment partner is underway. No NDCIF investments have been made to date. Read More »
News
Qatar Airways absolves Airbus from A320neo delays, threatens to cancel Pratt &Whitney order
“Let me be very clear: it is not the fault of Airbus. Airbus has delivered all their parts, and as you know, no airplane can fly without an engine. Read More »
People
Boeing elects Muilenburg new chairman as McNerney retires
Boeing president and CEO, Dennis Muilenburg, will take on the additional role of board chairman starting March 1, following the retirement of Jim McNerney. Read More »
Short Takes
ROUTES: Subject to regulatory approvals, Air Algerie plans to launch twice-weekly Algiers-Guangzhou A330-200 operations starting October 30. Austrian Airlines will axe its daily Vienna-Delhi B767-300ER route from April 4. Bangkok Airways has shelved plans for a thrice-weekly Chiang Mai-Luang Prabang route from late March. Read More »
