Overview
It has been a terrifying week in Asia-Pacific aviation as suspected Islamic State suicide bombers attacked Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport, killing at least 36 and injuring hundreds. Down Under, Virgin Australia continues taking centre stage. This week, Singapore Airlines (SIA) confirmed it was definitely not aiming to take a controlling stake in the Brisbane-based airline. In Thailand, Thai VietJet is ready to launch, while in Colombo flag carrier SriLankan Airlines has announced it will terminate flights to both Frankfurt and Paris.
SIA not interested in controlling stake in Virgin Australia Read More »
News
42 confirmed dead and hundreds wounded in Istanbul airport bombing
There appears to be no end in sight to terrorist attacks on the air transport sector. Following the deadly suicide bombings at Brussels Airport earlier this year, suspected Islamic State terrorists killed at least 42 people, and seriously injured up to 200 more, at Istanbul’s Ataturk International Airport on Tuesday. Read More »
News
Thai VietJet readies to launch
Thai VietJet Air will launch regular commercial flights within the next two months, Nguyen Thi Thuy Binh, vice-president of VietJet Aviation Joint Stock Company, the carrier’s parent, has told the Bangkok Post. Read More »
News
Garuda crosses fingers for return to the U.S.
Flag carrier Garuda Indonesia hopes for a return to the U.S. next year. In an interview with local news agency Antara, Garuda chief, Arif Wibowo, said service to the U.S. forms an important part of the carrier’s five-year plan. Read More »
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Istanbul-based Turkish Airlines is feeling the pinch from decreasing yields, Temel Kotil, the carrier’s CEO, told ATW. Read More »
News
HNA’s Avolon to become largest global lessor?
"We are not yet the 800 pound gorilla, but we have aspirations [of] that," Avolon Holdings CEO, Domhnal Slattery told Aviation Week at an HNA Group event this week in Dublin. Read More »
News
China Eastern adds premium economy and China and Mexico sign collaboration agreement
Shanghai-based China Eastern Airlines this week said it would introduce a premium economy class to its long-haul fleet starting with the delivery of its 20 on-order A350s and 15 B787-9s from 2018 through to 2021, in addition to first, business and economy seating. Read More »
News
Vistara and AirAsia India eye rapid fleet expansion
Gurgaon-headquartered Vistara is considering accelerating its fleet growth plans. “Based on our current plan, our fleet size will touch 20 by June 2018," Vistara chief, Phee Teik Yeoh, told India's Business Standard News. Read More »
News
SriLankan terminates Paris and Frankfurt after all
Colombo-based SriLankan Airlines will end operations to both Frankfurt and Paris after all. Following a meeting last week with the carrier's owner, the Sri Lankan government, the decision was taken to axe the routes in order to stop SriLankan’s haemorrhaging. Read More »
News
ARJ21 performs maiden commercial flight
Mainland China’s first home-grown passenger jet in forty years, the ARJ21-700, made its commercial debut on Tuesday on a Chengdu Airlines-operated return flight between Chengdu and Shanghai’s Hongqiao, seven months after delivery. Read More »
News
Qatar Airways set to acquire Meridiana stake
Doha-based Qatar Airways will acquire a minority stake in embattled Sardinia-based Meridiana. The two firms on Tuesday concluded two days of intense negotiations. Read More »
People
AJW Engines appoints China engine director
AJW Engines has appointed Tony Shen as director of engine services in China. Shen will be tasked with developing the breadth and penetration of the organisation’s engine services across the Mainland. Read More »
Short Takes
All Nippon Airways (ANA) has ordered three additional Bombardier Q400s. Ethiopian Airlines has taken delivery of its first A350-900, its first Airbus aircraft and the first XWB for Africa. Read More »
