Orient Aviation’s Week in the Asia-Pacific
By Dominic Lalk
It’s been a Mainland week in Asia-Pacific aviation. On Monday, Shanghai’s Juneyao Airlines became a Star Alliance affiliate, readying it to help solve the growth conundrum for the alliance and Air China in the Yangtze River Delta. The next day China and the UK said they would more than double flights between the two countries. In the following two days, China Southern Airlines ordered 12 B787-9s, Qantas Airways announced it would return to Beijing after a seven-year hiatus and Cathay Pacific Airways issued a profit warning. Further west, Turkish Airlines deferred delivery of 167 aircraft as the political crisis in the country intensifies and Qatar Airways made Boeing happy with an order for up to 100 of its jets.
Juneyao Airlines signs on with Star Alliance Read More »
News
China continues its “global aviation power” push
Hong Kong-based investment and asset management company, China Everbright Limited (CEL), part of China Aircraft Leasing Company (CALC), this week finalized the purchase of Albania’s Tirana International Airport (TIA). Read More »
News
China and Britain agree to double flights as CAAC approves 100 new international routes
China and the UK are intending to increase flights between the two countries from 40 a week to as many as 100 every seven days to satisfy Mainland travel demand and create deeper China-UK economic ties following Britain’s pro-Brexit vote in June. Read More »
News
Turkish Airlines defers 167 aircraft as nation’s political crisis hits visitor numbers
It’s been a bad year for Turkish Airlines. After posting a $644 million first-half net loss and suffering from an intensifying of the political crisis in Turkey, the flag carrier has announced it would defer 167 Airbus and Boeing aircraft due for delivery from 2018 to 2022: 92 A321neos, 65 B737 MAX 8s and ten MAX 9s. Read More »
News
Qatar Airways signs for up 100 Boeing jets
Qatar Airways CEO, Akbar Al Baker, last Friday confirmed an order for 30 B787-9s and ten B777-300ERs. He also signed Letters of Intent for up to 60 B737 MAX 8s, bringing the potential value of the deal to $18.6 billion at list prices. Read More »
News
THAI receives second A350 and runs into B787 engine trouble
Thai Airways International (THAI) took delivery of its second A350-900 (MSN050) on Tuesday with the 56-year-old flag carrier hoping to receive approval to commence flights to Melbourne with the new planes by month end. Read More »
News
Beijing Daxing to open in 2019 and construction at Chengdu Tianfu picks up pace
Beijing’s New Airport [Daxing] is on track to open in 2019, airport representatives confirmed to media on Monday. In phase 1, Daxing is projected to handle 45 million passengers a year with four runways. Read More »
News
China Southern orders 12 B787-9s
Guangzhou-based China Southern Airlines on Wednesday confirmed an order for 12 B787-9 Dreamliners, with deliveries from 2018 to 2020 at list prices of $3.25 billion. Read More »
News
Australia investigates SIA tailstrike incident and China Eastern has near miss at Hongqiao airport
The Australian Safety Transport Bureau (ATSB) has launched an investigation into a Singapore Airlines (SIA) “serious” tail strike incident at Melbourne’s Tullamarine on October 9 that led to the 30-minute closure of one of the airfield’s runways. Read More »
News
Cathay Pacific Airways begins “critical review of our business” and issues a profit warning
Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific Airways issued a profit warning mid-week and said “the operating environment in the second half of the year was expected to continue to be affected by the same adverse factors as in the first half and that the overall business outlook remained challenging”. Read More »
People
ATR names successor as de Castelbajac promoted at Airbus
ATR CEO, Patrick de Castelbajac, 43, on Tuesday night confirmed he was leaving ATR ahead of his four-year mandate to 2018 to become Airbus company secretary and chief of staff. Read More »
People
Bombardier appoints new external relations VP
Montreal-headquartered Bombardier has announced the appointment of Olivier Marcil as vice-president for external relations, reporting to Mike Nadolski, vice-president communications and public affairs. Read More »
Short Takes
Airlines: Air Madagascar plans to resume twice-weekly Guangzhou-Antananarivo A340-300 flights from February, but will route the flights via Reunion rather than Bangkok as it did previously. Read More »
