Orient Aviation’s Week in the Asia-Pacific
By Dominic Lalk
Aircraft lessor Avolon this week published a White Paper on Chinese aircraft demand that challenges some elements of Airbus and Boeing forecasts. Avolon said the Mainland has an appetite for approximately 1,200 wide bodies to 2036. Boeing said it will be 1,560 and Airbus forecast it would be 1,740.
In Thailand, flag carrier Thai Airways International (THAI) became the third Thai airline recertified by the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT). In the Philippines, Philippine Airlines (PAL) announced the suspension of its Cebu-Los Angeles service and China Eastern Airlines said it would fly COMAC’s C919 on the Shanghai-Beijing trunk route from 2020.
At IndiGo Airlines, India’s biggest airline by market share, the carrier’s principals signed a Letter of Intent for 50 ATR 72-600s and the chairman of Air India, Ashwani Lohani, announced on Facebook that the airline would launch flights to Los Angeles and Dallas.
At press time, the industry was digesting the news of the sudden financial reversal of Dubai’s Emirates Airline, which announced on Thursday that its profit for the fiscal year to March 31 had plummeted from US$1.94 billion to US$340 million, or 82.5%.
Emirates chairman, Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, said the carrier’s investments in recent years had helped it “weather the destabilizing results that have impacted travel demand during the year”. For the first time in two decades, the airline will not pay a dividend to its owner, the Dubai government.
Today, It was reported in The Wall Street Journal that U.S. airline representatives were about to meet government security officials to discuss expansion of the laptop ban on airliners to some routes between Europe and the U.S. The Department of Homeland Security said the plan is “under consideration. When there are changes we will announce that”.
Avolon forecasts 400 new wide body orders from China to 2026 Read More »
News
Emirates reports a fiscal year profit decline of 82.5%
Dubai’s Emirates Airline has blamed fierce competition, currency devaluations and “destabilizing events” as it reported an 82.5% slump in annual profits to March 31. Read More »
News
Keynote speaker at the first Asia’s Financial Skies, Hong Kong Exchanges and clearing chairman, Sir Chow Chung-kong, said the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region’s (HKSAR) proposed tax regime for aircraft lessors offers the sector transparent and attractive terms for establishing their businesses in the HKSAR. Read More »
News
Thai Airways International (THAI) has become the latest Thai carrier to be recertified by the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT). Read More »
News
IndiGo signs US$1.3 billion deal for 50 ATR 72-600s
In line with the Narendra Modi government’s ‘Regional Connectivity Scheme’, UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Anagrik), India’s largest airline, low-cost carrier, IndiGo Airlines, this week signed a Letter of Intent with ATR to purchase up to 50 ATR 72-600s. Read More »
News
Airbus leads April order tally but still lags Boeing
In April, Airbus narrowed the order gap with its major rival, but still lags behind Boeing in year to date net orders. Toulouse-based Airbus secured 25 firm orders from six airline customers for the month, valued at approximately $4.8 billion. Read More »
News
Air India continues U.S. expansion
Indian flag carrier, Air India, is benefitting from increased bookings to the U.S. after the Trump administration’s travel and electronics bans curtailed Gulf carrier growth in North America. Read More »
News
China Eastern to fly the C919 on Shanghai-Beijing trunk route
After successfully completing its 80-minute maiden flight last Friday, China’s first homebuilt jetliner, the C919, is set to enter revenue service with launch customer, China Eastern Airlines, in 2020. Read More »
News
Philippine Airlines suspends Cebu-Los Angeles
Philippines flag carrier, Philippine Airlines (PAL), said this week that it would “temporarily suspend” it’s three times a week Cebu-Los Angeles route from May 30. Read More »
News
GoAir delays international debut and blames A320neo delays
Indian low-cost carrier (LCC), GoAir, has postponed its launch of international flights to December 2017 - January 2018 because of A320neo delivery delays, the Business Standard said, and quoted CEO Wolfgang Prock-Schauer. Read More »
News
Engine “issues” halt B737 MAX test flights
U.S. manufacturer Boeing this week suspended all B737 MAX test flights after engine provider, CFM International, flagged a potential quality issue with the low-pressure turbine discs in the CFM LEAP-1B engine, Boeing said. Read More »
People
Etihad Aviation Group names Ray Gammell interim group CEO
Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Aviation Group on Monday confirmed that group president and CEO, James Hogan, would leave Etihad on July 1, and named chief people and performance officer, Ray Gammell, as his interim replacement. Read More »
Short Takes
LEASING: CDB Aviation Lease Finance has delivered a new B737-800 to Shandong Airlines and a new A320-200ceo to Hangzhou’s Loong Air. Read More »
