Orient Aviation’s Week in the Asia-Pacific
By Dominic Lalk
Air Belgium this week won the title of ‘most short-lived airline’ operating in the Asia-Pacific. The carrier has announced it would terminate its only service – Charleroi to Hong Kong – from October 1, four months after mounting three ex-Finnair A340s on the route. Air Belgium said the route was unsuccessful because its partners failed to feed the airline with Mainland tour group passengers.
In China, Loong Air and Chongqing Airlines accepted their first A320neo, Cathay Pacific Airways hopes to fly to Seattle daily, EVA Air will take delivery of its first B787 on Tuesday, Sichuan Airlines will start a service to Cairo, Etihad Airways told Orient Aviation there was “no truth in the story” about a potential merger with Emirates Airline and SkyTeam launched the first alliance metasearch functionality.
Air Belgium ends scheduled flights Read More »
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Chongqing Airlines and Loong Air accept A320neos
Chongqing Airlines, one of China’s lesser known carriers, this week took delivery of the first of seven A320neo on lease from Singapore’s BOC Aviation. Read More »
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Cathay Pacific Airways aims for daily Seattle and Washington D.C. services
Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific Airways aims to increase Hong Kong-Washington D.C. and Hong Kong-Seattle, respectively, from four times a week to daily flights, the airline’s CEO, Rupert Hogg, told media at a launch event at Washington Dulles International Airport this week. Read More »
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EVA Air to take delivery of B787 next week
Taiwanese full-service carrier, EVA Airways, will take delivery of the first of 24 on-order B787s on October 2, in Charleston, South Carolina. Read More »
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Singapore Airlines receives maiden A350ULR
Singapore Airlines (SIA) took delivery of the world’s first A350-900 ultra-long-range (ULR) aircraft last Saturday. Read More »
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B787-9 arrives at Shanghai Airlines
Shanghai Airlines, a China Eastern Airlines subsidiary, has taken delivery of its first B787-9. Read More »
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Sichuan Airlines sets its sights on Africa
Sichuan Airlines will launch its first route to Africa on October 23, a twice a week A330 service from its Chengdu base to Cairo. Read More »
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Etihad: “no truth” in Emirates merger talks
Etihad Airways on Wednesday told Orient Aviation there was “no truth in the story” that the UAE government and airline officials were working on a merger between Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Airways and Dubai’s Emirates Airline. Read More »
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SpiceJet accepts first 90-seater Q400, launches new Amritsar routes
Bombardier Commercial Aircraft this week announced the delivery of its first 90-seater Q400 turboprop. Read More »
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SkyTeam first alliance to launch metasearch technology
SkyTeam, often regarded as the weakest of the three global airline alliances because of its comparatively lower member carrier ratings, this week announced its new digital metasearch tool. Read More »
Short Takes
MRO: Under a five year agreement, SR Technics will provide new customer, Skymark Airlines, with MRO maintenance for the Japanese carrier’s CFM56-7B engines. Read More »