A trusted source of Asia-Pacific commercial aviation news and analysis


OCTOBER 2020

Week 42

Orient Aviation Daily Digest October 16, 2020

A look at the week in the Asia-Pacific

By Jordan Chong

An interesting aspect of airlines' responses to the coronavirus pandemic has been their ability to pivot in response to changed market conditions.

This has included, to maintain freight capacity, carrying cargo on seats in the passenger cabin or having the seats removed to create additional space.

Consumers also have been offered the opportunity to embrace new experiences such as sightseeing flights, pop-up restaurants on board an on the ground A380 and fun children's "classes" on how to be a flight attendant.

Beyond these immediate initiatives or promotions, airlines worldwide are asking tough questions about the timing of the market’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, the shape of the recovery and the expectations of travellers. Read More »

 

Daily Digest

Orient Aviation Daily Digest: Local share market delivers verdict on Cathay Pacific Group restructuring

October 22, 2020

  • Cathay Pacific’s share price has fallen the day after it announced steep job losses, the closure of its regional wing, Cathay Dragon, and the renegotiation of pay and conditions for Hong Kong-based cockpit crew. Read More »

 

Daily Digest

Orient Aviation Daily Digest: Cathay Pacific Group cuts workforce by 24%, shuts down Cathay Dragon and elevates importance of HK Express to the company’s future

October 21, 2020

  • Cathay Pacific Group today unveiled a restructuring of the company that included steep job losses and the end of Cathay Dragon, measures CEO, Augustus Tang, said were about ensuring the airline group made it to the other side of the coronavirus pandemic. “The hard truth is we must fundamentally restructure the group to survive,” he said. Read More »

 

Daily Digest

Orient Aviation Daily Digest: All Nippon Airways continues to increase scheduled flights

October 20, 2020

  • All Nippon Airways (ANA) said yesterday it planned to operate 15% of its normal international flight schedule in November compared with pre-COVID-19 levels. The November figures represented a slight uptick from the last week of this month, when ANA will operate 14% of its originally scheduled international flights. Read More »

 

Daily Digest

Orient Aviation Daily Digest: Cathay Pacific Group says “most optimistic” forecast for passenger recovery is “below 50%” in 2021

October 19, 2020

  • Cathay Pacific Group chief customer and commercial officer, Ronald Lam, said today Cathay Pacific and regional subsidiary, Cathay Dragon, expected to be operating about 10% of pre-coronavirus pandemic passenger capacity until year end. Lam said capacity for 2021 is forecast to be below 50%. Read More »

 

News

Virgin Australia to be “hybrid” carrier under new CEO Jayne Hrdlicka

Administrators for Virgin Australia (VA) said this week the carrier's new owner, Bain Capital, was not planning to reposition the airline as an LCC after it was announced former Jetstar boss, Jayne Hrdlicka, would take over as CEO. Read More »


 

News

India domestic passengers increase in September

Indian aviation showed more signs of recovery in September when domestic passenger numbers rose to a six month high, figures published by the country's Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) showed this week. Read More »


 

News

China Airlines and EVA post softer passenger numbers, stronger cargo for September

Taiwan's two largest carriers, China Airlines (CAL) and EVA Air, this week reported a fall in passengers carried in September.

EVA Air's September passenger numbers fell 21% month-on-month, to 36,435, from 46,075 in August. Passenger load factor slipped 5.2 percentage points, to 22.3%, from 27.5% in August. Read More »


 

News

Malaysia's Firefly to start jet operations

Malaysia Airlines Group (MAG) said this week its regional unit, Firefly, would commence jet operations from Penang International Airport in the first quarter of 2021. Read More »


 

People

Former Qantas senior executive, Tino La Spina, has been appointed chief finance and strategy officer at Australian-listed building products and construction materials group, Boral Ltd. La Spina spent 14 years at Qantas, most recently as international CEO and previously as chief financial officer. Read More »


 

Short Takes

Hong Kong International Airport has extended its policy of allowing Mainland passengers to transit through the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region’s (HKSAR) airport. Read More »