17 November, 2011
Singapore Airlines Big Boeing Order
The order was first announced on 10 August 2011 but attributed on Boeing's Orders Deliveries website to an unidentified customer. In total, Singapore Airlines has ordered 85 Boeing 777s, 27 of which are 777-300ERs.
"This order is part of our ongoing fleet expansion and modernization program, which enables us to offer our latest cabin products to our customers," said Goh Choon Phong, chief executive officer for Singapore Airlines (SIA).
"The additional 777-300ERs will also help us further strengthen the Singapore Airlines network, providing our customers even more travel options." SIA currently operates nearly every 777 model produced, including the 777-200, 777-200ER, 777-300 and 777-300ER.
Lion Air's roar for 230 Boeing 737's
UK biggest airlines join forces
15 November, 2011
Emirates Massive Boeing Order.
UA and CO merge moves ahead.
"We are not doing painting and spackling here," he told a group of business executives in Chicago. Like a large construction project, the integration of United and Continental airlines is having its share of drama: meshing disparate cultures; the issue of new union representation contracts running behind schedule; some disgruntled pilots; customer confusion; and a long to-do list that includes minute details such as the proper verbiage when warning flight attendants to prepare for takeoff.
Executives at United Continental maintain that crucial operational issues have been addressed and that the merger is proceeding without major glitches. "From my perspective, things are on track," says Jim Compton, United Continental's chief revenue officer. "Merging two airlines is a long process and complicated. We have a lot of work ahead of us." United and Continental announced their $3 billion merger in May 2010, creating the world's largest airline to be branded "United." They said they would generate up to $1.2 billion from cost savings and new revenue from their combined flight networks. The combined airlines would generate annual revenue of about $29 billion (based on 2009 financial results), they said.
Shareholders approved the deal in September 2010. For now, the two carriers are flying under their own banners, and the company doesn't expect to finish merging the two reservation systems until the end of March. But some early integration tasks, such as painting planes and replacing signs, are proceeding quickly. Other crucial customer service issues — aligning frequent-flier programs, recoding kiosk software, agreeing on a reservation system standard — have made progress, too, Compton says. United Continental also has begun to rejigger the combined fleets by shifting some planes to better matching routes. For example, a United Boeing 777 plane, with both first- and business-class cabins, has replaced the business-class-only 757 jet used by Continental from Newark to Brussels, considered a premium market.
Mark Ozenick, an aviation consultant at SSA & Co., says dealing with mechanical and hardware issues is easier than combining and transforming the culture. "Where mergers fail is when they don't humanize the process and are not integrating the culture," he says. "Continental has a reputation for being very customer-centric. United not so much. At least that's the perception in the marketplace."
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Still learning how to make aircraft, but I am buying 55 of them
Qatar Airways accused the aircraft maker of “still learning how to make aeroplanes”. Akbar Al Baker, the outspoken chief executive of the expansionist Gulf carrier, used the platform of the Dubai air show to strongly criticise Airbus’ new widebody aircraft, the A350, and to threaten to pull a big order for other planes.
He gambled on fear of a potential massive order loss to get a much better deal from Airbus. It's been reported although not confirmed that his public bashing of Airbus saved his company nearly $20,000 on each of the 55 air frames he later ordered.
The order for 55 aircraft with Airbus is worth $6.4bn at list prices, but we know that the list price is nowhere near the price Qatar will be paying.
Qatar is the launch customer for the manufacturer’s popular new narrow-body plane, the A320 Neo. The gulf airline currently has a fleet of 103 aircraft, which Mr Al Baker expects to increase to 170 by 2016.
Mr Al Baker told a morning press conference that he didn't feel he could go anywhere with Airbus, over a “large” order of planes. “Unfortunately I feel Airbus is … still learning how to make airplanes,” he said. Mr Al Baker piled on further embarrassment on the European Aeronautic Defence and Space company complaining its planned new A350 long-haul aircraft was taking so long.
Qatar have ordered 50 of the A320 Neo short-haul aircraft and five A380 superjumbos.
Frontier to cut jobs.
Company officials said the reductions in Frontier’s workforce, which totals about 5,000, may be accomplished through attrition or voluntary leaves rather than all of them as layoffs. The reductions are expected to be at Frontier’s primary hub airports in Denver and Milwaukee. The carrier is cutting more than 20 flights a day, roughly one-third, of its traffic at Milwaukee.
Frontier still has a handful of flights daily at Indianapolis International Airport. Republic Airways acquired the financially distressed Frontier and Midwest airlines two years ago and combined them under the Frontier brand name. Since then, Republic Airways has struggled with Frontier’s profitability in the face of rising fuel prices and the stiff headwinds of competition. The current strategy is to position Frontier among the ultra low-fare carriers while flying larger airplanes with more seats to sell. Last week, Chief Executive Bryan Bedford told Wall Street analysts that the company’s board of directors has agreed to hire an advisor to assess the financial future of Frontier and possible options to sell the airline to another carrier or to investors or an equity fund or to spin it off to shareholders.
Spirit double booking fee.
10 November, 2011
Porter wins praise.
Air France KLM slide in profits
Airbus ends A340 production
Kingfisher cancels over 80 flights -
04 November, 2011
Qantas A380 diverts to Dubai after engine problem
Singapore 777 over runs Munich runway
BA may buy BMI
The sale still has to be cleared by regulators. BMI, which is based in Castle Donington in Leicestershire, operates flights to Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The key issue for regulators will be the extra take-off and landing slots at Heathrow Airport that BMI owns.
The acquisition would mean that IAG would have more than half of the landing slots at the UK's busiest airport. Virgin Atlantic, which said it had also made a bid for BMI, is likely to strongly oppose the deal. "British Airways' hold over Heathrow is already too dominant and we are very concerned - as the competition authorities should also be - that BA's purchase of BMI would be disastrous for consumer choice and competition," Virgin Atlantic said. Lufthansa bought the 50% of BMI owned by its then chairman Sir Michael Bishop in 2008, taking its holding to 80%.
02 November, 2011
China Southern Starts New Zealand Service.
Lufthansa talks to BA over BMI sale.
Thomas Cook sorry for dead dog.
01 November, 2011
Singapore Airlines to launch budge airline.
Qantas Back In the Air
EU + US carbon war?
Down at last
Footage shows Boeing 767 landing
LOT 767 Lands without wheels!
18 October, 2011
21 September, 2011
Air Canada Deal?
Air Berlin fleet cuts
Go's Goahead
More drama from bomb trial
30 August, 2011
Singapore Airlines all set to introduce low cost carrier -
Facing stiff competition from low fare air-carriers, Singapore Airlines is all set to introduce a low cost carrier soon, a top official said on Tueday.
China low-fuel landing row reflects growing pains
Aviation authorities have ordered stiff punishment for a local airline whose pilot refused to yield to a Qatar Airways jet requesting to land because it was short of fuel, highlighting growing concerns over safety in China's overcrowded skies.
Cathay Pacific to launch premium economy class
Cathay Pacific's new premium economy class is likened to the airline's regional business class, shown above.
Cathay Pacific will introduce premium economy seats to its fleet in the second quarter of 2012.
World's safest airlines revealed
Two other European airlines, Air France-KLM and Lufthansa, featured in the report, which was published by the Geneva-based Air Transport Rating Agency (ATRA).
Six of the ten safest airlines – Continental Airlines, Delta Airlines, Southwest Airlines, United Airlines, American Airlines and US Airways – are based in the United States. Japan Airlines was also named among the top ten.
In its “Holistic Safety Rating” report ATRA compared publicly available data on 100 of the world’s largest airlines.
It took into account 15 different criteria, including the age of the each airline’s fleet, their pilot training facilities and the number of accidents they have been involved in during the last ten years.
ATRA, which operates independently of any airline, manufacturer or regulatory authority, says the study was undertaken to “provide the aviation sector with rigorous and transparent information, liable to encourage airlines to track, interpret and discuss any criteria in the organisation contributing to flight safety.”
Each year, the European Union releases list of banned airlines, often considered to be the world’s most dangerous. The latest list, published in April, can be seen at http://ec.europa.eu/transport/air-ban/list_en.htm. It includes 37 Kazakh carriers and 43 Indonesian airlines.
Qantas forced to issue apology after 'blackface' stunt on Twitter is branded 'appalling' racism
Australian airline Qantas has been forced to issue a grovelling apology after one of its attempts at social media advertising was branded racist.
The airline had offered two tickets to the deciding game of the Bledisloe Cup between Australia and New Zealand national rugby teams in Brisbane on Saturday night.
Set up earlier in the month, the Qantas Twitter giveaway promised two exclusive tickets to the game, at Suncorp Stadium, to the two fans who could best show their support for the Australian team.
16 August, 2011
Qantas overhauls with $9 bln fleet order, 2 new airlines!
Australia's Qantas Airways is setting up two new airlines in Asia and ordering $9 billion of new Airbus aircraft as part of a do-or-die makeover to salvage its loss-making international business.
Qantas will also cut 1,000 jobs in Australia as it shifts its focus to the world's fastest-growing aviation market, triggering threats by unions to block the move and a government pledge to scrutinise the plans.
In-flight film explains mysteries of female pleasure
Credit: Reuters/Daniel Munoz
The in-flight entertainment on some planes run by Australian airline Qantas currently contains a somewhat unusual offering -- a movie that purports to elucidate the mysteries of female sexual pleasure.
13 August, 2011
Cathay Pacific oral sex scandal - Pilot, stewardess sacked
A pilot and a flight attendant were dismissed from Cathay Pacific after photos of them having oral sex in a cockpit appeared online and in print, the Hong Kong airline said. The airline's chief executive John Slosar said the couple, who have not been identified, "are no longer employees of the company."
Allegiant Airlines to close its Grand Rapids base, reduce destinations
Air travellers still will be able to use low-cost carrier Allegiant Air to fly out of Gerald R. Ford International Airport, but the Las Vegas-based airline is closing its base here and reducing the number of destinations it serves.
10 injured as PIA plane starts wobbling!
At least 10 passengers were injured when a Pakistan International Airline (PIA) plane coming from Multan to Islamabad started wobbling in the air due to bad weather conditions, 30 minutes air travel away from Benazir Bhutto International Airport Islamabad (BBIAPI) here on Friday.
26 July, 2011
ANA, AirAsia to set up low-cost carrier in Japan
Japan's All Nippon Airways and Malaysia's AirAsia said on Thursday they will launch a new low-cost airline in Japan to further tap Asia's burgeoning budget-travel market.
Tourists dominate on world's longest 747 route for Qantas
The first Qantas flight from Sydney to Dallas arrived at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport in May. Photo: AP
Qantas's new flights to north Texas are carrying mostly leisure passengers from Australia looking to visit the US, airline figures show.
The Flying Kangaroo started services to Dallas/Fort Worth in May, operating four times a week using a Boeing 747-400ER.
Airline, FAA at odds over emergency landing at DFW
View footage and news report
— American Airlines was at odds with the FAA on Monday over what happened on board a Boeing 777 wide body jet that made an emergency landing at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport Sunday night.
A viewer snapped photos of the plane flying low and dumping fuel after taking off for Brazil and circling for an unplanned return to D/FW.
Officials with American say an indicator light suggested the plane's right engine caught fire, but the airline says there was no fire.
The FAA said airport fire-fighters reported spraying foam on the wheels after the plane landed.
The entire event played out in the North Texas sky around 8 o'clock as hundreds, perhaps thousands looked up. Fans at the Texas Rangers game could see it, and some called police reporting a plane on fire.
Within seconds of take-off, pilots of the Boeing 777 knew there was trouble. A panel light indicated a possible engine fire, so they started dumping fuel and making plans for an emergency landing.
Dave Jennings could see it unfolding from his home in Carrollton.
"I looked up and saw it dumping fuel, made a sharp turn over the house, and then back towards the west," he said. "I grabbed my phone cam and took out after it."
Jennings' video shows the plane dumping fuel, as it apparently did for most of its 12-minute flight. Fully loaded for the long trip to Sao Paolo, Brazil, the jet was too heavy to land.
American said after the jet took off heading south, the pilots made a left turn over Irving. Flying at a lower-than-usual altitude, the big jet flew across Interstate 35E, then turned north toward Carrollton before turning back to D/FW for the emergency landing.
Some people along the route said the dumped fuel coated their cars and floated on their pools.
Witnesses couldn't help but worry. "I hope it's fuel they are dumping and not smoke coming out the back," Jennings said.
American Airlines told News 8 there was no engine fire and that it had received no complaints of fuel contamination.
Any residents with legitimate concerns should contact American's customer relations department.
But in conflict with what the airline said, the FAA says fire-fighters reported extinguishing a fire in the jet's right engine.
A spokesman for D/FW Airport said its fire-fighters did use foam, but that it was sprayed on the wheels and brakes; after the plane landed, it was still so heavy that several tires blew out and overheated the brakes.
American said the entire event remains under investigation.
Airline, FAA at odds over emergency landing at D/FW | wfaa.com Dallas - Fort Worth
American Airlines Orders 460 Planes
AMR Corp.'s American Airlines, despite years of losses and an increasing debt load, showed it is still a high roller by ordering 460 new aircraft from Boeing Co. and Airbus with a total sticker price of nearly $40 billion.
U.S. airlines fight prospect of higher security fees
U.S. airlines are fighting the prospect of sharply higher passenger security fees that could be part of any deficit-reduction plan.
12 July, 2011
In other news….
GULF AIR has signed a joint marketing agreement to aggressively drive inbound tourism from the Middle East to Copenhagen.
The agreement between the airline and the route development programme for the city, Copenhagen Connected, is expected to boost sales to Gulf Air's newest destination. The agreement was signed at a press conference marking the airline's inaugural flight to Copenhagen. Gulf Air CCO Karim Makhlouf said: "We believe that with the opening of our new Copenhagen connection and aggressive marketing campaign in collaboration with Connected Copenhagen, Denmark will soon become a popular destination for tourists from the region."
SHENZHEN AIRLINES, the fifth largest carrier in China, has been accepted as a future Star Alliance member.
Bringing Shenzhen Airlines into the alliance is part of a long-term strategy to expand the Star Alliance network into the future growth markets, providing the international traveller with optimal flight options.
Star Alliance CEO Jaan Albrecht said: "With the approval of our Chief Executive Board (CEB) we today formally start the integration process of Shenzhen Airlines, which upon completion will allow Star Alliance to once again enlarge its offer across mainland China and neighbouring countries."
LUFTHANSA has opened a new lounge at Frankfurt Airport complete with spa facilities and seating for over 300 guests.
The First Senator Lounge in the departures area of the airport's Terminal 1 is the carrier's largest lounge and covers an area of more than 1,800sqm. A spokesman said: "Frequent flyers who have achieved Senator status now have an opportunity to relax in style at Lufthansa's largest airport lounge. "Top customers can for the first time enjoy a modern wellness area with luxury facilities that include ten showers and two spa rooms." Lufthansa Senator Card holders can unwind and enjoy massages, facials, full-body treatments or other beauty treatments.
SWISS has introduced new apps for Android and Nokia smartphones allowing customers to obtain information, book tickets, check in and receive mobile boarding passes.
Similar apps for BlackBerry, iPhone and Windows Phone 7 have already proved successful and SWISS now offers apps for most smart mobile phones.
With the iPhone and the Android, the boarding pass can be received directly as soon as the customer has checked in and can be called up again by simply shaking the phone.
The apps also provide the very latest details of a SWISS flight's departure or arrival time.
AIR FRANCE has launched a new route from Paris to Lima, the capital city of Peru.
The carrier is operating five weekly flights between the two cities, complementing the seven weekly flights to Lima operated by KLM out of Amsterdam. A spokesman said: "We have witnessed Peru's impressive development, economic growth and its reputation among the international community. "This new Paris-Lima route will also increase the opportunities for transporting goods between our continents." Air France and KLM offer weekly cargo hold capacity of up to 165 tonnes on the route.
EMIRATES 'ice' system has scooped the World's Best Airline Inflight Entertainment award for the seventh consecutive year.
The airline's latest system, ice Digital Widescreen, offers a choice of over 1,200 channels of entertainment, including over 280 movies from around the world, hundreds of TV choices and thousands of music tracks from contemporary to classical.
Patrick Brannelly, Emirates vice president corporate communications, said: "This year's Skytrax World's Best Airline Inflight Entertainment award once again underlines our relentless commitment to providing the best inflight entertainment in the air - offering more content, in more languages and ultimately more choice, than ever before."
DELTA AIR LINES has launched a new non-stop service between Detroit and Beijing, its third destination in China.
The flight will operate five days each week on 269-seat Boeing 777 aircraft featuring full flat-bed seats in BusinessElite, as well as Delta's new Economy Comfort class, which offers additional legroom and early boarding. Vinay Dube, Delta's senior vice president - Asia Pacific, said: "As a major gateway to the region, our Detroit hub is a key part of our Asian network, and our new flight to Beijing will mean even more opportunities for economic development and job growth in the city."
AIRBERLIN is expanding its junior management scheme to offer engineering and business science, as well as aeronautics, graduates an 18-month trainee programme.
In the course of the programme, trainees will get to know all aspects of airberlin technik, the aircraft maintenance section of the airberlin group, and become actively involved in the production, engineering and planning, business development and controlling departments.
Trainees will be based in Berlin and Dusseldorf and the programme will include taking responsibility for managing projects associated with aircraft maintenance and servicing.
11 July, 2011
Updated - Air Malta: Strike may cause airline to collapse
Air Malta warned in a judicial protest today that it may have to permanently stop operations if a threatened pilots' strike goes ahead.
In a judicial protest filed against the Association of Airline Pilots (ALPA), the airline said that should its flights be stopped by the strike, it would incur enormous costs and there would be a clear and imminent danger of it having to stop operations.
Gun Found At Newark After Jet Blue Flight.
Federal US officials are attempting to determine how a stun gun was brought on-board a JetBlue flight that landed at Newark airport in New Jersey.
Airbus trying to break Boeing monopoly at American Airlines
European aircraft manufacturer Airbus is trying to break Boeing's monopoly at American Airlines, which is considering an order of 250 passenger planes, The Wall Street Journal reported late Monday.
Citing unnamed people familiar with industry proposals, the newspaper said Airbus had assembled a team of lenders and leasing firms to help it dangle almost $6 billion in preferential financing before American Airlines.
Airbus's offer has a catalog value of almost $23 billion, but that is being heavily discounted, the report said.
The unit of European Aeronautics Defence & Space Co., is offering American 130 of the current-generation A320s and 130 of the more fuel-efficient A320neo, the paper noted.
However, Boeing wants to keep Airbus out of American hangars, The Journal said.
Jim Albaugh, chief executive of Boeing's commercial airplane unit, is expected to meet with American officials on Monday.
Boeing is offering 737-800s and 737-900 Extended Range planes, but the price and financing terms are unclear, the paper said.
"Right now, Boeing is in a tough situation," said The Journal quoted Adam Pilarski, senior vice president at aviation consulting firm Avitas, as saying. "They need to try to convince the airline to give them a few more months to announce their intentions for the 737
Qantas pilots vote to authorise strikes, seek more talks
Australia's Qantas Airways faces a risk of more industrial unrest after a pilot's union authorised strike action, though a work stoppage did not look imminent as the union said it wanted to continue talks with the airline.
Anti-APD campaign hits UK airports
A campaign to persuade the government to drop a planned rise in air passenger duty (APD) began today at airports, with campaigners handing leaflets to passengers declaring ‘Hands off our holiday, Mr Taxman’.
Fighter plane collision at Duxford show investigated
An inquiry has begun after two classic US fighter planes collided during an air display show in Cambridgeshire.
One of the planes, thought to be a P-51 Mustang, plummeted to the ground after their wings touched, forcing the pilot to parachute to safety.
The pilot of the other plane, a Skyraider, went on to land safely, after the military aircraft took to the air during the Flying Legends show.
08 July, 2011
Survivors pulled from DR Congo plane crash -
A plane carrying 112 people has crashed at Kisangani international airport in Democratic Republic of Congo.
40 survivors have been pulled from the plane, according to a government spokesman.
The plane was trying to land in bad weather, an official for the Congolese airline Hewa Bora said.
20 June, 2011
Airbus Woe at Paris Show.
Airbus' appearance at the Paris Air Show has been blighted by misfortune, with two key planes damaged.
The wing tip of its demonstration A380 superjumbo struck a building at Le Bourguet airport venue during taxiing.
Gearbox problems have stopped its A400M military transporter from performing a scheduled aerial display, although it will still take part in a fly-past.
It left Boeing able to steal the limelight on the first day of the show with its new, lengthened 747-8 jumbo.
The US rival said it had already received 17 orders for the enlarged plane,
The firm also claimed the first confirmed deal of the show: an order for six 777 planes worth $1.7bn (£1.1bn) from Qatar Airways.
Eco-plane
Despite its bad luck at the opening, Airbus is expected to put in a strong showing at this year's show with a string of orders expected for its new low-emission A320neo plane.
The medium-haul 150-seater planes are a redesign of the traditional A320 that cuts emissions by 15%, reducing clients' carbon footprints and their fuel bills.
The European firm has already received demand for 330 of the eco-planes from airlines including Virgin American, IndiGo and Tam, as well as from the plane leasing firm ILFC.
However, the $16bn 180-plane order from IndiGo, which is the biggest single order by far, is still stuck in negotiations.
Airbus signed deals for a further 100 planes last week, with budget carriers Cebu of the Philippines and GoAir of India.
Another 200 planes are expected to be ordered by Malaysia's AirAsia, with the related plane engine order said to be going to the French-American firm CFM.
And Scandinavian airline SAS is expected to follow suit, with plans to buy 30 A320neos worth $2.4bn, with engines from CFM.
Qatar Airways chief executive Akbar al-Baker said that he too expects to buy the Airbus planes, on top of the 777 order already placed with Boeing.
Upgrade delays
Boeing is considering whether to upgrade its 737 planes in response to the apparent popularity of the A320neo, or whether to develop a new plane altogether.
The US firm said it intended to take its time over the decision and would not be making an announcement at the air show.
Airbus announced on Saturday a two-year delay to its new stretched A350 jets.
The A350-1000 will not be delivered until 2017, as Airbus wants to give Rolls Royce more time to develop engines for the plane.
The standard A350-900 is still expected to be ready by late 2013.
Separately, Rolls Royce signed a $2.2bn contract with Brazil's Tam airline to deliver engines for 27 Airbus A350 XWB aircraft, as well as a 12-year servicing contract.
Also in Brazil, manufacturer Embraer said it had signed deals to sell 39 of its Embraer 190 regional planes, worth $1.7bn.
04 June, 2011
Qantas axes 350 jobs,
A DECISION by Qantas to offer voluntary redundancies to its 7000 cabin crew has sparked fears that tough times are ahead.
Yesterday the airline said it was hoping 350 staff, representing about 5 per cent of the cabin crew, would accept the offer, which was part of a "number of measures" to combat the economic difficulties it faced in the aviation market, including the high cost of fuel.
Michael Mijatov, from the Flight Attendants Association, said the announcement was unsettling. "The fact that they are having a voluntary redundancy program means that things aren't good."
Meanwhile Tiger Airways yesterday announced it will axe flights between Sydney and Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast in an effort to improve its ontime performance.
Two routes from Melbourne's Tullamarine Airport will also be suspended from August 1 so the airline can focus on restoring punctuality.
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Rising oil prices and the recent natural disasters in Queensland were to blame, the airline said.