SINCE the late 1990s airlines wanting to buy short-to-medium-haul “narrowbody” planes with 100-200 seats have had little choice (apart from some creaky old Russian aircraft) but to pick either Boeing’s 737 or Airbus’s A320. As orders for such planes have boomed in recent years, aircraft-makers in China, Russia and Canada have been working on new contenders to break this American-European duopoly. On September 16th Canada’s Bombardier got there first, launching the maiden flight of its CSeries plane (pictured).
26 September, 2013
25 September, 2013
The Man Who Sold The Sky ??
John Leahy helped Airbus push Boeing out of the number one position in plane
sales. Can the best salesman in the business keep Europe at the top?
Read the speical Reuter's report on the man who sold the sky!
One warm July evening three years ago,
John Leahy set off along London’s river
Thames in an electric punt. With Leahy, a
sharp and energetic New Yorker who has
been Airbus sales chief since 1994, were
the company’s Middle East president Habib
Fekih and Tim Clark, president of Emirates
Airlines, one of the fastest-growing airlines
in the world.
Dubai-based Emirates was the largest
customer for Airbus’s A380 superjumbo but
Leahy wanted Clark to confirm his support
for the A350, Airbus’s bid to compete with Boeing's drealiner - the report continues here.
24 September, 2013
Ryanair Will Be Nice to Passengers?
Ryanair Europe's biggest budget airline, has promised to transform its "abrupt culture" in a bid to win customers from costlier rivals, admitting for the first time that a reputation for treating its passengers badly might have become a problem.
The Irish firm, this week voted the worst of the 100 biggest brands serving the British market by readers of consumer magazine Which?, said on Friday it would become more lenient on fining customers over bag sizes and overhaul the way it communicates.
"We should try to eliminate things that unnecessarily piss people off," Chief Executive Michael O'Leary told the company's annual general meeting, after several shareholders complained about the impact of customer service on sales.
He said the company would overhaul its web site, set up a new team to respond to emails and stop fining customers whose carry-on baggage exceeds minimum sizes by a matter of millimetres.
"A lot of those customer services elements don't cost a lot of money ... It's something we are committed to addressing over the coming year," O'Leary said.
23 September, 2013
Allegiant Grounding Over Slides
Allegiant Travel Co, a low-cost carrier that provides service to leisure destinations, is grounding as many as 30 of its aircraft, or roughly half of its fleet, to inspect emergency evacuation slides in response to an FAA request for information.
The company's shares fell about 5 percent.
In a statement on Friday, Allegiant cited a "compliance issue" that will necessitate prompt inspections of the evacuation slides in its MD-80 aircraft. It added that the move would lead to delays and cancellations, and said the process was expected to be completed by the end of this month.
The Federal Aviation Administration said on Friday it directed Allegiant to report on the status of the slides on its MD-80s after it investigated an emergency evacuation of Allegiant Flight 436 at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas on Monday.
"The FAA this week became aware that Allegiant Air may not have inspected some emergency evacuation slides on its MD-80 fleet at required intervals," Ian Gregor, public affairs manager with the FAA Pacific Division, said in a statement.
22 September, 2013
US / American Merger Lawsuit
US Airways and American Airlines, whose proposed merger has been stalled by U.S. government opposition, urged a court on Friday to require the Justice Department to turn over documents relating to its approval of four previous airline mergers.
The Justice Department filed a lawsuit on August 13 to stop the planned merger of US Airways (LCC.N) and American's parent, AMR Corp (AAMRQ.PK), arguing that the deal would lead to higher air fares and other fees. A judge will hear the case without a jury in November and decide whether the deal can go forward.
The airlines have said that the merger is needed to help them compete in a rapidly consolidating industry.
In their motion, US Airways and American asked for analyses, studies, forecasts and other documents relating to the Justice Department's approval of the four mergers completed over the past decade.
Delta Air Lines Inc (DAL.N) acquired Northwest Airlines in 2008, United (UAL.N) merged with Continental in 2010 and Southwest Airlines Co (LUV.N) bought discount rival AirTran in 2011. US Airways bought America West in 2005.
Justice Department spokeswoman Gina Talamona said that the agency would reply formally to the motion next week.
The motion for the material, which could be quite extensive, will likely be granted, said Robert Skitol, an antitrust expert with Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP.
"There's no doubt about it being very burdensome," said Skitol. "This is very resource-intensive."
Previously, the government had said the request was too broad, and that data on previous mergers not relevant to this case.
The airlines and the Justice Department could settle the antitrust lawsuit, which would likely require the companies to sell certain assets. Any divestitures would require approval from the judge overseeing American's emergence from bankruptcy.
The airlines have defended the deal in court filings, saying it would create $500 million in savings to consumers annually by building a stronger competitor to Delta and United.
In its complaint, the Justice Department focused on Ronald Reagan National Airport, just outside Washington, D.C., where the two companies control a combined 69 percent of takeoff and landing slots. It also listed more than 1,000 routes between two cities where the two airlines dominate the market.
The case at the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia is No. 1:13-cv-12346.
From Reuters.com
US Skies Open For Ukraine Aviation.
Airlines based in Ukraine are now allowed to fly to the the United States, after the Federal Aviation Authority found the country's safety standards have improved.
The Authority does not rate or rank specific airlines but assesses whether a country's aviation authorities meet standards developed by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Those that do not meet the standards are not allowed to operate flights to the United States.
Countries that currently fall short of those standards include Bangladesh, Montenegro, Serbia, Guyana, and Indonesia.
According to the FAA, it worked with Ukraine's civil aviation authority to ensure that its safety oversight system complies with the ICAO standards.
The FAA announced the change Friday afternoon.
Read more:
21 September, 2013
PIA Pilot Guilty of Drunk in Charge of Aircraft
A pilot has pleaded guilty to being “impaired by drink” in the cockpit of a plane at Leeds Bradford Airport.
Irfan Faiz, 54, had more than four times the legal alcohol limit in his system when he was arrested after getting on board the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) aircraft, Leeds magistrates heard on Friday.
Other staff had noticed he was “unsteady on his feet” and smelt of alcohol before the flight to Islamabad on Wednesday night.
He was eating chewing gum and mints to mask the smell as he boarded the plane, the court heard.
Faiz, from Pakistan, was carrying out pre-flight checks when police were called and arrested him. The 180 passengers who were on board had to disembark and were put up in a hotel overnight before flying out on a rescheduled flight on Thursday.
Faiz pleaded guilty to carrying out an activity ancillary to an aviation function while impaired by drink.
Chairman of the bench James McAuley told Faiz: “By your actions you breached the trust of the public who must be comfortable that when travelling they are safe to travel.
“The consequences could have been serious loss of life.”
Faiz, who could face a prison sentence, was remanded in custody to be sentenced at Leeds Crown Court at a later date.
Singapore Airlines Unveils Grand New Cabin Designs, Launches 777-300ER
The race for the best international premium cabins heated up yesterday whenSingapore Airlines unveiled a new interior design in their upcoming Boeing 777-300 ER fleet. In a small event at the Boeing delivery facility outside of Seattle, the airline previewed the next phase of their cabin experience set to reach customers later this year.
Though the airline has widely been heralded as one of the best international carriers, it continues to innovate in this long range Boeing aircraft only five years after launching a new product on the A380. Asked about the short development cycle, James Boyd, VP of PR Americas said “We never want to rest our laurels,” and pointed to a tradition of innovation at the company.
While that evolution has resulted in aesthetic changes and inflight entertainment upgrades throughout the entire aircraft, the upgrades are most apparent in the first and business class cabins.
Seats have been redesigned to accommodate the ergonomics and needs of today’s business traveler with power, USB, lights and seat controls all at arm’s reach. There’s now space to stow a tablet computer and noise-cancelling headsets, and the seats have been updated to recline in a wider variety of positions.
Two Arrested After Sri Lankan Jet Diverts
A man is in hospital and another is in police custody after a plane was forced to make an emergency landing. The Sri Lankan Airlines A330 Airbus, which was carrying 267 passengers and crew, was due to land at Heathrow Airport but was diverted to Stansted Airport in Essex just after 7.30pm yesterday.
Sources said the drama unfolded after a passenger was overheard claiming "something" was on board the flight in the luggage hold. Once the aircraft touched down police boarded the aircraft and two British men, aged 49 and 57, were arrested.
A source said: "The plane was flying in when a passenger overheard a man saying there was something on the plane in the hold baggage.
"Obviously, they have to take it very seriously and go through their procedures and protocols and contact the police."
Police are treating the investigation as a criminal matter rather than a terrorism investigation. The suspects, who along with other passengers departed for Heathrow from Colombo, were arrested on suspicion of endangering an aircraft. The 49-year-old is being treated for a medical condition, not an injury, in hospital.
An Essex Police spokeswoman said: "The 49-year-old is currently receiving medical treatment in hospital and the other is in custody at Harlow police station.
"They will be interviewed by detectives.
"The incident is being treated as a criminal investigation.
"All passengers left the aircraft safely and have travelled onwards to Heathrow by coach."
Singapore to Crack Indian Market - with a little help.
By Gaurav Raghuvanshi
India’s aviation market has proved too hard a nut for many carriers, but Singapore Airlines and Indian conglomerate Tata Sons are taking a crack at it just the same.
Their 1990s joint-venture proposal was rejected by the government, but the partnership has since become possible: India changed its rules to allow foreign airlines to own up to 49% equity stake in Indian carriers.
Reviving a partnership with the Tatas makes a lot of strategic sense for the Singapore flag carrier. It has cash to spare, India is one of its key markets and the bulk of international traffic from India goes further west, which means the joint venture’s routes won’t overlap those of Singapore Airlines.
Still, the partners will have to contend with perils have caused many airlines in the last two decades to fail: Heavy regulation, notorious red tape, a state-subsidized flag carrier, cut-throat competition and a lack of brand loyalty among passengers.
Vijay Mallya‘s Kingfisher Airlines Ltd.532747.BY -1.08% was grounded last year amid mounting debt and unpaid bills. Previously, East-West Airlines, Modiluft and NEPC Airlines tried and failed in the Indian market. Entering India now may give the new carrier a chance to help fill the void left by Kingfisher’s exit.
“India’s aviation market has been expanding and we have been eager to participate in it,” said Nicholas Ionides, the senior vice president of public affairs at Singapore Airlines.
Mr. Ionides declined to give details about business strategy or the kind planes the joint venture would use, but he said the new airline would like to operate on international routes if it gets permission. Under current rules, an Indian carrier must fly domestically for five years before it can apply for permission to fly abroad—which makes profits hard to come by, said Brendan Sobie, an analyst with aviation consulting firm CAPA-Centre for Aviation in Singapore.
“It’s a long-term investment and they can’t expect profits in the initial years,” he said of the joint venture. “It’s a market in which nobody really has made money.”
Singapore Airlines has been keen to invest in newer airlines to chase growth as it battles weak profits in its main business. Its new long-haul budget unit Scoot Pte. started flying last year and the company doubled its stake in Virgin Australia Holdings Ltd. to 19.9% earlier this year. In June it shed its 49% stake in Virgin Atlantic Ltd., selling it to Delta Air Lines Inc., writing off an investment that never made any money.
“They don’t want to sit still and watch the rest of the world change around them,” said Mr. Sobie. Singapore Airlines wants to expand in key markets—Australia, China and Indonesia in addition to India—both by increasing flights there and by growing “inorganically” where it can, he said.
Singapore Airlines might also want to find a strong partner airline in China and even take an equity stake if it could, but at the moment the regulatory environment is not too encouraging for foreign airlines and there are no obvious carriers for Singapore Airlines to partner with, said Mr. Sobie.
In 2007 the airline planned to buy a minority stake in Shanghai-based China Eastern Airlines Corp, but the high-profile deal was blocked by flag carrier Air China Ltd., which itself had been building a sizable stake in China Eastern.
The report continues here -
American Airlines Aircraft EL
An American Airlines plane flying from Costa Rica to Miami made an emergency landing on Colombia's San Andres Island Thursday, the airline said.
The airline said a "mechanical issue" was behind the pilot's decision to divert the flight to the island, located on Colombia's north coast.
CNN affiliate Caracol TV reported that smoke was seen in the cabin.
Flight 1204 was carrying 172 passengers and six crew, American Airlines said.
The passengers disembarked while the aircraft, a Boeing 757, was evaluated.
No one was injured, Caracol reported.
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