Airbus

AirAsia CEO Tony Fernandes named Officier of the Legion d'Honneur

Officier of the Legion d’ Honneur is the highest rank of honor that the government of France can award to a non-French citizen.  The Legion d’ Honneur was established by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1802 to recognize outstanding service to France.

AirAsia has contributed largely to the French and European economies by supporting the European-owned and Toulouse-based Airbus, an EADS company.  AirAsia has placed firm orders of Airbus aircraft including 175 A320, 25 A330 and 10 A350 aircraft.  AirAsia also has an option to purchase 50 more A320 and five more A350 aircraft.

AirAsia uses Airbus aircraft extensively for its flights.  It has an all-Airbus fleet for its Malaysia-based operations.  Its Thailand- and Indonesia-based operations will have all-Airbus fleets within this year.

AirAsia, which has hubs in Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia, has democratized travel in the ASEAN region.  It connects all 10 ASEAN capitals and more cities with “sky bridges”, linking and benefiting countless communities.  By promoting travel in the region through low fares, an extensive network of destinations and great flight frequencies, it has helped the region achieve economic growth.

Tony Fernandes co-founded AirAsia and has led the airline in its transformation from a loss-making Malaysian airline into the ASEAN airline that it is now.  AirAsia, Asia’s leading and largest low-cost carrier, also connects the ASEAN region with China, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Australia.  Through its low-cost long-haul affiliate AirAsia X, it connects the region with more destinations in Asia (China, Taiwan and soon India), Australia and Europe (through the United Kingdom).

Under the leadership of Fernandes, in only eight years, AirAsia grew its fleet from two aircraft to 92, its staff from 250 to 7,000, and its routes from one to more than 132.  It has to date flown more than 85 million guests.

Flight data shows issue with only one engine on Cathay Pacific Airbus A330 CX780

Cathay Pacific today emphasized that at no time were both engines on CX780 from Surabaya, which made an emergency landing at Hong Kong International Airport yesterday, shut down.

At a press briefing, Dennis Hui Manager Maintenance Support at the airline’s Engineering Department emphasised that safety is always the airline’s number one priority. He said that after further investigation of the flight data from CX780 and having interviewed the crew, updated information had shown a clear picture of this aspect of the incident.

He said it had been determined that the number 2 (RH) engine was at idle power throughout the approach and landing at HKIA, and the Number 1(LH) engine was operating at 70 per cent of its maximum power, and frozen at that level.

Mr. Hui said: “This is a higher power setting than is required for a normal approach with a single operating engine. Consequently, this higher than normal power setting led to a higher than normal approach speed and incorrect flap configuration.

“The aircraft therefore touched down at approx 230 knots, as against a normal 135 knots at this aircraft’s operating weight.

“ However, the aircraft touched down on the correct position on the runway, but due to its high speed had to brake hard and use reverse thrust from the operating engine to bring the aircraft to a halt.

“The high speed and high energy braking led to very hot brakes, tyre deflation and the report from the FSD outside the aircraft that it had observed flames and smoke on the landing gear,” he added.

Mr. Hui said details of what happened and what caused the engine malfunction are now the subject of CAD investigations. Cathay Pacific was co-operating closely with the investigation, along with Airbus and Rolls Royce, the engine supplier.

At the same briefing, Quince Chong Director Corporate Affairs emphasized that no decision could be taken before touchdown on evacuation, until the aircraft safely landed and the commander was in the best position to assess the situation.

Once the pilots were told by the Fire Services Department that they had seen flames and smoke in the undercarriage, they decided to deplane the passengers and immediately alerted the cabin crew to begin the evacuation procedure.

Ms Chong praised the professionalism of the cockpit and cabin crews for their handling of the incident.

She said the cabin crew had assisted all the passengers out of the aircraft, and made sure all were safely deplaned before leaving themselves. Then the Captain and First Officer walked the entire length of the plane to ensure all were safely evacuated before leaving themselves.

She said the evacuation had taken just two minutes.

Ms Chong said: “The pilots and the 11 cabin crew all demonstrated professionalism of a highest order in handling a most testing situation. It was due to their training, professionalism, their judgment, and ability to perform multi-tasks under a highly intense situation that the injuries had been kept to a minimum.”

She said that Cathay Pacific had mobilized 40 department heads to operate the Crisis Management Centre and deployed 50 members of a “care team”, including Indonesian speakers, to accompany injured passengers to hospital and assist the others with their baggage and connecting flights.

The company was now offering to refund all passengers tickets and offer them a free regional flight.

Korean Air reports highest Q1 profits - passengers and cargo growth

Korean Air have announced today its preliminary results for the first quarter of 2010 ended March 31, 2010. Korean Air recorded the highest ever operating profit numbers for the first quarter.  

Thanks to the surging growth in international passenger business and Korea-outbound traffic, as well as the rising demand for premium class services in the first quarter of 2010, the airline posted an operating revenue of 2,599 billion KRW, a year-on-year increase of 14.8%, while operating profit recorded a historic jump of 33.3 times to 220.2 billion KRW. Income before tax turned to the black from a loss of 673.9 billion KRW in Q1 2009 to a surplus of 226.9 billion KRW during the reporting period. International passenger and cargo businesses remained the major revenue contributors for the airline in Q1, accounting for 55% and 33% of the operating revenue respectively.

International Passenger Business

The airline posted overall growth of 1.8% and 14.4% in international passenger capacity and traffic compared to the corresponding period last year, reaching 18,386 million ASK and 14,153 million RPK respectively. Thanks to the rebound of the global economy in the reporting period, the demand for premium class services rose sharply, up 22% year-on-year, and became a significant contributor to profit. Moreover, the airline saw a steady pickup of transit passenger volume since 2008, which also facilitated the overall surge in profitability.

Attributable to the faster recovery of the economy in China and South East Asia compared to other parts of the world, travel demand also saw a quicker rebound in these regions. Korean Air saw 16% and 27% growth respectively on these routes during the reporting period. A stronger Korean Won in Q1 2010 also led to an increase in Korea-outbound traffic.

Cargo Business

Demand for world cargo rose steadily as reflected in a significant improvement in the performance of Korean Air’s cargo business in the first quarter of 2010. Capacity and traffic increased by 10.8% and 21.1% to 3,001 million AFTK and 2,315 million FTK respectively. Revenue generated from this segment posted a year-on-year increase of 57%, with China and Japan routes reaching new heights and exceeding their performance in 2008, a year when worldwide cargo business was substantial. Moreover, cargo revenue generated from Korea surged markedly by 134%, attributable to the increasing exports of Korean IT companies.

2010 Operational Environment & Outlook

Korean Air expects 2010 will be a thriving year for the aviation industry, driven by the positive operating environment both domestically and internationally. International air traffic demand is expected to be boosted by the rebound of the global economy, together with international events such as the 2010 World Expo and the 2010 World Cup. Passenger traffic from China should benefit from the increase in US visa issuing posts in the country. Favorable factors in Korea such as a stable dollar exchange rate, US visa waiver program influence, and the G20 Summit to be hosted in Seoul should also be positive for Korean Air in the year to come.

Apart from passenger traffic, world cargo business is also expected to prosper in 2010, thanks to the healthy export of IT products (such as LCD, semi-conductor and cell phone), high growth of intra-Asia demand, the introduction of economic partnership and trade agreements between Korea and India and the EU, and stability in the US exchange rate and fuel costs. The airline expects to see double-digit growth in its operating revenue and cargo business in 2010. Korean Air sees the cargo business as a strong growth driver in 2010, and will continue its concerted efforts to maximize the profitability of this business segment through a range of initiatives.

With competitive, renovated next generation aircraft with new premium seats, Korean Air will continue its efforts to strengthen its premium class service, and will introduce new fleet with enhanced fuel, maintenance and environmental efficiency. In terms of fleet size, Korean Air targets to operate 132 aircraft in 2010 (126 as of March 2010). The airline has also announced orders to add Boeing 787s and Airbus 380s to its fleet mix in the coming years.

With the turnaround of the aviation industry, Korean Air has set high goals for the coming ten years, with a target of reaching 140 geographical destinations, 20 million in passenger traffic and 2.5 million tons of cargo carried in 2019, the airline’s 50th anniversary year. Korean Air will continue its long-standing commitment to achieving “Excellence in Flight” and optimizing its business while aiming to provide the best quality to its customers.

Cathay Pacific statement on engine incident at Hong Kong Airport

Cathay Pacific today confirmed that our flight CX780 from Surabaya made an emergency landing at Hong Kong International Airport at 1343. The aircraft is an Airbus A330 with 309 passengers and 13 crew on board.

Cathay Pacific is working closely with the Civil Aviation Department which is investigating the incident.

A Cathay Pacific spokesman said that the left hand engine of the aircraft had shut down as the aircraft made its landing approach at Hong Kong International Airport.

The other engine was functioning.

The spokesman said: “Cathay Pacific flight crew are all trained on a regular basis to handle such situations.”

This spokesman also said that during landing, all four tyres on the left hand side of the aircraft had deflated while two of the four on the right hand side also deflated.

He said that the tyres were designed to deflate during such high energy braking to avoid them bursting. Such landings were usually accompanied by smoke or dust as the tyres become warm and deflate.

As a precaution, the passengers and crew were deplaned through the aircraft’s evacuation slides.

Eight passengers suffered injuries and were taken to hospitals accompanied by Cathay Pacific airport staff.

The aircraft entered into service with Cathay Pacific in 1998 and it had been through all the checks and servicing procedure recommended by its manufacturer, Airbus.

The spokesman added that all the passengers who had not required hospital treatment had been released from the holding area of the airport, assisted and supported by Cathay Pacific staff. Cathay Pacific staff were also present at Princess Margaret Hospital and Yan Chai Hospital to support the injured passengers and their friends and relatives.

We are not in a position to release any further details at this stage. We will release information as and when it is available.

Air New Zealand earnings improve amid tough conditions

Air New Zealand today announced normalised earnings* before taxation of NZD$96 million for the six month period ended 31 December 2009, an increase of NZD$70 million on the same period last year.

The Board has declared a fully imputed interim dividend of three cents per share.

Key highlights

• Normalised earnings* before taxation of NZD$96 million, up NZD$70 million
• Normalised earnings* after taxation of NZD$64 million
• Operating revenue down 15% to NZD$2.1 billion
• Passenger demand down 4.6%
• Passenger load factor up 3 percentage points to 81.6%
• Net cash position NZD$1.1 billion
• Interim dividend of NZ 3.0 cents

 “In very challenging conditions this is a good result,” says Air New Zealand Chairman John Palmer.

“The fallout from the global financial crisis continued to make operating conditions extremely difficult. This has been reflected in lower passenger numbers, cargo volumes and yields, resulting in a 15 percent reduction in revenues. At the same time, fuel prices have returned to more stable levels following unprecedented volatility in the 2009 financial year,” Mr Palmer says.

“Delivering a profit during this time is a reflection of the Management team’s focus on closely aligning capacity with demand and their ability to deliver innovative solutions to significantly enhance the airline’s competitive position.”

Air New Zealand Chief Executive Officer Rob Fyfe says the result reflects the considerable efforts of more than 10,500 Air New Zealanders and their continued focus on delivering world-class results.

“Those efforts were recognised with the recent Air Transport World Airline of the Year Award and are reinforced by the airline’s strong performance in the first half of this financial year,” says Mr Fyfe.

“We worked hard to adapt the business to reflect the lower revenue base. As a result, we achieved an 11 percent reduction in non-fuel operating costs, with all operating costs reduced.”

 Mr Fyfe says innovation remains a key theme for the year ahead.

“We have set out to create a culture that enables Air New Zealanders to have the confidence to think outside the square, and to proactively and creatively pursue solutions.

“The next 12 months will be one of the most defining in Air New Zealand’s history. Our competitors will be scrambling to catch up as we introduce a world-first long-haul experience, continue to evolve our trans-Tasman and Pacific Island operation and introduce more capacity into our domestic jet operation with the arrival of new A320 aircraft.”

Mr Fyfe says the improvements are close to implementation and will ensure Air New Zealand can compete effectively against both budget and full-service airlines.

“There is no question the next year will set the direction and identity of our airline for the next decade,” says Mr Fyfe.

Outlook

There has been a stabilisation and recovery of the trading environment, although demand and average fares still remain significantly lower than prior periods. The challenge remains to improve passenger numbers and yields.

In recent periods the volatility of fuel prices and foreign exchange rates has overshadowed the natural seasonality of Air New Zealand’s business.  We expect a more normal seasonal balance this year with the second half weaker than the first.

In addition if current exchange rates continue, there will be a foreign exchange hedging loss of around NZD$20 million in the second half compared to a gain of NZD$24 million in the first half.

We expect the business to remain profitable in the second half.

* Normalised earnings exclude the impact of derivatives that hedge exposures in other financial periods.

Avianca announce new direct flights between Madrid and Medellin

Avianca of Colombia have announced a new direct, twice weekly flight between Madrid and Medellin, commencing on the 3rd July using an Airbus A330 aircraft.

The new scheduled service will operate every Thursday and Sunday from the new Terminal 4 Satellite at Madrid’s Barajas International airport departing at 13:10 local time. The return flight from the Colombian provincial capital of Medellin departs at 1820 on Wednesday and Saturday arriving in Madrid at 1110 local time the next morning.

With this new frequency Avianca now operate 19 weekly flights between Colombia and Europe. Convenient connections are available from the UK on British Airways and Iberia.

Hong Kong Airlines confirms order for six Airbus A330-200s

Hong Kong Airlines has finalised a firm order with Airbus for six A330-200s. The contract firms up a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) announced during the Singapore Airshow earlier this year. The new aircraft will be powered by PW 4000 engines.

Hong Kong Airlines now has a total of 23 A330s on order. The first of these will arrive in Hong Kong in the second quarter of this year and will initially be used on existing routes and later to launch the airline’s first services to Europe.

“Low operating costs and high levels of cabin comfort make the A330-200 the perfect choice to expand into the long haul market,” said Yang Jian Hong, President, Hong Kong Airlines. “We are looking forward to offering passengers a premium service on these routes.”

“The order from Hong Kong Airlines is another vote of confidence in the A330 as the most popular widebody in service today,” said John Leahy, Airbus Chief Operating Officer, Customers. “With the A330-200 in its fleet the airline will be well placed to develop a profitable long haul operation.”

Established in 2006, Hong Kong Airlines currently operates a full service network linking Hong Kong with destinations in mainland China and the Asian region. In addition to A330s, the carrier also has 30 single aisle A320 aircraft on firm order for future delivery.

The A330 is one of the most widely used widebody aircraft in service today. To date, Airbus has won more than 1,000 firm orders for the various versions of the aircraft. More than 650 A330s have already been delivered and the aircraft is currently flying with over 80 operators worldwide.

Etihad Crystal Cargo launches service to N'djamena

Etihad Crystal Cargo, a division of Etihad Airways, has announced it will launch a weekly service from its hub at Abu Dhabi International Airport to N’djamena, the capital of the Republic of Chad.

The service commenced last month on March 22 and will operate every Monday to N’djamena. Etihad will be deploying an MD11 freighter with a payload of 88 tonnes on the route.

N’djamena will be Etihad’s first cargo-only destination in Chad and in the region of Central Africa.

Des Vertannes, Executive Vice President of Cargo, said: 

“Trade and business ties between the UAE and Chad continue to grow and we look forward to developing our local partnerships and build a strong customer base in the country, which is widely considered one of the region’s fastest growing economies.

We are very pleased to launch Etihad’s first services to Chad and assist in the development of the country’s economy.”

With its fleet of two Airbus A300-600 aircraft and two MD11, Etihad Crystal Cargo has 21 cargo freighter destinations in the Middle East and Africa and 69 destinations across the globe.

Flight schedule:

Malaysia Airlines orders 25 passenger and freighter Airbus A330 aircraft

Malaysia Airlines has this week ordered up to 25 Airbus A330-300 widebody aircraft covering the firm order of 15 Airbus A330-300 with options for another 10. This follows the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed with Airbus in December last year.

In addition, the airline has also placed new orders for up to 4 Airbus A330-200F freighters comprising two firm orders and another 2 options.

Deliveries of the passenger aircraft will begin in the first half of 2011, with the first Airbus freighter joining the MASkargo fleet in September 2011.

Seating 283 passengers in a high comfort two class layout, the Airbus A330-300 will become the mainstay of the carrier’s medium haul passenger fleet and will be used on services to destinations across the Asia-Pacific region, as well as to the Middle East. In the freight market, MASkargo will fly the aircraft on sectors of up to 3,200 nautical miles, with the capability to carry payloads of almost 70 tonnes.

“The Airbus A330s complements the other aircraft orders under our fleet modernization plan. The ability to add capacity will enable us to offer more frequencies to key destinations and fly to new destinations. This strategy complements our continuous investment in people, systems as well as infrastructure, and positions us in high gear for growth,” said Malaysia Airlines Managing Director/CEO, Azmil Zahruddin.

“On the cargo side, the new freighters will enable us to better serve the intra Asia route, and offer direct services to Europe from India and Bangladesh. This complements our expansion plans in China, and will strengthen our position us as a key niche player in the region,” said Azmil.

By 2015, Malaysia Airlines expects to have one of the youngest, most fuel efficient and environmentally friendly fleets in Asia.

In preparation to add capacity with the availability of new aircraft, Malaysia Airlines has been simulating demand by adding new frequencies which began on the 28th March 2010. These include offering 7 flights weekly from Kuala Lumpur to Paris, 5 weekly flights to Auckland and 10 weekly flights to Perth. There are also new twice weekly direct flights to Brisbane via Kuala Lumpur.

The national carrier is also expected to announce new destinations beginning second quarter of the year.

“The latest order from Malaysia Airlines underscores the position of the Airbus A330 family as the most efficient and versatile product line in its class,” said John Leahy, Airbus Chief Operating Officer, Customers.
“In addition to the proven reliability and low operating costs of the passenger aircraft, the MAS group will also be one of the first airlines to benefit from the new levels of efficiency coming to the freight market with the Airbus A330-200F,” he said.

Malaysia Airlines is a long-standing customer of Airbus and currently operates 14 A330s, comprising 11 A330-300s and three long range A330-200s.

US Airways rolls out Gogo inflight internet on Airbus A321 fleet

US Airways has launched a new wireless Internet product, Gogo(R) Inflight Internet, on five of its Airbus A321 aircraft. Gogo, which is provided by Aircell, allows passengers to use their laptops or Wi-Fi enabled mobile devices to surf the Web, email friends and family, log into corporate Virtual Private Networks (VPN) and access online entertainment options.

By 1st June all 51 Airbus A321s in US Airways’ fleet will be Gogo-equipped. As Wi-Fi is installed on each aircraft between now and June, a Wi-Fi symbol on the outside of the plane at the boarding door will alert passengers that Gogo is available on their flight. The symbol will also appear throughout the cabin next to the seat and row number, and seatback cards will provide instructions on how to access the service. Beginning in late June, US Airways’ passengers will be able to determine if Wi-Fi is available on their flight when they book travel on www.usairways.com.

Here’s how it works: At 10,000 feet, US Airways’ flight attendants will make an announcement that passengers can enable their Wi-Fi devices. Passengers can connect to the service by turning on their laptop or mobile device, looking for and connecting to the ‘gogoginflight’ Wi-Fi signal, launching their Web browser, creating a profile and paying for their session with a major credit card.

“Gogo fits in perfectly with our business model by offering more choices in flight,” said Andrew Nocella, senior vice president, marketing and planning for US Airways. “Our customers are able to be more productive with their time and have new ways to stay entertained in the air.”

“We are pleased to announce US Airways’ deployment of Gogo, and we look forward to providing US Airways with inflight Internet access to enhance their customers’ travel experience,” said Michael Small, Aircell’s president and chief executive officer. “The ability to remain connected to the ground at 30,000 feet provides a significant improvement to the airline travel experience. As travelers throughout the country come to expect inflight Internet service, we are thrilled to be able to deliver this experience to US Airways and their passengers.”

To introduce Gogo, US Airways is allowing customers the chance to try it for free. From March 29 through June 1, first-time Gogo users will get one free session when they create their profile. US Airways will celebrate the completion of its fleet installation by offering free Gogo access to everyone who flies on a Wi-Fi equipped US Airways flight from 1st – 8th June. For more information, visit www.usairways.com/gogo.

Pricing for Gogo Inflight Internet varies by flight length and the type of device used. See the price chart below for details.

 Flight length         Up to 1.5 hours         1.5 to 3 hours         Over 3 hours          

Laptop/netbook                $4.95                           $9.95                        $12.95     

Mobile device                     $4.95                            $7.95                       $7.95               

*Gogo Inflight Internet is nog available internationally. If you’re flying to/from an international city, the service will only be available while over the contiguous 48 U.S. states and within 100 miles of its borders. For more information, visit www.usairways.com/gogo.