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Pall

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Posts posted by Pall


  1. 9 minutes ago, JuliusWong said:

    It is actually on Airbus as well. The current A330 production rate is at 2 per month and Airbus has not hint on increasing the production rate anytime soon despite having another 170+ on order, they did so for A350s. Airbus is compounded by supply chain issue at the moment. Out of the 40 that we have mentioned, 20 production slots have been allocated for since the order has been signed and confirmed. The other 20 will be to be assigned for delivery at later date even if the order is signed and confirmed today. Delta, AirAsia X and few other airlines are also in queue to receive their airframes too. Out of the 15 A330-300 which are all leased, MH will buy over two now and retain eight more via new lease, making a fleet of 10. Five will be returned to lessors.

    Orders are from existing lessors orderbooks and schedules are normally tweaked before the MSN is assigned. 


  2. Just now, JuliusWong said:

    Agree, rightfully so, but Airbus won't be able to deliver 40 A330-900neo by 2030. Therefore we shall see 10 A330-300 lingering around for some time. Additionally, 40 A330neo seems to be a lot of capacity to add, not sure if Malaysia Airlines current route network will be able to support it. If they are adding more. If they have planned to expand substantially in Asia Pacific and Australia/NZ region in the next six years that would be great.

    It's not on Airbus, 40 is considered a small order with A330neo being the WB with least backlog at the moment. Its whether MH is going to commit for the options. Most of the A330ceo's are heading towards end of lease in the coming years. 


  3. On 3/14/2024 at 1:51 PM, JuliusWong said:

    AirAsia's first flight for the day start at around 5am (used to be 6am), ends around 11:50pm if I am not mistaken. In between the downtime, the engineering crew will fix as many defects as they can based on daily report. Each airframe will do around six to eight sectors per day. That's that much you can push with a metal tube, anything more your aircraft will be a hangar queen soon or God forbid falling off the skies if appropriate checks are not done in tween daily flights.

    They've got dozen's of planes doing overnight red-eyes. 


  4. 2 hours ago, Al Khaymi said:

    Been awhile since I last flew into KLIA, so some advise needed.

    We'll be arriving in from MYY on MH2585 at 2240hrs and have a connecting SV831 flight the very next morning at 0640. Unfotunately, flight bookings are separate as we can't seem to get the exact flights online/travel agents.

    Thinking of booking the SamaSama express (airside) so the kids can have some rest.

    But due to separate flight bookings, what's the possibility of the check in agent at MYY able to tag our bags through all the way to MED? If not a possibility, can we go directly to the hotel, have a rest, check out  hotel at 0400, clear immigration and collect our bags at lost and found and straight to Saudia counter? Or do you guys can think of a better option for us?

    Would suggest you book SamaSama landside instead. Collect bags normally and then check in the next morning at SV counters. Its relatively a short walk/buggy service from domestic arrival to the hotel. 

    You wont be able to proceed to SamaSama express airside at the satellite terminal without checking in and clearing immigration.

    Unless MYY agent checks in for your SV flight with your bags tagged all the way.


  5. 35 minutes ago, Craig said:

    It appears that MOT is expecting jet service to resume at SZB around June 2024. Phase 1 of the redevelopment includes 5 jets (737/320) and 6 ATR bays. I haven't been to SZB recently - is there a lot of construction going on there?

    I assume that there'll be a new terminal built soon too?

    Yes 3 737's by OD initially by June followed 3 by FY 737s later this year.

    New terminal will be ready by 2026. 


  6. On 2/29/2024 at 9:51 AM, flee said:

    MSA's breakup is inevitable as the Singapore government has always been outward looking (due to its reliance on international trade) and the differing objectives of the two governments will make MSA unworkable.

    I think the current CEO is probably the luckiest in terms of political interference - the demise of the BN government was good for him. MAG is privatised under Khazanah's wings and a lot of corporate data is now kept under wraps - so media sensationalism is also much reduced. So the CEO is more or less left to run MAG as a commercial enterprise, Of course, it will never be able to completely rid itself of the burden of being a government owned national airline, but this is as good as it gets.

    But MAG's wings are also severely clipped and its heavy dependence on the China and India markets is one of its weaknesses. China's economy is slowing down and India sees a resurgent Air India under new ownership.

    Fleet planning is also another weakness and Capt Izham stressed the need to reinvest in its products. Cabin refreshes and new, more efficient aircraft is all part and parcel of that. Just look at the cyclical replacements that go into the fleets of SQ, EK, etc.

    MAG is just barely replacing its fleet with the current 737 Max and A330 Neos. Any more narrow body orders will replace the remaining 737NGs plus maybe a little bit of growth. And new widebody orders may signal some network expansion. What would be more interesting would be to see if MAG is bold enough to operate longer range narrow body flights using the A321 Neo LR/XLR.

    The challenges MAG and its CEO are facing will be enormous and they also need the MoT and CAAM to step up and show better leadership of the industry. Lets see if they can succeed.....

    To be honest, this are the two strongest market right now and moving forward. Producing the highest yield and healthiest load factor. 

    Last 3 months have seen a serious upswing for China market, with airlines in this region scrambling for capacity to ride the wave. 

    For India, they will never have enough aircraft to serve the growing middle class market. 470 aircraft order by Air India is literally not even close to MH ordering 20 A330neo in terms of population to aircraft ratio. What India lacks is sufficient infra to cope with the growing markets and bilateral traffic rights approval. They need newer secondary airports to reduce dependency on main hubs as well. 


  7. On 2/26/2024 at 9:48 AM, JuliusWong said:

    24 new aircraft delivery this year from June 2024, one new aircraft every week on average till Dec 2024. That is a lot of capacity to absorb with all deliveries being A321neo...not sure if he is quoted wrongly. 

    Introduction of more A321N might not mean added capacity for most routes, they might use the A321N to merge and consolidate some frequencies. As some older A320ceo's are due for retirement/phase out.


  8. Aerodarat aside, ground passenger handling agents are the most lowly paid and overworked jobs available out there. Most take up those positions as a filler while waiting for something better to come along.

    Minimum wage, long working hours, tiny allowances during OT/Public holidays and the cost to work at airports don't come cheap. High parking fees, commuting to work as major airports are usually away from civilization. As mentioned in a previous post, its expensive to eat at airports even at staff canteens. 

    Ground handling agents (passenger facing) are always the punching bag for passengers whenever there are delays, cancellations and unforeseen disruptions before flight.

    Unless their remuneration structure is changed to uplift the level of agents akin to spokesperson position or hospitality ambassadors, one should not expect too much out of them. If there is anyone among them serving you above and beyond with a smile, its considered as a bonus. 

    We can say all we want about taking pride in ones job, well how much of pride can there be when you are on minimum wage working more than 12hrs shift. To put things into context for the same pay one can get jobs sitting behind desk attending customer support livechat. 

     


  9. 4 hours ago, JuliusWong said:

    While I appreciate new technology and fleet replacement, this will be ultimate disaster to BI to be honest. Their current B787-8 utilisation is minimal at best, spending most of their time on the ground. Their schedule to Melbourne and London is no longer daily as pre-COVID 19 era, now transit via DXB and leasing out LHR slots to Qatar, bringing in the B787-9 will be even worse off. Unless they are planning to return to PER, BNE, SYD and AKL to support its (non-stop) LHR flight, I don't see how they can break even, let alone making marginal profit. 1990s/2000s BI with multiple hubs and eight B767s/two B757s flying weird route pattern like BWN-RGN-CCU-DXB-LHR all over again. Feeling deja vu.......

    This is the first airline in the world to do B787 fleet replacement, albeit with B787 as well. The four B787-9 will replace the first four B787-8 and will operate alongside with BI's fifth B787-8 V8-DLE. I don't see them flying nine B787s, that's suicidal with small international network.

    BI don't need to be "profitable" per say. They are heavily subsidized and state owned. Financial mechanics work in a different multiverse for them. 


  10. On 2/19/2024 at 9:48 AM, JuliusWong said:

     

    MH is a case of "penny wi se, pound foolish". And that pound foolish will come back to bite their backside few years down the road. Oh well, some here may say, "Haiya, you dun know what is happening behind the scene la. Deal with it. Go fly SQ then." And that is the exact mindset is what is pushing premium passengers to SQ, EK, EY, QR, TK et al. You can only earn minute profit from Y class, you need sustainable profit both front and the back of the plane.

    Always the case. That's why SQ is centuries ahead.


  11. 22 hours ago, jahur said:

    Well some may see them being delusional based on them saying they're planning to go on head to head with SQ lol.

    As the millennials say it "delulu" , TG have started retrofitting their A320s (previously from Thai Smile) to have flat beds/proper BC seats. This would allow closer streamlining between NB/WB product. MH is regressing towards LCC level with their current narrowbody product. 


  12. 15 hours ago, jahur said:

    Thai Airways to Retrofit A320s with Royal Silk Seats

    Thai's retrofitted a320 plan seems to be a lot better than MH's z600i on the max and NG with the only promise given by the MAG's CEO that it wont be deployed on flights beyond 4hours(for now). While the fear of Thai imploding the market with so much aircraft orders and random AOC approvals, there's not much to worry as it will always be bailed out no matter what. Meanwhile over here its every man for himself and customer experience is receiving the short end of the stick.

    It pretty much put MH below GA, SQ and TG in the narrowbody fleet but slightly ahead of PR and VN a321.

    It's already being used on 5-6hrs flights to AMD and ATQ. I'm guessing the bosses and planners are not in the same whatsapp group on this.


  13. 1 hour ago, flee said:

    It looks like the 737 MAX may also cost Boeing a huge financial liability! The 787 programme has yet to recover all its development costs and if the 737 can't bring in the profits, Boeing will need to borrow heavily. No wonder Boeing shareholders are suing now!

    MAX 7 and 10 certification is now officially suspended by Boeing until they redesigned the deicing system:

     

    Scary that the -8 and -9 are using this same defective anti-ice design system with 5mins limit when out of icing. What if the pilots forget to switch it off. Can be catastrophic. Something to fear being passengers. Again shows that Boeing prioritize money over safety, disaster waiting to happen again. 


  14. 1 hour ago, JuliusWong said:

    This! Reminds me of SQ's previous rendition of the purple SpaceBed. It was revolutionary when it was launched. SQ locked their competitors out for several years, until it found its way to PK's J class and BI's B767 J class. Yet pax complained abt sleeping in slanting mode. LOL. Joke aside, unless you are SQ which can demand exclusivity and work with high end designer BMW Group DesignworksUSA , beggars cannot be chosers. Just pick anything from the shelf, slap some songket on it and be over and done with. The supply chain constraints at OEM are now at a very critical stage and there is a huge backlog. Any more customsation will make it even worse. LH is now parking their brand new B787 cause their OEM is now making their new J class Allegris fast enough.

    If you can't win on hard products, just make sure your soft products are damn good. Service delivery and recovery is something that MH can set itself apart from the others. Flight cancellation, and delay management can be much better. 

    Yes, with the living cost hiking exponentially, even the Singaporeans find it hard to survive in their own country. A lot of them are now staying in Johor and take a daily ride to work in SG.

    MH junior cabin crew's pay starts with the minimum wage back in 2019 if I can recall well. Did an interview with an ex-cabin crew before when she applied to my ex-employer. How would you survive with minimum wage with limited international route network, even with that you only have 24 hours layover. Some cabin crew supplement their income by helping their friends and relatives buy overseas stuff. You need to do this discreetly, else you will be called for disciplinary action. But I don't blame them for doing so. CX has poached quite a number of MH cabin crew recently (not that CX is the best place to work now, but CX is desperate now to scale up their operation. CX is also poaching SQ, DD, XJ, FD, TG, SL crew), SQ poaching MH is given but I think they have stopped now post pandemic they have enough crew for the moment. Many MH senior and well-seasoned engineers have left too in recent years. Middle East, South Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong are just a short flight away. It is not a wonder MH is losing talent left, right and center. 

    Come later this year EK will be doing global hiring spree, the situation will get even worse. The woe will continue as airlines placed a collective 3,408 new net orders last year. I sure hope MH has a good talent game plan for next ten years. On the other side of the debate, we would be asking ourselves how much is enough is enough. The ME3 can afford to pay five figures salary with almost all free medical, accommodation and education for their staff, can MAG afford to do so? ME3 also rely on cheap labours from India subcontinent for behind the scene operation. Will MAG able to do so? 

    SQ is extensively hiring every month post Covid, almost 50 ex-MH crew joined the last few batches.


  15. 22 hours ago, jahur said:

    Except an old aircraft will result in maintenance cost climbing and will require many tinkering to keep it at pristine condition no matter how many take off and landing cycles mileage it has. Even spare parts stocking at MAG is very low now and u have very low manpower plus low morale from the engineering team. Frontline cabin crews still being paid RM1.5k basic in 2024. So am not sure how the CEO claims MH is on its way to fight with SQ on the BFM interview lol when a lot of things behind the scenes are inadequate.  The profit it has may probably be only there for short term at the current trajectory of how this country is running and taking everything for granted.

    Heard from MH staff that there were promised payrise in late 2023 from some internal townhall but till date its all empty talks. 


  16. 1 hour ago, Robert said:

    Delays delays delays.

    MH4 was departed around 16:30. Just curious if it will be allowed to take off from LHR due to it arriving there around 22:30 and the subsequent issues with night flight departures.

    MH66 seems to have had an issue with a big delay as well and then further delayed by operational issues 

    Shortage of widebodies, poor reliability of aircraft due to aging fleet and low staff morale from engineers are among all the contributing factors that have led to this issues. 

    This is what happens when MH is too fixated on things not related to dispatchability of aircraft itself.  


  17. 15 hours ago, jahur said:

    Just observed some of the check in desk staff new attire. A majority of them were not wearing the songket outter coat which makes their inner lighter clothes look like Pajamans. As for the Female attire the missing strap or button looks like a cost cutting tactic as the management wont have to resend them back to rescale back their body fitting in the case of pregnancy lol,

    Technically not corporate enough but yet not hotel receptionist enough.

    Always half baked initiative. Typical of MH. 


  18. 4 hours ago, flee said:

    Their 737 cabins will not affect pax loads cos it is almost the same with other airlines. Seats are getting more and more uncomfortable because the priority is to reduce weight. They just lack imagination in the marketing these days and don't engage directly with their customers. They still rely a lot on traditional sales channels.

    In the case of MH they keep marketing it as "premium".  


  19. MH will pay the price for their worst decision of all time on the 737NG/MAX new cabin seats. One year down the road they will ponder on why loads are dropping and inability to raise yield. This is what happens when accountants makes decision. 

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