Juergen Witte

Please excuse my question ... But why did the government reject Air Asia´s attempt to relocate ops to SZB ??? What´s behind this ? A few polititians living close to SZB being afraid of additional noise near their homes ??? Are there any serious reasons as to why SZB is a NO-GO ? (certainly not from an operational point of view as SZB has seen much more traffic with big aircraft before ...)

My questions to Eddie Leong: 1) When will Firefly "increase" reliability to a common level ??? (in terms of keeping schedules as well as making sure customers get to know about canx or reschedulings !!!) It seems that especially FY is becoming very "unreliable" to people who need to plan their travels ! (I´m talking from my personal experience as well as that of fellow travellers ! ) 2) What is the use to open a base at BKI ? Competition against MASwings ??? (inhouse competition seems to be a weird kind of perspective ). 3) As i heard the AT7 would probably be used even between SZB/JHB and e.g. BKI i wonder if customers are willing to add 20-30 mins travel time compared to jet services. So, is FY considering to add jets to the fleet ??? Or is FY planning to "undercut" competitors fares (the latter being an unlikely possibility in my opinion - unless there´s someone willing to heavily subsidy FY´s flights ! ) My questions to Tony Fernandez: 1) Are there any serious plans regarding further destinations in Europe ? 2) Is AK considering additional destinations in the Philippines ? (Cebu Pacific is quick in opening routes to Malaysia -BKI recently - but nothing happens in the other direction ...) I´m thinking about CEB or DVO in particular. 3) Since the long distance network is growing, what kind of amenities are AK/D7 thinking of at the moment to generate a greater catchment area as there is no connectivity for onward travellers (no "throughbookings"). It will be difficult to fill an A340 only with point-to-point traffic (obviously there are "transit" passengers on these flights but the financial benefit against the legacy carriers is very limited) So, how to overcome this problem without sacrifying the point-to-point principle ??? ( I have a few ideas how to keep that principle and still make travel with D7/AK easier for travellers who are not bound for KUL ! - We have a few LCC´s here in Europe and some of them offer e.g. throughbookings albeit still with separate check-in for each sector ... )

In my opinion it´s wasting money to build a LCCT at KCH now. To me (as a foreigner) it seems that utilization of the terminal is roughly around 30-40% of it´s capacity ... A separate LCCT right now would be total "overkill" ! It would make much more sense to offer discounted rates to AK for the time being and adjust a small part of the actual terminal to Ak´s needs. I think it should be possible to "downgrade" a small part of the terminal to justify the reduction in fees against the other airlines who pay the full fees. At the same time a contract with AK should be made that a separate LCCT will be build as soon as AK generates enough passenger traffic to justify a separate LCCT (stating exactly the number of annual passengers required to do so !) Both sides need to "swallow the pill" !

I´ll try to get some flights in "rare" aircraft during a weekend in may 2009 Just booked on WIZZAIR DTM-KBP vv. for 87,-EUR incl.Tax - hope you won´t get jealous now Pieter ... Would make it viable for you to bring your wife along on the next trip - if she gets a visa for Ukraine ... DTM is not too far from AMS ( btw. CGN is served, too) WIZZAIR Ukraine just got government approval to start international flights. So, they´re the first LCC to serve Ukraine domestic - and now even european destinations ! Jürgen

But i still doubt that they can generate enough connex traffic via SIN to offset the loss of point-to-point passengers on these 3 routes if the tiger or AK hop on the resp. routes. Silkair will face "hard times" at this market !

Well, at least i´d expect that Silkair will not be "delighted" if AK will go on SIN-KCH ... I don´t think they get enough "feeder" passengers from/to SQ to run the route without the need for point-to-point traffic !

You are right ! One is easy to get irritated by the fact that HHN is Ryanair´s biggest base outside the British Isles (still offering quite a lot of destinations, though) ... In fact CGN is the main hub (base) for TUIfly as well as the main base for Germanwings ! Complemented by some foreign LCC´s that serve CGN from their bases (e.g. Easyjet from London ...) That makes an LCC ( and -destinations) portfolio much greater than HHN will ever offer (my expectation ... ) Btw.: Second largest LCC-airport is Stuttgart (STR) and third largest ist Berlin-Schönefeld (SXF) by passenger numbers and LCC-routes offered !

Sorry, i meant MDN of course !!!

Well, I hope they can repair it ! It looks on the photo that the right main gear collapsed and the nose got some damage. It would take some time to repair but seems to be not "too substantial" to have it written off ! I flew "MGN" last year may 11 from Lawas to Miri (Miri-Lawas was "MDL") It´s the first time in my life that an aircraft i´ve flown had a "crash" later ...

So, here´s my banner ...

If it really turns out that MH may discontinue FRA-KUL there´s still "hope" ... I´m expecting D7 to fly KUL-CGN or KUL-MUC (the latter less likely for some reasons) after they establish their KUL-STN/MAN service ! I know that there have been presentations of CGN and MUC airport with Air Asia X recently. So, judging the local situation here CGN would make the most sense for D7. INFO: CGN-airport is the biggest LCC-hub in Germany and at the same time well connected by high speed train "ICE" to FRA-airport (journey time 45-60 mins only) and the rest of the extensive German rail network ! Regarding the initial topic: Germany has become one of the most yield sensitive markets despite Germans still continuing to keep up with their reputation as "world champions in travelling" ... That´s why it´s difficult for airlines like MH to survive here. MH´s Y-class fares are among the highest on the market here (on par with SQ/CX but not offering the same onward connectivity) MH has in Germany the reputation to offer the best Economy product but "Mr. Average Passenger" simply cares for the lowest price - willing to sacrifice superior Quality in exchange for lower fares ! ! ! That´s where (and why) D7 will possibly be able to get into the game ... We´ll see ...

Charles PM me today that he talked to them already and there are no more such flights now. So, thank you for your help anyway ! Maybe we can meet at KCH ? I will arrive at KCH on friday oct 31 with Batavia Air from Pontianak. Since there´s no Hornbill flight to catch i will have some time availlable. I just need to be in Miri on saturday at 2pm because my MASwings flight to BKI will leave around 3.30pm ...

No problem ! I have booked a flight on the Twin Otter MYY-BKI already. But i arrive from Pontianak at KCH and i wanted something "special" in between. I won´t start crying if Hornbill don´t offer the flights to the public anymore. I just need someone to find out the true status. Otherwise i will make alternative booking either with AK or MH to MYY. There is still a lot of time to find out about Hornbill because i will arrive in KCH on friday oct 31 ...

Well, my intention was to fly the Do 228. The routing was not of any importance in this case ! I know well that MASwings serves the route ! I think i´ll let the gap open between Kuching and Miri as i still may decide which airline to choose between KCH and MYY even at short notice if i find out there´s no "public" service from Hornbill. But i still would like to ask someone from KCH to try getting in touch with Hornbill´s head office to find out what the "status" of these flights is ! Maybe one of our local fellow MWingers may call the head office or even show up there personally (if nearby anyway) ? Maybe at least the Miri - Mulu flights are running ... Since Hornbill also has a local office at MYY maybe we have a local MWinger to try getting in touch with them, too ? Thanks for all your help anyway ! ! ! Juergen

As the topic says... Is Hornbill still running scheduled flights? Their website says so, but i´m starting to question it ! I tried to call them several times as well as i sent e-mail. But no response at all How do they run their business if nobody can contact them ??? What´s up with them ? I would like to fly Kuching-Tg.Manis-Mukah-Miri as shown on their website. But how can i book/reserve ????????? Just showing up at the airport without knowing if flights will operate or not (or finding out at the airport it´s sold out) makes not really sense to me ...

Well, i already booked a flight on MASwings but it´s a Twin Otter (Miri-Kota Kinabalu). But it seems i´m going to have a bit time to spare when on Borneo. Maybe i´ll throw in a side trip on a Fokker Last Year in may I have already been there and i flew with FAX (Fokker and Twin Otter). So, i´m just coming back once more ! Just the airline for RAS has changed in between (i know the reasons why - and i agree fully on that movement) Btw.: I live about 120 km northwest of Stuttgart / 85 Km south of Frankfurt but the nearest airport is Mannheim (MHG) about 10 Km away ... Just a remote question: Has anyone used the stored value scratch cards promoted by MASwings ? Any experiences ???

Well, thanks so far ... I am booked on HKT-PEN and PEN-SZB on october 26 ... If both flights are on the Fokker i´ll be not "disappointed" since it´s not going to be the "last visit of my life" to Malaysia and the ATR´s are there to stay for some time ... (P.S.: I really enjoy the malaysian hospitality - i really feel welome in this country !!! ) Since my wife is from the Philippines i always have a good reason to make a stop in Malaysia when going from Europe to the Phils. !!! And if Air Asia X will fly from Germany (most probably Cologne/Bonn - CGN ) we will both surely switch from the arabian carriers to D7 which makes it even easier to stop over in Malaysia ! Is there anyone who likes to meet me on oct 27 in the morning at SZB ? Or in BKI on nov 1./2. ?

I was already expecting the SZB-USM route But i am looking at two routes in particular: 1) PEN-MES and 2) SZB-JHB

Interesting ! So, there are no overnight stays of aircraft at PEN ??? Can´t believe it as there are early morning departures out of PEN without a/c coming in from SZB just ahead of these departures ! Maybe you meant FY has its homebase at SZB. So, i´m still waiting for more details regarding on which routes they will use the ATR´s. I don´t think they will use them mixed with F 50`s on all routes...

Can anyone tell me on which routes Firefly will use the new ATR´s ? I guess they will run them on the new routes. But how to be sure ??? The Firefly website doesn´t tell (still F 50 shown on the timetable page ...) Actually i´m planning a trip around Malaysia/Indonesia in november and among the new routes is Medan-Penang. So, is it likely they will operate the ATR on that route ? Any details where the first ATR(s) will be based ? Subang or Penang ???

Well, i suggest you check with a "philippine" forum. The only one i know is www.philskies.net/forum Although it is mainly targeted on flightsim they are always helpful to give advice/help (they don´t stick to flightsim only) ! (Members are private and professional pilots as well as enthusiasts)

Interesting to see them thinking about Seletar. That way passengers can avoid the hassle of a big airport ! So far Berjaya Air is the only airline serving Seletar and i wonder if Firefly will be allowed to start OPS there ... I´m not sure if Singapore government will be too excited ! (remember the Air Asia issue) Nevertheless i would like to see FY there !!!

I´m just wondering why AB doesn´t use the a/c to make additional revenue flights to one of their asian destinations. They could reduce their expenses significantly by flying DUS-HKT or BKK and just ferry the rather short hop to SZB (same back after finishing the C-Check) Despite the additional cabin crew required for the resp. legs i would assume the flight´s revenue would more than outbalance that !!! P.S.: I think the reason why they choosed to have the C-Check done at SZB is not solely because of the low labour cost ! One has to consider also the availlability of facilities within a certain time frame. And I would assume that AB is also trying to speed up with the changing of LT-interior/exterior to AB-standard due to certain internal reasons (it´s actually no "easy-game"-relationship between LTU-staff and AB-management since the takeover of LT !!! - the CEO of AB is certainly trying to put some pressure on LT-Staff meaning: "if you don´t cooperate we -AB- will shift the LT OPS completely over to AB and you´ll loose your jobs ... " )

They will be flying from MNL. CRK is not that high on their priority list ...

Did anyone check fares ??? I did and the lowest one-way i found on KTM-KUL was 290,-US$ ! - LCC ??? - not at all ... in my opinion !