JuliusWong

I don't think the MX- series is completed yet. Now that 8H6 code has been allocated to ML- series, this would mean that MH will be leasing the ML series for longer period of time, till end of life maybe? New delivery is currently running for both series. As for Boeing Sky Interior, Boeing will soon be making it standard for all new B737s coming of production plant, IMO.

Royal Brunei Airlines third A320 has been identified: MSN 2195 A320-232 Tiger Airways 9V-TAB Age 8.2 years old Test Registration F-WWIZ Delivered 25-03-2004 Onwards delivery to Royal Brunei Airlines on 03-2012

With the share swapping deal off, AirAsia Group is now accelerating its A320 deliveries to its subsidiaries, including AK itself. Following aircraft have been allocated: MSN 5137 A320-216 Indonesia AirAsia PK-AXW First Flight 24-04-2012 Test Registration F-WWDV Delivery Date: 17-05-2012 MSN 5149 A320-216 Indonesia AirAsia PK- First Flight Test Registration F-WWBU Delivery Date: On order *may go to AirAsia Malaysia 9M-AQM as noted by Sri Ramani K. MSN 5153 A320-216 AirAsia Japan JA01AJ First Flight Test Registration F-WWDH Delivery Date: On order MSN 5165 A320-216 AirAsia Japan JA02AJ First Flight Test Registration Delivery Date: On order MSN 5200 A320-216 AirAsia Japan JA03AJ First Flight Test Registration Delivery Date: On order

Thai Air Considering New Budget Airline May 18, 2012 Thai Airways may set up a new budget carrier to tap strong demand in the regional no-frills sector and the group is on track to achieve its net profit target this year after a strong first quarter, its president said on Friday. The Thai flag carrier, facing increasing regional competition from bigger rivals such as Singapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific Airways, has reduced flights on some loss-making routes in Europe and focused on profitable destinations in Asia. "We are joining with Nok Air to study a new ultra-low-cost airline," the airline's president, Piyasvasti Amranand, said in an interview, referring to its 49-percent-owned budget airline unit. "Nok Air will focus on domestic routes and we need another one to tap strong demand from this sector." Thai Airways also aims to launch a new mid-range airline called Thai Smile on July 7, as part of a revamp after years of losing market share in Asia, where other airlines have benefited from expanding middle classes and fast economic growth. Last year, the airline terminated plans for a joint venture budget airline with Singapore's Tiger Airways after it failed to secure approval from the Thai government. Rising passenger numbers and yields plus cost controls helped the airline make a January-March net profit of THB3.6 billion baht, up almost 500 percent from a year earlier and compared to a loss of THB5.4 billion in the fourth quarter. "We are confident we will achieve our profit target of THB6 billion baht this year after a strong performance in the first quarter," Piyasvasti, 59, a former energy minister, said. The strong first quarter has prompted Thai Airways to delay the sale of a THB3.5 billion baht bond, initially planned for June, to the end of 2012, Piyasvasti said. He was not sure if the airline would make a profit in the second quarter, usually the low season for air traffic in Thailand, but expected good earnings in the third quarter. Piyasvasti, who took the helm in October 2009 to overhaul the 50 year old carrier, said passenger yield had improved in the second quarter as most of the low-price tickets sold in a promotional campaign late last year had now been used. Cabin factor, the percentage of seats sold, was at 78 percent in April, the highest in five years, and at about 72 percent in the first five months of 2012, he said. "The change in marketing strategy has boosted yield," he said, adding the airline used smaller planes to serve European routes, where the economic crisis would affect air travel, while demand from Asian routes was expected to rise 30 percent from last year. The airline aimed to cut costs of THB4 billion baht this year, or 2 percent of its expenses, and it has hedged about 80 percent of estimated fuel usage to offset the volatility of global oil prices, Piyasvasti said. It had a hedging gain of about THB1.3 billion baht in the first four months of this year, he said. Fuel accounts for about 40 percent of Thai Air's operating costs. Thai Airways is on track to take delivery of three Airbus A380s in late 2012 and another three in 2013 and aims to expand its total fleet to 109 planes in the next seven years from 90 now, Piyasvasti said. (Reuters) Source: http://news.airwise.com/story/view/1337346568.html

By Linda Blachly | May 17, 2012 Courtesy, Timor Air Timor Air (BF) has confirmed it signed a memorandum of understanding with a partner carrier and is gearing up for jet operations. Newly appointed CEO James Stewart Kim, managing director of AvCon Worldwide Ltd., told ATW that the fledgling airline expects to start jet operations in “three to four months time” after entering into an agreement with AvCon, a London-based aviation consulting firm, to manage the business. BF launched last July in a partnership with Vincent Aviation and had served the daily Dili (DIL)-Darwin (DRW) route. Last week Australian media reported the carrier ceased operations. However, Kim told ATW that “on the same date” of the reports, “I was signing a deal with a jet operator for a partnership deal to operate jet aircraft.” Kim declined to name the operator “until we complete the regulatory process as per our agreement with our partner carrier. It is a current scheduled carrier of another country,” he said in an email, adding, “We actually planned to keep this jet operation news confidential for a while but we have decided to release it as we do not want any more speculative rumors around.” The carrier had one SAAB 340B in its fleet, operated by Vincent Aviation. According to Kim, the Saab 340’s “slower cruising speed” and “limitation of luggage allowance” made it difficult for the carrier to compete against Darwin-based Airnorth’s Embraer E-170 on the DIL-DRW route. “Timor Air appointed me as its CEO last month and I have completed a deal to operate jet aircraft on Dili-Darwin route as well as other routes we are planning,” he told ATW. According to a BF statement, initial planned routes will also include DIL-Perth using larger aircraft, which will offer “up to 124 seats in a two-class configuration, including 12 business class seats.” BF said it is also planning to launch services to Denpasar and Singapore.

By Alan Dron | May 17, 2012 Courtesy, Gulf Air Gulf Air (GF) is awaiting the result of deliberations in the upper house of Bahrain’s National Assembly after the lower house rejected a government proposal to recapitalize the beleaguered national carrier (ATW Daily News, Dec. 21, 2011). The proposed bailout of BD664 million ($1.75 billion) came after several years of heavy losses for GF, which has gradually shrunk over the past two decades as former partners Abu Dhabi, Oman and Qatar pulled out of the airline to set up their own carriers. GF has expressed disappointment at lawmakers’ rejection of the government proposal but noted its referral to the upper house and said it “looked forward to a resolution that will actively address GF’s current position and secure its long-term sustainability.” The carrier said it had been hit by “a series of unprecedented regional and economic factors,” notably rapidly rising fuel costs and the effects of the Arab Spring. The latter factor has not only resulted in considerable local unrest against Bahrain’s minority Sunni Moslem ruling family and upper classes by the Shia majority population but sharply reduced passenger numbers to and from nearby nations in 2011. More reading: http://atwonline.com...n-rejected-0516 http://atwonline.com...gotiations-1220

With much sadness, Feeder Air F-50 SX-NET (ex MH, Pelangi Air, Firefly 9M-MGK) suffered substantial damage in a landing accident at Wau Airport (WUU), South Sudan. The fifty passengers were not injured. The five crew members sustained minor injuries. Flight 360 departed Juba Airport (JUB) at 08:00 on a domestic service to Wau. It suffered a landing accident at 09:45. The nose gear and left hand main gear collapsed. Source: http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20120329-0 Pix: http://avherald.com/h?article=44d32c8b&opt=0 Judging by the age and damage on the aircraft, I highly doubt that it will be repaired. Goodbye, 9M-MGK...You had served us well....

15 killed, 6 survived the horrific accident. Two Danish tourists and a cabin crew managed to survive the ordeal as they were seating at the back of aircraft. They were very lucky, consider the look of the plane wreckage~~ History of aircraft: cn 8216,ex Hornbill Skyways 9V-VAM, it still carry Hornbill's livery when it crashed.

The new uniform was launched yesterday: http://www.bt.com.bn/happenings/2012/05/13/airasia-unveils-new-uniforms For closer picture, zoom in at page 16 of today's Brunei Times: http://www.bt.com.bn/e-paper/index.html#/16/

Results of operations of Thai Airways International PCL. and its subsidiaries are as follows: January - March Increase (decrease) Unit : Million Baht Total revenues: 2012 54,505 2011 51,851 Changes: + 2,654 million baht, + 5.1% Total expenses *: 2012 51,164 2011 47,739 Changes: + 3,425 million baht; + 7.2% Profit before income tax: 2012 3,868 2011 754 Changes: + 3,114 million baht, + 413.0% Profit attributable to owners of the parent: 2012 3,645 2011 618 Changes: + 3,027 million baht; + 489.8% Net profit per share (Baht): 2012 1.67 2011 0.28 Changes: + 1.39; + 496.4 % EBITDA: 2012 9,781 2011 9,756 Changes: + 25 million baht ; + 0.3% EBITDAR: 2012 10,966 2011 11,192 Changes: - 226; - 2.0% * Excluding gains (losses) on foreign currency exchange Passengers Available Seat –Kilometres ASK increased by 1.9% Revenue Passenger - Kilometres RPK increased 4.9% because of the promotion campaigns implemented post flooding in late 2011. Cabin load factor increased to 78.2%, higher than the 76.0% cabin factor achieved during the same period last year. No. of Passenger (million persons) over the quarter period compared to same period last year: 5.16 million versus 4.92 million, an increase of 4.8% Average of Aircraft Utilization (hour/aircraft/day) 11.7 hours vs. 12.4 hours; a decrease of 5.6% Freighters/Cargo On the freight services side, THAI returned the last block-spaced freighter aircraft in February 2012. Consequently, THAI did not have any freighter aircraft available in March 2012 resulting in lower freight production. Freight and mail revenue amounted to THB 6,723 million, which was a decrease of THB 232 million or 3.3%, primarily due to the return of the last leased freighter aircraft in February 2012 while the first aircraft was returned in August 2011. This caused freight production (Available Dead Load Ton-Kilometers: ADTK) and freight traffic (Revenue Freight Ton-Kilometers: RFTK) to decrease from the same period last year by 3.0% and 6.8%, respectively. THAI plans to re-launch its freighter services in April 2012 with its own freighter aircraft converted from passenger aircraft. Source: http://thai.listedco...1_THAI02_EN.pdf

More info coming soon.........

May 11, 2012 Thai Airways on Friday reported a surge in quarterly net profit on the back of a recovery in passenger traffic. Thailand's flag carrier posted a January-March net profit of THB3.6447 billion baht (USD$117 million), versus THB618 million a year earlier and a loss of THB5.4 billion baht in the fourth quarter when severe floods hit the airline industry. (Reuters)

Malaysian Close To Bridging Loan - Report May 11, 2012 Malaysia Airlines is close to securing up to MYR1.5 billion ringgit (USD$489.08 million) in a bridging loan from CIMB Group, according to a report in The Edge Financial Daily. The loan would give the airline ample time to structure a MYR3 billion ringgit (USD$978.15 million) bond for its long-term needs, the newspaper said. According to three separate sources, the one-year bridging loan is intended to finance the national carrier's daily operational needs. "This would give MAS some time to structure the bonds", said a business executive familiar with the matter. (Reuters) Source: http://news.airwise.com/story/view/1336739550.html Another RM1.5 billion to be gone down the loo......

May 8, 2012 Chilean airline LAN said on Monday Brazil's stock market regulator approved a share swap to take over TAM, adding the move should happen within the next 10 days and help create one of the world's largest carriers. The swap will pave the way for the creation of LATAM Airlines Group, which LAN added should happen by the end of the first half of the year. Regulators in Chile and Brazil have already approved the multi-billion dollar takeover to create Latin America's biggest carrier and approval from stock market regulator CVM on Monday clears a final hurdle. "The CVM issued the approval for the exchange offer... which, according to norms applicable in Brazil, will start within the next 10 days," LAN said in a statement to Chile's regulator. Under the deal, TAM shareholders will get LAN shares at an exchange ratio of 0.9 per one share of TAM. The merger would create an airline with annual revenue of USD$10.4 billion, based on 2010 figures. When the merger plan was announced last August, the all-stock transaction was worth an estimated USD$2.7 billion. ........ More reading: http://news.airwise....1336438101.html With the finalisation of LAN and TAM merger, TAM will leave Star Alliance, joining its parents company LAN Group in oneworld. Star Alliance's coverage for South America will be covered by Avianca-TACA Group and Copa Airlines both which will join Star Alliance by end of 2012. With TAM's exit, this would be the third airline Star Alliance will lose this year as previously Spanair declared insolvency in early 2012 and bmi was bought by British Airways, also a oneworld member. Star Alliance may also lose US Airways as it is actively pursuing American Airlines for merger. If this happens, Star Alliance membership airlines will drop to 24, oneworld will expand by two more airlines (Malaysia Airlines & TAM), total of 13 airlines by year end. Despite losing four airlines in a year, Star Alliance is expected to expand its members by five more airlines next year.

Kingfisher To Start Paying January Wages May 8, 2012 India's Kingfisher Airlines will start paying January salaries starting from Wednesday, Chairman Vijay Mallya wrote in a letter to employees, as the debt-laden carrier struggles to retain staff. "It is my personal endeavour to not only clear the January salary but also clear a significant part of the February salary by the end of this month itself," Mallya wrote in the letter. The airlines also expects to re-enter a distribution network with the International Air Transport Association "very shortly," Mallya said. (Reuters) Source: http://news.airwise....1336438931.html

The last paragraph summarised everything for Malaysian's preference....

Finally, AirAsia's patience has paid off!! AirAsia is retreating to South East Asia for now, Jetstar is going for Hong Kong. Will AK going for Hong Kong as well? I find it quite interesting that AK Group is still looking at India and China for growth potential after suspending quite a number of routes. Air Asia Singapore will become the 7th home-based airline in Singapore!! That's a lot for small island nation! Hopefully they can get approval to station its A330s at Singapore as well for Air Asia X. With this, AK may resume delivery of new A320 and A330.

In that case, KLIA loses hands down. Changi has more than 100 international airlines, serving 210 destinations. BKK has 96 airlines serving equally many destinations. KLIA manages almost 60 airlines, serving just over 100 destinations.

Singapore's Business Times put it very bluntly......it's all about politics.... Politics dictating future of Malaysia Inc, says Singapore paper (full text below) May 07, 2012 KUALA LUMPUR, May 7 — Politics is dictating the future of Malaysia Inc, Singapore’s Business Times said today, suggesting that the nation’s economy may suffer at the hands of self-serving politicians anxious to win electoral support in order to stay in power. File photo of a MAS aircraft at KLIA. BT said politics was dictating the future of Malaysia Inc, including MAS. The business paper noted in its Malaysia Insight column today titled “What the unions have wrought” that with the end of the much-vaunted share swap deal between Malaysia Airlines and AirAsia, there was no more incentive for Asia’s bestselling budget airline to help resuscitate the ailing national carrier. It noted that AirAsia has said it would continue its collaboration with MAS and AirAsia X, its long-haul arm, in key areas such as “procurement, aircraft component repairs, training initiatives, technical and operational efficiencies, as well as championing common industry issues” that would help boost MAS’ performance. “Does anyone really believe this? Without anything to incentivise it — and the share swap did — why would AirAsia go out of its way to help MAS?” the paper questioned. “Whichever way one slices it, it looks like only one conclusion: politics is dictating the future of Malaysia Inc. And that is scary,” it said. “But it was the unions that made up the government’s mind over fears that the share swap might result in massive job cuts,” it added. BT noted that the deal was scrapped following protests from the national airline’s powerful unions that put political pressure on the Barisan Nasional (BN) government which is expected to call a general election in the next few months. Most of MAS’s 20,000 employees are resident-voters in Selangor, a key state currently under Pakatan Rakyat (PR) government that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has openly stated he wants back. The paper asked: “With such losses, does MAS really need 20,000 employees?” “The unions should really think about what they have wrought. Without an airline, there will be no jobs,” it said. Source: http://www.themalays...singapore-paper To those who say MH should be left alone as it is, then let it rot to death!! 20,000 employees with dwindling profits and high overhead! Like it or not, MH is a REALLY A BURDEN for tax payers. Over and over again, the government has and had used the taxpayers' money to rescue or restructure MAS. Every few years, MAS is in deep trouble and needed to be rescued. It is utterly shameful!! No wonder the public like to compare it with CX and SQ.....soon GA!! Shameful!! I think MH should stoop till like Eastern Airlines......go bankrupt by itself. I don't hate MH but to link election vote with the survivability of a mammoth company is totally low class of the union to do so.

Glad to hear the ground crew are great, but inflight attendant is another story. It baffles us flyers when BR always use their always 'smiling' crew as advertisement. I wonder how does CI performs on this?

I have a look again on MH A380 seat map layout: http://www.malaysiaairlines.com/content/dam/mas/master/en/pdf/mh-experience/A380_lo.pdf First reaction again was a Yawn!!.......their configuration is really standard.....no "oomph" factor at all...this is my honest opinion. Can anyone tell me what is their selling point for A380?

Thanks for the news. EVA Air will be entering Star Alliance next year. Based on multiple forum, they really need to step up the games on staff working attitude and catering. A lot of negative feedback against them are on these two issues. I supposed they will reduce J class and put in more Y+.

Hot off from the Arabian Travel Market, Middle East’s premier travel trade event taking place in Dubai this week, Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker unveiled an aggressive expansion plans covering a wide network of markets across the carrier’s global network. Al Baker: “This year alone will see Qatar Airways take delivery of one new aircraft every 15 days, so there are plenty of opportunities to look at inducting them into service on both new and well established routes.” 2012 New Routes • Baku, AZERBAIJAN – Feb 1: DAILY using A320s • Tbilisi, GEORGIA – Feb 1: DAILY using A320s • Kigali, RWANDA – March 21: DAILY using A320s via Entebbe • Zagreb, CROATIA – May 9: DAILY using an A320 via Budapest • Erbil, IRAQ – May 23: 4-times-a-week using Airbus A320s • Baghdad, IRAQ – June 7 : 4-times-a-week using Airbus A320s • Perth, AUSTRALIA – July 3: 3-times-a-week using Boeing 777s, rising to DAILY in December • Kilimanjaro, TANZANIA – July 25: DAILY A320 service via Nairobi • Mombasa, KENYA – Aug 15: DAILY A320 service via Dar Es Salaam • Yangon, MYANMAR – Oct 3: 3-times-a-week using Airbus A319, rising to DAILY in late Oct • Belgrade, SERBIA – Sept (Date tbc) • Helsinki, FINLAND – (Date tbc) • Zanzibar, TANZANIA – (Date tbc) 2012 Additional Frequency • London Heathrow, UK 4 to 5 flights DAILY from March • Milan, ITALY 11 flights a week to DOUBLE DAILY from May • Paris, FRANCE 16 to 18 flights a week from December • Kuala Lumpur, MALAYSIA 17 to 21 flights a week from September • Abu Dhabi, UAE 35 to 42 flights a week (six daily) from June • Muscat, OMAN 24 to 31 flights a week from March • Kuwait City, KUWAIT 49 to 56 flights a week (eight daily) from June • Cairo, EGYPT 11 to 12 flights a week from June • Algiers, ALGERIA 7 to 11 flights a week from March • Jakarta, INDONESIA 7 to 10 flights a week from March More reading: http://www.albawaba.com/en/node/423314 Three words: Holy Molly Cow?! One new aircraft per 15 days!! O.O. MH will not stand a chance to survive, whether we like it or not......

I am beyond speechless.......What a drama?!! Can we make it into box office film???

An aircraft of Royal Thai Air Force carrying 15 crew members skidded off the runway into a ditch at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka on Monday morning, injuring at least three. Confirming the incident, airport’s control-tower officials said they gave the pilot necessary instructions during landing but, at one stage, the plane skidded off the runway. The injured were given first aid after a team from Shahjalal Airport rescued them just after the plane crash. Later, the airport authorities handed over the crew to the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (Caab). The ATR-72 aircraft from Bangkok touched down at the Dhaka airport at 8:51am. Primary apprehension is that the pilot lost control because of a crosswind, said airport sources concerned. More reading: http://www.daily-sun.com/?view=details&type=daily_sun_news&pub_no=131&cat_id=1&menu_id=1&news_type_id=1&news_id=26098&archiev=yes&arch_date=01-05-2012 Registration number is 60314, delivered 23/09/2009. What a sad ending for such a young ATR!!