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the CPT of the Juneyao flight is not a chinese but a Korean pilot and who has now been barred from flying/working in China

anyway Emirates T7s are also 10 across seating for its EY class - and thats a full service airline.

it shou;d be fairly safe to fly on MH's old 734s which are abt average age of 17 years old. But being associated with a older plane, there's the usualmore than normal unscheduled maintenance issues like hydraulic leaks or some minor problems can occur with more frequency- but otherwise shd be safe once the pilots check out the plane n fly it.

sad and dont know how much billion losses MH will ened up with in its full-year accounts - and if add in all the previous bail-outs n losses - should be well over rm6 billion in debts/losses or more!

sad and dont know how much billion losses MH will ened up with in its full-year accounts - and if add in all the previous bail-outs n losses - should be well over rm6 billion in debts/losses or more!

hi Mike P - well if this is a really business decision without politics then it will always be a good thing - but then again this is Malaysia and its abt using the govt limited air traffic rights and its also abt the got and MH/AK, so its never a purely biz situation - unlike at Changi and the sin govt's stand on maintaining Changi as a hub and even at the expense of SQ if nec to maintain it - hence its open competition in sin.

believed that QF will chose SIN over KUL for its new premium start-up as even if KUL maybe marginally cheaper, but it still lacks the pax traffic esp for premium pax and secondly KUl is still not a major Hub. And besides not sure if the govt will allow a new foreign airline to use its traffic rights, and at the expense of MH or even ak now.

MH posted a net loss of RM526.68mil for the 2nd Quarter - andwithits previous loss of RM534.73mil from the first quarter - this 2 comboned meant MH already lost more than a BILLION! Hence as always maintained, MH should not ordered the A380 and shd cancelled this buy and opt for more A330s and order the new A350. Just simply dont have the capacity to fill up the A380s as even its current 744 n 777s are not to capacity. Nevermind the 744s using more fuel but as already been paid for - what is needed is a complete overhaul of its 744s interiors and also to rework the interiors of its older 772s. Dont be surprise if MH losses another few hundred million in the next 3rd quarter.

doubt now with the new airport charges n aircraft parking charges n pax tax that Qantas will seriously consider KLIA as a base for their new start-up - believed Changbi would be the best choice for them.

how to make KLIA as a major hub when they just simply raised pax tax n airport chartges onto airlines - when they dont make enough due to inefficiency or losses due to "leaks"

its ok if they reduce the check-in fee to rm5 - but definitely not rm10. Self-check in is good too as then it will be faster for most pax. However ak should make exception to those aged above 55 n young travellers below 15 as they are not likely know how to use the kiosks or internet check in.

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd has clarified that the Government has approved the implementation of new international passenger service charge (PSC), aircraft landing charge and aircraft parking charge. Malaysia Airports said the approval was in line with the operating agreement it signed with the Government in February 2009. “The international PSC will be RM65 compared to the previous RM51,” it said in a statement yesterday. It said the RM65 charge would apply at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) main terminal building, Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport in Subang, Langkawi International Airport, Penang International Airport, Kota Kinabalu International Airport Terminal 1 and Kuching International Airport. Malaysia Airports added that the rates for international PSC at LCCT and Kota Kinabalu International Airport Terminal 2 would be RM32, up from RM25. “At this stage, it is intended that the increase be applicable from Sept 15. The PSC rates have not been changed since 2002,” it said. On the aircraft landing charge, Malaysia Airports said it would be increased in three stages by 9% per annum – in January this year, January 2012 and January 2013. “Aircraft parking charge will also be increased in three stages by 18% per annum in the same period,” it said.

yes - it maybe a possible worrying trend that now TF/AK is having some cross shareholdings and cross-management and together with govt's Khazanah - will make TF/AK more politically involved that is a serious departure from ak non-govt interference and just business. Already we see former Trade minister Rafidah being made the Chairperson of AK since almost 2 yrs back. May not augues well with AK since its now join into the govt political bedfellow scene.

its not just the new CEO/MD - MH needs to overhaul n revamp all its current senior management n execs and relook into all its Heads of Depts (HODs) and staffing. A complete audit on manpower and the way it outsources its requirements or its tender system and its suppliers' "special"relationships with the airline. Otherwise its too limited what it can do by just a change in CEO.

the govt shd have allow foreign airlines to take a substantial stake in MH back abt more than a decade ago when MH needed a huge 2nd bail-out n PNB was roped in to buy aircrafts n then lease to MH. If they have done that, MH would likely be profitable and not kept bleeding n losses till now. Even when Jalil took over MH technically still was losing money - but it was just the mass selling of MH physical assets like buildings, land, n some aircraft that MH made marginal profits under Jalil time. Now this share swap is still somewhat a bail-out for MH. The only real way out is for MH to be brought up from the ground up and total management n executive changes with out any politickings.

applying for visa to japan for malaysians is a hassle as bank statement requirement etc. Down south S'poreans dont even need Visas for china, japan, and even the USA!

the main thing now for ak pax is that its fares will not be cheap and will see it increasing more - as now ak effectively killed off any competition from MH and FY - and even D7 will see its fares going up - as now TF have some say in MH ops n management n will see MH maintaining its current flights or reducing them on same routes as D7/ak.

one better alternative for FY - is for MH to cease its domestic operations and transfer all its domestic to FY with full interline and connectivity with MH as FY is still a subsidiary but separate entity from MH. this is better as FY is still a new set-up with its lower costs and still as a "clean" company. Then MH - without its high costs domestic services n staff costs - will just concentrate on its overseas destinations and try to achieve the Best Biz Airline. However still think that MH does not need the A380s or at least reduce its 380 fleet, as MH will never be able to obtain high yields with its 380s n had tor educe fares to get the numbers which will be a zero sum game.

filipeseda - believed that MH cannot be seen in the same light as SQ or even be compared to SQ - as MH itself have alot of soul searching and unless its all revamp from the ground up - it can never be compared to SQ or even CX as is even on its direct monopoly routes to LHR and even SYD - MH for so long still is unable to fill up its capapcity or even extend it and still have to even downgrade its 744s from 2 daily n reduce capacity by using a 772. Moreever remember even its US flights ie to LAX and Newark have been reduced significantly and even abandoned.

believed that ak is asked by govt or someone to do so and this 20% share is onlyh the beginning as it will surely risein near future. Not sure if this is a good thing for ak too - as it will be saddled with MH problems and "financial leakages" and MH less than productive staff. And then there's the issue of what to do with so many 738s that firefly n MH has ordered n many are not delivered as yet. Yes that would also mean the end of firefly's jet services n competiton to ak. As papers mentioned Tony will have a say in mh n its "fleet rationalisation" will see MH ordering mainly from Airbus for its renewal. Perhaps Tony will try n reduce MH's A380 fleet as he shd know that its too big for MH and also to retain its yields.

MH supposedly popular n only direct non-competition route also cant support 2 daily 744s - even when it was using the 744 for its morning flight - its never been really near full. Thats why MH should not even have ordered the A380s as then it will have to sell its tickets real cheap and negateany profitability - and esp when Emirates have intended to use its 380s into KUL.

nothing surprising as even when MH makes some profits; its just a a paltry sum compared to the likes of SQ or even CX; and that were mainly from selling of its assets n planes. MH can put the "blame" on high fuel costs etc - but really this does not hold bec of the factthat SQ n CX n even TG can make millions in profits and these airlines pay the same fuel costs as MH does. Some can blame on MH's aeging aircrafts - but then again these aircrafts have been written off its value and theoretically its "chape" to use these planes. However even as MH cant make a cent; it will be worse when its A380s arrives - as its a whole lot bigger plane and still somehow MH dont have that much pax capacity to fill these jumbos without resorting to even bigger discounts which will make their yields worse. MH needs a total new management from outside MH n revamp from ground up.

believed that this new SQ no-frills set-up will more likely make it and does pose as a major competitor to Air Asia X despite what Tony says. The principal reason is that Changi itself is a major HUB in the region as compared to KLIA/LCCT; and that the sin govt have its priority to make changi as a major hub over that of giving protection to SQ for example and hence unlike malaysian govt of still blocking D7 to certain destinations. And further SQ's new set-up have access to immediate aircrafts from SQ's 772s which there are already surplus and more to come and easily this new carrier can have as many as 6 772s if it needed to straight away.

well ak can set up "base" in sep - but what it really needs is for SIN air traffic rights approvals for its flights out of sin to other countries (other than to malaysia). Dont thinkits a easy n fast track to get these coveted traffic rights and certaintly not by sep. QF too is said to be setting up a base for a "new" QF-owned airline in sin.

believed its more bec of commercial reasons ie not commercially viable to operate these routes. Alternative to Haikou is via SIN by TIger n Jetstar Asia which have pretty good loads on this sector.