yeadrian

woo wooo CX 744 in da house!!! Finnair 757 also was in da house!! somemore 757 with winglets..... correct if I am wrong 757 and 767's are kinda rare in Pg, this is my first time I see a 757 here!!! Yusoff - ada tempat baru untuk spotting ke?? / you have a new place for spotting? Wah, Wilson Chinese Shrine also have place to spot ah?? I just came back from the airport today (family driver again) saw the CX 744 "BUG"ging Pg airport...... nice to see Bob has captured the BUG already...

This is interesting, and I only thought that the expressway leading to Changi Airport is a highway cum emergency military landing strips with the removable planter boxes lined along certain stretches of the ECP...

Mid-air drama on Qantas flight / Matthew Benns / November 29, 2008 This story was found at: http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2008/11/...7491827104.html A QANTAS jet serviced days ago in Hong Kong had to turn back yesterday after the crew was forced to turn off one of its two engines. The Airbus A330 with 168 passengers en route to Singapore returned to Perth when an engine oil warning light flashed in the cockpit. Aviation sources told the Herald the engine starter motor sheared off because no oil had been put into the motor after its overhaul. David Cox, the executive general manager of Qantas Engineering, said: "Initial inspections by engineers indicate that the fault with the engine starter motor could have led to the engine oil problem." He said the investigation into the issue would require "detailed analysis" in conjunction with the starter motor and engine manufacturers in the US. Mr Cox said the Qantas A330 fleet was serviced overseas. "This particular aircraft returned earlier in the week from a four-day "C" check carried out in Hong Kong. The plane returned to Perth on one engine and a replacement plane finally took off with the passengers four hours and 50 minutes late. A Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) spokesman, Peter Gibson, confirmed preliminary reports that the malfunction had originated in the starter motor and that the oil supply was being looked at. "CASA has been kept fully informed on the incident by Qantas and will be closely monitoring Qantas's investigation of the event," Mr Gibson said. A survey of Qantas maintenance staff this year found there was concern about safety standards in part because of offshore maintenance. Even the headlines with the Insurgency in Thailand and the Mumbai Siege, they still made it to the news.....

The scale has tipped on to the other side now!, I could not believe it when I read it in the Star Biz today... Kudos to MH, get well soon Air Asia!!

thanks for the info Bob, always resourceful.... I wonder why is lauda here - another tourist charter from Europe perhaps!!

Just came back from being a driver from the airport..... (my fee was "Tah pau/Takeaway" Roti Jala from AK!) microwaved it and gobbled it down,yummy!! Parked at the apron Near control tower was a B737-700 with winglets - could not see the name of the airline.. too far!! Can anyone confirm?, Bob - you are the most resourceful of Pg airport.... perhaps you can help... Interested to know what other airline is this... perhaps another charter like the Privatair... around 8ish near 9pm I think - saw a 2nd CX aircraft in motion (landing I think) I think its the silver bullet cargo aircraft. The usual aircraft(Today A333) parked stationary overnight for next day early departure at the usual last gate already. could not get any info from flightstats...

oops ! sorry! my bad! this "people - me" overlooked...

It's a bit of old news. It was in The Star (A Malaysian daily) yesterday. The rest of the articles are also interesting, who are the rest of the top performers, in LCC segment and also Cargo as well, How they are rated - rated on what points, MH's response and so on...

Aviation Week NEWS For Immediate Release European, Asian Giants Dominate AVIATION WEEK Airline Rankings Top-Performing Companies study measures survivability in tough environment NEW YORK, NY - August 11, 2008 - AVIATION WEEK's latest Top-Performing Companies (TPC) report focuses on the global airline industry, revealing which carriers are in the best shape to prevail against the daunting economic challenges they face. TPC project manager Michael Lowry used proprietary formulas to rank airlines in three categories. The metrics have been significantly revised this year to place more emphasis on survivability, reflecting the headaches airlines face through soaring fuel costs and faltering demand. The TPC feature is highlighted in this week's issue of Aviation Week & Space Technology. Articles written by Adrian Schofield and James Ott explain the rankings and identify underlying industry trends. The TPC study shows that the best of the Asia-Pacific and European airlines are head and shoulders above their peers among the major legacy carriers, with Singapore Airlines again at the top of the list and Malaysia Airlines improving the most. The U.S. majors, meanwhile, are entrenched in the bottom half of the table. "The gap between the Asian and European top performers and the U.S. airlines has only grown larger over the past year," the article says. Other ranking categories cover low-cost and regional airlines, and the major cargo carriers. In addition, Lowry has put together a list of five U.S. airlines that are at the greatest risk of filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection over the next two years. The article also explains what airline actions can reduce bankruptcy risk. The best-performing airlines in each category feature strong liquidity, good financial health, cost discipline and a focus on efficiency. Top Ten Major Legacy Airlines: 1. Singapore Airlines 2. Malaysian Airline System Berhad 3. Iberia Líneas Aéreas de España S.A. 4. Aer Lingus Group PLC 5. Deutsche Lufthansa AG 6. Qantas Airways Ltd. 7. Finnair Oyj 8. Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd. 9. British Airways PLC 10. AIR FRANCE KLM Group Top Ten Low-Cost/Regional Airlines: 1. Ryanair Holdings plc 2. easyJet plc 3. Allegiant Travel Company 4. Hainan Airlines Co. Ltd. 5. Southwest Airlines Co. 6. Transat A.T. Inc. 7. AirAsia Berhad 8. Copa Holdings, S.A. 9. WestJet Airlines Ltd. 10. Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA The United Parcel Service, Inc. was the highest ranked freight carrier. Meanwhile on Star Bizweek. MAS flies to the top MALAYSIA Airlines is the biggest gainer after industry magazine Aviation Week tweaked the focus of its annual survey of publicly traded airlines to emphasise the ability to weather the hard times. In the latest Top-Performing Companies (TPC) report, MAS vaulted from 17th to second place. With a total score of 87.8, the national carrier is sandwiched between Singapore Airlines (SIA) (93.3) and Iberia Airlines (80.2). “(MAS) has turned out to be the biggest surprise in this year’s report,” the weekly says in a recent analysis of the study. The airline earned the No.2 spot by making sound decisions on route streamlining and dramatically improving its revenue management, adds the magazine. Financial fitness is a significant criterion for this year’s TPC rankings. The scores represent the composite of five performance categories: liquidity (30% contribution to total score), fuel cost management (20%), financial health (20%), earnings performance (20%) and asset utilisation (10%).Aviation Week points out that most airlines are under “extreme financial pressure” as economies falter. “A siege mentality is beginning to take hold, with traffic demand starting to slide and airlines in most regions slashing capacity,” it says. The magazine quotes Christian Torrego, senior manager of PricewaterhouseCoopers Advisory France, as saying, “The industry will go on, but only after a deep transformation and a new focus on efficiency.” The TPC study offers clues as to who the winners and losers will be as this transformation unfolds, says Aviation Week. (Torrego is a member of the four-man TPC council of airline advisers who helped Aviation Week analyse the results of this year’s study.) One noteworthy trend is the continued strong showing of Asia-Pacific carriers at the top of the rankings. Four of the first eight in the major airlines category are from the Asia-Pacific region. Apart from SIA (leading the pack for the fourth year in a row) and MAS, the others from this part of the world are Qantas and Cathay Pacific. According to Aviation Week, the TPC advisory panel agrees that these airlines are among the best situated to weather the latest slump. The study also shows that the gap between the Asian and European top performers and the US airlines has only grown larger over the past year. The magazine says the TPC airline formula has been revamped this year to place more emphasis on the airlines’ ability to survive.Liquidity is the factor that really sets the highest-ranked airlines apart, ACA Associates managing director George Hamlin is quoted as saying. “There’s a stark difference (in liquidity) when you get below the top 10,” he adds. ACA Associates is a consulting and financial advisory firm that specialises in the commercial aviation industry, and Hamlin is also on the TPC council of advisers. While it is true that the Asian carriers enjoy some advantages unique to their markets, the TPC analysts also point out that these airlines boast organisational strengths that stem from good management rather than geographical location. The inherent advantages are, says Raymond Neidl of Calyon Securities, are long-distance routes with very little competition.Hamlin adds that these airlines operate in a region where economies are still robust, and low-cost competitors have been a relatively recent arrival compared with the US and Europe. Lower labour costs help as well. Aviation Week says another factor that must be considered is state ownership. Many airlines in this region have significant levels of government investment, which are not factored into the rankings, although state ownership can be an advantage. However, the TPC analysts agree that in the case of SIA and MAS, they are “so commercially successful that any government safety net is probably of little consequence”. Remember - MH has been bailed out once before !

It does not make really any big difference, when you book international tickets - cost of JHB to KUL is factored in to the ticket, we are not charged specifically for the sector.May pay a little bit extra though. Passenger's Luggage handling is easier - JHB to destination..... Issues - the time to connection, longer layover in KLIA maybe. It's a hassle to go through Malaysia/Singapore immigration and causeway and out through Changi immigration, Going through the causeway is also a hassle, now with the extra checks and daily traffic jam..... Taxi to Singapore and back, (is quite expensive convert to Ringgit) I did not know there are ferries from JHB to Changi direct? Is it at the terminal at Eden Garden Hotel there where there are Bintan ferries ??? Good thing - More choice of airlines Beautiful terminal 3, shopping, SQ,

unless if you are an honourable minister like her (not sure in her case I want to use such an honourable term) - some more Min of tourism - then flying other country's flag carrier is a no no!! consumers like you and me are free to choose !! I am a SQ person la....

Congratulations on your dumbfounded statements, Honourable Minister... It's no wonder she doesn't know MH at all - she flies with SQ... I am going to agree to with her partially on MH service standards... I tried calling MH Penang office (number obtained from MH website - Ticketing and Admin line).For 3 bloody days I tried WITHOUT anyone answering at all. Did not want to call the toll free as it is related to Pg office. Thought I'd do them a favour by giving them a feedback, submitted a feedback through their website, almost after 2 weeks, I received a Generic email from MH..... What the $#!@$ - no wonder a lot of Penangites are turning to SQ/CX/TG for flights out of Malaysia (yours truly too)

Food looks gourmet, cheese platter, crab claw appetizer with tuna roe, dessert ..... a very faaaaaaarrrrrr cry from the buy on board meals The plastic tablewares are French designed gourmet cuisine disposables - mostly used by luxury hotels for take aways... it's very expensive disposable in other words. Catering by Airbus must be premium...... ! above it all, like the pictures....

Uncle Pieter - I think it is QF that "alerted" the press with all the incidents..... hahahahhaha!!! A string of incidents including serious ones that are arising stirs up attention anywhere especially the press and people's sentiments... Plus them pointing the blame fingers previously does not help either. QF is giving the press a field day with numerous incidents : - now even with a listing of incidents in timeline..... http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2008/11/...6770438754.html

I think the term is "QF has Offended the Tai Sui/Grand Duke Jupiter" (Feng Shui practice) QF is Jinxed - in simple terms..... can blame others beside MH/SQ Engineering, maybe QF can say it is driven by an Aussie with a PR status !!!

ooops - jinxed, jinxed, jinxed - it's the same aircraft!!

adui!! can die ah!! this one is very funny !!!

I think it's a response to Azalina's dumbfounded press piece!! I strongly feel that MH Unions will know more than Azalina...

heheheh!! technically - they are still sisters until a conclusive sale or until VS manages to lapdance on another lap.... maybe in this case - evil step sister?? (go figure which one is the evil one!!) SQ have been trying to shed VS since some time back, have they found any takers??

salient point of physchological observation you got there... as for me I just hate the idea of being surprised at the end with a really high price even though its a cheap promotion.. was checking out Tiger airways - RM79 nett per way (without frills) - KUL to SIN and also SIN to KUL early Dec - that's attractive to me.... Oh yeah, this video cracks me up!

aah, learnt something today - thanks Gavin.

Hi Bob, May i know what is AOG please?? thanks...

Even after their merger with Jet Airways they are still looking for enhancements. It is indeed a bad time for Airlines companies... SQ and VS are sister companies, can both be interested in an "ailing" airline at the same time?

Administrative fees is a revenue to the Airlines, its a different form of "surcharge" in other terms only An example - Previously hotels publish their rates as "plus plus" (10% service charge / 5% Govt tax) meaning if the price is 100++ you will end up paying 100+10+5 = 115nett This led to a lot of confusion/dispute with foreign guests coming to Malaysia. Now (Some time back actually) Hotels are required to publish nett rates by law. If you go to Tiger airways and Jetstar's website to book - you will be given a "Nett" rate from the start (unless if you add in frills such as seat selection fee, checked in baggage fees, etc) This is tranpsarent meaning what you see displayed is what you pay. In AK/MH you need to factor in 1st - "airfare" then " (very cheap! ) 2nd - Admin charges" (Bloody expensive ) 3rd - and the other frills and towards then end when you see the nett charges you say " to hell with it!!! Consumers feel cheated - just like MH and AK's zero fares, no surcharge promo, etc... you end up paying for admin fees or other fees that is hidden. In other countries this is akin to misleading your customers or cheating in other words. (varies from the laws of country to country)

Leo and Vi Thian, Thank you for the prompt and the links.... It's nice I like part 2 of the clips most - Toulouse....... Narrow lorong (alley) but they also share the same "shell" non intrusive seat reclination design like CX...... (is that for all economy or x-wide only) The Air asia livery looks sexy on the already sexy A333.... (I saw SQ's 333 in the production line in the clip!!!) Congrats to X-rated Air Asia... (closing my 2 eyes on the BIG delay in Perth with the inaugural ship...)