Naim

Nyet! The Cyrillic script on the plane: 'Grazhdanskie Samolety Sukhogo'. I think it means 'Civil Aircraft Sukhoi'. .ny

I wonder how serious a competitor the Russsians would be. More details on Sukhoi RRJ HERE. .ny +++ Vietnam Airlines considering Russian planes 17:04' 07/07/2006 (GMT+7) VietNamNet – Vietnam Airlines Corporation (VAC), the national flag carrier, is considering Russian-made aircraft for domestic flights and flights to Russia. Trinh Ngoc Thanh, Head of the Market Planning Division at VAC said that the corporation has sent staff to Russia to negotiate with aircrafts manufacturers and if a deal is reached Vietnam Airlines will buy 100-seat planes for domestic service. Mr Thanh said that Russia once had a developed aircraft industry, but that it collapsed due to the economic crisis. The industry has recovered, however, and since 2004, Russian has been focusing on civil aviation. Test flights have been showing progress. At the Dubai Air Show in November, the largest aviation exhibition in the Middle East, a Dubai-based aircraft leasing company ordered several RRJ aircraft, manufactured by Russian Sukhoi. This is the first order for 70-150-seat planes Sukhoi had received from a non-Russian client. Regarding the opening of new flights to several destinations in Russia, Mr Thanh said that Vietnam Airlines is looking at several destinations, Novosibirsk and Saint Petersburg in particular. The new routes will take at least two or three years, managers say. According to Vietnam Airlines, the carrier has made 25,112 safe flights so far this year, serving 3.32mil of passengers, fulfilling 51% of the yearly plan. The corporation had total turnover of VND8,302bil ($518.87mil) in the first six months of the year. http://english.vietnamnet.vn/biz/2006/07/589037/ +++

LA Times Airbus Parent Ousts Chief Amid Production Woes By Peter Pae, Times Staff Writer 6:49 PM PDT, July 2, 2006 The parent company for European aircraft maker Airbus ousted its top executive Sunday in a dramatic management shake-up following weeks of turmoil over production delays of its new super-jumbo jetliner. European Aeronautic Defence & Space Co. said Noel Forgeard, its co-chief executive, and Gustav Humbert, the head of the Airbus unit, resigned, effective immediately. The resignations came just days after Forgeard insisted he would not step down and defended his sale of stock options months before the announcement of the production delays that sent company shares plummeting. "I did it solely for the company's interest, to end a situation that could have compromised the resolution of Airbus' current problems," Forgeard said. Shares of the Franco-Germany company plunged more than 26 percent June 14, wiping out $7 billion in value, after it said wiring problems with the double-decked A380 would delay production by up to seven months. The production woes, which Airbus estimated would cut profits by about $2.5 billion over four years, turned into a major scandal after French regulators said they were investigating the sale of stock options worth more than $8 million by Forgeard and his three adult children. [Read more here: http://snipurl.com/sn5h ] === The Telegraph UK BAE to get just £1.9bn for stake in Airbus By Roland Gribben and Dominic White (Filed: 03/07/2006) BAE Systems is in line to receive just £1.9bn for its 20pc stake in planemaker Airbus, about half the amount analysts had expected its partner EADS would have to pay. The news came as the crisis engulfing EADS claimed two top management casualties after a compromise deal with its two big French and German shareholders. In a statement, BAE said the independent investment bank Rothschild had set a price of €2.75bn (£1.9bn) for its Airbus stake, which it plans to sell to the 80pc owner EADS. City analysts had been expecting a valuation of around €5bn, although some had said a recent fall in EADS shares threatened to lower that value. Last month’s fresh delay in the Airbus A380 superjumbo triggered a profit warning at EADS. [Read more here: http://snipurl.com/sn5l ] .ny

*** THANKS, MR MODERATOR *** There you go ... +++ First superjumbo service ... and the winner is Sydney Steve Creedy, Aviation writer June 06, 2006 SYDNEY has beaten London to become the world's first destination for a scheduled service by one of the new double-decker Airbus A380 superjumbo planes. Singapore Airlines expects to take delivery of the first commercial aircraft in November and to begin flights to Sydney in December. The airline confirmed yesterday its first flight would be into Sydney and said Singapore-Sydney would be its first route when scheduled services started, probably in late December. "We've decided on Sydney for two reasons," airline spokesman Stephen Forshaw said. "Firstly, the aircraft flight time is shorter than London. And the crewing requirements are lower than for London - we require a double crew to do London flights and the turnaround time for crew is longer for London than it is for Sydney." Sydney airport has spent $120million preparing for the giant airliner and has built one of five planned double-storey gates that will allow the huge A380s to unload passengers from three doors and both decks. Singapore Airlines will fly the Airbus with fewer than 480 passengers in three classes - about 100 seats more than a jumbo jet, but well below the plane's optimum three-class passenger load of 555. Several other operators serving Sydney with A380s have also indicated they will be flying with 500 passengers or fewer. This and the fact they will be phased in over time means airport authorities are confident the combination of lower passenger loads and the new gates will make unloading the big planes as quick, if not quicker, than emptying a Boeing 747. Mr Forshaw said he was confident the airport would be able to handle the new plane and said it would generate excitement with new on-board products. "The co-operation and support we've had from Sydney airport has been fantastic," he said. "I think they're as keen to receive the first flight as we are to operate it." The main reason for introducing the bigger plane on the Kangaroo route between Britain and Australia was to boost seat capacity without having to increase the number of flights, particularly into Sydney. Melbourne was also on the agenda but no decision on timing had been made. http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story...9-23349,00.html

I was reading Dan Brown (guess which book) and spotted this: Curious on how the plane looks like, I did a quick search and found these pics: [source: http://snipurl.com/rikb] I haven't caught the movie myself, so I wonder if the movie uses the same model. Anybody? .naim

Anybody wanna bet who gets to carry the pilgrims to the holy land for hajj? .ny

Interesting, TH in AirAsia? The religious scholars must be impressed with Tony. So Air Asia is a halal counter. Malaysian Airlines is not. [Ref: http://www.sc.com.my/eng/html/icm/sas/syariahapr2006.pdf ] .ny +++ May 31, 2006 06:49 AM Minister Admits Tabung Haji Has Equity In AirAsia KUALA LUMPUR, May 31 (Bernama) -- Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Dr Abdullah Md Zain on Tuesday admitted that the Pilgrimage Fund Board (TH) has equity in the budget airline, Air Asia Berhad. He said the investment in the airline was the second largest after the plantation sector with overall TH investment standing at RM13 billion. He said the investment was made after seeking views from the TH investment panel comprising investment experts and approval from the TH Board of Directors. "After both parties had agreed and there were no reservation raised, the proposal was then brought to me for approval," he said when winding up the debate on the Ninth Malaysia Plan (9MP) for the Prime Minister's Department at the Dewan Negara sitting. Abdullah said the TH investment in the airline was made taking into consideration the profit factor. -- BERNAMA http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v3/news_lite.php?id=200880 ALSO: May 30, 2006 20:22 PM AirAsia Reports Lower Profit In Third Quarter KUALA LUMPUR, May 30 (Bernama) -- Lower average fares arising from its aggressive promotions have, among others, contributed to AirAsia Bhd's lower third-quarter profitability. The low-cost carrier registered a pre-tax profit of RM23.430 million for its third quarter ended March 31, 2006, from RM42.947 million in the same quarter last year on a bigger revenue of RM201.681 million against RM163.911 million previously. It cited competitive pressures and heavy maintenance checks due to the induction of the last batch of Boeing 737 aircraft as the other contributing factors to the drop. Average fare has decreased from RM156 to RM123 during the quarter and as a result, revenue decreased by 11 percent whereas the load factor improved 4.0 percent, AirAsia said in a statement Tuesday. On a cumulative nine-month period, pre-tax profit stood at RM89.353 million from RM99.294 million on revenues of RM613.883 million and RM466.742 million respectively. ... [read more here: http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v3/news_lite.php?id=200816 ]

Tony says: Good read. .ny +++ From AWSJ May 29, 2006 AirAsia Founder Likes Workers to Speak Up Fernandes Tries to Change 'Top-Down' Culture He Sees Among Managers in Asia By CRIS PRYSTAY Malaysian Tony Fernandes founded AirAsia, Asia's first low-cost carrier, in 2001 and expanded the company by setting up joint-venture airlines in Thailand and Indonesia. Mr. Fernandes, 42 years old, graduated from the University of London in 1987 with a finance degree and in 1992 moved back to Malaysia, where he became managing director of Warner Music Malaysia, and later, vice-president of Warner's Southeast Asian operations. He quit in 2001 to start AirAsia. One of Malaysia's most outspoken business executives, Mr. Fernandes not only has strong ideas on the way airlines should be run, but also how Southeast Asia's top-down corporate culture should change. He spoke to reporter Cris Prystay about his style. WSJ: What was your first job and what did you learn from it? Mr. Fernandes: My first job was a waiter in London at the Cavendish Hotel. I was 17. I learned that working was hard and you had to be professional, even as a waiter. You had other colleagues. If my performance was poor, it let down the whole team. My first [career] job was as an accountant at an auditor in London. It was mind-blowingly boring. I was a junior auditor and was photocopying and adding up rows of columns. The big lesson there: make sure you go into a job that you enjoy. Otherwise, you don't give any value to your employer, and you certainly don't add any value to your own mind. WSJ: Who gave you the best business advice? Mr. Fernandes: It was probably Stephen Shrimpton (the former chief executive officer of Warner Music International) at Warner. I was a man in a rush. I was 28 when I became the managing director of Warner Music Malaysia, and I wanted to be the regional MD. I wanted to take over the world. One night, Steve talked to me outside the Sheraton Hotel in Hong Kong for three hours. He told me there's no need to rush and that it's about developing my own personality and making sure I'm ready for the next job. I see that now: No matter how bright someone is at 25, there's nothing like experience. He slowed me down, and made me understand that you need to take time -- to understand the business better, to understand your people better. WSJ: What's the one thing you wish every new hire knew? Mr. Fernandes: Humility -- and knowing what the real world is like. The new generation is coming in pretty soft. A lot of these young guys haven't lived through a recession. There are plenty of jobs out there and they think, "I can always walk into another job." The hunger and determination to do their best is sometimes not there. WSJ: Is there a difference between the management culture in Asia and the West? Mr. Fernandes: The management culture here is very top-down. There's less creativity and fewer people who are willing to speak out. They're more implementers than doers. There's less freedom of speech, and that impacts the business world. Even when they know things are not right, they won't speak out. They just do what they're told to do. WSJ: What's the biggest management challenge you face? Mr. Fernandes: To get people to think. At AirAsia, we want 4,000 brains working for us. My biggest challenge is to get people to talk, to express themselves, to get people to challenge me and say "Tony, you're talking rubbish." That's what I want, not people who say "Yes, sir." The senior management doesn't have all the answers. I want the guy on the ramp to have the confidence to tell me what's wrong. WSJ: What are you doing to clear that hurdle? Mr. Fernandes: We have no offices. We dress down. You wear a suit, and you put distance between you and your staff. We're on a first-name basis. I go around the office, around the check-in desks, the planes constantly, talking to people. Fifty percent of my job is managing people in the company. You get people to open up to you by just asking them to do it, and then responding to them. You don't send a memo, or do some "speak up" incentive program. It's got to be from the heart. WSJ: What was the most satisfying decision you've made as a manager? Mr. Fernandes: Once a month, I carry bags with the ramp boys, or I'm cabin crew, or at the check-in. I do this to get close to the operation. I also want to know my people. When I first started this, I met all these bright kids at the check-in or carrying bags. We were starting this cadet pilot program, and I said, "Let's open it up to anyone. Let some of these kids apply." They have the brains, but they just didn't have the money to get the education. Out of the first batch of 19 cadets, 11 came from within the company. Some of these boys got the highest marks ever in the flying academy. There was one kid who joined us to carry bags, and 18 months later he was a First Officer of a 737. Can you imagine what that does for the motivation in the company? Everyone talks about developing human capital, but we did it. ===

Never been to South America, but in the works lah. Used to be serious corporate traveler in the 90s, especially. Now a bit older and more a less a professional bum, so I travel with more fun. My plan: when I reach 50, I'll withdraw all my cash in Account #2 of EPF, and use the money to go on epic voyages. .naim

Check this site out: http://www.ngcasia.com/explore/air_crash_i...tion/index.aspx And make sure you get the correct Astro broadcast times. .ny

This must be the yellow DHL/Transmile 727. .ny +++ Wednesday, May 24, 2006 · Last updated 12:34 p.m. PT NTSB to investigate apparent 727 fuel tank explosion By JAMES WALLACE P-I REPORTER The National Transportation Safety Board said today it is sending a team of investigators to Bangalore, India, after the apparent explosion of a wing fuel tank on a Boeing 727. Although the jet was on the ground and there were no passengers aboard, the incident raised fresh questions and concerns about a safety issue that has been at the forefront of the commercial aviation industry since the center fuel tank exploded on a TWA 747 shortly after it took off from Kennedy airport in New York on July 17, 1996. All 230 people on the jumbo jet died. "The tragic TWA 800 accident in 1996 highlighted the vulnerability of transport aircraft fuel tanks," NTSB Acting Chairman Mark Rosenker said in a statement about the 727 incident. "A decade later, the issue remains a major concern of the safety board and is on our most wanted list of safety improvements. I am hopeful what is learned in this investigation may provide added impetus for a resolution of this problem without further delay." The incident occurred May 4 and involved a Transmile Airlines 727-200. The plane was being repositioned on the ground when the fuel tank in the left wing apparently exploded, the NTSB said. No one was injured. A Boeing spokeswoman said today that the airplane maker only learned about the incident last week and notified the Federal Aviation Administration and the safety board. Boeing has investigators en route to India to assist in the investigation, said spokeswoman Liz Verdier. The 727 is one of Boeing's oldest jets and few are still carrying passengers in the United States. But there are many 727s in service overseas. In 1999, the FAA ordered emergency inspections of U.S.-registered 727s because of concerns about a possible fuel-tank explosion. Airlines were told to check aluminum tubes that carry electrical wires through the fuel tanks after mechanics found severe wearing of wires and holes in the tubing on two 727s. There were signs of electrical sparking around the holes. A similar FAA directive had been issued a year earlier for Boeing's 737 when the same kind of wiring problem was found on that plane. The FAA also ordered checks of 747s and 767s. The danger of fuel-tank vapors exploding on commercial jetliners has been in the spotlight since TWA Flight 800. After the longest investigation in U.S. history, the NTSB ruled that a spark of unknown origin likely ignited fuel vapors in the center fuel tank of the 747. Since then, there have been other fuel-tank explosions on commercial jetliners. In 2001, a Thai Airways 737-400 exploded at the gate at the Bangkok airport. A similar explosion had destroyed a Philippine Airlines 737 on the ground in 1999. The FAA issued a proposed rule last year that would require operators and manufacturers of transport-category aircraft to take steps to reduce the likelihood of fuel-tank vapors exploding. This would be accomplished by using a fuel inerting system. An inert gas would be pumped into fuel tanks as they empty. Boeing is designing its 787 Dreamliner for such a system should it be required. But the industry has resisted this move because of the high costs. Earlier this year, a study by a government-owned research group found that most efforts in this country to reduce the risk of a fuel-tank explosion on commercial jets since the TWA incident have been ineffective. "Unsafe conditions remain," said the study by Sandia National Laboratories. It examined 18 fuel-tank safety directives for Boeing 737s and nine for Airbus A320 jets. Only two or three reduced the probability of an explosion, the report said. While eliminating fuel-tank vapors remains one of the NTSB's "most wanted" safety improvements, cash-strapped airlines say the risks of such explosions are low and their costs to modify huge fleets of jets would be too great under the FAA's proposed rule. It is not clear what the FAA will do next, but industry resistance could stall or kill implementation of the proposed rule http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/271...ltanks24ww.html

Thanks for the interesting list. Been to all, except Kansai. .ny

Follow-up story. +++ May 22, 2006 19:28 PM MAS Expects To Complete MSS By July 31 PETALING JAYA, May 22 (Bernama) -- Malaysian Airline System Bhd (MAS), which announced details of its mutual separation scheme (MSS) Monday, expects to complete the exercise by July 31, 2006. "We are committed to conducting this right-sizing exercise in the most compassionate way possible by working out the terms and conditions which are attractive," managing director, Idris Jala, said in a statement here Monday. Idris said throughout the exercise, the airline would ensure that the customers' needs are taken care of. "We have tasked key executives to ensure that they are no service disruptions and no compromise on safety. "The MSS will fast-track MAS intention to right-size its workforce a year ahead of the schedule outlined in its three-year Business Turnaround Plan," Idris said. MAS will receive compensation from its parent company, Penerbangan Malaysia Bhd, for the termination of the agreement for domestic business unbundling. Under the terms of the contract, MAS is required to give 12 months' notice or be compensated in the event of a termination. The cost of the MSS will be funded by the compensation. Since the MSS is a voluntary exercise, MAS expects the pick-up rate from the staff to be between 3,000 and 5,000. Over the past few weeks, MAS has had numerous discussions with employees union and association on the terms and conditions of the MSS. The MSS will be extended to all permanent and confirmed employees in Malaysia and locally recruited Malaysian staff posted overseas. A total 18,027 invitations will be sent out today and the staff have until June 7, 2006 to decide on the offer. Successful MSS applicants will receive payments based on their current monthly salary ranging from one month to three months for every year of service, a one-off medical benefit payment of RM2,000 and buyback of all unutilised staff leave. In addition, the staff's spouse and dependants will enjoy 12-month hospitalisation benefits from the date of separation and one complimentary privilege travel air ticket. -- BERNAMA

Monday May 22, 2006 MAS to launch biggest separation scheme today By B.K. SIDHU ONE of Malaysia’s biggest mutual separation scheme (MSS) for employees will be launched by Malaysia Airlines (MAS) today, to shed about 6,000 employees from its stable of 23,000 employees. It is learnt that it would cost the airline about RM600mil, which the airline could fund from its coffers. It will be an attractive package where each employee will receive about one to three months’ salary for every year of service with no cap on the number of years. This is the biggest MSS in corporate Malaysia as no other organisation has carried out a scheme to shed so many workers. Sources told StarBiz that MAS managing director Idris Jala would launch the MSS today and employees had two weeks to revert to the management of their decision. The management will decide the MSS candidates in two weeks. The final date for employees under the MSS to leave the organisation is July 31. All MAS employees who are Malaysians, confirmed and permanent staff of the airline (including those with the airline’s domestic operations, which is being rationalised) are eligible for the MSS. Contract workers and foreigners under MAS’ payroll are not included in the scheme. Sources said part of the package also included a one-off medical payment, one-off long service loyalty payment and one return ticket to any destination that MAS flew to. However, employees nearing the retirement age who opt for the MSS would not be eligible for the MAS retirement package, the sources said. MAS had earlier launched a business turnaround plan to return the airline to profitability, and it is on a drive to manage costs, rationalise its operations and improve efficiency. For the financial year ended Dec 31, 2005 (nine months as the airline is changing its year-end from March 31 to Dec 31), MAS reported a loss of RM1.26bil on revenue of RM9.08bil. http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?f...55&sec=business +++

Hey, hey, hey, somebody blogs about AK at KBR! Go to: http://www.shagadelica.net/?p=386#more-386 and see the staircase in first pic, namely: That's where the mob stumbled as I said above. .naim

Sure, and can catch World Cup matches also, right? Sorry for digressing. .ny

Nice graphics from the BBC website. Sort of put things in perspective. .ny

You could be right, Sir! See: http://www.abu.org.my/public/compiled/p337.htm .ny

Bad news from Down Under. .ny +++ May 18, 2006 16:22 PM Qantas To Axe Another 1,000 Jobs MELBOURNE, May 18 (Bernama) -- Australia's Qantas airline will axe another 1,000 white-collar jobs this year as the company faces a looming A$1 billion surge in its annual fuel bill. Chief executive Geoff Dixon informed staff of the latest job cuts in a message on Wednesday, Fairfax reported. The markets have yet to be given details. The cuts should deliver tens of millions of dollars in savings. Dixon told staff the airline had "reluctantly" decided to cut management, support and administration positions by 20 percent across the group, resulting in a reduction of about 1,000 positions in the first half of the 2006-07 financial year. "We have proposed and grown through previous crises in our industry by changing our cost base and this is again necessary," Fairfax quoted Dixon as saying. The announcement coincides with an annual review this week by the Qantas board of the airline's three-year strategy. The massive increase in the cost of jet fuel was a key concern in the board's considerations, Dixon said. -- BERNAMA

A friend spotted this at SZB on 17May. Can anybody ID the plane? Sorry for poor quality - he used his cam-phone while boarding Berjaya Air to Tioman. Thanks. .ny

The show blames Boeing for shoddy repair job on the damaged bulkhead, and the Boeing investigation guy cried when he found that out. They used only one row of rivets instead of two, hence making the repaired portion weak. .ny

Great TV production - good actors/actresses and excellent computer graphics too. It looks so real. .ny

Interesting news. .ny +++ Indonesia bans purchase of Boeing 737-200s www.chinaview.cn 2006-05-10 14:27:52 JAKARTA, May 10 (Xinhua) -- The Indonesian government said Wednesday it banned local airliners from purchasing passenger plane Boeing 737-200s due to many serious accidents involving the type of aircraft. "The government no longer permits airliners to import that kind of plane, and all kinds of planes whose flight cycles have reached 50,000 or have attained the age of 32 years," Transportation Minister Hatta Radjasa was quoted by the Detikcom news website as saying. The minister said he has ordered thorough investigation on all Boeing 737-200s operated by local airliners. The latest accident involving a Boeing 737-200s occurred last year when the Mandala Airline plane crashed only minutes after taking-off from the Polonia Airport in North Sumatra. The accident killed at least 110 passengers and some people on the ground. ===

FOLLOW-UP STORY ... +++ May 11, 2006 21:08 PM Airbus Successfully Completed Two Tests For A380 Programme KUALA LUMPUR, May 11 (Bernama) -- Airbus reached two major milestones in the A380 programme this week. It has successfully completed the first extensive ground cabin tests in a fully-equipped A380, in Hamburg and when its fatigue tests on the plane in Dresden reached 10,000-flight cycles this week. "These two major milestones are underlying the excellent progress of our A380 test programme," Charles Champion, Airbus chief operating officer and head of A380 programme, said. In a statement here Thursday, Airbus said during the five-hour tests, 474 passengers and 20 crew members simulated a 15-hour flight, during which they tried all cabin system such as in-flight entertainment system, the water and waste system as well as air-conditioning system. It said the passengers on board the aircraft were given individual tasks to perform at certain intervals in order to simulate a maximum stress on certain cabin systems. The tests included all cabin management-related processes and were held in collaboration with Airbus cabin trainers and a cabin crew from Lufthansa ran all cabin operation in the A380 from boarding to safety instructions, galley, trolley lift operations and full meal services. The fatigue tests examine the A380's structural behaviour by simulating structural stresses over a very condensed period of time. It said the tests were performed in purpose-built hangar equipped with hydraulic cylinders to simulate structural load. Airbus said the test in Dresden started in September 2005 and it would continue to run till 2008 to simulate 47,500 flights in total, including short and long-haul missions. -- BERNAMA

Funny! Btw, Radzi, I notice you put From: N03 07.6 E101 42.8 So do you actually live at the 'X' in the middle of this map? More AK bashing today - see: http://www.malaysiakini.com/letters/50870 .ny