flee

Watching "Air Crash Investigation" I could not help but notice that a lot of crashes took place when the pilot and first officer were overloaded with work. When everything goes normally on the flight the flight crew will have a relatively boring flight. However, when things do not go on routinely, the flight crew get bogged down attending to problems. So even with two people, it is not sufficient. Perhaps planes will have to be modified to enable this to happen - planes will have to be flown remotely and the captain on board is there to monitor things and deal with emergencies, if they crop up. Routine flying can be done by pilots on the ground, UAV style.

No way - Malaysian govt. always want to retain control of MH. So IAG is out of the question!

RIP... Now Tony Fernandes will hate aerobridges more.

From CAPA: http://www.centreforaviation.com/news/2010/09/06/chew-goes-goh-to-take-over-as-singapore-airlines-confronts-a-brave-new-world/page1 Singapore Airlines’ CEO, Chew Choon Seng is to step down from his role at the end of 2010. His successor, as widely expected, is to be Goh Choon Phong, currently EVP for Marketing and Regions. Mr Goh will join the SIA board on 01-Oct-2010 and assume the CEO role on 01-Jan-2011. The succession is orderly and has been planned meticulously. Mr Chew’s performance report: maintained level of excellence, while continuing profitability Chew Choon Seng’s tenure has hardly been a cakewalk. He took over the airline’s leadership in 2003, just as SARS was threatening to ground the entire Asian industry, then more recently navigated the global financial meltdown, followed by a more literal melting of the earth’s core, as the Eyjafjallajokull volcano closed European skies. A highly skilled technician, already with experience across most areas of the airline, he has consistently led from the front, barely putting a foot wrong. He had a lot to prove; firstly, in Singapore’s close commercial community, Mr Chew was not part of the Establishment and secondly – a chalice that any leader of Singapore Airlines must bear – he inherited perhaps the one airline in the world that is still regarded as the benchmark of industry excellence. From that starting point, generating renewed excellence is a challenge. So, the fact that Singapore Airlines still carries that mantle today, seven years into Mr Chew’s stewardship, bears its own testimony. Is a reduced footprint the price of future profits? But, as the baton passes, once again to a man who has been groomed as a future leader for several years and who has gained experience in the field as well as in many parts of the airline, there are some new issues to be confronted. For, despite its still-revered stature, Singapore Airlines has become a shrinking force, the price of regained profitability. SIA flew almost 12% fewer seat kilometres in Jul-2010 than it did in Jul-2008 (even though this involved a 0.3% year-on-year increase). Over the same two-year period, Cathay Pacific contracted its capacity by just 2%, whereas Emirates has expanded by close to 30%. For Singapore Airlines, the capacity restraint has been about rebuilding load factors and yields. It has been remarkably successful at both, as load factors leapt and a consequent recovery in yields (albeit still below pre-crisis levels) helped the airline avoid a full-year loss in the year to Mar-2010. As with pre-eminence in any sphere, hanging onto the lead will generally require compromises; and it may be that SIA is now embarking on a different course. Just as excellence has to be a given, profitability is still vital for an airline that has become so closely connected with Singapore’s global image. And a changed status for SIA in Singapore This dual task became a little harder while Mr Chew occupied the top spot. A major strategic shift occurred a couple of years ago, on instructions from the still-powerful Minister Mentor and father of modern Singapore, Lee Kuan Yew: the roles of SIA and Singapore Airport quietly reversed. The importance to Singapore’s economy of its airport – also a global brand leader – formally became the government’s leading aviation policy priority. SIA, while still the global beacon, was no longer to be the focal economic point. This reflected both Changi Airport’s wider value, direct and indirect, to Singapore’s economy and the rapid climb of new world order competitors such as Dubai and the Gulf area, as Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways chase the future. SIA was hardly being cut adrift by its parent government, but the airline has been put on notice that its favoured son stature has been passed to a more pressing priority, of retaining Singapore’s hub role, even while new aircraft types and a more liberal aviation regulatory environment changes the ground rules. China in focus, as the region’s new driver Yet the rising fortunes of Dubai and the Gulf are not the only direction that SIA has to contest. The only major achievement that Mr Chew could not claim under his leadership was to entrench SIA in China. This has become more than an aspiration for Singapore. As China quickly dons the mantle of regional aviation leader, it offers both opportunity and threat. The opportunities are clear – and longstanding rival Cathay Pacific has been a prime beneficiary. China’s domestic market continues to boom. But at the same time, its flag carriers remain unable to capture the high international standards of the region’s airline leaders. This shortcoming won’t persist for ever, but so long as it remains, a lot of collateral traffic is there to be captured. On the other side of that equation, any airline that can entrench itself as a partner, as Cathay has done with Air China, should be riding a powerful tiger. Singapore sees itself as a natural partner for China in many spheres and the airline industry is a highly conspicuous and potentially profitable area of investment. SIA tried and fell short in creating a minority partnership in China Eastern Airlines, as entrenched forces in Beijing resisted. As it turns out, the proposed investment in the Shanghai based airline could well have proven very costly in many ways. But today, China Eastern’s fortunes may be improving. And Goh Choon Phong will be judged on success there – or not For Mr Goh, as incoming CEO, success in that arena will be the measure by which Singaporean history judges him. He will be expected to retain the flag carrier’s global superiority and continued prosperity, even despite a rapidly shifting industry foundation. That alone is a big enough task. Meanwhile, restoring SIA’s larger footprint may become a secondary target, even if it remains a goal. But if he can secure a partnership, on reasonable terms, with a major player in China, he will also have anchored his place in Singapore’s aviation history. If he doesn’t, Singapore Airlines may be forced to accept the long term role of a high quality niche player. Not a bad place to be at all. But not where Mr Lee would like it to be, however well Changi progresses.

Nice night coverage guys! Thanks for sharing. However, do keep safe as there may be nocturnal creatures on the prowl. I believe snakes and other creepy crawlies come out to play at night!

SINGAPORE Airlines has named Mr Goh Choon Phong as its new chief executive officer when current chief Chew Choon Seng retires end of the year. Mr Goh, 47, joined the airline in 1990 and is currently the executive vice-president for marketing and the regions, and also chairman of SilkAir. Before that, he was president of SIA Cargo from 2006 to 2010. 'The time is appropriate for renewal of the leadership in SIA. The business has regained ground lost during the recession of 2008-9, the company is profitable and on an even keel, and I have had the privilege of leading this wonderful organisation for over seven years. It is timely for me to hand over to the next generation and move on,' said Mr Chew of his successor. 'Goh Choon Phong is a worthy successor. During his twenty years with SIA, he has worked in various divisions, ranging from Marketing to IT to Finance and Cargo, and demonstrated his versatility and leadership.' Mr Goh will formally take up the CEO position on Jan 1 and will join the SIA's board on Oct 1. A graduate from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a Master's degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science as well as three Bachelor degrees, in Computer Science and Engineering, Management Science and Cognitive Science, he has served in senior management positions in Singapore as well as overseas. SIA board on Friday also paid a special tribute to Mr Chew, who became CEO in June 2003 and would have served the SIA Group for 39 years when he retires on Dec 31. SIA chairman Stephen Lee said Mr Chew has successfully steered the SIA Group through some of its most challenging times, including the SARS outbreak of 2003, and more recently the global economic downturn. 'Under Choon Seng's leadership, the SIA Group not only maintained its unbroken record of full-year profitability, it set new profitability records while remaining innovative, including through the successful introduction of the world's largest aircraft, the Airbus A380, in 2007. 'With his numerous contributions over many years, SIA has consistently been the industry's most awarded airline and one of the world's most admired companies, with its unwavering focus on offering the highest-quality products and services.' said Mr Lee. Source: http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_574463.html

NTSB dispatches team to investigate UPS crash in Dubai Members of the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have been dispatched to Dubai to investigate the crash of a Boeing 747-400 operated by cargo carrier UPS. Two crew members were on board, and local media reports indicate their bodies have been recovered, quoting a statement from the UAE's civil aviation authority. The aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff en route to Cologne, Germany, and UPS has not confirmed reports of a cockpit fire. Flightglobal's ACAS database shows that the aircraft, 571UP, was built in 2007. NTSB's team includes safety investigator Bill English and specialists in fire, operations and human performance. The team also includes members from GE, Boeing, UPS and the Independent Pilots Association. Preliminary reports are indicating the aircraft crashed near a main road in Dubai. Source: http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2010/09/03/346998/ntsb-dispatches-team-to-investigate-ups-crash-in-dubai.html

Boeing disperses 787 test fleet Boeing's 787 test fleet has fanned out from its home base in Seattle, Washington as the type pushes through certification toward its revised mid-first quarter 2011 first delivery to All Nippon Airways. ZA001 recently completed runway takeoff and landing performance stability and control (S&C) evaluations at Edwards Air Force Base in southern California, as well as wet runway trials at Roswell, New Mexico. ZA001 transitioned to southern California on 16 August and recently returned to Roswell on 2 September ahead of planned rejected take off testing. Testing at Edwards Air Force Base included velocity minimum unstick (Vmu) testing that saw the aircraft's tail scrape along the runway on takeoff roll to determine the minimum flying speed of the 787 at different configurations. ZA002 is currently participating in the programme's first international remote testing in Keflavik, Iceland, where the aircraft is taking advantage of the airport's perpendicular runways, all equipped with instrument landing systems and historically high winds for crosswind handling characteristics. The aircraft arrived in Iceland on 1 September and flew its first round of S&C autoflight evaluations on 3 September with crosswind speeds of 28kts to 32kts. "We've been watching for the right weather conditions for some time," says Scott Fancher, 787 programme vice president and general manager. "The team was happy to see the forecast in Iceland met our needs and we deployed to Keflavik earlier this week." Boeing expects to certify the 787 for takeoffs and landings of up to 25kts of crosswind. ZA003 has been undergoing hot weather trials since arriving in Yuma, Arizona on 28 August, with testing in conditions in excess 38C (100F). Boeing says the aircraft is expected to remain on remote testing for roughly seven more days. ZA004 has spent nearly its entire time in the flight test programme based out of Southern California Logistics Airport in Victorville, California. Since 7 July, the aircraft has been undergoing flight loads survey, comparing loads observed on the aircraft to those modelled during the aircraft's design while measuring "external pressure distributions throughout the flight envelope", says Boeing. ZA004 is now expected to transition to Glasgow, Montana, says Boeing, for an unspecified next round of testing. Wokal Field in Glasgow traditionally has been the airframer's preferred site to host community noise evaluations to map the acoustic profile of its new aircraft. ZA005, the first of two GEnx-1B powered 787s, has remained at Boeing Field for simulated ice shapes handling and stall characteristics mimicking worse-case-scenario ice build up on the leading edges of the aircraft's wings, horizontal and vertical stabilisers. ZA006, Boeing's sixth 787 test aircraft has yet to fly, though was fuelled for the first time on 3 September at the company's Everett, Washington factory in preparation for first auxiliary power unit and engine runs prior to its first flight, which is expected late this month. Boeing plans to add two more 787s to the flight test campaign, Airplanes Eight and Nine, both in the ANA production configurations. Airplane Eight will be used for ground testing, while Airplane Nine will take part in extended twin-engine operation testing and systems functionality and reliability evaluations. Five 787 test aircraft have completed more than 1,650h of flight testing covering more than 540 flights. Boeing expects it will accumulate 3,100h of flight testing spread across its General Electric GEnx-1B and Rolls-Royce Trent 1000-powered 787s. Source: http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2010/09/03/346997/boeing-disperses-787-test-fleet.html

There are 6 in service now. Next leased B738 will come later this month:

I think this fare does not include 20 kg baggage allowance. It is also via Singapore - so there is going to be a lot of idle time hanging around in Changi.

Australian authorities probe Qantas engine failure in San Francisco Australian authorities have arrived in San Francisco to investigate an incident involving a Qantas Airways Boeing 747-400 that experienced an uncontained engine failure during flight. Two investigators from the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) will remain in San Francisco over the next few days to examine the engine and components and work with Qantas to determine the cause of the failure, says the ATSB. In the 30 August incident, engine number four of the Rolls-Royce RB211 powered 747 failed shortly after take-off from San Francisco airport for Sydney. The failure was mechanical in nature and uncontained, and ejected material punctured a hole in the outboard engine and damaged the aircraft's leading edge flaps, says the ATSB. The aircraft, registration VH-OJP, returned to San Francisco after the flight crew dumped fuel. No one was injured in the incident. Australian authorities have classified the incident as serious. Following investigations in San Francisco, the damaged engine will be sent to maintenance facilities in Hong Kong where it will be further examined by technical investigators from the ATSB, says the bureau. Source: http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2010/09/03/346957/australian-authorities-probe-qantas-engine-failure-in-san.html

OT: Hehehe, like that B777 BA pilot who took off from the wrong intersection! See: http://www.aaib.gov.uk/publications/formal_reports/4_2010_g_viir.cfm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W81IWIK4SdE&feature=player_embedded The Airbus A380 made its scheduled service debut at a "regional" airport yesterday, when Emirates began operating to Manchester from its Dubai hub. More than 10,000 spectators travelled to the airport to witness the aircraft's arrival. The airport will be served daily by the 517-seater. The A380's first return service to Dubai on 1 September broke Manchester's record for the largest number of passengers ever to depart on a scheduled flight. "We've invested around £10 million to upgrade the airport's infrastructure to accommodate the flagship of the Emirates fleet," says Manchester airport managing director Andrew Cornish. Source: http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2010/09/02/346883/video.html

Bandung airport runway length at 2,244m, is for some reason (maybe it is at 740+m altitude), not capable of taking bigger jets like the A320 with full load - that is why QZ still had to retain the old B733s whereas FD has gotten rid of all of them. MH operates the B734 into BDO.

I think they want to join from a position of strength as they want to dictate terms of joining. This kind of thinking is flawed and was responsible for Proton's failure to have an alliance with Volkswagen. It seems that Malaysian GLCs keep thinking that they are God's gift to their partners. If they had approached it from the point of win-win alliance, I am sure that they would have joined one long ago.

Disclaimer: This is my personal speculation only and you may take it as a hypothetical situation at AirAsia. Lately I detect that AirAsia is run on a flight by flight basis. It would seem to me that all their flights must be profitable before they are allowed to take off. As such many pax are experiencing cancellations and are put on alternative flights that are not really convenient. This is also happening on AirAsia X and it is upsetting their most loyal customers in Australia. The signs are there too - AK postponing A320 deliveries (twice for aircraft scheduled to arrive in 2010) is another sign that their finances are not all that great. It also indicates that they don't have enough pax to fill their aircraft profitably. AirAsia X now has a spanking new A333 stored at Airbus, waiting for financing to be completed. They are not too bothered with the delay. Could it be that they can't utilise the new aircraft due to lack of bookings? In his tweets, Tony Fernandes has often mentioned pushing up ancillary income. He also wants to charge for calls to the call centre - often forgetting that people already have to pay Telescum call charges for holding on for hours. The above points would indicate that AirAsia is desperate to increase its income. So charging for counter check in should not surprise anyone. As the saying goes, the customer is always right. If you don't like what AirAsia is doing, then your best sanction is not to fly with them. When business is down, they should know that customers are not happy.

Delivery delays also cause loss of profits - what good is a new fuel efficient plane design if you can't have it in commercial service? More airlines are changing their B787 plans... Kenya Airways threatens to ditch 787 for Airbus Kenya Airways' irritation over delays to the Boeing 787 programme has evolved into a threat to cancel the aircraft it has on order. The flag carrier had already said, during its review of the last financial year, which ended in March, that the hold-up to the 787 was a "major challenge" for the airline. Kenya Airways ordered six 787-8s in March 2006 and, nine months later, followed this with an order for another three. The first of the aircraft had originally been scheduled to arrive this year. At the time that Kenya placed its initial order, the Dreamliner was due to enter service with launch customer All Nippon Airways in mid-2008, but this has slipped by almost three years. Following the latest delay announced in August it is not now due until early 2011. The result is that most 787 customers have suffered delays of at least two years to their first delivery. Kenya Airways says it is considering cancelling its 787 order and is "looking into negotiations with Airbus". In its end-of-year review Kenya Airways had already disclosed that it was considering the Airbus A330 as a back-up option, alongside the extension of its Boeing 767 leases or the acquisition of newer 767s. The airline says its threat to drop the 787 is "serious" and that the carrier intends to make a decision by the end of the year. Boeing has suffered a series of 787 order cancellations over the past 18 months, although no customer is believed to have specifically blamed their move on the programme delays. Air China has converted its order for 15 787-8s to the 787-9 stretch variant, and expects to take delivery of the new aircraft from the end of 2015. The 787-9 will be a better fit for the airline in terms of seat capacity, performance and economy, says China's flag carrier. Air China placed its 787 order in 2005 and had originally expected deliveries to start in mid-2008. Source: http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2010/09/01/346868/kenya-airways-threatens-to-ditch-787-for-airbus.html

I think it would be real interesting to see how Firefly develops in the next 2 or 3 years. Logically, FY should be assisting MH fight off the competition. However, its business model should be clearcut (e.g. like how AirAsia and AirAsia X carves out their routes) so that they do not overlap. Defining the business models clearly will ensure that FY does not actually compete against MH!

Pictures have emerged of the damaged Rolls-Royce RB211 engine on a Qantas Airlines Boeing 747-400 that experienced an uncontained engine failure on departure from the San Francisco International airport en route to Sydney late Monday night. According to news reports, flight tracking and air traffic control communications from FlightAware.com and LiveATC,net, the aircraft was climbing through 25,000ft (7,620m) approximately 20 minutes after departure when it experienced the problem. Passengers described a loud bang followed by vibrations and sparks. The pilots did not initially declare an emergency and would not provide details of the engine problem when queried by air traffic control, according to air traffic control conversations. After dumping fuel over the Pacific ocean and descending for an approach back at San Francisco, the pilots did declare an emergency however. One of the pilots onboard Flight 74, with 212 passengers and 18 crew onboard, later told ground controllers that there had been severe damage to the number 4 engine, and that a large amount of sparking continued even after the engine had been shut down. None of the passengers or crew were injured. More here: http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2010/08/31/346831/pictures-qantas-747-uncontained-engine-failure.html And here: http://news.ninemsn.com.au/world/7954137/qantas-engine-explodes-mid-air Liveatc.net audio: http://archive-server.liveatc.net/ksfo/ZOA-SFO-Aug-31-2010-0630Z.mp3

Some news from MH CEO: Malaysian Airline System Bhd, the national carrier, is open to joining a global airline alliance and believes closer cooperation with SkyTeam members would be “beneficial,” Chief Executive Officer Tengku Azmil Zahruddin said in an email to Bloomberg today. Members of the Skyteam aviation alliance include Delta Air Lines Inc. and Air France-KLM. “We are able to offer SkyTeam a major hub in Asia,” Tengku Azmil said. -- Bloomberg

That is why people must no longer look at how much the fares are. They should look at the bottom line to compare costs. The general "rule" is: If you are not able to plan your trip at least 6 months in advance, then it is better to use a full service legacy airline as their total cost is not that much more than what AirAsia charges. Legacy airlines may even be cheaper sometimes, if you manage to catch their promo or sale fares...

I think they are pushing for their ancillary income to increase - so they are trying to find new sources of income. Yes, I think soon web check in will also become chargeable, if a lot of users opt not to pay for counter check in. AK flight cancellations and consolidation is also on the rise. This is how they can boost their load factors and they are rather aggressive on this so that they don't have to fly half empty aircraft. So it looks like they don't mind being like Ryanair so long as they can attract and grow their customer base.

If you study the satellite image so kindly provided by Azizul above, you will see that the KLIA 2 is situated in between one of the old runways (14R/32L) and the proposed new runway. This would be ideal for minimum taxi distance to and from the runway - vital for low cost operations as they don't want to burn too much fuel going to and from the runways. The new third runway will be the same length (4,000m) as the existing ones. KLIA2 is optimised for low cost carrier operations, not just AirAsia alone. However, it has received a lot of input from AirAsia because of their hard earned experience in low cost operations. In fact, AirAsia is helping MAHB to make KLIA2 more attractive to other low cost carriers as the terminal is optimised for low cost of operations, thus enabling MAHB to lower its fees for airlines operating out of KLIA2.

I think his scepticism is justified, as MAHB have already said that the third runway will be delayed. That is also why they are again extending the current LCCT to handle more pax. In their quarterly report, they also mentioned that they will make more use of KCH, BKI, PEN and LGK soon. So maybe they will send more planes to those airports.

Interesting comment in A.Net re CX's intention to buy used SQ aircraft: And someone actually replied: So there is more than one way for an airline to make money. It does not always need to have the latest and most up to date fuel efficient airplane...