flee

Many here in MW criticised MH for not ordering brand new designs like the B787 and A350. After experiencing severe delays with the A380, I think MH could not risk having another aircraft experiencing delivery delays. So their decision to order proven existing designs is prudent under the circumstances. New aircraft designs and technologies take time to mature. Responsible companies like Airbus and Boeing will not deliver products that are not fully tested or developed. Here is the FlightGlobal report: Boeing cautions 787 first delivery could slip to 2011 With its debut at the 2010 Farnborough air show days away, Boeing has issued a "cautionary note" that the first 787 delivery could slip into early 2011, citing slower than anticipated instrumentation configuration changes and inspections of the horizontal stabiliser. Boeing vice president and general manager Scott Fancher says some of the recent issues have "stacked up" and "could see [first delivery] move a few weeks into the new year". Fancher says the schedule has not officially slipped beyond the fourth quarter timeframe to early to 2011, but adds the airframer will provide more information "as we get closer to the conclusion of flight test". "None of the issues have to do with airplane performance," says Fancher, who emphasises the aircraft continue to perform as expected, adding the fleet of five flying 787 test aircraft has accumulated more than 1,100h of flight testing over 365 flights. Boeing aims to complete 2,400h of flight testing on its four Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 powered test aircraft. Fancher declined to say which instrumentation configuration changes had slowed the flight test programme that began in December 2009, though preparation for flight test aircraft ZA004's flight loads survey and returning ZA001, which last flew on 12 June, to flight testing, are believed to have taken significantly longer than first planned. "We'll do one block of testing with one [instrumentation] configuration, then change," says Fancher who adds the changes have "taken a bit longer than first planned". Additionally, Fancher says that inspections of the horizontal stabilisers of the test fleet are now complete, but that process has "led to a little bit of schedule pressure". Following the revelation of the workmanship issue on 24 June that prompted the inspections, Boeing insisted the "issue will be addressed within the existing programme schedule," though that expectation appears to have shifted. As a result, first flight of the sixth flight test aircraft, ZA006, the second General Electric GEnx-1B powered 787, has slid to August, says Fancher. Boeing confirms ZA003, which will represent the company at the Farnborough air show, and ZA001, have both required re-work of their horizontal stabilisers. In April a source at launch customer ANA indicated the carrier anticipated a slide in the schedule that could result in an early 2011 delivery. Source: http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2010/07/15/344496/boeing-cautions-787-first-delivery-could-slip-to-2011.html

Spotted this pix of PK-AXL at STN on A.Net - comment was "Seen on delivery routing TLS-STN-DXB-SIN-CGK". I wonder why are there so many stops. I would have thought two stops would be enought, right? http://www.airliners.net/photo/AirAsia/Airbus-A320-216/1741889/M/

With so few slots available, they should be using an A333 (or even a B744) for the service. It should do the KUL-BKI-HND-BKI-KUL

Qantas Airways has reached a deal with Boeing to bring forward delivery of eight Boeing 787-8s, so its low-cost carrier Jetstar can start operating the aircraft in mid-2012. The Oneworld carrier has 50 787s on order and the first was due to be delivered in 2014, but Qantas now says the first will be delivered in mid-2012. Altogether eight 787-8s on order have been brought forward by about two years, it says. These will be assigned to Jetstar which plans to use the aircraft for international flights to Asia and southern Europe and to replace its Airbus A330s. Qantas says the remaining seven 787-8s and 35 787-9s on order will be delivered from 2014. Jetstar will have 25 787s altogether and the other 25 787s will be for Qantas mainline. Qantas plans to use the 787s and A330s for domestic flights and international services to Asia. These aircraft will replace its Boeing 767s, adds Qantas. Source: http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2010/07/14/344383/qantas-gets-earlier-delivery-slots-for-eight-787s.html

We should also not forget that when Firefly first started, their hub was in Penang. Since then their business model has evolved as the management found its feet. It has also found that the real "action" is coming from the Klang Valley.

No one can beat us when it comes to the worst airport taxi facilities...

I would have thought that they would do it at Farnborough to milk maximum publicity. Still it is good to see MH finalising the procurement of new aircraft for their fleet renewal.

Very doubtful because Firefly already serves these two airports.

It would be interesting to see how this is implemented. I also wonder if transit pax connecting to another flight at LCCT would also be accorded transit facilities at LCCT.

That was not a commercial service - it was a special flight to seal the sponsorship deal. D7 has just taken delivery of 9M-XXF, and I wonder where they will deploy this aircraft. Looks like it will be to India/Iran first and then Japan/Korea?

I think that the main reason why "Promo" tix do not permit pax name change is due to fraud going on in the past. Many people book tons of zero fare tickets and re-sold them. Even with the name change fee, it is still cheaper than non-zero fare tickets. So they put a stop to this and only regular tix allow name change these days.

By David Kaminski-Morrow Russian prime minister Vladimir Putin has put pressure on flag-carrier Aeroflot to acquire domestically-built aircraft during the renewal of its expanding fleet. During a meeting Putin told Aeroflot chief Vitaly Savelyev that it was unacceptable for the flag-carrier, with its aim to dominate the Russian market, not to support its own country's aircraft industry. Aeroflot is taking over management control of six other Russian airlines, including Rossiya and Vladivostok Avia, and is turning its attention to modernising their aircraft. Putin has questioned Aeroflot chief Vitaly Savelyev over the process. A transcript of their meeting, released by the prime minister's office, shows that Savelyev told the prime minister that the fleets of the six carriers were "severely outdated" and needed renovation and "unification". Just six aircraft in Aeroflot's mainline fleet, all Ilyushin Il-96s, were Russian-built, he said, although he added that the jets - which had just undergone heavy maintenance over the winter - were "profitable". Savelyev stated that the rest of Aeroflot's fleet - comprising 11 Boeing 767s, 10 Airbus A330s and another 64 A320-family aircraft - were imported, added that the airline was also acquiring 22 Boeing 787s and 22 Airbus A350s. He told Putin that Aeroflot's strategy was to take first place in the Russian market and "occupy a dominant position at home". But Putin wanted to understand the extent to which Aeroflot would purchase Russian-built aircraft, countering: "You want todominate the domestic market, but do not want to buy domestic equipment. That will not do." Savelyev pointed out that Aeroflot was a customer for 30 Sukhoi Superjets, and had signed a lease agreement covering 10 of these. He added that Aeroflot was working with Rostekhnologii and, under a memorandum between the two companies, was formulating a marketing strategy to determine how many aircraft were needed to modernise the carriers being consolidated. Putin mentioned the United Aircraft MS-21 project, as an example of upcoming Russian-built aircraft, and told Savelyev: "The modernisation of the fleet should still focus primarily on domestic equipment." Savelyev said that Rossiya would be acquiring Boeing 737-800s through industrial firm Rostekhnologii but had already started introducing Antonov An-148s manufactured in Russia. Decisions still had to be made, he added, on fleet renewal for the other carriers, including Vladivostok Avia and Sakhalin's SAT. "We believe, of course, that we will use domestic equipment," said Savelyev, adding that Russian-built types did not require payment of import taxes and were less expensive to acquire. Source: http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2010/07/10/344283/putin-pressures-aeroflot-to-take-russian-built-aircraft.html

I think this is a sad development - looks like they are trying to intimidate you. I think that as long as you let them know that you know that you are just photographing beautiful planes and show them your pictures you should be OK. You should not be confrontational. It looks like Friday is a better day to go to OH and it is best to avoid it on weekends. Maybe spotters should not go alone - the ones who have radio receivers should be off site and they can relay info to the spotter via SMS or phone call... Yes, since this kind of experience can be expected on a Saturday, it will make it hard for MW's 6th anniversary celebrations to be held in KUL.

Third A400M takes to the air By Craig Hoyle Airbus Military has enjoyed two notable firsts in its A400M programme, with the debut flight of development aircraft MSN003 having been achieved while its first two aircraft were also airborne. Flown from the company's San Pablo final assembly site near Seville, Spain, MSN003 took off at 13:57 local time with a crew of five, including experimental test pilots Tony Flynn and Francois Barre. "The addition of MSN3 to the fleet is great news, and will let us push ahead even more rapidly with the flying programme," says Airbus head of flight operations Fernando Alonso. As of 9 July, the A400M test fleet had logged 100 test flights and a combined 400 flight hours, the EADS company says. This represents continued steady progress since last month's Berlin air show, where MSN001 made its show debut after around 250h had been amassed by the fleet. Airbus Military will have five test aircraft available by mid-2011, with these required to fly a combined total of 3,700h during development testing of the A400M. The transport is expected to enter service around late 2012, following a delivery delay of around three years. Carrying a medium instrumentation load, MSN003 will be dedicated to tasks including proving the A400M's autopilot and navigation systems. The aircraft will be assigned to test duties conducted from Airbus's Toulouse site in France. MSN001 will arrive in the UK on 16 July ahead of its weekend participation in the Royal International Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire. The aircraft will then take part in the daily flying display at the Farnborough air show from 19-22 July. Source: http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2010/07/09/344266/picture-third-a400m-takes-to-the-air.html

Ex-Hong Kong Airlines B738 is now with MH registered as 9M-MLE.

I think that they may be upgrading to a more versatile version. It is no secret that there is a demand from AirAsia Group pax for multiple destination bookings, e.g. OOL-KUL-BKK-HKG-KUL-OOL. With the booking engine updated, they may also accommodate AirAsia X's requirement for one-stop long haul flights, e.g. KUL-MEL-CHC

Iran Air's EU ban centres on MRO and airworthiness By David Kaminski-Morrow Serious flaws in Iran Air's fleet maintenance and airworthiness programmes led to the decision to ban most of the flag-carrier's aircraft from European Union operations. Iran's Civil Aviation Organisation has demonstrated "several weaknesses" in its oversight of Iran Air, including a lack of detailed review of maintenance programmes and minimum equipment lists. These failings have led to "failure to detect errors" made by the airline, states the European Commission in an assessment detailing its rationale for blacklisting the carrier. Iran Air is suffering "significant deficiencies" in the management of airworthiness and maintenance, it says. "In particular basic errors had been made in the maintenance programmes leading to significant omissions from the programmes for safety-related equipment on the Airbus A320 fleet and the Boeing 747-200 freighter," it adds. Ramp check results from Iran Air's A320s are "noticeably worse" than those for other aircraft in the airline's fleet. Assessment of the airline's operations has shown that the A320 fleet maintenance system "failed to ensure that deferred items had been rectified in the specified timescales". No flight-data monitoring has been carried out on the A320 fleet while the rate of data-gathering on other aircraft has been "very low", the Commission adds: "Moreoverthe company is failing to address the basics in terms of the continued airworthiness of its aircraft." Iran Air's A320s, along with its Boeing 747s and 727s, have been included in the most recent revision of the European Union blacklist. The Commission acknowledges that, during an assessment visit in May-June, the Civil Aviation Organisation was able to demonstrate an oversight system which "complies with the intent" of ICAO regulations, and that the CAO had a "strong commitment" to adopting modern safety management techniques. It adds that the CAO has corrected previously-identified weaknesses in audit follow-up procedures, through a system which enables urgent safety issues to be addressed quickly, and says the CAO has shown an "open, co-operative and constructive approach" to addressing shortfalls. Source: http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2010/07/07/344160/iran-airs-eu-ban-centres-on-mro-and-airworthiness.html

By Kerry Reals European safety authorities have expanded the operating restrictions imposed on Iran Air to include a ban on allowing the carrier's Airbus A320s, Boeing 727s and 747s to operate within the European Union. In a revision of its airline 'blacklist' published in March, the European Commission placed restrictions on Iran Air after ramp checks uncovered evidence of "insufficient oversight". However, at the time it said the airline could continue to operate 18 Airbus A300/310s, nine Boeing 747s, six Airbus A320s and a single Boeing 737 into Europe. But in a further revision released today, the Commission says that - following a recent visit to Iran - its air safety committee "unanimously supported the expansion of the operating restrictions" to exclude Iran Air's fleet of A320s, 727s and 747s. The Commission adds that it will "continue to closely monitor the performance of the airline through the results of ramp checks of its aircraft which can operate in the EU". Surinam's regional carrier Blue Wing has been put back on the blacklist, following an Antonov An-28 accident in May. Blue Wing had been on the original list of banned carriers but had its ban lifted in November 2007. The latest ban is in response to "a series of accidents suffered by this airline and serious deficiencies revealed during ramp inspections of its aircraft", says the Commission. Two Indonesian carriers, Metro Batavia and Indonesia Air Asia, have been removed from the latest blacklist. Source: http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2010/07/06/344095/latest-eu-blacklist-bans-iran-air-a320s-and-747s.html

It is interesting to note that the original airframes allocated to MH are "not built". MSN 018 (test reggo F-WWSO) MSN 024 (test reggo F-WWSU) MSN 032 By deduction, had these been built, MH would have received them. I wonder why the MH (and FedEx F version) airframes are the only ones listed as "not built" amongst the early allocated airliner airframes. Source: http://www.planespotters.net/Production_List/Airbus/A380/index.php

Info from MAHB website. Re KCH: Re BKI:

I think that legacy carriers do not reward those who book well in advance. LCC's can only claim significant advantage if you book more than 6 months ahead and during their promotions and sales. So how do LCCs make their money? Firstly airlines like D7 have more seats on their planes. Like legacy carriers, they are also carrying cargo. They also price their tickets according to the competitive situation on each particular route. The important thing for them is to sell as many seats as possible. Once they get the seats sold, their next thing is ancillary income. Selling premiums, in flight entertainment, meals, checked in luggage, insurance, bus transfer tickets, etc. Even their inflight magazine is some sort of income generator for them. As to whether this long haul low cost model is sustainable, only time will tell. Some think that if there is another fuel hike, it would kill long haul LCCs. Somehow, I don't think so. Fuel hikes affect all airlines. The fact that LCCs pack more seats will mean that their costs per seat mile will still remain lower than that of legacy carriers. If fuel prices go up but the world economy is stil OK, I suspect that leisure travel might not collapse. I think that for long haul LCCs to survive, it is vital that they remain a viable option for travellers. Flight cancellations and delays are more important than comfort for these types of pax. So it is important that LCCs try to maintain their schedules as top priority. D7's connectivity with AK, FD and QZ is also important. These sister airlines feed pax to D7 and vice versa. I suspect that is why D7 was able to make a profit (its first) in 2009 despite the recession.

We can have more than one event to celebrate the anniversary - we can have a dinner and invite one or two MW members to share some of the pix in a slide show presentation etc. We can also run other activities in Malaysia. Its just that for spotting, locations outside Malaysia may be more fruitful. MAHB is expanding its activities overseas (e.g. MAHB has a hand in the new terminal of New Delhi airport) - so why shouldn't Malaysian Wings do the same?

Very nice pix! Are there any seats for couriers or accompanying officials? I note that when FedEx delivered the pandas to China, they had some seats for those accompanying the VIP cargo.

Qantas Airways Ltd. and AirAsia Bhd. are challenging Singapore Airlines Ltd. and other full-service carriers with a low-fare, long-haul business model that has previously failed. Qantas’s Jetstar unit will add budget long-haul flights from Singapore later this year. The carrier cuts costs by renting movies to passengers and using lightweight equipment to pare fuel usage. AirAsia X, which flew more than 1 million passengers in 2009, squeezes 35 percent more seats onto its planes than full-service carriers to pare expenses. The two carriers also have support from existing airlines, with AirAsia X able to access flights to about 70 cities from its Kuala Lumpur hub through cooperation with AirAsia Bhd., Asia’s largest budget carrier. These ties may help the long-haul carriers avoid the fate of standalones Oasis Hong Kong Airlines Ltd. and London-based Zoom Airlines, which both folded in 2008. “Long haul, low cost is transforming the whole aviation landscape in Asia,” said K. Ajith, an analyst at UOB-Kay Hian Research in Singapore. “Budget carriers may be a force to reckon with in the future because if they have a strong network and are viable, they can potentially lure passengers from established carriers.” London, Australia Long-haul discount airlines differ from Southwest Airlines Co. and Ryanair Holdings Plc because they offer flights of more than five hours and have premium-class seats. AirAsia X, part- owned by AirAsia Bhd., flies twin-aisle Airbus SAS planes to London and Australia, and it’s planning services to Japan and South Korea. Jetstar intends to begin Singapore-Melbourne flights in December followed by services to Auckland in March. It’s also planning flights to European and Asian destinations. “There seems to be a market for long-haul discount travel if prices are low enough,” said Sean Fenton, who helps manage $740 million at Tribeca Investment Partners in Sydney. “It’s a threat to the incumbent carriers.” AirAsia X charges from about 1,286 ringgit ($400) for a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Stansted Airport, 40 miles outside of central London. An economy ticket on Malaysian Airline System Bhd., the nation’s largest carrier, to Heathrow Airport costs from about 2,104 ringgit. Singapore Airlines charges from about S$1,486 ($1,067) for a Singapore-Heathrow coach-class ticket. Singapore Airlines serves “different market segments with different service propositions,” Nicholas Ionides, a spokesman, said in an e-mail reply to Bloomberg questions. Malaysian Air doesn’t intend to compete directly with the lowest fares rivals are offering to safeguard margins, Chief Executive Officer Tengku Azmil Zahruddin said in an e-mail. The airline is targeting customers who don’t make decisions based on price alone, he said. ‘Real Killer’ AirAsia X, which last year had its first annual profit since starting flights in 2007, has gained from AirAsia Bhd.’s feeder traffic, said Chief Executive Officer Azran Osman Rani. Oasis Hong Kong, which flew to London and Vancouver, and transatlantic carrier Zoom, didn’t have similar partners. Relying on a point-to-point market “will be a real killer because there won’t be enough people flying every day,” Azran said. “That’s why the Oasis of the world really struggled.” Jetstar, which operates domestic flights within Australia and services to Japan, has code-shares with Qantas and a partnership with Air France-KLM Group, Europe’s largest carrier. Low-Cost Flying AirAsia X cuts costs by using fewer attendants per flight than full-service carriers because it only loads and serves hot meals that customers have ordered, Azran said. That saves the carrier as much as $100 per passenger, he said. Jetstar also formed a venture with AirAsia Bhd. in January aimed at lowering costs for spare parts and ground-handling services. AirAsia X’s costs were 2.8 cents per available seat kilometer last year, Azran said. Jetstar had costs of 6.8 Australian cents (5.7 cents) in the six months ended December, said Chief Executive Officer Bruce Buchanan. The carrier made twice as much profit as the Qantas mainline business in that period. Costs at Singapore Airlines, including premium and economy cabins, averaged 8.7 Singapore cents (6.2 cents) last year, according to Bloomberg calculations on figures from the carrier. Jetstar plans to boost its fleet to about 100 aircraft by 2015 from 65 as of June. AirAsia X aims to increase its twin- aisle fleet to 20 planes from eight over the same period, as it strives to more than triple sales. Market Share Including short-haul routes, budget carriers may account for 30 percent of Asia-Pacific capacity by 2015 from 20 percent now, said Derek Sadubin, chief operating officer at the Sydney- based Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation. Singapore Airlines may be shielded from budget competition by its reliance on premium passengers, who account for about 40 percent of revenue, said Ng Sem Guan, an analyst at OSK Research Sdn. in Kuala Lumpur. “There’s always demand for luxury things such as Mercedes Benz,” he said. Singapore Airlines is “a different animal” from low-cost carriers, he said. Travelers now flying economy-class with full-service airlines may also be reluctant to give up frills just for a cheaper ticket, said Rohan Suppiah, an analyst at Kim Eng Securities Pte in Singapore. “Do you really want to sit for hours in a budget configuration?” he said. “This model will probably only appeal to customers who are very price-sensitive.” Zoom stopped flying in August 2008 about a year after it began London-New York flights, crippled by competition and rising fuel costs. Oasis Hong Kong, which halted services after 17 months of flying, entered liquidation in June 2008 with about a HK$1 billion ($128 million) of debts. Stephen Miller, who was Oasis’s chief executive officer, said there is “great potential in Asia” for low-cost long-haul because of the high costs at full-service carriers. “But it’s a tough business until you get a name, a certain percentage of the market and a critical mass of aircraft,” he said. Source: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-07-04/qantas-airasia-may-make-budget-long-haul-a-force-on-asia-europe-routes.html

Yes, a very good point indeed. I did wonder about holding it in SIN this year when voting for the 5th anniversary venue. However, the bulis activities at KUL ensured that the decision is made and it was a good choice because we had a fruitful spotting day at SIN. Spotting is like golf - people will go anywhere if the incentive is there (e.g. good traffic or a challenging course). However, getting into trouble with the law is not something most people want to do. So until the bulis in Malaysia realises that there is a hobby called plane spotting, MalaysianWings is probably going to mean that it is a group of people who are interested in Malaysian aviation. If we are to use cost as a criteria, then BKK is probably the more cost effective non-Malaysian spotting location. Hotels are more affordable and there is plentiful budget air travel possibilities from Malaysia too. Finally, the anniversary spotting session that may be a "highlight" event for spotters who normally spot at Malaysian airports - so it should be something special and something that we would not normally do for the rest of the year. It should be something we will remember as special.