flee

AHX was delivered to AK yesterday and is on its ferry flight back to KUL. Is this going to be ETOPs capable as well?

I think it was mentioned at the time MH ordered the A333s. They are returning the leased planes and MKR is one of them. This plane first flew in 1995 and is returned to ILFC who has now found a new customer for it.

The A380 has been saving MH's bacon and they still tell the govt. that it is a liability and need protection on the KUL-SYD route? If so, they should perhaps cancel the order and then it will no longer be a burden!

AirAsia X (D7) does not do zero fare gimmicks. But RM 600+ return to Melbourne is a pretty decent deal!

Superb shots from MWingers covering SZB. I wished I had come out last Saturday too! Those hoses on the undercarriage looks mighty vulnerable. Does anyone know if they are pneumatic or hydraulic?

AirAsia's IT is bad - server always not able to cope with the load. Instead of spending money on newpaper ads, they could have gotten better servers to handle to transaction processing and bought more bandwidth at the data centre. This is AirAsia's first zero fare sale of 2010 and most of the people who book on AirAsia don't read newspapers. Those who do read newspapers don't really know how to work their rather cumbersome booking engine and seldom can get the zero fares! AirAsia should allow registered user to add other pax to their profiles. That way, they do not need to key in details of the other pax, if they are booking many tickets. This will mean that the server completes the bookings faster, thereby reducing congestion. Tips: To avoid convenience fee, just book the barebones flight only and pay via your internet banking account. Later on you can use Manage My Booking to add things like luggage, seat selection and meals. When using Manage My Booking to book the add ons, there is no convenience fee charged. Doing this will avoid the two additional screens for seat selection (on return flight) and enhances the chances of a successful flight booking.

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian Airline System Bhd's (MAS) recorded a net profit of RM310.05mil for the first quarter ended March 31, 2010 versus a net loss of RM698.55mil a year earlier. In a note to Bursa today, it said the rise in profit was due to a derivative gain from fuel hedging contracts rise to RM56.7mil from a derivative loss of RM557mil a year ago. Revenue was higher at RM3.30bil from RM2.72bil previously while earnings per share was 10.64 sen from a loss per share of 34.02 sen. Its operating profit was RM289.5mil, a contrast from an operating loss of RM141.1 million a year ago, due to an increase in other operating income as a result of A380 compensation as well as improvement in passenger and cargo traffic demand. MAS recorded an operating profit of RM289.5mil from an operating loss of RM141.1mil mainly due to the increase in other operating income as a result of A380 compensation as well as improvement in passenger and cargo traffic demand. Source: http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/5/17/business/20100517193634&sec=business Media Release: http://malaysiaairlines.listedcompany.com/misc/PressRelease/Press_Release_1Q2010.pdf Bursa Announcement: http://malaysiaairlines.listedcompany.com/misc/BursaReport/Bursa_Announcement_1Q2010.pdf Presentation: http://malaysiaairlines.listedcompany.com/misc/Presentation/ResultPresentation_1Q2010.pdf

(CNN) -- Two Canadian fighter jets on Saturday escorted a Cathay Pacific Airways flight into Vancouver International Airport in response to a bomb threat on the plane, authorities said. "A security issue raised on the ground in Vancouver meant extra security for the aircraft inbound to the airport and upon arrival," Gus Whitcomb, a spokesman for Cathay Pacific, said in a statement. "We are not aware of any issues arising on board the aircraft itself." The security issue was a bomb threat that had been called in at 10:43 a.m. (1:43 p.m. ET), Cpl. Sherrdean Turley of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police told reporters outside the airport. The plane landed safely at 1:35 p.m. (4:35 p.m. ET), said Alisa Gloag, a spokeswoman for the Vancouver Airport Authority. Passengers were deplaned and the aircraft was towed to another area for further inspection, she said. Turley said law enforcement authorities determined there was no threat aboard the aircraft. An investigation by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police is under way, Turley said. Source: http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/05/15/canada.flight.threat/index.html

Air France: London A380 flight stops jet sitting idle in Paris Air France is to go ahead with deploying its Airbus A380 aircraft on the Paris-London sector, in order to avoid parking the aircraft unused for long periods in France. The carrier's summer schedule shows that its daily AF995 service from Johannesburg arrives in Paris Charles de Gaulle at 06:05, but does not depart again as AF990 until 23:20. This means the 538-seat aircraft would remain idle in Paris for nearly 18 hours, and Air France believes it can capitalise on the downtime by offering a high-capacity link to London. "A very early arrival in Paris and a late departure in the evening leaves the aircraft available during the day to operate the Paris-London-Paris route, in between two long-haul flights," says a spokeswoman for Air France. It states that the flight, designated AF1980/1981 will be available between 12 June and 30 August. The service will depart Paris at 10:05 and arrive back in the French capital at 15:05, slotting between the South African sectors. Air France is selling business-class and economy-class fares on the route, although it has not listed a first-class option. The airline usually uses Airbus A320-family aircraft on the Paris-London route but the carrier also offers a turboprop link with ATR 72s. "The crew of the A380 operating between Paris and London are fully qualified to fly on this type of aircraft and have all flown the A380 between Paris, Johannesburg and New York," the spokeswoman adds. Air France uses the A380 for a daily New York JFK flight. Air France, which has three A380s, is to introduce a fourth in the second half of this year, and deploy it on the Tokyo Narita route. Source: http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2010/05/13/341923/air-france-london-a380-flight-stops-jet-sitting-idle-in.html

Makes one wonder why AirAsia did not make the announcement themselves - they are publicity kings, aren't they? Incidentally, shouldn't this be an AirAsia X route? More here: http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BTIMES/articles/aimarha/Article/

Japan was on D7's radar last year - D7 is a low cost carrier (something new to Japan) and the Japanese authorities are not very co-operative about the requirements of a LCC. So D7 is still negotiating with them in order that the costs are manageable. The stumbling block is that the Japanese authorities are insisting that D7 used existing (high cost) Japanese ground and terminal handling agents at the airports. If the costs are too high, D7 will not be able to offer low cost fares. Unfortunately, AK/D7 are point-to-point carriers and their booking systems are not capable of doing bookings with stopover destinations. However, they are working on it and when it is complete they will probably launch their flights to New Zealand, via Australia. This is probably why KUL-SYD is so important to them - it is the launch point for their NZ services too. What you and a lot of people don't seem to understand is that LCCs need high point to point traffic. In order to offer lower fares, they need their load factors to be at least 70% to be profitable. Legacy carriers do not need such high loads. So it is important for LCCs like D7 to have a whole portfolio of routes that are popular so that the business generates profit. They have to go after the low hanging fruits first before attempting to go for the thinner routes. As Azizul has mentioned many times already, the AirAsia Group airlines have contributed much in terms of passenger traffic growth to KLIA. They feed off each other's route network. It is fantastic to see a new airline group show the way on how to boost traffic to KLIA. It is significant that MAHB has finally woken up and settled their differences with AirAsia Group concerning their requirements. If MAHB/AirAsia Group work together, I don't see why KLIA should not catch up in with BKK/SIN. The Malaysian govt. messed up the automotive industry and lost its lead to Thailand because they wanted to protect the national car companies. They have a chance to redeem themselves in the aviation industry. As such the MoT should grant approval for routes so long as the airlines comply with the technical requirements and regulations. Let the airlines worry about the economics. As I have said before, the govt. should be the facilitator, not manipulator... Yes, maybe D7 should register in SIN. Then they can do KUL-SIN-SYD...

We now have news that JetStar Asia will be more aggressive in their SIN hub when their new A332's arrive this year. Protecting MH will hurt D7 and restrict its ability to effectively compete with the regional airlines. The MoT must not be short sighted - D7 should not be artificially throttled/restricted as the end result will be that the Malaysian economy as a whole loses out. The Minister must allow D7 to fight it out with all the competition in the region. Protecting MH will only mean failure for both MH and D7.

Good point - I think D7 are just prioritising their routes as they do not have the planes to service all the routes. They start building up the core network of routes and then move to the peripheral routes. This is making good use of available resources. If you check their Facebook fan page, you can gauge what sort of demands their customers have. So they have some information on the likely demand for the various destinations.

This report says it is JetStar Asia: http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2010/05/12/341858/jetstar-asia-to-launch-long-haul-flights-in-end-2010-with-first.html

Air France is considering deploying Airbus A380 aircraft on the short route between Paris and London Heathrow. The airline has three of the type, which are serving New York JFK and Johannesburg. But a spokeswoman for the airline says that the carrier is looking at other options to exploit the capacity and, while the plan has not been firmed, it is not ruling out putting the 538-seat jet on the route. While not giving full details of the reasoning behind the potential deployment, which could occur "in the next few weeks", she indicates that pilot training and a desire to maximise the use of the aircraft are among the considerations. She adds that Paris-London is a busy route and other carriers have shown that they can justify large-capacity aircraft on relatively short, high-density sectors. Source: http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2010/05/11/341823/air-france-considers-paris-london-a380-service.html

Royal Brunei inks deal with SIA to lease six 777s RBA's first 777 is expected to arrive on 26 May, and the airline will operate the first flight to London via Dubai during the third week of June. The remaining five aircraft will arrive between June and September, adds the carrier. Each aircraft will be configured with 30 business class and 255 economy class seats. The 777s will be equipped with RBA's in-flight entertainment system with individual screens and video and audio on demand, says RBA. Full report: http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2010/05/11/341815/royal-brunei-inks-deal-with-sia-to-lease-six-777s.html

D7 must look into this matter seriously as it is clear that SOPs have not been adhered to. Fortunately we avoided disaster like the one that involved the Polish President's TU-154. Flying below the permissible height is dangerous and can be deadly!

It can at reduced load but there is no safety margin if there is a full load. However, I do not think MH plans to use the A333 on their European routes. They will continue with the B772's on those routes (not many). Perhaps they may buy some next generation B777s, B787s or A350s later, when the current B772's are due for replacement. As for cargo, range is not so important as the A332F can make fuel stops along the way. According to Airbus, the A332F's range is 7,400 km. This compares with 13,400 km for the pax version and 10,800 km for the A333.

This reports suggests that it was the same aircraft: http://www.goldcoast.com.au/article/2010/05/11/216545_gold-coast-news.html OOL does not have ILS - so it may be a bit tricky to land under bad weather conditions.

AN official investigation has begun into two "serious" incidents involving Air AsiaX passenger jets that dropped to unsafe heights over the Gold Coast last week. Both incidents are alleged to have happened when the crews of the 330-seat jetliners lost visibility while searching for the airport. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau, which investigates breaches of air traffic regulations, last night declared both incidents "serious" in a posting on its website. Full Report: http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/airasiax-in-dual-safety-probe/story-e6frf7jo-1225864760063 ATSB investigation: http://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/investigation_reports/2010/aair/ao-2010-027.aspx

Thanks for sharing, Chaity - dedicated hard core spotter! With the LCCT construction going on in addition to the bulis patrols, KLIA is such a spotter unfriendly location. But thanks to you and other determined MWingers, we are still able to see some coverage! Keep it up!

If I remember correctly, MH does not pay commissions to travel agents anymore. I believe they are only trying to get everyone to use the same system - this helps to reduce costs and complexity. So the travel agents are just being difficult because they do not want to switch to the preferred system. This is one way MH can use to coax them to do so. Travel agencies are a dying industry as more and more people (esp the younger generations) use the internet for their travel arrangements. So they do not have that much in terms of bargaining power! MH should win this "battle" rather easily, I guess!

Junichi san, Some really excellent photos you have posted here! Look forward to your coverage of the forthcoming inaugural LH A380 flight to NRT! I am sure you have already marked that date down in your diary!

A350 systems testing gathers pace on flightdeck and cabin engineering mock-ups Airbus is undertaking intensive testing of A350 XWB systems across its various plants as part of the ongoing development effort to ensure a high level of equipment maturity ahead of the twinjet's first flight a little over two years from now. The XWB's systems development is following a similar programme to that of the A380, with cockpit mock-ups, integration benches and "Aircraft -1", "Aircraft 0" and "Cabin 0" test platforms being used by engineering teams ahead of the construction of the first flight-test aircraft. Airbus has just completed the "Class 2" mock-up of the A350's cockpit, which will be used to hone the flightdeck layout while the Aircraft -1 development simulator is helping to fine-tune control laws. "We've had a Class 1 mock-up, but this didn't have real components in it," says A350 chief engineer Gordon McConnell. "The Class 2 mock-up has all the prototypes of the final equipment, so it's got real controls, and a real overhead panel, which we've not had before. It allows us to work on the final tuning of the pilot interface, lighting balance and ergonomics." For the last year, Airbus engineers have been using the A350's Aircraft -1 simulator in Toulouse, which incorporates some prototype hardware and software models for various systems such as flight control architectures for some 300h of testing. The Aircraft -1 platform is a complete cockpit built into one of the A380 simulators which, other than the windshield shapes, is representative of the A350's flightdeck. "It has real displays, flight control laws, and a vision system, so we can actually fly the aeroplane," says McConnell. "This has enabled us to do a lot of important testing, such as the examination of handling qualities with flight control system failures, to validate the control laws." The next phase of systems ground-testing will be undertaken on the Aircraft 0 integration simulators and iron-bird hydraulic/flight control system test rig. Construction is now underway in Toulouse and it is due to become operational towards the end of the year. "One of the main purposes of the mechanical part of the rig is to carry out endurance testing the hydraulic system for certification purposes," McConnell says. "But we can also link it to the Aircraft 0 cockpit simulator, which allows us to 'fly' the aeroplane and exercise all the hydraulic and electrical systems as if they're on the aircraft." Another important A350 "zero-test" item is what Airbus calls the "Cabin 0 V&V (verification and validation) platform" in Hamburg, says McConnell. The mock-up, dubbed "MSN5011", is 37m (121ft) long and comprises fully equipped fuselage sections 11/12 (nose), 13/14 (forward) and 16/18 (aft), with three passenger doors on each side and the three cargo hold hatches. It will be fully furnished with seats, lining and monuments in a layout based on the arrangement of the A350 cabin flight-test aircraft MSN002. "The cabin can be linked to functional system integration benches, such as the air system - to look at air distribution - or the IFE system," says McConnell. "This will enable us to achieve a good standard of maturity before we fly our first furnished aircraft, MSN002." Pictures & report: http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2010/05/07/341564/pictures-a350-systems-testing-gathers-pace-on-flightdeck-and-cabin-engineering-mock-ups.html

Minister should also worry about his own on-time performance. AirAsia X's application for the KUL-SYD route has been in his in tray for a year already!