flee

I think they are desperate to get more of their planes flying and they need the working capital to do so. Getting out of PN17 will happen if they can generate more revenue and profits. However, competition is hot and they may be facing irrational competition again. Capital A is still a risky counter to invest in.

I think D7 will probably have less seats than AK - we may see seat pitch increase from the 29 inches that they have on AK. I am not sure if there will be any premium seats on their XLRs. If they have those, we may see D7s A321s having around 200 seats.

The problem with MH is that they are opaque and we don't know how much cargo it is carrying and whether the route is profitable and sustainable. Remember the days when MH had B777s? Who would have thought that most of their routes were running at a loss? They are flown for reasons other than good business!

I don't think people fancy flying so many hours in a LCC type aircraft paying FSC fares. If Batik Air Malaysia intends to do more medium haul routes with their narrow bodies, they should reconfigure their cabins for that purpose.

MAG's second B737-8 Max (Reg: 9M-MVD) is almost ready for delivery. They are performing customer acceptance flights. Source: https://aviation.flights/boe/737/66354

Why do they need widebodies for 4 hour flights? Does it look like they may be preparing for a merger with D7? The regional version of the A339 would be suitable but I am not sure if the economics of operating that type of aircraft is as good as that of the A321N unless carrying cargo is going to become more important in AK flights. But that would slow down turnaround times.

It has been doing the DMK run recently.

Yeah, but airlines are finding supply chain issues and can't get them to return to service soon enough!

I think EK's problem is not demand but aircraft availability. They can't get any more A380s and the B779s are delayed by an unreasonable amount of time. With their flights mostly sold out, they need more aircraft capacity for their routes!

Wow with the SQ seat density so low, it should only be used on higher yield routes. I wonder when will D7 reconfigure these premium cabins. Their fares now are much closer to those on FSCs. So maybe they can make some money with these aircraft!

It looks like MAG has secured a used (ex-SAS) A350-900 MSN 378 that is younger than their existing aircraft (3.7 yrs old). Source: https://www.planespotters.net/airframe/airbus-a350-900-ei-hjz-jp-lease-jlps/34w465

I think the notion that the Ekspress and Transit are TWO separate services needing pax to use different platforms at Sentral is somewhat laughable. In many countries (e.g. Japan), trains to the same destination (but stopping at different stations) all run from the same platform. So it is up to you to choose which train you wish to board. That way, the frequency of service is higher.

BKI has the same problems as PEN. Although it is desirable to keep them, they have no room for further expansion without massive upheavals in the area. Land acquisition will be very expensive and traffic arrangements will be problematic. It was the same at SZB decades ago - that is why the govt. has resorted to building at a new site further from the city. However, it needs to be well planned so that it can meet the objectives of having a world class airport.

AirAsia X applies to exit PN17 status https://newsroom.airasia.com/news/2023/7/21/airasia-x-applies-to-exit-pn17-status#gsc.tab=0 AirAsia X rises 10% on report of impending bid to exit PN17 status https://theedgemalaysia.com/node/675043 D7 has a lot of catching up to do - hope that they can do that ASAP!

MAG keeps tinkering with its branding and livery. Sounds as if they do not have an agency handling these matters. So which is the definitive livery now? I don't know!

If MAHB think strategically, the new aerotrain will be designed to cater for expansion to the future satellite terminal 2 so that there is no need to revamp it again when that terminal is constructed. It will merely be extended to that terminal.

Loke: Subang airport redevelopment business plan has been approved SEPANG: The Ministry of Transport has recently obtained an approval on the business plan proposal for the redevelopment of Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport (SAAS) from the Cabinet. Transport Minister Anthony Loke said the launching ceremony of the airport development plan as well as the design and details of the regeneration would be revealed within the next one month. https://www.nst.com.my/business/2023/06/925823/loke-subang-airport-redevelopment-business-plan-has-been-approved

Their first A321 had IAE V2533-A5 engines and this one has CFM56-5B3/P - is that going to complicate their maintenance?

Philippine Airlines finalises order for nine A350-1000s https://www.airbus.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2023-06-philippine-airlines-finalises-order-for-nine-a350-1000s

Another Mega Order for A320Neo! India’s IndiGo places record order for 500 A320 Family aircraft https://www.airbus.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2023-06-indias-indigo-places-record-order-for-500-a320-family-aircraft

The Airbus Widebody Family virtual media briefing https://www.airbus.com/en/airbus-widebody-family-media-assets

Airbus has no appetite to further stretch the A350 Airbus has no intention of further stretching the A350-1000 to bridge the gap to the out-of-production A380. The current size of the widebody aircraft is the right one and needs no extension of the fuselage, the airframer said during an online widebody product presentation on Tuesday. Airbus has no appetite to further stretch the A350. See: https://airinsight.com/airbus-has-no-appetite-to-further-stretch-the-a350/

Yes, even if MAG orders directly from OEM, they will do a sale and leaseback deal with lessors like they did with Avolon for the A339s. For the narrowbodies, I think OEMs can only offer 2027 and later slots. But these will also be sold out as some airlines are already negotiating mega orders that may be signed at the Paris Air Show next week. The OEMs were sort of criticised by EK CEO for being inefficient when trying to sort out their supply chains post Covid. He said it is taking far too long to return to pre-pandemic production levels. Airbus deliveries are normally sluggish in the first half of the year. It would be interesting to see if they can ramp up deliveries in the second half - deliveries are normally done at a frantic pace in Q4.

I believe MH wants early delivery slots for the narrow body - so I guess it will be the OEM that has slots in 2025 who will get the orders. A321Neo can be ordered with CFM LEAP engines to help with commonality with the Max. A321 pilots can transition more easily to A330/350 too. Yes, the new A339s and A359s will have standardised cabins - they are also planning to refurbish current A359s to the new standard from 2026. Airbus production sequence does generally follow MSNs but not strictly. They can be out of sequence sometimes - all depends on whether the airline has paid up or are ready to take delivery.