Eugene Koh 4 Report post Posted June 17, 2009 anyone seen the Oakland aircraft lately, not many pics on the web? Very low profiles? Also, is the MASKargo A300 aircraft still around? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pieter C. 5 Report post Posted June 17, 2009 I doubt D7 will be able to get hold of any A346's as none are really available. Weren't the QR 346's up for sale and being replaced by the 77W and 77L ? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
flee 5 Report post Posted June 17, 2009 Weren't the QR 346's up for sale and being replaced by the 77W and 77L ? Yes, I remember the QR CEO bashing the "poor performance" of the A346 and that they would get rid of them ASAP! But I doubt that D7 is considering this aircraft as it has RR engines on it. Perhaps, one of the reasons why the A343 was chosen by D7 was that is has CFM56 engines. I think that these may have some spare parts that are common with AK's A320's engines, thus benefitting from its economies of scale. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Alif A. F. 0 Report post Posted June 17, 2009 Yes, I remember the QR CEO bashing the "poor performance" of the A346 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pieter C. 5 Report post Posted June 17, 2009 I doubt that D7 is considering this aircraft as it has RR engines on it. Perhaps, one of the reasons why the A343 was chosen by D7 was that is has CFM56 engines. The newly ordered A350-900 also has RR engines... (why not, so they can get some experience on RR engines and RR as a company) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BC Tam 2 Report post Posted June 17, 2009 The newly ordered A350-900 also has RR engines... (why not, so they can get some experience on RR engines and RR as a company) No need to wait for the 350's, they are already gaining RR engine experience and engaging RR as a company with the company owned 333's Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
flee 5 Report post Posted June 18, 2009 The newly ordered A350-900 also has RR engines... (why not, so they can get some experience on RR engines and RR as a company) Well the A333's have the Trent 700 engines and the A359's will have Trent XWB engines although I am not sure how much parts commonality there will be. It is a well known fact that the A343 is not the most economical plane to fly nowadays, so any cost savings that can be derived from having the same engine family as their existing A320s should be an advantage. Compared to the RR Trent 500 (which is on the A346), economies of scale with the CFM56 engine family should be a lot better since AK has so many of them. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
flee 5 Report post Posted June 18, 2009 The point I was trying to make is that with TPE coming on-line from 1 July and being advertised as serviced with brand new A333's I find it hard to see how XAA, XXA and XXB will be able to cover all this flying. It would make much more sense to fly the A343 to PER between their STN rotations something that with the above timings is more than possible otherwise their will be a A343 on the ground at KL between 20:30+1 and 1535 the next day everyday! I can't see them going to OOL and MEL would be a bit of a stretch, so PER has gotta be the most logical place. -XXC isn't due until later this year. It is now confirmed that the A343 will serve TSN to free up the A333 for TPE. Makes a lot of sense since TSN is a longer flight compared to PER and the timing is OK too. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tom/PER 0 Report post Posted June 18, 2009 Thanks for that confirmed info flee. I can't even begin to imagine the lease repayments differences between a A343 and the A346. If the A343 works for D7 then they should just source more good examples of these which have come from good backgrounds. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sri Ramani K. 0 Report post Posted June 18, 2009 anyone seen the Oakland aircraft lately, not many pics on the web? Very low profiles? Also, is the MASKargo A300 aircraft still around? not really, she has been waiting pretty long to get her C of A. BTW, you can catch her being towed out from SAE's hangar somewhere tomorrow before 10.30A.M. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mohd Azizul Ramli 2 Report post Posted June 18, 2009 A third leased A343 for D7? Malaysian long-haul low-cost carrier AirAsia X is considering destinations in North America and new destinations in Europe, possibly using Airbus A340-300s. "(It is) too early to get into specifics, but for Europe we would be keen on a central European destination and an eastern European destination," AirAsia X CEO Azran Osman-Rani says in an email to ATI. "For North America, maybe one on the east coast and one on the west coast." While he gave no timeframe for the possible new routes, he says the airline will continue monitoring trends within the lease market for A340-300s. "We will not be actively looking for A340s until next year," he says. "We want to get comfortable with A340 operations and economics with the two that we have leased, but we will keep monitoring the trends in the lease market for the A340-300." Azran says: "We would only be looking at the A340-300 model, and ideally with the same CFM engines." In an email to Malaysian publication The Business Times, Azran says - with regards to the lease market for A340s- "we expect the lease market to soften further as the Boeing 787s come on stream. It is not difficult to find A340s; it's just that we're choosy and patient, waiting to pounce on a lease only when it is very favourable," he adds. At the Paris air show yesterday, AirAsia X announced it would buy ten Airbus A350-900s, each with 400 seats in a two-classten-abreast cabin layout. These are to be delivered from early 2016, it says, adding that the deal includes five options. Sourve: http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2009/...rica-using.html Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mohd Azizul Ramli 2 Report post Posted September 19, 2009 An update for the thread for the possible lease of another A343 for D7's operation should D7 enters the US market next year, with detail insights of D7's future expansion plan. It was earlier posted by flee in another thread. AirAsia X lands in US for first time Malaysia's AirAsia X operated its first flight to the US earlier this week - a non-revenue one-off service to Oakland - as the long-haul low-cost carrier contemplates launching regular flights to the US next year. AirAsia X CEO Azran Osman Rani says one of the carrier's two Airbus A340-300s landed in Oakland on 14 September following a non-revenue flight from London Stansted. The special flight, which Azran says was made possible by cancelling one of AirAsia X's seven weekly Kuala Lumpur-Stansted rotations, was made in an A340 painted in Oakland Raiders livery. The aircraft was only in an Oakland a few hours for a ceremony attended by the city's mayor and the US ambassador to Malaysia before returning to Stansted. AirAsia X signed up as a sponsor of the Oakland Raiders American football team earlier this year. AirAsia X currently does not fly to the US but has been evaluating several potential airports including Oakland, an alternative gateway for San Francisco. Azran says the carrier is also evaluating airports in the Los Angeles and New York City areas. He says AirAsia X is interested in any airport in southern California except Los Angeles International and any airport in the New York City area which can support quick turnaround and taxi times. Azran says the carrier is now looking at which routes to launch in 2010 and it is not certain that AirAsia X will begin serving the US next year. "We're studying it very closely and measuring it against the opportunity cost of other destinations," he told ATI following a 16 September speech at the Cargo Facts annual aircraft symposium in Seattle. Azran says Oakland is attractive because it is a big base for US low cost carrier Southwest Airlines "and it's very important for us to get the feed". AirAsia X has found that a lot of its passengers self-connect to other low-cost carriers, including to easyJet at Stansted. Oakland is also an obvious choice for AirAsia X because its sponsorship of the Oakland Raiders has helped it build brand awareness in northern California long before it launches services to the US. Azran points out sister carrier AirAsia's sponsorship of the Manchester United football team from 2005 to 2008 helped build awareness of the AirAsia brand in the UK before AirAsia X started serving Stansted earlier this year. This helped AirAsia X's Kuala Lumpur-Stansted route achieve instant success, with more than half of the passengers originating in the UK rather than Asia. Azran says AirAsia X would serve the US west coast from Kuala Lumpur via Taipei, Seoul or Honolulu. US east coast destinations would be served via Stansted. He says the carrier can launch service to the US east coast with its two existing A340s by extending its Kuala Lumpur-Stansted route across the Atlantic. For the west coast Azran says AirAsia X would need to acquire additional A340s. He says the carrier currently does not plan to expand its A340 fleet but will entertain proposals for more A340s if the right deal is offered. "If it is sub $400,000 per month we'll look at it," he adds. AirAsia also now operates three A330-300s and will take three more of the type this year followed by three more next year as part of its earlier order for 25 A330s. But Azran says A330s are not an option for US routes as they lack the range for a one-stop service and would require an unattractive two-stop service. He says the new Airbus A350 will be ideal for one-stop US service but AirAsia X is not scheduled to receive its first A350 until 2016. Azran says when AirAsia X began evaluating the A350 it was looking at both A330 replacements and growth. But he says the carrier is not currently focused on replacing its A330s with A350s because it believes on "bread and butter Asia Pacific" routes, which are typically seven hours or less, the A350 does not have a big advantage over the A330. As a result he says AirAsia X decided to order only 10 A350s instead of 25 firm plus 25 options, which it originally was considering. He says AirAsia X now intends to use the A350s to replace its A340s and launch more long-haul routes. While the A330s can be used to for services within Asia as well as to Australia and the Middle East, the A340s and later the A350s are needed for non-stop services to Europe and one-stop services to the US. Source: http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2009/09/18/332400/airasia-x-lands-in-us-for-first-time.html Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mohd Azizul Ramli 2 Report post Posted October 6, 2010 A fresh round of rumour about D7 to lease another (the third) A343 emerged in A.Net following the approval of 2 weekly flights for the airline into Paris Orly beginning 31 October 2010. http://www.airliners.net/aviation-forums/general_aviation/read.main/4947135/ Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
flee 5 Report post Posted October 7, 2010 Yes, they are merely asking what equipment will be used for this service. D7 is not planning any new aircraft but to use existing resources for this service - see: http://www.malaysianwings.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=14945 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
flee 5 Report post Posted December 1, 2015 Very interesting to read an old thread again.... D7's era with the A343 is now over. They came in from Air Canada all white and they departed in all white livery. Here is a last look at them... 9M-XAB 9M-XAC Note the XAB being towed in the background. No more 4 holers for D7 - the A339neos will be the next part of D7's history. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mohd Firdaus Bolong 0 Report post Posted December 1, 2015 Cant wait to see them at T1 BKI. Wonder if all their 330 and 320s will fit. Win for bki spotters and people. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Waiping 12 Report post Posted December 1, 2015 (edited) Cant wait to see them at T1 BKI. Wonder if all their 330 and 320s will fit. Win for bki spotters and people. They have plans for that? Almost 2 years since an Air Asia widebody landed at BKI. Edited December 1, 2015 by Waiping Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mohd Firdaus Bolong 0 Report post Posted December 1, 2015 They did send a 330 for rescue flight earlier this year if not mistaken. One of the 'excuse' for them initially not to move to t1 was to expand t2 and set up a d7 base at BKI. But dats for another thread. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
flee 5 Report post Posted December 1, 2015 Cant wait to see them at T1 BKI. Wonder if all their 330 and 320s will fit. Win for bki spotters and people. D7 really needs to sort itself out first before introducing more complexity by adding another hub. Furthermore, they are bitching about the high costs at T1 - so until BKI has a new LCCT, it is unlikely that D7 will set up a second hub at BKI. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
S V Choong 4 Report post Posted December 1, 2015 Very interesting to read an old thread again.... D7's era with the A343 is now over. They came in from Air Canada all white and they departed in all white livery. Here is a last look at them... 9M-XAB 9M-XAC Note the XAB being towed in the background. No more 4 holers for D7 - the A339neos will be the next part of D7's history. Where are these beautiful 4 holers heading to?? Love the A340s!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
flee 5 Report post Posted December 1, 2015 Where are these beautiful 4 holers heading to?? Love the A340s!! XAB is stored at LDE while XAC is now resting at SZW. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hon Kit 3 Report post Posted December 3, 2015 9m-xac by Hon Kit, on Flickr 9m-xab2 by Hon Kit, on Flickr And when they were in their original dress Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kenny Sing 0 Report post Posted December 4, 2015 kinda sad to see those A343s gone, they simply not efficient to compete with new tech aircrafts. just wondering why airbus wasn't developing better engine technology for their A340 family series, at least it serve to be a filler aircraft rather than letting the family gone with the wind.this aircraft looks nice honestly. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
flee 5 Report post Posted December 4, 2015 kinda sad to see those A343s gone, they simply not efficient to compete with new tech aircrafts. just wondering why airbus wasn't developing better engine technology for their A340 family series, at least it serve to be a filler aircraft rather than letting the family gone with the wind.this aircraft looks nice honestly. Most airlines have replaced their A343s with A333s and B772s - the A343 cannot match these more efficient aircraft. The final blow to the A340 family of aircraft was delivered when the B787/A350 became available. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JuliusWong 0 Report post Posted December 4, 2015 kinda sad to see those A343s gone, they simply not efficient to compete with new tech aircrafts. just wondering why airbus wasn't developing better engine technology for their A340 family series, at least it serve to be a filler aircraft rather than letting the family gone with the wind.this aircraft looks nice honestly. It was built to replace Boeing 747-100/200/300, DC-10 and MD-11 in the 1990s. By end of the decade, B777 family hits the market, shorten A340's life. That's say, a lot of airlines use A343s to open long and thin route that doesn't warrant the capacity of 747/777. Not forgetting hot and high airport like JNB Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
