Week 81: A320 Type Rating Week 20

As of today, it is my third consecutive day of training in the simulator, and I'm set for another two consecutive days of training for the next two days after today. That makes it FIVE consecutive days of training! Already feeling a little tired today with all that travelling to&fro school plus four hours of training in the sim. Hopefully I'll be able to perform under such intense schedules, will update again on the level of fatigue on next week's update.

==============================================

Session #1

After having a taste of AP/FD with precision approaches last week, this session will teach us how to fly CANPA with FD. The biggest difference was the use of TRK/FPA instead of HDG/VS. It took some time to get used to as it looks way different on the PFD which makes it a little harder to follow.

For training, we will be flying the CANPA in a Select/Select mode, meaning to say Vertical Select and Lateral Select. On approach with either VOR or ILS without glideslope, the APPR button on the FCU will not be pushed. The ND view mode will have to be appropriately selected especially for VOR approaches. Using the TRK/FPA with FD, be fully configured for landing in an early stabilised approach. The FPA knob will be dialed to -3.0 degrees 1nm and pulled at 0.3nm before descend point respectively. This will move the Flight Path Director(FPD) into the -3.0 degrees descend flight path, and the pilot will manual fly by following it, which my instructor refer to as "fly the bird into the hole".

Check heights will be called out at respective distances and adjustments can be made to the FPD if the height is way off what it should be. Visual landing will resume upon hitting minimum and touch down will proceed as usual.

With the airline having attained approval from the authorities to fly CANPA in Managed/Managed mode, this will be much easier with the APPR button pushed.

Having a try at Managed NPA. This is how the FPD looks like.

Session #2
A very special training session with our first night flight with one engine in-operational. The difference in feel can be felt from the moment I stepped into the simulator. Just like night flights I had in Ballarat, working in dark environment is a new set of challenges.

First thing, the dome light has to be switched on for the pilots to do the paper work and other cockpit preparation efficiently. Next, the flood lights and screen panels will need to have their brightness adjusted for best night vision on the outside of the aircraft, or you might blind yourself.

Taxi speeds remain the same even in night conditions, additional light needed is the Runway Turn-Off lights. These lights shine the side of the taxiway at an angle to assist you in turning into a different taxiway. These sort of things can't be experienced during daylight. Everything is almost pitch dark once the aircraft leaves the gate with only the blue taxiway lights and runway lights visible.

Taking off, an engine failure was given by the instructor, with the usual things to do before heading back for landing. FD is being used and it was a single engine ILS approach. I was worried about landing at night as I have experienced in Ballarat, but my worries were not a concern when I saw how different it is landing in an international airport with the lights and Radio Altimeter assisting me with the flaring.

Night flight and this is how it looks

Simulated sunrise after a night flight. Well I guess this is the best feeling a pilot can get after a long night of work.

Session #3
To simulate a more realistic emergency situation, this lesson incorporated decision making procedures used by the airline. For this case, it is an engine failure after take-off. TOGA thrust is applied upon a failure is detected and reflected on the ECAM, to climb to the Minimum Safe Altitude of the aerodrome.

Radio call will be made to ATC for radar vectors to hold for us to sort out our issue. Once engine is secured via ECAM actions and QRH procedures, we will adopt the "DODAR" and "TESTS" decision making models.

D - Diagnose the situation and state of emergency
O - Options we have, to carry on or divert.
D - Decision after considering our options with the emergency factored in
A - Assign tasks to PM, flight attendant on what to do. To include TESTS
R - Review on actions and see if anything extra needs to be done

T - Truth of situation the aircraft is facing
E - Evacuation needed?
S - Signals to the cabin crew, stop cart services
T - Time given for cabin crew to prepare for landing
S - Special instructions

Once the above is done, company ops can be called to prepare for our unexpected arrival. This can be crucial as no gate with aerobridge might be available and maintenance services can be prepared on ground. Finally, a passenger announcement have to be made for inform them on our intention.

This is not an easy model to follow initially, as we all fumbled and had to follow this list on a written paper. Lots of things to consider and not to be missed. The flight ended with an ILS approach with FD, which is probably the easiest part of the session? Haha.

Shut down engne 2? (Yes, both are shut down)

==============================================

Christmas is over and 2015 will arrive in a few days' time. 2014 has been very eventful, full of ups and downs, happiness and frustrations, in terms of training. I shall write more to summarize 2014 on my next post in the new year. 

Week 80: A320 Type Rating Week 19

Session #1 & #2
After the first two sessions with experience of one engine failure, these further two sessions were more like revision to further polish our control and flying technique with less thrust power in our hands.

One added training in the lessons were Go-Around with one engine. Haha, the climb performance was so so so bad it felt like the climb rate of a C172. TOGA power was applied and the immense yaw followed, catching it with the rudder is key to getting the plane under control.

After four whole lessons of flying with one engine failure, I can say that I feel very confident in the capability of the A320. Even with half its power taken away, it is still able to achieve flight relatively well even in go-around. I am truly quite impressed with its performance!

Went into the Full Motion Sim to have a look. It feels way different with exceptional graphics

After the first two training sessions of the week, it marked the completion of Phase 2B and Phase 2C commenced on the final day of the week. The commencement of Phase 2C meant that the simulator will be in Config C, with all buttons and screens alive now. Suddenly the overhead panel looks so complexed with the various controls and buttons I haven't seen since the very first training session.

Other than the config, we will also be introduced to the Autopilot, Auto-Thrust, ECAM, FMA and full usage of the FCU. Other than engine failure, we will be further introduced to other forms of malfunction and various ways to handle Threat & Error Management (TEM). This new phase will probably test us more on plane management rather than the raw data flying and manual control of the A320 which we have been doing all along.

Studying the FMA modes

New aerodrome to fly for Phase 2C

Session #3
The first session of Phase 2C, with two other different partners again, got to get used to their style and work harmoniously. The programming of the FMGS wasn't much of a difference other than the noise abatement rule that we have to abide to in this airport. Usually the Thrust Reduction and Acceleration Altitude are both at 1100'/1100', but with the need to continue climbing till 3000ft, the difference will be Flex/MCT till 1100ft at 15 degrees pitch, then thrust pulled back to CLIMB and continue 15 degrees pitch till 3000ft then lower pitch to 10 degrees to accelerate and clean up. If 1100'/3000' is input into the FMGC correctly, the FD will be able to guide the PF or the AP to fly it correctly.

Upon leveling off to a certain flight level, we started playing with the FCU settings to let us understand the different modes displayed on the FMA in the PFD. This is done with AP on, and we monitor the AP via the FD. The flight was finished off with a decelerated ILS approach and Go-Around.

With a decelerated approach, we prepare the aircraft to be flying at green dot speed before intercepting the Localiser, the interception que is usually given by the ATC's call of "Clear for Approach Runway 25L". With clearance for approach, we will arm the APPR button on the FCU and the AP will automatically catch the ILS' localiser and glideslope. How beautiful is that! However, ATC might only give permission on interception of Localiser only, in which you only arm the LOC button on the FCU.

Flaps 1 at green dot speed is being called upon interception of the localiser, with Flaps 2 at 2000ft AGL, gear down once flaps extended, gears all green then extend Flaps 3 and 4 almost with only seconds apart depending on V-fe limits. By then, we will be close to 1500ft AGL or less, which gives us enough time for a quick Landing Checklist that takes about 15seconds to complete. Fully stabilised by 1000ft AGL is strictly required and AP will be disengaged at 500ft AGL and start flying visual after the runway minimum to land the aircraft.

With the Go-Around, it was of no difference other than that with AP, it's much easier to handle and less workload on the PF by following the missed approach procedure. The missed approach altitude will have to be set by the PM on the FCU when FMA shows G/S*. This is done to ensure that the AP flies the APPR and captures the glideslope before a new altitude is set. The Approach function will overwrite any height that has been set.

It was fun to finally have the AP help in the flying but how it works will 100% depend on how we set the FCU, therefore it is crucial that we know how the FCU works and understand everything stated on the FMA. It is more of a case of the computer flying the plane and we're controlling the computer. This extra layer gives the pax a smoother ride as humans will find it challenging to fly so accurately.

Week 79: A320 Type Rating Week 18

After a one week break from training for some studying to be done, I was back in the simulator for thrice this week, plus a two hour long written exam paper at Singapore Aviation Academy sandwiched in between. The one week was spent mainly on the A320 CBT to familiarise myself with various complex systems of the A320. A lot of numbers and design concepts that I had to understand and remember.

The A320 Type Rating Paper was on Thursday in the afternoon. It has been 1.5years since I last stepped into SAA. Fingers crossed, this will be my last written paper, well unless I have a change of fleet and need to take another aircraft's type paper. The paper itself consists of 80 questions with two hours given to complete them all. Passing mark is 75% with no negative marking, meaning to say I can have a maximum of 20 incorrect answers.

You will think it's easy, but due to me still being in the infant stage of flying the A320, lots of my knowledge will be based on what I've studied in the CBT instead of real life experience in the simulator. This made studying for the paper a tad bit harder. Life of an airline pilot sure involves plenty of reading; the FCOM and SOP combined is already thousands of pages.

Managed to complete and re-check my answers within one hour and left the examination room. Results were released in the evening via CAAS web portal, and I'm glad that I passed. No raw marks were given, it's either PASS or FAIL. Just in case you are wondering, the paper cost S$55 to retake. Another hurdle passed, and I can continue my focus on the sim training.

Back at SAA

Session #1
The final lesson on circling to approach at Bali Airport's RWY27. There wasn't much left to teach and I have to depend on myself to fly accurately and land in a stabilised manner by 500ft AGL. Disappointingly I'm still unable to fly as well as my sim partners by the end of the session, which gave me a bitter aftertaste and asking myself why am I learning not as quickly expected. Nevertheless, this won't be the last session on circling to land, and till the next one, I will hone my visual flying further to meet the required standard.

Red button on the control stick is the secret eject button haha

Session #2 & #3
I'll combined these two sessions together as they were flown on two consecutive days with the same lesson plan and the same instructor. The mother of all malfunctions was given; one engine in-operational. We were given two scenarios, engine stall and engine surge. For the first time we were exposed to ECAM. However, ECAM actions were not required in the lesson plan, so we only focused on controlling the aircraft and threat management.

First, we had engine failure after lift off  and after thrust reduction altitude. The very first thing that hit you is the yaw, along with its secondary effect which is roll. Being too used to not using the rudder on the A320 unlike the C172, I tend to correct the roll only, missing out the yaw correction via the rudder.

As a result, my catching of the corrections were not very good and not fast enough. As I was still climbing, I had to push to TOGA thrust which makes the yaw even worse, resulting in my very poor corrections of my flight control surfaces. Upon seeing my difficulty, my instructor asked me to focus on my flying, using manual rudder and get everything in control for a while first, before I put my hand on the rudder trim to sort the rudder out. It wasn't easy as with any power setting correction, the yaw moment will change, which will require new trimming again. I was flying with manual rudder for quite a while, almost cramping up my thigh haha.

After getting the aircraft under control, a MayDay call was made for radar vectors back to land. Initially, I wasn't too sure about the bank angle that is allowed during single engine operation. My instructor immediately cleared my doubt about it by telling me bank angle limitation is based on Speed rather than engine. At Flaps 1, as long as I'm above S-speed, I'll have full banking authority. Anything below it, I'll only be limited to 15 degrees of bank angle. That's a good pointer given.

Next engine failure was given exactly at V1, commonly known as "V1 cut" in the aviation world. This was even harder to control as I had to lift off and slam TOGA immediately from a preset Flex Temperature. The amount of yaw is at maximum, I know that because my rudder trim had to be set to maximum left or right. Catching the yaw via the rudder was pretty intense, with one of your foot at full rudder, got to make sure my seat was position properly before flight. The crucial part is always about catching the yaw. Not catching it will cause the roll to go haywire and that is very dangerous at low altitude seconds after lift off. Imagine rolling towards the control tower and crashing into it.

Final part on the sessions was the approach. It was an ILS approach with one-engine out. According to company procedure, it should be an early stabilised approach, meaning to get the aircraft fully configured for landing before the final descend point, with Flaps Full and Gears down. I had to plan the configuring way early and get used to the power setting requirement on approach. Minimal thrust correction is advised  as and huge fluctuations in power will cause the yaw to come in and disrupt the approach.

To avoid going below target speed, I usually maintain about 5kts above target speed. The PM can be instructed to help in resetting the rudder trim during the approach. There is no height recommendations, only to the PF's comfort level. We chose to do it at the 50ft call out. The roll out after landing will have to be careful too especially if full reversed is being used, taking into consideration the effect of yaw. Not getting ready for the yaw will cause the whole plane to steer out of the runway and end up on the grass. You don't want to see that happen, even in the simulator. To be safe, the better way is to use Medium Autobrakes and idle reverse. With a more than sufficient distanced runway, it should not be a problem at all.

A closer look at the thrust levers, the left engine is dead, and landing

=====================================

Not a bad week with three training sessions and a pass in my type rating paper. It's going to be another three training sessions in the following week and completion of Phase 2B training.

Week 78: A320 Type Rating Week 17

Fulfilling week I had as there were three sim sessions with the same lesson plan. However, the lesson plan had a change of aerodrome to Bali and Jarkata, flying a Localiser only approach with circle to land, plus Go-Around procedure. Lots of things to learn from these sessions.

#1 session
Had a long prep done the day before by reading up on the FCTM as well as company SOPs on how a circle to land is done, cross-referencing with the aerodrome chart with regards to the minimums that I had to take note.

It wasn't easy flying it for the first time, with an instructor that has been away for a while and his way of flying is different. Previous we were allowed to use the ND in ARC mode and follow the track of the SIDs. However, he insisted us on using only the VOR Rose mode on the ND to fly the SID, conforming to the radials and distances listed on the SID. That itself was quite a shock and requires a certain level of skill to fly it accurately with the winds blowing the plane off track but we're not able to see it in the VOR mode.

Unlike previous CANPA flying, this time we used a localiser only ILS approach, meaning we have to do the glideslope height calculations beforehand. Along the descend, height reminders will be read out by the PM, additionally configuring the aircraft to Flaps 3 with gears down, and upon hitting 1000ft AGL or the circle to land minimum, whichever higher, we have to level off and fly 45degrees away from the runway heading. The runway will preferably be on the PF side as circling to land is a fully visual approach. Visual with the runway is a must at all times, height and location awareness must be in top condition.

Once our track reached 45degrees away from runway track, we have to get the wings level and start the chrono to time for 30seconds, plus/minus according to wind conditions. Once this 30seconds is up, we will head back to the runway heading and fly parallel to the runway just like a downwind leg of a circuit I flew in Ballarat days in the C172.

During this downwind leg, lots of things have to be done. Radio call, activation of secondary flight plan, checking wind condition and planning the descend, as well as landing checklist. Once we're abeam the threshold, for every 100ft above ground, we will fly a 3second additional downwind duration. Since we were at 1000ft AGL, we flown 30seconds more after passing abeam the threshold. This timing is wind dependent as well.

Once 30seconds is up, we start turning base and descend at about 300ft/min, extending flaps to FULL for landing. This is where the tough part comes in. My lack of experience is making it hard for me to gauge the angle of bank so that I line-up accurately to the runway centre-line once I get wings level. Often, I under banked and was too high with 3-whites on the PAPI. With the distance to the runway threshold only about 3nm, there is very little distance and time for me to fixed my height and track. Being stable at 500ft AGL for landing is a strict requirement, but I didn't manage to get it and we often were still adjusting the heading at 300ft. Managed to land safely, but it wasn't pretty.

Circling to landing is the most challenging aspect of my A320 training so far.


#2 session
My usual instructor took me for this session and we flew with the VOR Rose mode on the ND too. This time round I'm more familiar with how it works, but I have also changed sim partners, and I have no idea how different they fly. The good thing about having SOPs is different pilots will have minimal differences, which is what makes SOP so important to an airline. You do not work with the same set of crew all the time, that's also where MCC comes in.

Good thing though, they're very good in terms of SOP as well as manual flying, which allows me to learn from them and fix my inefficiencies. My usual trouble again is at the base turn into the final approach for landing. Failure to stabilise at 500ft AGL is becoming very frustrating for me. I ended the session not feeling confident at all....

#3 session
Final session of the week on a quiet Sunday earlier today. Third time flying the same lesson but with yet another different instructor, the most experienced of them all. This time, he introduced us to use the Bird to fly FPA/TRK. And I must say it makes visual flying much more of a breeze.

Previously I was using my memory along with the V/S to determine my descend profile. Without the bird, the placement of my flying "box" wasn't consistent which caused the need for a lot of corrections here and there. It was tiring to manual fly like this.

However with the bird, I can place it directly on the -3degrees position on my PFD and fly its tail to the track I've set. It was nice. My approach on base and finals improved, and I'm glad I've found the trick to flying visual accurately.

------------------------------------------------

Two weeks later I will be sitting for the A320 type rating paper. It has been 1.5years since I last sat for a big exam paper with CAAS. Getting a little worried with the amount of material to study, made worse by the fact that I do not have much experience and exposure with the A320 systems. So for now, I will have to rely heavily on the CBT to get myself acquainted with all the systems, which at the moment is quite overwhelming to me. Wishing myself all the luck I need!

Luxury air travel soaring to new heights

Keen competition in the luxury air travel segment is seeing an 'arms race' in first class flight, with big commercial airlines overhauling their premium products to expand their suite of offerings. Meanwhile, industry watchers have said private jet travel is also taking off for short-haul flights around the region.

Earlier in November, Air France launched its new first class 'La Premiere' suites in Singapore.

Four individual suites of about three square metres each are on board 19 of the airline's Boeing 777-300 fleet, and they will be available on daily flights between Singapore and Paris by the middle of Jan 2015.

Mr Nicolas Ricard, Country Manager Singapore, Air France-KLM said: "Luxury air travel demand is growing in Asia. This is a target for Air France. Air France is undergoing significant transformation with an investment of €500 million in upgrading all the long haul products, and services. This is not only La Premiere suite, but also other cabins."

In May, Middle Eastern airline Etihad unveiled its new first class suite, the Residence, which will feature a living room, double bedroom and ensuite shower room.

Also within the past month, British Airways announced that it has added Singapore as its fifth destination in its network of A380 service routes from London. The move is part of a £5 billion investment the carrier has made in the last two years to upgrade its products and services.

Mr Robert Williams, Regional General Manager, Southeast Asia, British Airways, said: "The A380 allows us to offer even more space to first class customers than they are already enjoying on the other air craft in the fleet. They have 30 per cent more space in their seat, 60 per cent more personal storage.”

“We maintain Singapore in Southeast Asia as a hub down to Australia as part of the traditional kangaroo routes between Europe and Australia. Those stories demonstrate our commitment to SEA and what we're doing in this market," he added.

DEMAND FOR LUXURY AIR TRAVEL DEPRESSED: ANALYSTS

Despite the 'arms race', aviation analysts said demand for luxury air travel is currently somewhat depressed. According to statistics from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), first and business class travel within Asia contracted around two per cent in September, compared to a year ago.

IATA said overall traffic growth within Asia has expanded only 0.2 per cent during the first three quarters of 2014, compared to the same period in 2013. The slowdown has been related to notable declines in international travel for Thailand and Malaysia, due to geopolitical events and weakness in the Chinese economy.

Internationally, current performance for premium travel is relatively weak, growing by 2.3 per cent year-on-year in September, compared to the overall rate of increase of 3.7 per cent during the first three quarters of 2014.

Changi Airport Group said about 10 per cent of passengers fly on first and business class.

Mr Greg Waldron, Asia Managing Editor, Flightglobal said: "These products tend to be very sensitive to economic issues. So for example, in a weak economy, you might get people trading down from first class to business, and from business class to economy. And certain things have also depressed first class travel recently - the crackdown on corruption in China, that has seen a reduction in some first class usage."

GROWING DEMAND FOR PRIVATE JETS FOR SHORT HAUL FLIGHTS

While airlines largely offer a product for long-haul travel, many do not have a first class cabin for short-haul flights. Instead, aviation analysts said there is a growing demand for private jet chartering for regional travel. Industry players have also said supply is on the rise.

It is estimated that there are more than 30 private jets based in Singapore, up from just about 10 aircraft five years ago. About half of these are available for charter.

Mr Stefan Woods, Sales Director, Singapore Air Charter said: "What that's done is it has brought the price down for the consumer, which is a good thing. A lot of our clients locally are local businesses that use our services as a tool.”

“It's not a luxury at all. It's a necessity to go to some places that the airlines don't service, or they service infrequently. Sometimes airlines don't have business class on board, and it's not as flexible as having a private jet,” he said.

Mr Woods also said first class passengers on ultra-long-haul flights often arrive in Singapore and head straight to a private jet to a destination in the region.

According to Changi Airport Group, business aircraft movements at Seletar Airport have grown at an average annual rate of almost 20 per cent from 2009 to 2013.

SOURCE

SIA acquisition of Tiger Airways cleared for takeoff by competition watchdog

The Competition Commission of Singapore (CCS) on Friday (Nov 28) cleared the proposed acquisition of Tiger Airways Holdings by Singapore Airlines (SIA). CCS concluded that the transaction would not infringe the Competition Act as the ailing budget carrier is likely to exit its operations without the acquisition.

SIA is already the biggest shareholder in the Singapore-based budget carrier and will raise its stake in Tigerair from 40 per cent to 56 per cent. This means Tigerair will become a subsidiary of SIA.

Earlier this month, SIA had said there are no plans for a full takeover of Tigerair, but it did not rule out the possibility of such a move in the future. SIA already has another low-cost airline subsidiary, Scoot.

SOURCE

Singapore, Brunei sign civil aviation cooperation deal

Singapore on Thursday (Nov 27) signed an agreement to cooperate on civil aviation with Brunei, on the sidelines of the 20th ASEAN Transport Ministers’ (ATM) Meeting in Mandalay, Myanmar.

Under the Memorandum of Understanding, signed by Singapore’s Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew and Brunei’s Communications Minister Pehin Dato Abdullah Bakar, both countries will cooperate in areas like civil aviation safety, security and training, aircraft accident and incident investigation, air traffic management, civil aviation and environmental protection and sustainable development.

Mr Lui said: “Through greater cooperation, our two countries will be able to jointly address common challenges and harness the opportunities in the aviation arena and build on our many common aviation interests.”

Pehin Dato Abdullah Bakar said he hoped the agreement will enhance and strengthen Singapore and Brunei’s cooperation in civil aviation, including in regulatory and operational areas.

SOURCE

Week 77: A320 Type Rating Week 16

Slow week with just one sim session flying the same thing as per previous session. With the familiarity we have now for this SID, we were aiming for more accurate flying according to the track illustrated on the ND's Arc mode.

On the CANPA side, our instructor increased the challenge by changing the direction of the wind for a more direct crosswind to test on our handling. My lack of skill showed as I struggled to keep on centre-line for the approach. It is just so damn frustrating that I can't fly it well. The joystick don't seem to be intuitive to me at this stage of training. I'm not sure I long will I need to take to overcome this obstacle.

Week 76: A320 Type Rating Week 15

11 days of not flying has caused me and my partner to be very rusty in our SOPs and much prompting was needed from our instructor. That caused us to be very inefficient in getting the plane lifted off to proceed with the training flight.

Lesson plan was the same as the previous sim session with a NDB CANPA approach plus Go-Around procedure. One thing we learnt today was that there are two ways to key in the next waypoint we want to fly to.

#1 is through the DIR button which we key in the waypoint into the Direct To bracket
#2 is through the F-PLN button which we input the next waypoint into the middle of the whole flight plan.

Of course both ways produce different outcome in the way the FMGS interpret the info. At my current stage of training, I'm still unable to tell the exact difference.

No takeover plans for Tigerair, but SIA eyes more integration

Singapore Airlines (SIA) is not considering a full takeover bid for Tiger Airways (Tigerair), but it will focus on helping its loss-making associate recover through stronger network cooperation, following SIA’s recent move to increase its stake in the low-cost carrier, says SIA chief executive Goh Choon Phong.

Speaking at SIA’s latest results briefing yesterday, Mr Goh added that Tigerair remains an integral part of the group’s growth plans and has been making progress in consolidating its business.

Tigerair reported a net loss of S$182.4 million for its fiscal second quarter on Oct 17. With its other units such as SilkAir and SIA Engineering also suffering weaker growth, SIA’s net profit for the quarter ended September declined 43.5 per cent on-year to S$91 million.

Mr Goh said: “We intend to increase our stakes (in Tigerair) to a controlling interest, because we believe that SIA, with its scale and connectivity distribution, can benefit Tigerair beyond its alliance with Scoot.”

“A takeover offer for Tigerair is, however, not under consideration. Our focus now is to see in what manner we can help Tigerair back to financial health.”

SIA’s application to increase its stake in Tigerair to around 55 per cent from 40 per cent was submitted to the Competition Commission of Singapore (CCS) for approval last month.

In August, CCS gave the green light for Tigerair and SIA’s low-cost long-haul subsidiary Scoot to form an alliance.

Despite its persistent financial losses, Tigerair remains integral to SIA’s plan to expand its network portfolio via further integration of routes and flights between SIA, its regional wing SilkAir, Scoot and Tigerair.

“These are the four components that will allow us to extend market reach and tap traffic in all segments ... In the case of Tigerair and Scoot, the connecting traffic is less than 5 per cent now — there’s a huge potential we can tap here,” Mr Goh said.

Adding that Tigerair is not a lost cause, he said it is repositioning itself for the future, such as shedding unprofitable overseas joint ventures and taking steps to curb overcapacity.

Mr Brendan Sobie, chief analyst at the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation, said the worst is likely over for Tigerair and that SIA’s plans for Tigerair will lead to mutual benefits.

“With a controlling stake, SIA can now ensure Tigerair is more aligned with its portfolio strategies,” he said.

But he added that a turnaround is not guaranteed for Tigerair.

“The LCC (low-cost carrier) market remains very competitive and, given its disastrous results in the past two years, any improvement will have to be drastic to be meaningful,” he said.

SOURCE

$1.1b to prep land for T5 and runway

It will cost more than a billion dollars to clear the land and strengthen the soil before Changi Airport's Terminal 5 and third runway can be built, underlining the scale and complexity of a project to boost Changi's competitiveness.

A $1.1 billion contract - believed to be the largest so far for the airport project - has been awarded to a team comprising Japanese construction firm Penta-Ocean, which specialises in marine works and land reclamation, and Singapore's Koon Construction and Transport.

A spokesman for the Transport Ministry told The Straits Times that the works to be carried out "are complex in nature and in more than 70 phases across more than 1,000ha" - just slightly smaller than the airport's current premises.

The works will be carried out over the next few years, she said.

T5, which will be built on reclaimed land, will be Changi's biggest. To be completed in the middle of the next decade, T5 will be able to process up to 50 million passengers a year - more than T2 and T3 put together.

The project - the biggest airport works since the move from Paya Lebar Airport to Changi in 1981 - aims to cement Changi Airport's position as the region's premier airport and hub.

From 66 million passengers now, Changi will be able to handle up to 85 million by 2018, when T4 is ready and T1 is expanded. By the time T5 starts operating, Changi's annual capacity will hit 135 million passengers.

Besides a new mega terminal, a third runway is also planned.

An existing landing strip at the site, currently used for military flights, will be strengthened and lengthened, after which it will be linked to the existing two runways via 40km of taxiways.

There are also plans to build aircraft maintenance and repair facilities, as well as hotels and offices, at the new site.

To integrate the operations of the existing airport and future terminal, work has already started on a new road to replace Changi Coast Road, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said.

In anticipation of higher traffic in the future, work is also being done to expand Tanah Merah Coast Road, a spokesman said.

This will also ensure smooth traffic flow during the construction phase, when trucks and other heavy vehicles travel to and from the site, he said.

The two road contracts - worth a total of about $81 million - were awarded in April, LTA said, and the works are expected to be done by the middle of 2017.

Kok Min Yee, general manager of Tanah Merah Country Club said: "So far, the works have not led to any complaints from members."

If traffic is affected, the club would "certainly take it up" with LTA, he said.

SOURCE

Week 75: A320 Type Rating Week 14

After the euphoria of my fist cockpit experience last week, I was so looking forward to my second and final observation flight this week. I was scheduled for an early morning flight to Saigon, Ho Chi Minh City. The FO was a senior from my same course who just graduated this April and joined the company.

With someone I am familiar with, the whole process is much more relaxing and more to chat about, helped by a very friendly and tech savvy 54year old captain from Pakistan. This flight was much shorter than the one to Chiangmai last week and the load was also lighter. Taking off took a long time as there was a queue for departure. It seems that the Singapore queuing culture in Singapore can't be avoid everywhere. This also showed me that morning flights are the peak period of the airport and I'll better do things faster to avoid being caught in the jam in future. The engine burns fuel even when on idle on the taxiway, and if i get stuck for too long, my fuel plan is gonna get screwed up.

Soon, we took off from RWY02C and headed straight towards Vietnam over the eastern seas of Malaysia's coast. The radios involved along the way were much lesser than the one to Chiangmai, thus reducing the workload of the PM. Very soon, we arrived at destination but was slightly delayed in theair due to some military exercises. Upon touch down, I finally see how does Vietnam looks like as I've never been to this country. The airport looks old, with parking bays used by the American planes during the war still standing beside the runway. The terminal is very small as compared to Changi Airport, and there was a "follow-me" car to bring us from the main taxiway to the gate. That was the first time I've seen this.

At the gate and awaiting the unloading/loading to be done, the captain gave me the chance to set up the FMGC for the return flight. I was very grateful for that and jumped onto the left-hand seat to get it all ready albeit with some data absent due to the unavailability of the load sheet. The buttons are softer and much nicer to press as compared to the one I'm used to in the sim. Other than that everything is the same.

Before I can take more looks of the airport, we were back on the runway for our home bound leg. Some less than two hours of cruising, I descended into the haze above Singapore international airport. Almost took the wrong taxiway to get to the gate with the FO and me not really paying attention to things, but luckily it was discovered before turning into the wrong route. This tells me to be always alert as everyone can make a mistake no matter how experienced he is.

Locked up the aircraft and it was time for lunch. There's no taking of work home or thinking about work when leaving work. What a perk it is unlike my days as a software consultant before I embarked on this journey. How lovely~

0550hrs, reporting for flight.. Thank god I stay in the Eastern region of Singapore

The sun rises as I did the walk-around

Nose

I was in disbelief as I spotted this floppy disk drive on the centre pedestal

Look at the queue for departure

On descend to Saigon, a bumpy one with all this cloud

Follow-me car

For a short while during cruise, I hopped on to the right-hand seat. What a great feeling it was.

Two days after the flight I was back to the sim for training. After three lessons of VOR CANPA approaches, the lesson plan changed for a NDB CANPA approach at the similar airport. NDB flying is a pain in the butt since the days in Ballarat and nobody likes it. Did my chart preparation the day before and reading up on the FCTM on how I can fly it more accurately.

Setting up the FMGC is roughly the same except for the RAD NAV page. Other than the VOR that has to be tuned, the NDB will have to be set up as well. The VOR has DME equipped which is crucial for the CANPA distance/height planning approach. Has there be no DME, we have to refer to the distance t runway threshold found on the PROG page of the MCDU. That will be damn hard to fly having to look at the PFD, ND and MCDU. Luckily my instructor allowed the DME to be serviceable haha.

The lesson was carried out mostly similar, with take-off to radar vectors to holding to approach. Well I managed to fly the NDB interception pretty ok and the approach was good. Now that I've gotten my controls sorted out, I no longer fear the approach. The biggest challenge for NDB is the clustering of the ND. VOR and NDB arrows with the stations and waypoints and runway all jumbled up on the screen. Ah well, just gotta live with it.

Happy week for me, but it's sad that my next real flight in the cockpit will be next year. Lots of patience and heck lot more of training needed.

Why SIA is keen to heal wounded Tiger

Singapore Airlines (SIA) has pledged $140 million to rescue Tigerair, yet again.

The additional funding will increase SIA's stake in the loss-making budget carrier from 40 per cent now to as high as 71 per cent.

The commitment follows a cash call by Tigerair two weeks ago, after it announced a $182.4 million loss in the three months to the end of September.

For the 12 months to the end of March, Tigerair recorded its biggest annual loss of $223 million.

To replenish its kitty, the airline is offering shareholders more stock at a discounted price.

In a show of support, SIA has said it will take up its entitlement and subscribe for any shares not taken up. Before that, it will also convert Tigerair convertible securities it currently holds into new shares.

This is not the first time SIA has come to Tigerair's rescue. Since 2011, it has doled out at least $100 million in two earlier fund-raising exercises, and seemingly gained nothing.

"It's putting good money into a bad business," said UOB Kay Hian's K. Ajith.

Tigerair has scaled back its operations significantly in the last few months by closing down subsidiaries in Indonesia and the Philippines. Its 40 per cent stake in Tigerair Australia will be sold to Virgin Australia for A$1 (S$1.13).

Bruised and battered, Tigerair is not expected to return to the black until after 2016 at the earliest.

So why is SIA wasting its time and money? Why not just let the Tiger tail fall from the sky?

Because despite current challenges, experts believe that the demand for short-haul low-cost flights in Asia will continue to grow strongly in the coming years.

Without Tigerair, SIA has no presence in this market, leaving it defenceless against rivals like AirAsia, Jetstar and Lion Air.

With the likes of Emirates and Cathay Pacific putting intense pressure on its premium long-haul business, SIA also believes it must diversify and enter new market segments to continue to fly high.

In short, SIA has no choice but to keep Tigerair alive, even if it means effectively taking control of the carrier.

This was never the plan.

In December 2003 when SIA's then chief executive officer Chew Choon Seng announced plans to launch Tiger Airways, he made it clear that SIA would not be in the captain's seat.

Many previous attempts by full-service carriers to run budget airlines had failed, he said. "The low-cost model requires completely different methods and procedures, marketing approaches and skills, and it is hard to be both premium full service and low cost, no frills at the same time. Hence our decision to have it as a 49 per cent-owned associate company rather than a majority-owned subsidiary."

For as long as Tigerair managed its affairs well, SIA did not intervene.

But the shocking grounding of Tiger Airways Australia in July 2011 by the Australian civil aviation authority over safety concerns led to a management overhaul and the entry of an SIA divisional vice-president, Mr Chin Yau Seng, as Tiger's new head.

Industry veteran J. Y. Pillay, widely credited with turning SIA into a global leader, joined as non-executive chairman the same month, although he was approached by Tiger's board even before the kerfuffle in Australia.

Mr Chin stayed for a year before passing the helm to shipping veteran Koay Peng Yen, who served for about two years.

After he left in May, yet another SIA senior executive, Mr Lee Lik Hsin, took over as group chief executive officer.

Like many other low-cost carriers, Tigerair has been hit by regional overcapacity - airlines adding more seats than demand can soak up - which has pushed fares and takings down.

But unlike Malaysia's AirAsia and Indonesia's Lion Air which operate out of huge domestic markets that have cushioned some of the impact of overcapacity on international routes, Tigerair and, by the same token, Singapore's Jetstar Asia, do not have a similar advantage.

Tigerair also made mistakes along the way, with its management "clearly bordering on being clueless", said Associate Professor Terence Fan of the Singapore Management University.

With higher costs than rivals like AirAsia, for example, Tigerair should have stayed away from well-established low-cost territories and opted instead for newly emerging markets like Taiwan and Japan, where competition is less intense and yields higher, he said.

Lessons learnt, the current plan is to downsize, focus on the Singapore operations and turn losses into profits, with SIA's money and expertise.

The past few years were painful but the business restructuring in the last few months, and SIA preparing to take on a bigger stake and role in the running of the airline, could be just what Tigerair needs.

For one thing, it would pave the way for the short-haul budget carrier to work more closely with SIA's wholly-owned long-haul budget arm, Scoot, which they have not been able to do effectively thus far.

This was in fact the plan when SIA launched Scoot in June 2012, as part of its portfolio strategy of having a presence in all the key business segments.

SIA's chief executive officer, Mr Goh Choon Phong, speaking at the group's annual results briefing in May, said: "Tiger and Scoot make natural partners in connectivity. One with narrowbody aircraft servicing largely the region. And the other with the ability to go medium, and potentially in the future perhaps long haul, and operating widebodies, and for them to connect with each other."

Scoot working with Tigerair allows SIA to be present "in virtually all the different segments of the travel industry", Mr Goh said.

"And what needs to be done, as we have done for SIA and SilkAir, is closer integration," he added.

A plan is being worked out and details will be unveiled soon, insiders say.

As long as Tigerair has a place in SIA's overall business strategy, it will have the backing of the premium carrier, said Mr Shukor Yusof of aviation consultancy Endau Analytics.

Never mind that the carrier's "raison d'etre is in doubt, given its weak foundation, limited growth potential and inability to compete effectively", he added.

With Asean moving towards open skies, it is also in SIA's interest to keep Tigerair alive, analysts say.

The goal, by the end of next year, is for the 10 member nations to remove all restrictions on flights from their countries.

When this happens, and as airports in the region continue to invest in infrastructure to boost their handling capacity, carriers like Tigerair will be able to fly as and where they choose within the region.

Today, air services are bound by government-to-government deals and countries are sometimes reluctant to open their skies fully to airlines from neighbouring states for fear that their own carriers will not be able to compete with foreign airlines.

The Tiger is badly wounded but with a clear recovery plan and enough money and expertise to execute it, there is no reason why it cannot roar back in time to cash in on the region's aviation liberalisation and other future opportunities.

SIA will leave no stone unturned to see that this happens.

Mr Shukor said: "SIA has deep pockets and, loss of money aside, it's loss of face and loss of influence in a critical part of the business that they are probably most concerned with."

SOURCE

All Nippon Airways' first-half net profit jumps 78% to US$328m

Japan's All Nippon Airways (ANA) said on Thursday (Oct 30) its half-year net profit soared 78 per cent as an expansion of one of Tokyo's airports boosted the carrier's international business. The airline earned ¥35.77 billion (US$328 million) against a ¥20.07 billion net profit a year earlier, while April-September sales rose 9.1 per cent to ¥854.82 billion, it said.

ANA increased its international services after a major development of Tokyo's downtown Haneda Airport, which it said helped offset a jump in operating expenses that mainly came from higher fuel costs. A sharp decline in the yen has sent the price of fuel - often an airline's single-biggest expense - surging for ANA and rival Japan Airlines (JAL), which reports its earnings on Friday.

Operating profit for the first half year rose 33 per cent to ¥57.94 billion, ANA said, while it also booked a one-off profit of ¥9.9 billion after changing the structure of its corporate pension scheme. For the full-year to March, the airline kept its estimate of a ¥35 billion net profit on sales of ¥1.7 trillion.

ANA has enjoyed improved fortunes after Haneda, which is much closer to the capital than rival Narita airport, increased capacity to handle more international flights. The airline has added services to major cities including London, Paris, Munich and Jakarta. ANA said its international business saw strong demand, while on the domestic side more flexible price-setting and a fare rise this summer boosted sales.

ANA and rival Japan Airlines (JAL) are increasing their use of the lighter weight Boeing Dreamliner to contain costs, but the fuel-efficient aircraft has been hit by a series of technical problems that forced a months-long grounding last year.

"Competition inside and outside Japan is expected to intensify, in addition to various risks such as fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates, slowing of foreign economies and other international event risks," it said "We will proceed with multiplying our businesses, and reform our cost structure to maximise our group's profitability."

In contrast, smaller domestic rival Skymark Airlines booked a net loss of ¥5.74 billion in the April-September period, against a profit of ¥1.70 billion a year earlier. It also warned of a full-year net loss of ¥13.68 billion, against a previous forecast of a ¥354 million profit.

The carrier was born out of deregulation measures in the 1990s that were aimed at challenging ANA and JAL's control of the market. However Skymark has been seen ballooning losses owing to new entrants into the budget sector. The struggling airline was sideswiped when Airbus in July said it had cancelled its US$2.2-billion jet order, apparently over concerns about payment.

SOURCE

Virgin Australia chairman to step down

Virgin Australia chairman Neil Chatfield said on Tuesday (Oct 28) he would leave after seven years spent guiding the airline through a turbulent time in the challenging domestic market.

Chatfield, who joined the board of Australia's second largest carrier in May 2006 and became the firm's chairman in 2007, said he believed it was the right time to step down. "I believe the board, CEO and executive team are in a strong position to successfully guide the company into the future," he said in a statement.

Virgin has been engaged in a bruising war with rival Australian carrier Qantas over the domestic aviation market. The battle saw both Virgin and Qantas record annual net losses in August of A$355.6 million (US$313 million) and A$2.84 billion respectively.

Virgin - which is majority owned by Singapore Airlines, Air New Zealand and Etihad - took full control of budget carrier Tigerair Australia earlier in October when it paid A$1 for the remaining 40 per cent it did not already own.

Chatfield said he had would stay in the job until a replacement is found.

SOURCE

ASEAN Open Sky policy spells bad weather for Indonesian airlines

As early as January next year, ASEAN carriers will fly freely across the region to any airport and as often as they want, as part of the ASEAN Open Sky policy. Ahead of that, the Indonesian government is taking steps to make sure Indonesian airlines can compete with other airlines in the region.

ASEAN is moving towards a single aviation market, with the aim of higher efficiency, better connectivity and cheaper fares. In Indonesia, the biggest economy in the bloc, the open sky policy is expected to create almost 30,000 jobs and add almost US$500,000 to the country’s GDP.

Yet, Jakarta has not signed off on the deal on concerns about competition, because Indonesia charges more than its regional peers for aviation services.
Djoko Murjatmodjo, Acting Director General for Air Transport at the Ministry of Transportation, said: “We are aware there are problems regarding the high price of aviation fuel as well as import tariffs for airlines and aircraft spare parts. The airline association and the Transportation Ministry are taking steps to reduce these tariffs.”

Currently, aviation fuel in Indonesia is 13 per cent more expensive than Singapore. The policy also calls for Medan, Jakarta, Surabaya, Denpasar and Makassar to open their airports, but those airports and cities do not have the capacity to accommodate a swell in passenger numbers.

Indonesia said efforts are underway to address fuel costs, infrastructure development and personnel training to manage aviation traffic. However, AirAsia CEO Tony Fernandes said a key problem is the government itself. “The trouble is in ASEAN - government owns a lot of businesses. So there’s a huge conflict. Am I regulating AirAsia or is he my competitor? That’s the real problem. When I criticise governments, they say I’m criticising them. I’m criticising the airline or the regulator, so this is the Jekyll and Hyde situation. Governments need to decide what’s good for my people.”

So far, eight ASEAN member states have ratified the agreement. Indonesia has only ratified the ASEAN’s Multilateral Agreement on Air Services but has not ratified the agreement on cargos and passengers. As the Open Sky policy will take into effect only when all agreements are ratified, it may be up to the next administration to pick up what the current government has left off.

SOURCE

Week 74: A320 Type Rating Week 13

It has been a hectic week, with two sim sessions sandwiching one very exciting observation flight arranged by the airline. I shall write about the two sim trainings before I go on to the astonishing experience in the real A320 cockpit.

First session was on Monday, with the lesson plan exactly the same as the previous lesson. It was good practise as we were able to polish our manual flying so as to fly more accurately on the SID, which isn't an easy feat. After the weird descend profile from the previous session, I calculated the full descending profile and realised we flew wrongly the previous round.

Armed with a new set of distances with their respective heights, I was determined to get it right this time round. However before we were able to get to the descending phase, we were surprised with a different way of programming the FMGC to get to a holding point. Instead of using the DIR (direct to) button, we had to amend the flight plan and change a point into it so as to key in the holding point we were given, into the flight plan. The main difference was that there won't be a track drawn in the ND to guide us to the holding point. As a result, we had to make use of the VOR needle to home into the station. That requires some skill to do some on-the-go calculation to get to the point.

After the hold came the descend phase using the CANPA principle. I'm glad to say my calculation worked and the whole profile was much neater and stable. With my height sorted out, I'm still bugged by my poor control in flying to the runway's centreline. Getting really frustrated, I elaborated my flying and consulted my helpful sim partner. He gave me some pointers which made me realise that my turning reaction may be too stiff. Such epiphany got be excited to try it out in the next sim session. My instructor also wrote in my grade sheet that more practice is needed for approach.


Second session on Friday, the day after my observation flight which was almost 10hrs long. Needless to say, I was quite tired but had done all necessary preparation before the lesson. Lesson plan was unchanged like the previous two sessions, With an SID, holding and VOR approach. After the observation flight, I can better handle the radios and SOPs in my training. The lesson was well flown with no major issues to correct. My approach was also accurately flown both vertically and laterally after my realisation on Monday. Finally I've got it sorted out and what I need now will be more hours in the sim to perfect it.

Simulator powered by Windows haha!!

Here comes the interesting part: observation flight on a real A320. Ever since I embarked on this journey 24months ago, I have been dreaming on the day I can step into the A320 cockpit and experience flight as a flight crew, controlling the multi-million dollar machine through great heights, bringing my passengers to their destination safely and comfortably. Well the day isn't here yet, but it was pretty close to that.

I reported for flight two hours before scheduled departure, with the first hour spent in the crew room and the second hour in the plane/tarmac. In the crew room, a few documents will have to be printed, namely the flight plan, voyage report, weather, NOTAMs etc. Airport charts are to be prepared and iPads to be fully set up for the flight. Fuel requirements must be double checked, NOTAMs  and weather examined, find out on aircraft's serviceability along with the MEL if applicable. Lots of things to do within an hour I'd say, much like the days in Ballarat when I had to report early for my navigation flights.

Next, we head to the aircraft, which we have to find out its location. With the airport this huge, getting to the wrong gate will mean a very long walk. Upon reaching the cockpit, the FO will carry out the pre-flight walkaround, and I must say it's hell lot more extensive than the one I did on the C172 haha. Landing gears, engines, wings, flaps, stabilizers, pitot tubes, static ports, nose and finally setting the fuel required on the fuel cap.

Heading back into the cockpit sweating, all details on the flight plan had to be input into the FMGC with a few data awaiting the load sheet's arrival. When it was here, all passenger, cargo, baggage load will have to be taken into account, plus fuel weight. After some Picasso drawing, the trim and speeds can finally be keyed into the FMGC and we're all set to go.

Keeping my eyes and ears fully opened, I observed the captain and FO's every action and I'm satisfied to say that it's very close to what the school has been teaching me, and that's assuring. Push back, engine start, a crazy fast taxi speed and before I knew it, we took off from RWY20C. I was overwhelmed with the amount of radio works involved. Switching frequencies once every few minutes and you have to be fully alert to catch the controllers calling out your sign.

Our destination was Chiangmai, and we flew through numerous different control zones in Malaysia and Thailand. The radios were crazy, making me super amazed at the efficiency of the pilot monitoring. I don't know how well I can deal with the radios when my time comes.

Our flight was blessed with great weather, and having made some shortcuts along the way, we reached our destination earlier than scheduled even when our departure was a bit later than planned. Chiangmai airport was small with one active runway. It was a simple ILS approach with AP disengaged at about 500ft AGL. I can learn a lot with a real life landing as compared to the one I do in the simulator. However at my current stage of training with no automation involved, it's still unfamiliar grounds for me.

After a quick unloading and loading, we were back on the runway for departure back to Singapore. Everything happens very quickly with no time to waste. The return flight was quieter in the cockpit as most of the chats were done during the outbound flight. I asked a few questions to clear my doubts and then time flew by, ironically. By sunset, I was on approach to changi airport RWY20C and landed safely back home. Shut down the aircraft and that concluded my virgin cockpit experience.

It was enriching, fun and a great eye opener. I look forward to my second observation flight next week to Ho Chi Minh City.

Flight plan and prep work at crew room

Took off from WSSS RWY20C, overflying Batam for a left turn to South China Sea

At destination and mid air

Home bound on approach

SIA's mooted Tigerair takeover: Competition watchdog calls for public feedback

The Competition Commission of Singapore (CCS) is seeking feedback on the proposed acquisition of additional shares in Tiger Airways (Tigerair) by Singapore Airlines (SIA).

CCS on Friday (Oct 24) said it received notification from the two carriers on the proposed deal a week ago. On Oct 17, Tigerair had reported an after-tax loss of S$182.4 million for the fiscal second quarter and said it will raise up to S$234 million via a rights issue.

SIA is already the biggest shareholder in the Singapore-based budget carrier and is seeking to raise its stake in Tigerair from 40 per cent to approximately 55 per cent. If the deal goes through, it would make Tigerair a subsidiary of SIA, on top of the Singapore flagship carrier's low-cost airline Scoot.

More information can be found at ccs.gov.sg. The closing date for the submission of feedback is Nov 7.

SOURCE

Jetstar Asia takes over Valuair flights to Indonesia

Budget carrier Jetstar Asia will take over operations of Valuair flights between Singapore and its four ports in Indonesia from Sunday (Oct 26).

This follows the lifting of operating restrictions for foreign low cost carriers (LCCs) by the Indonesian government, Jetstar Asia said in a press release on Friday (Oct 24).

It added that it will continue operating up to 52 return services between Singapore and Indonesia, with no changes to the current schedule. Flights operated under the Valuair "VF" flight code will now be operated with the Jetstar Asia "3K" code.

“It’s business as usual for our flights between Singapore and Indonesia,” Jetstar Asia CEO Barathan Pasupathi said.

“Operating under the one brand with one airline code will further streamline and simplify customer communications particularly for our growing number of Indonesia passengers travelling with us through Singapore to one of the other 18 Jetstar Asia destinations.”

Jetstar Asia currently has a fleet of 18 180-seat Airbus A320 aircraft, and flies from Singapore to Jakarta, Medan, Surabaya and Denpasar (Bali). Valuair when launched in 2004 was the first low-cost airline in Singapore, but was acquired the next year by Jetstar Asia.

SOURCE

Qantas expects to report pre-tax first-quarter profit: CEO

Qantas' chief executive Alan Joyce on Friday (Oct 24) said the Australian carrier expects to post a pre-tax profit in the three months to September following a record net loss, and was on track to complete its major cost-cutting programme.

Speaking at the airline's annual meeting in Melbourne, Joyce said preliminary figures showed Qantas had made an underlying profit before tax for the first-quarter of the 2015 financial year. "In four months we expect to deliver a first half-profit for 2015," Joyce said, reaffirming earlier guidance. "By the end of June next year we will have completed 80 per cent of our (5,000) announced job reductions. And by the end of June we also expect to have paid down A$1 billion (US$880 million) worth of debt, significantly de-leveraging the balance sheet."

The projected return to profitability followed Qantas' record annual net loss of A$2.84 billion for the 2014 financial year, driven by restructuring costs and a writedown of its ageing international fleet. It reported an underlying annual loss before tax of A$646 million.

The firm has embarked on a A$2 billion transformation programme, with chairman Leigh Clifford saying on Friday that "there can be no let up or slow-down in this process". Joyce said the airline was benefiting from the weaker Australian dollar - which hit a four-year low in early October - and falling oil prices, even as domestic demand remained weak. He said domestic market capacity growth, which was earlier projected to be about 1.0 per cent, was expected to be flat for the first-half, as a brutal battle with rival Virgin Australia eases.

Clifford told shareholders the immediate outlook for the company was mixed as the Australian economy transitions away from mining-led growth. "There is still a general cautiousness among consumers that is affecting all sectors of the Australian economy," he said. "Government traffic has been weaker, as a result of the tighter fiscal environment." He said the recovery in earnings from the domestic business would be driven by cost reductions in the short-term.

Several Qantas employees who are also shareholders challenged the board's transformation strategy at the annual meeting, with a member of the ground staff telling the board that morale was low.

Qantas' woes has also attracted criticism from the Transport Workers' Union, which said in a statement on Friday that management needed to "stop waging war on its workforce and instead engage with them to turn the airline around".

SOURCE

Boeing profits up on higher commercial deliveries

US aerospace giant Boeing on Wednesday (Oct 22) reported higher quarterly earnings and raised its full-year profit forecast for the second quarter in a row on increased commercial aircraft deliveries. Earnings for the third quarter came in at US$1.36 billion, up 17.6 per cent from the year-ago period.

Key drivers included a jump to 186 commercial aircraft deliveries, up from 170 in the 2013 period. Boeing booked 501 net orders during the quarter, with Irish carrier Ryanair signing a deal for 100 Boeing 737 airplanes.

In its government-oriented defence, space and security segment, Boeing scored higher profits in its military aircraft unit, in part due to increased deliveries of the P-8 vehicle developed for the US Navy. But revenues fell in the government satellite and global services businesses.

Boeing raised its full-year profit forecast to US$8.10-US$8.30 per share "core" earnings from the prior range of US$7.90-US$8.10.

"With three solid quarters behind us and confidence in our ongoing performance, we are increasing our earnings per share outlook for 2014," said chief executive Jim McNerney.

The third-quarter results translated core profits of US$2.14 per share, much above the US$1.98 forecast by analysts. Revenues rose 7.5 per cent to US$23.78 billion, more than the US$23.02 billion projected by analysts. Boeing shares dipped 0.1 per cent to US$127 in pre-market trade.

SOURCE

Boeing and Chinese firm to turn 'gutter oil' into jet fuel

US aircraft maker Boeing has set up a facility with a Chinese firm to transform waste cooking oil - the source of repeated food safety scandals - into jet fuel, it said on Wednesday (Oct 22).

Boeing and the Commercial Aircraft Corp of China (COMAC) have set up a plant in the eastern city of Hangzhou to convert "gutter oil", a Chinese term for used cooking oil, according to a statement.

A series of scandals involving "gutter oil" being re-used for human consumption has featured in Chinese media. The two companies estimate that waste oil in China could yield 1.8 billion litres (500 million gallons) of biofuel annually. "Sustainably produced biofuel ... is expected to play a key role in supporting aviation's growth while meeting environmental goals," the statement said.

China is a key market for Boeing, which estimates China will need 6,020 new airplanes valued at US$870 billion through 2033. COMAC is the country's main commercial aircraft company, and could eventually compete with the US firm. It is building a regional jet and narrow body airliner, the C919.

Boeing rival Airbus and Chinese energy giant Sinopec said in 2012 that they would also develop renewable aviation fuel production for regular commercial use in China.

SOURCE

Lufthansa pilots extend strike to long-haul services

Lufthansa pilots, on strike since Monday (Oct 20), extended their industrial action to include long-haul flights on Tuesday, grounding almost all inbound and outbound services at Germany's usually busy Frankfurt airport.

In the ninth walkout by its pilots since April, the German airline said it has cancelled 1,511 flights over the two days of the stoppage, with some 166,000 passengers affected.

Nevertheless, the situation in Frankfurt, Germany's busiest airport, was relatively calm because around 90,000 passengers had been informed in advance via email or text message, a Lufthansa spokesman said.

The strike started on Monday at 1pm (7pm Singapore time), initially on short and medium-haul services, but was extended to include long-haul flights at 6am (noon) on Tuesday. The walkout was scheduled to end at 11.59pm on Tuesday (5.59am Wednesday).

The pilots are striking over plans by management to raise the age at which pilots are able to take early retirement. At present, pilots are allowed to retire at 55 and receive up to 60 per cent of their pay until they reach the statutory retirement age.

Travellers in Germany already faced separate strikes by train drivers at the weekend.

In an interview with the mass-circulation daily Bild, transport minister Alexander Dobrindt complained that the repeated strikes were "killing" the economy. "Our transport axes are our country's central nervous system ... a long-lasting blockade will cause a greal deal of damage to the economy," the minister said.

SOURCE

German pilots strike after weekend rail chaos

Lufthansa pilots launched a strike on Monday (Oct 20), deepening Germany's travel chaos after train drivers stopped work at the weekend just as school holidays began in much of the country.

The top-selling Bild daily complained that "ping-pong strikes are crippling our economy", Europe's biggest, as about 10,000 pilots and 20,000 train drivers had "taken hostage" 80 million Germans.

The German Industry Federation charged that the pilots strike, following the "disproportionate" railway stoppage, "harms the entire economy" by hitting logistics, tourism and business travel.

The government said the strikes will certainly "impact some sectors of the economy", though there was no reason to change Germany's 2014 growth forecast, which was lowered this month to 1.2 percent.

Pilots for Lufthansa, Europe's biggest airline, said they would broaden strike action to long-haul flights on top of previously announced stoppages on short- and medium-length routes.

The industrial action on Monday and Tuesday was expected to affect more than 200,000 passengers on 1,400 flights, said Lufthansa, advising passengers to check for updated information on its website.

Pilots stopped short- and medium-haul flights departing between 1100GMT Monday and 2159GMT Tuesday (between 6pm Monday and 4.59am Wednesday Singapore time), as well as intercontinental flights scheduled to leave Tuesday between 0400GMT and 2159GMT (between 11am Tuesday and 4.59am Wednesday Singapore time).

The strike will not affect Lufthansa subsidiaries Austrian, Swiss and Brussels Airlines or Germanwings, the low-cost carrier whose pilots staged a 12-hour strike last week.

Pilots union Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) launched its eighth action in recent months in a bid to keep an early retirement scheme that management wants to phase out to reduce costs.

INFRASTRUCTURE PARALYSED

The stoppages come as autumn school holidays start in seven of Germany's 16 states and are ongoing in two more. "Now, during the holiday period, I think this is pretty brazen," one affected air passenger told NTV television, though he said he understood that "everyone has interests they want to promote".

Lufthansa accused the union of bringing Germany to "a standstill" and sought to draft in pilots working in management positions to ensure a third of scheduled services still operate. The airline labelled the strike "incomprehensible and disproportionate" and demanded legislation against actions that cripple large parts of Germany's travel infrastructure.

Lufthansa spokesman Andreas Bartels said the company wants new "rules of the game for such labour disputes, which are needed especially in infrastructure-critical" sectors of the economy. Berlin is working on legislation to stop small groups of employees from paralysing large parts of the transport system, and a draft law is expected in November.

The flight chaos compounded weekend disruptions when train drivers halted at least two-thirds of passenger and cargo services nationwide. The GDL train drivers' union launched their biggest stoppage since 2008 in demand for more pay, shorter hours and the right to also represent conductors and other rail personnel.

GDL chief Claus Weselsky announced a seven-day pause, but warned of more stoppages after that if rail operator Deutsche Bahn (DB) does not offer "real negotiations". His union earlier rejected an offer of a five-percent wage increase over 30 months.

DB said the strike had caused damage "in the tens of millions of euros" due to lost business, reimbursement payments, extra staffing for a customer hotline and hotel and taxi vouchers for many customers.

As train carriages stood idle, it said, "vandals took advantage and sprayed graffiti on 69 suburban train cars at eight stations in Berlin alone", also defacing trains in Hamburg, Leipzig and elsewhere. DB personnel chief Ulrich Weber charged that the small union "has not moved one millimetre, has applied pressure, angered millions of customers and damaged the company".

SOURCE