Rolls-Royce delivers first Singapore-produced Trent aero engine

Rolls-Royce, the global power systems company, yesterday delivered the first Trent 900 aero engine produced in Singapore to Airbus in Toulouse, France.

Paul O’Neil, Director of Rolls-Royce Seletar Campus, said: “The delivery of the first Trent aero engine produced in Singapore is a significant milestone for us.

“It represents a huge collaborative effort with colleagues in the UK supporting our team here to ensure that the engine, produced to our exacting standards, was delivered on time,” he said in a statement.

The Trent 900 aero engine was developed for the Airbus A380 family and delivers the lowest lifetime fuel burn in addition to its excellent environmental attributes.

The Trent 900 has been selected by 11 of the 17 airlines who operate the aircraft.

The 154,000 sq m Seletar Campus is the largest aerospace facility in Singapore.

Opened by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in February 2012, it includes a Trent Aero Engine Assembly and Test Unit; a Wide Chord Fan Blade manufacturing facility; an Advanced Technology Centre; and a Regional Training Centre.

The Seletar Assembly and Test Unit is a state-of-the-art facility designed to allow simultaneous assembly and testing of Rolls-Royce Trent engines under one roof. At full capacity it can produce up to 250 engines per year.

Initially Trent 900 and Trent 1000 aero engines will be built here.

The Group’s Wide Chord Fan Blade (WCFB) manufacturing facility is the first outside the UK to manufacture hollow titanium WCFBs, a unique capability and technology which has played a key role in the success of the Trent aero engine family.

At full capacity, this facility will produce over 6,000 blades per year.

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It's a very good investment by Rolls Royce in Singapore. With the Aerospace Hub in Seletar coming up, it's going to be an area fully focused on aircraft MROs and General Aviation. Who knows, they might even upgrade Seletar Airport into a fully international airport.

Air Canada to introduce service next summer to Istanbul and upgrade to Asia

Air Canada is introducing direct service next summer to Istanbul, Turkey and will use two new Boeing 777 aircraft to expand its reach into the lucrative Asia-Pacific market.

Year-round service to Istanbul three times a week from Toronto will begin June 4 and serve as a gateway to Central Asia, the Middle East and Africa with alliance partner Turkish Airlines.

"Istanbul and Turkey is growing incredibly fast. The traffic that we have been carrying to date via our European partners we feel warrants now a non-stop service," chief commercial officer Ben Smith said in an interview.

Air Canada will also add a fifth destination in Asia from Toronto by launching non-stop, three-times-a-week service to Seoul. The flights will complement existing service from Vancouver and provide daily departures from Canada to the South Korean capital.

Three more weekly departures between Toronto and Beijing will begin June 1, bringing the total to 10 a week. Vancouver will offer 11 weekly departures with the addition of four additional flights, including a new late night flight.

Service from Calgary to Tokyo Narita will be upgraded to daily flights on Boeing 767 planes with the addition of two flights a week starting May 1.

"We're now up to 12 times a day with these new routes to Asia-Pacific out of Canada and we expect with the (Boeing) 787s starting in 2014 to grow that even further," Smith said.

"So obviously we're going to deploy our aircraft with the most profitable opportunities that are out there and we feel that's what we're seeing in Asia."

The expanded service will appeal to leisure travellers, but the airline is focused on enhancing its Toronto hub for use by business travellers originating from the eastern United States and Canada.

The Montreal-based airline released part of its summer schedule on Thursday but hasn't yet disclosed the destinations for its new low-cost service.

The unnamed discount carrier will focus on leisure destinations in the United States and Caribbean and some routes in Europe. It will begin operations with two Boeing 767-300ER and two Airbus A319 aircraft that will be released from Air Canada's mainline fleet.

Additional planes will be added as Air Canada starts to take delivery of new Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft in 2014, ramping up to 50 planes.

Air Canada is Canada's largest domestic and international airline and the 15th largest airline in the world, serving more than 33 million passengers last year.

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Exciting times ahead for Air Canada as they recognise the fact that Asia's demand for air travel is far stronger than North America. Indeed, there isn't much flights which connect Asia or Singapore to Canada. I for one would love it if there's a reputable airline doing such a route. 

It's baffling as to why Singapore Airlines doesn't do it.

Airbus, Boeing launch airliner ad war as rivalry heats up

Airbus and Boeing have clashed over the performance of their latest revamped models as the aerospace companies battle for market share by offering fuel savings to cash-starved airlines.

The dispute is being splashed across the columns of specialist industry magazines in a series of negative ads as the world's dominant aircraft makers battle to maintain their share of the $100 billion a year commercial airliner market.

In the latest exchange, Airbus ran an advertisement in Aviation Week on Monday accusing its rival of "exaggerating the capabilities" of both the 737 and the latest 747 models.

The ad featured a Boeing aircraft with an elongated nose in the style of Pinocchio under the headline: "Why is our competitor stretching the truth?"

Airbus sales chief John Leahy said the European aircraft maker had chosen the Pinocchio theme in response to recent Boeing advertisements claiming a massive advantage for Boeing aircraft.

"They are blatantly misrepresenting the truth by orders of magnitude," Leahy said. "What is going on is just over the top."

Boeing defended its advertising.

"We believe in - and history has shown - the superior performance of our products and services. We stand behind our performance claims," said Boeing Commercial Airplanes spokesman Marc Birtel.

"Ultimately, our customers will decide based on their experience and analysis relative to their needs."

The exchange is the latest evidence of tensions that have escalated steadily since both companies took a gamble by tweaking their most popular models to offer fuel savings.

The decisions triggered an avalanche of orders, first for the revamped Airbus A320neo and then the Boeing 737 MAX. But industry sources say that has not prevented prices from coming under pressure as each side fights for market share.

With oil prices representing about 40 per cent of airline operating costs, every litre of fuel saved represents potentially valuable business for aircraft and engine makers.

"This is an industry that thrives on producing incremental products, where just a couple of percentage points in performance can make a dramatic difference," said aerospace analyst Richard Aboulafia of Virginia-based Teal Group.

"There is no prize for being second."

CONTRADICTORY CLAIMS

The Boeing 737 is the US company's most popular aircraft and competes with the Airbus A320 in the largest segment of the aircraft market, estimated at $2 trillion over 20 years.

Both planemakers are bringing out revamped versions of these roughly 150-seat jets from around the middle of the decade.

Boeing says its 737 MAX 8 will cost 8 per cent less to operate per seat than the revamped A320neo. Airbus says the Airbus aircraft has a 3.3 per cent cost advantage per seat.

Much of that discrepancy is due to a basic disagreement over the relative merits of the existing generation of aircraft.

Boeing says its 737 is already 8 per cent more efficient per seat than the current A320. Airbus says the roughly 50/50 market split in recent years indicates the aircraft are comparable.

"I will claim an extra couple of per cent better for mine and they should be claiming a couple of per cent better for theirs, and if you talk to most airlines, they say they come out about equal," Leahy said in a telephone interview.

Such contradictory claims are also being made for some of their largest aircraft.

Boeing's 747-8 is a stretched 467-seat version of its legendary jumbo jet and is designed to compete with the 525-seat Airbus A380 superjumbo, the world's largest airliner.

In ads, Boeing says the total trip costs of the 747-8 are 26 per cent less than an A380. Airbus says the 747-8 has 10 per cent lower trip costs, but that the A380 is 30 per cent bigger, allowing airlines to gain by filling up the extra seats.

Rivalry between Airbus and Boeing comes as no surprise, but rhetoric has sharpened as Boeing looks set to recover the top spot in the industry by out selling Airbus this year. Airbus says its rival is merely catching up after a record European year in 2011.

Industry analysts and executives say competition has also intensified since Ray Conner stepped up from being Boeing sales chief to become president of the commercial division in June.

Rivalries in aerospace are fierce and Leahy has himself been accused by Boeing executives of overstepping boundaries at airshow appearances, but detailed attacks are rare.

Monday's Airbus advertisement is not Pinocchio's first appearance in the take no-prisoners world of aviation.

At the Farnborough Airshow in 1994, the head of Boeing's jetliner unit compared an Airbus executive to Pinocchio in a spat over market share, according to Flight International.

In 2010, Ryanair Chief Executive Michael O'Leary apologised and paid damages to top European rival Stelios Haji-Iouannou for depicting the easyJet founder as Pinocchio and suggesting he was lying about on-time performance.

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There's definitely no love lost between these two, fighting the throne of producing the more efficient plane in different market segments. Which one do you prefer? The more intelligent Airbus or the more skill-demanding Boeing?

Lion Air Considers Airbus Jets as It Looks to Expand Its Fleet

PT Lion Mentari Airlines said it is talking to Airbus SAS and Boeing Co. (BA) about a purchase of additional single-aisle planes beyond its order for 230 Boeing 737s last year.

“We are studying every possibility to fulfill our target for the planes from every manufacturer, including with Airbus,” PT Lion Air Commercial Director Edward Sirait said in a telephone interview. “So far we haven’t concluded which manufacturer, types and number of planes to buy. But all are possible.”

The Indonesian carrier needs more aircraft as it adds flights in a region where air travel is expected to grow more than 6.4 percent annually through 2031. Lion Air already flies to more than 36 destinations within Indonesia and overseas, and announced plans to establish a low-cost carrier in Malaysia to challenge AirAsia Bhd. (AIRA) in its home market.

Airbus spokesman Stefan Schaffrath said the Toulouse-based manufacturer doesn’t comment on talks with customers or potential customers.

The low-cost carrier, called Malindo Airways, will begin flights in May and may have about 100 planes within a decade, one of its shareholders said in September. Malindo Air will draw its fleet from planes Lion Air has ordered.

The record order for 230 additional 737s in February was worth $22.4 billion at list prices. The deal, which also included 150 options, was Boeing’s biggest in dollar value and plane numbers.

Lion Air didn’t say if it’s considering the Airbus A320neo, which will have more-efficient engines than the existing A320 and enter into service from late 2015. Airbus is still seeking customers to fill A320 delivery slots in 2015.

Airbus has generally lagged behind Boeing in Indonesia, one of the more promising markets for air traffic growth in coming decades. Lion Air itself has forecast passenger growth rates of 15 percent a year. The airline said last year that the parent company fleet may expand to 470 planes by 2025 from about 100.

Airbus is also looking to sell A380 superjumbos to flagship airline Garuda Indonesia. (GIAA) The airline said Nov. 21 it had received proposals from Airbus as well as from Boeing for its 747 Intercontinental. President Director Emirsyah Satar said the review of proposals was still at an early stage.

SOURCE

Just when you thought they will not be ordering new planes for a very long time, Lion Air is now mulling on whether to try Airbus' A320neo. However when you consider Indonesia's aviation industry growth of 6.4% per year, the huge orders don't seem to be as crazy, even so when Lion Air's orders has to feed Malindo Airways too.

Route cuts put Malaysia Airlines back to black

Struggling flag carrier Malaysia Airlines said on Tuesday it has swung back to a profit after six straight quarterly losses as the slashing of unprofitable routes helped cut costs.

The airline recorded a 37.08 million ringgit ($12.25 million) net profit for its third quarter ending September 30, compared to a 477.6 million loss in the same period a year earlier, it said.

"We are very encouraged by the improved trend in our financial performance in this third quarter especially after six quarters of loss," chief executive Ahmad Jauhari Yahya said in a statement.

"Our focus remains to increase revenue and manage our costs... Although the journey ahead is long, with focus, we will succeed."

The improvement in the airline's bottom line "was mainly due to the route rationalisation programme", which resulted in a nine per cent decrease in fuel costs and a seven per cent drop in non-fuel costs, the carrier said.

Lower fuel costs also helped, it said.

The airline has battled for years to stay in the black, with analysts blaming a combination of stiff competition, poor management, change-resistant unions, government interference and other factors.

Earlier this year, it reported a full-year 2011 loss of 2.5 billion ringgit and in June announced it was pushing back a planned 2013 return to profitability after a tie-up with rival budget carrier AirAsia crumbled.

Amid the gloom, the airline embarked on a cost-cutting campaign centered on slashing routes, including to Rome, Johannesburg, Cape Town, Buenos Aires, Karachi and Dubai.

Malaysia Airlines said the cost-cutting moves caused revenue to shrink only two percent to 3.5 billion ringgit.

Ahmad Jauhari said the airline continued to face challenges including the global economic woes and their affect on air travel, increased competition and high fuel costs.

The airline was still in the red for the first nine months of the year, with a net loss of 484 million ringgit, down from 1.25 billion for the same period a year earlier, it said.

Earlier this year, a tie-up with profitable AirAsia fell apart due to resistance by unions representing Malaysia Airlines.

Analysts had predicted the venture would help the flag carrier by eliminating head-to-head competition on some routes.

Malaysia Airlines, which in February admitted it was "in crisis", has announced a series of turnaround plans over the years, the latest major refocusing coming last December.

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So are they finally recovering? Just like SIA, they resorted to cutting less popular routes to reduce on loss making flights. And also just like SIA, they're having having trouble fighting with the mainstream low cost carriers. All the budge airlines are killing the premium service airlines.

Tiger altitude data was wrong

An investigation into the low landing approach of one Tiger Airways' plane that contributed to the airline being grounded has found pilots used incorrect altitude information and the airline had an inconsistent safety management system.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) investigated the June 7, 2011 low approach of a Tiger Airbus A320, after it approached Melbourne Airport at 2000 feet altitude rather than the 2500 feet cleared by air traffic control.

The ATSB official report, released on Monday, found that the flight crew based their descent profile on incorrect altitude data on the aircraft's display unit provided by a third party.

Flight crew were also using the flawed data for paper charts and had not identified the error when preparing for the landing approach, the ATSB report states.

It found there was an increased risk of Tiger unintentionally failing to follow published instrument approach procedures, because it was inconsistent in carrying out its safety management system for identifying and managing data base 'anomalies' or errors.

'In addition, different assumptions by the data suppliers and the operator compromised the quality assurance of the navigational data,' the report states.

CASA grounded Tiger's Australian fleet on July 2, 2011 after a series of safety concerns, including two low flight approaches into Melbourne and Avalon airports, saying it had lost confidence in the airline's ability to manage safety appropriately.

After a six-week grounding, it cleared Tiger to resume flying in August that year.

In its report released on Monday, the ATSB said that after being alerted to their low approach by air traffic control, the Tiger crew corrected their altitude to 2500 feet, continued the approach and landed.

Tiger had responded to the incident by implementing 'an auditable process for identifying and managing any navigational database anomalies in its aircraft fleet'.

The ATSB said the incident 'reinforces the safety benefits of a resilient safety management system and operator procedures' and that 'the accurate application of those procedures by all key personnel, is also important as a safety defence'.

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The truth has come to light. So it wasn't 100% pilot error but rather following an incorrect set of data during descend. But why is it that only two flights were affected? This is baffling.

Passenger helps land a jumbo jet

A passenger has been hailed a hero after helping to land a plane at Dublin airport.

The Boeing 747 was been flying over the Atlantic on Monday when the first officer of the Lufthansa flight fell ill.

The flight from Newark to Frankfurt was diverted to Dublin after the co-pilot suffered an incapacitating migraine, reported The Guardian.

When the cabin crew announced the plane was being diverted, an off-duty pilot who was on board the flight offered to help, pointing out that he was a qualified pilot.

The German national helped bring the plane down safely in an emergency landing at the airport in the Irish capital shortly before 6am.

Ireland's Air Accident Investigations Unit is reportedly reviewing the matter.

A Lufthansa spokeswoman said in the London publication that the man who stepped in was fully licensed to operate and fly the 747.

"In such circumstances it's absolutely normal procedure for the pilot, the flight captain, to continue to operate the aircraft," she said.

"Also, where necessary, the cabin crew are fully trained and can be called upon to read checklists back to the pilot. The procedures are in place for such an eventuality."

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Well firstly, it was no ordinary passenger. He's a fully qualified 747 off-duty pilot. So it isn't as "heroic" as it seems. I hope the co-pilot is well and is able to continue flying.

Four in ten pilots admit falling asleep in the cockpit

Recent research also revealed that a third of these pilots admitted waking up to find their co-pilot asleep as well.

In a 2012 survey for the European Cockpit Association (ECA), more than half of around 6,000 pilots from all over Europe said tiredness had hampered their ability to fly.

Of those who felt unfit, 79 per cent said that this was “sometimes” or “often” the case.

The research also suggested the issue is under-reported. Fearing the reaction of employers, 70 to 80 per cent of tired pilots said they would not file a fatigue report or declare they were unfit to fly

To the ECA, the results were not surprising. The organisation claims that long duty and standby hours, night flights and disruptive schedules contribute to pilots spending long periods awake.

The body, which represents European pilots, is using the survey to bolster its campaign demanding safer flying time regulations. It says the final proposals from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) on Flight Time Limitations, published in October and designed to "harmonise" regulations across the EU, fail to protect passenger safety, and would only marginally improve the current situation.

“Fatigue impairs the judgment and ability of air crews to react quickly, with potentially disastrous consequences,” said Philip von Schöppenthau of the ECA. “We cannot wait for another accident before the EU wakes up and realises its rules are insufficient.”

The British Airline Pilots’ Association is also opposed to EASA's proposals which it said are more permissive than those currently in place in Britain. It said pilots will be able to land an aircraft having been awake for 22 hours, could face night flights of up to 11 hours long and be forced to work up to seven early starts in a row. Currently British pilots can go up to 18 hours without sleep.

However, a Government report published on September 11 said the current draft of the proposals "will not lead to a diminution of safety in the UK". In response to a Transport Committee Inquiry, it said the rules will offer a similar level of safety to that set by the US Federal Aviation Administration and noted that some other EU member states believed the proposals too restrictive in some areas.

The proposals will now enter the legislative process and must be finalised by the European Commission and approved by Member States before being adopted into EU law after mid-2013.

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40% of them fell asleep in the cockpit, and some of them woke up seeing that their co-pilot is asleep too. That's undesirable but this doesn't come as a surprise. Pilots are a bunch of sleep deprived fellows having to fight jetlag, time difference and long hours in the cockpit. The ideal lifestyle of a pilot is go to work, then sleep, eat and exercise moderately well. But nothing is ideal, we're all humans and are going to need some sort of entertainment to de-stress, otherwise life will be meaningless.

Hopefully the airlines will acknowledge this point and improve the conditions so as to provide the passengers with a safer flight.

Week 4: ATPL Ground School Week 4

This week is much better in terms of the studying as the main bulk of the chapters were covered during the first Progress Test last week. Ended up I didn't really study that much, at least not as much as required. I probably slacken off during the weekend.

The syllabus is coming to an end, leaving only parts of 2 chapters to be covered. Next week will be the final week of teaching, after which it will be 4 weeks of revision with a mock exam. Tech phase will end with my exams conducted after Christmas, a total of 5 papers namely Electrics, Airframes, Loading, Engines and Principles of Flight.

I'm coping well as of now. Let's hope it stays that way.

Didn't put much effort in studying last weekend, luckily managed to pull through

Torpedo??

Studying in midweek

Airbus Wins 60-Plane China Order After EU Retreat on CO2 Charges

Airbus SAS won an order for 60 A320 planes from state-backed China Eastern Airlines Corp. (670), less than two weeks after the European Union backed down in a dispute with the government in Beijing over jetliner-emission levies.

China Eastern received a “substantive” discount to the list price of $5.4 billion for the single-aisle planes, it said in a statement from Shanghai yesterday, adding that Toulouse, France-based Airbus also agreed to take 18 regional jets off its hands.

EU plans to impose carbon dioxide-emission fees on flights in and out of the bloc were suspended on Nov. 12 after countries including China, India and Russia threatened retaliatory steps. Airbus parent European Aeronautic, Defence & Space Co. (EAD) had said the levies might cause China to refuse to take its planes.

“I suspect there’s a message there,” said Sandy Morris, an analyst at Jefferies International in London with a “buy” rating on EADS. “China has been light on A320 orders for a while now and it looks like Airbus held some production slots back until this was resolved. It’s called looking after your customer.”

The A320s, due to arrive from 2014 to 2017, will be used mainly on domestic routes, according to China Eastern, which last year switched an order for 24 Boeing Co. (BA) 787s wide-body planes to 45 smaller 737s because of waning long-haul demand.

Regional Deal

The airline will sell eight Bombardier Inc. (BBD/B) CRJ planes and 10 Embraer SA regional jets with a book value of 1.5 billion yuan ($241 million) to Airbus, it said in the statement.

China was pleased with the EU move to suspend the plan for emissions charges, Xia Xinghua, deputy director of its aviation regulator, said Nov. 13. The Asian country’s airline association said in June that carriers would snub a deadline for filing emissions data and that the government would support them.

Three calls to China Eastern’s offices outside regular office hours yesterday went unanswered.

Airbus Chief Executive Officer Fabrice Bregier said in September that China was withholding signature on 35 to 45 wide- body A330 planes because of the emissions dispute. A contract for those aircraft would have given a “bigger signal” regarding current Chinese attitudes, Jefferies’ Morris said.

Airbus, which has an A320 assembly plant in China, won an order for 50 of the planes from the leasing arm of state- controlled Industrial & Commercial Bank of China Ltd. in August.

China and other nations had said the EU should wait for a global emissions program being drawn up by the United Nations’ aviation agency rather than push ahead with a regional plan.

The levies are designed to curb C02 output associated with global warming.

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Airlines in China are pretty strong in their stand about the carbon tax EU is intending to implement. I guess the most vulnerable victim to this new ruling is probably Airbus. China being a huge market with massive demands in their domestic aviation sector, nobody will want to miss out on such a big pie of business. Imagine Airbus losing all orders to Boeing, it's going to be unthinkable.

But what do you make out of the EU wanting to charge the carbon tax? Personally I feel it is redundant. "Fining" airlines for pollution isn't going to help much in global warming. The direction in which we should proceed to is to make more efficient engines to reduce emissions, just like what hybrid cars are doing on the road.

Qatar Airways first Boeing 787 commercial service takes off to Dubai

Qatar Airways today began commercial services of its brand new Boeing 787 aircraft with Doha – Dubai becoming the Dreamliner’s debut route.

The state-of-the-art aircraft is being deployed on four daily rotations between the two cities marking a new era for Middle East aviation as Qatar Airways is the Boeing 787 launch customer in the region. Flight QR 106 took off from Doha International Airport at 0800 hrs for the one hour journey to Dubai.

Qatar Airways’ newest addition to its fleet heralds the start of an exciting new era for travellers worldwide with unparalled levels of comfort and luxury onboard Boeing’s next generation aircraft.

The 787 services to and from the UAE will target peak travel times in a combination of morning, afternoon and night flights to Dubai.

The new operation comes less than a week after the aircraft’s delivery flight from Seattle to Doha, where it has since spent a few days positioned at Doha International Airport giving staff an opportunity to tour the aircraft before it enters commercial service.

Qatar Airways has orders for 60 Dreamliners. The next four 787s are due to join the fleet by the end of December.

Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker said the maiden commercial route marked yet another exciting achievement for the award-winning airline.

“Today signifies an exciting and hugely anticipated occasion for Qatar Airways, as well as the global aviation industry. It is with enormous pride for my country, our employees and myself that we are embarking on another momentous achievement for our award-winning airline with the introduction of 787 passenger flights. The Dreamliner is yet another first for Qatar Airways, our customers and for the Middle East aviation industry", he said.

“Dubai is one of our most popular routes and we felt it important to give our passengers in and around our neighbouring city an opportunity to experience the comforts of our new plane before it begins long-haul commercial services.

“With this launch we reaffirm our continued commitment to challenge and lead the aviation industry, redefining the passenger experience as we deliver a truly five-star offering to travellers around the world.

“I have no doubt that our passengers – aviation fanatics, seasoned travellers and first time flyers alike will cherish their first time aboard our 787s and look forward to savouring the experience time and time again. The 787 raises the bar for luxury commercial travel and the experience for travellers around the world will never be the same again,” added Al Baker.

Following the 787s welcome into commercial service on the Doha – Dubai route, it will then spread its wings on one of the airline’s five daily flights to London Heathrow. As more 787s join the fleet over the course of the next few weeks, the aircraft will be inducted on other long-haul routes including Zurich, Frankfurt and Delhi.

Qatar Airways has 254 custom-made seats across its 787 Business and Economy Class cabins with specially designed interiors, together with a unique inflight entertainment system offering over 1,000 audio and video programming options. Its Dreamliners are also the world’s first fully connected 787s with wireless facilities for passengers to remain in touch with their friends and loved ones on the ground.

A striking feature of every seat throughout the aircraft is the award-winning touch screen Android system, where passengers are able to navigate through a truly interactive service offering more than 1,000 movie, TV programmes, music and gaming entertainment options in a sophisticated and user friendly way, just like the latest smart phones.

The touch-screen control unit has a unique dual screen interface allowing passengers to play games on their handheld device while enjoying a movie on their personal screen. Passengers are also able to be fully connected through WIFI and GSM telephony, sending both text and MMS messages, with each seat equipped with USB, MP3 and other charger ports, including laptop power outlets.

In addition, dynamic mood lighting and the composite design of the Dreamliner with lighter materials, will ensure passengers are less fatigued and more refreshed as the cabin pressure is 2,000 feet closer to ground level with an air purification system that is cleaner and healthier than many other aircraft.

The 787 Dreamliner is made up of composite materials making it a lighter and more fuel efficient than any comparable aircraft of its size and range. Key features include larger windows, lower cabin pressure at higher altitude ensuring less fatigue, mood lighting throughout the aircraft and more passenger space and comfort.

One of the world’s fastest growing airlines, Qatar Airways has seen rapid growth in just 15 years of operations, currently flying a modern fleet of 112 aircraft to 121 key business and leisure destinations across Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific, North America and South America.

Since the beginning of 2012, Qatar Airways has launched flights to 10 new destinations – Baku (Azerbaijan); Tbilisi (Georgia); Kigali (Rwanda); Zagreb (Croatia), Erbil (Iraq), Baghdad (Iraq), Perth (Australia), Kilimanjaro (Tanzania); Yangon (Myanmar), Maputo (Mozambique), and Belgrade (Serbia).

Over the next few weeks and months, Qatar Airways will launch services to a diverse portfolio of new routes, including Warsaw, Poland (December 5), Gassim, Saudi Arabia (7 January 2013); Najaf, Iraq (January 23); Phnom Penh, Cambodia (February 20); Chicago, USA (April 10); and Salalah, Oman (May 22).

Seats on the 787 Doha – Dubai flights are now bookable online at qatarairways.com, through any Qatar Airways reservation office or local travel agent.

SOURCE

Another airline starts operating the B787 Dreamliner but sadly Qatar Airways isn't going to fly it to Singappore, not yet at least. Currently in Changi Airport, there is only the Japan Airlines operating the B787. I can't wait for the day when Scoot starts receiving its first B787s and I can fly in it as a passenger on BUDGET!! Haha, that is indeed a huge attractive point; budget on premium.

Malaysian regulators find "issues" in AirAsia audit

Top budget airline AirAsia has had its right-to-fly extended by six months rather than the standard two years after an audit by Malaysian regulators found "some issues", an official said on Friday.

The government official said the department of civil aviation had decided to extend the low-cost carrier's air operator's certificate until March 31 next year, at which point it will need to reapply.

The certificates, which allow carriers to use aircraft for commercial purposes, are usually granted for two years.

"The department already audited AirAsia, and they only approved six months for AirAsia," the official told AFP.

"AirAsia needs to apply again for renewal... next year," he added.

The official said the carrier, Asia's largest low-cost carrier by fleet size, faced "some issues... that have been found" but did not elaborate further.

Local daily SunBiz reported on Friday, quoting sources, that AirAsia had failed to meet regulatory standards.

The daily said an audit showed "shortcomings in AirAsia's flight operations procedures and practices, including flawed communications between flight operations and pilots, an outdated manual and flight operations not in keeping with the manual".

SunBiz also reported that AirAsia's head of flight operations had been removed from their post and replaced.

AirAsia did not immediately return requests for comment.

"The fact that they have not grounded AirAsia aircraft shows that it's not a serious safety issue, but this action still serves as a warning," a source told SunBiz.

Rapidly expanding AirAsia has become one of the airline industry's biggest success stories, rivaling national carrier Malaysia Airlines, which has been struggling to get out of the red.

Head Tony Fernandes acquired the then-failing airline a decade ago. He has set up subsidiary budget carriers in Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and Japan.

SOURCE

 Well it seems that there is some problem in AirAsia causing their AOC to be renewed for only 6 months, after which they will have to re-apply again. But no worries, AirAsia will have 6 months to rectify this issue and become better.

Cathay Second Officer

Another video by Cathay Pacific introducing one of their own boys as a Second Officer flying their fleet of modern aircraft. It is videos like this that inspires people all around the world who aspire being an airline pilot and trying all means to get into the cockpit one day to fulfill their dream job and feed their flying passion at the same time. Who wouldn't want a job that he will be smiling while reporting to work?

But it is tough, right from the very start. It isn't a road that is going to be a walk in the park. Cathay's cadet interview process is one of the longest and most tedious I've seen; having to go through so many stages and the whole process might even take 6 months or more. And after getting through the many stages of tests, the ground school and flight training is another hurdle to pass.

Being an airline pilot isn't just about glamour, there is definitely a lot of hard work behind that shiny pair of wings pinned onto the left chest. Cathay Pacific has created a new website associated with their cadets. Lots of info in there, fellow aviation enthusiasts can go take a look!

The germiest place on an airplane? It’s right in front of you

Thought the weirdo in the window seat was your biggest worry? Think again.

The CBS news station in Dallas checked the cleanliness of airplanes on two recent flights. The CBS 11 investigation revealed all sorts of ick. Serratia, Proteus vulgaris and Enterobacter were just a few of the bacteria strands stowed away around passengers.

"Nasty stuff," one traveler told the TV station.

Reporter Ginger Allen randomly swabbed several areas on the planes and found filth on lavatory door handles and table trays.

"But the grossest of all came from right here ... in the seat pocket," Allen showed in her report. (Note to self on where not to put mints or mobile phones, huh?)

Fortunately, Dallas doctor Cedric Spak told CBS 11 that the bacteria it found on the airplanes are fairly normal and not harmful to a healthy person. To avoid airplane germs, Spak and other doctors advise travelers to wash their hands, use hand sanitizer and allow the air vents to blow above their seat.

"It is all kind of the same sort of bacteria that lives down underneath the belly button," Spak said. "Which means somebody was scratching their belly button, then scratching the tray table."

Safe travels, y'all!

SOURCE

 The next time you've been on a plane, the first thing you do after getting off-board is to head to the washroom and wash both your hands with soap.

AirAsia Q3 profit rises, outlook optimistic

AirAsia, Asia's largest low-cost carrier by fleet size, said on Wednesday its third-quarter net profit rose 3.6 percent year-on-year thanks to increased usage despite a rise in fuel prices.

Net profit for the quarter ending September 30 was 157.81 million ringgit ($51.56 million) compared with 152.3 million a year earlier, the company said in a statement.

It posted record quarterly revenue of 1.24 billion ringgit, up 14 percent from 1.08 billion.

"The growth was attributed to the increase in the number of passengers carried, which grew nine percent to 4.75 million, and increase in capacity as the number of aircraft operating in Malaysia increased to 59," the airline said in a statement.

New CEO Aireen Omar said in the statement the airline's cash position remains strong with 2.2 billion ringgit in cash and bank balances.

"AirAsia continues to outperform each quarter with strong growth in net operating profit, which has increased 18 percent and led to a four percent increase in profit after tax year-on-year," she said.

Aireen said the airline was expected to post another impressive quarter in October-December.

"The fourth quarter is predominantly our strongest quarter. We will continue to launch more routes and add more frequencies to cater to the high demand," she said.

AirAsia has set up subsidiary budget carriers in Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and Japan.

The discount carrier, one of the biggest customers for European aircraft maker Airbus, has a fleet of 112 A320s and is expecting 266 more aircraft to be delivered up to 2026.

The airline has said it was in discussions to buy an additional 100 aircraft to support its rapid growth in Asia.

SOURCE

AirAsia indeed is a force to be reckon with in the aviation world. With travelling made affordable today, low cost carriers like AirAsia today are thriving very well. They are even looking to further expand their already amazing fleet of Airbus. It seems that they can only go bigger, better and perhaps, richer.

Cathay looks for second officers with an eye to promotion

Like its counterparts on the other side of China's internal border, Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific will be aggressively recruiting pilots over the next three years as it prepares to take delivery of dozens of new Airbus and Boeing widebodies.

However, the iconic flag-carrier's strategy is different to most of the other, newer Chinese airlines. For a start, Cathay - based in the former UK colony, now a special administrative region of China, for the past 66 years - recruits only second officers. And, unlike carriers in mainland China, which tend to offer expat pilots fixed-term contracts, Cathay "likes to be a career airline", says Kelly Crawford, flightcrew recruitment manager, offering these second officers a long-term progression to the left-hand seat.

Cathay will look to recruit around 200 second officers in 2013, with a target of 100 for the following year and 140 for 2015. Those joining will vary from young twenty somethings who have come through ab initio training to experienced instructors or regional jet, or even narrowbody, first officers.

Although it may not be undergoing the breakneck growth of some other Chinese airlines, Cathay's fleet is expanding fast. It operates 137 Boeing 777s and 747s and Airbus A340s and A330s, with an average fleet age of 10.7 years. It has firm orders for 97 aircraft, around half of them Airbus A350s, but also 777-300ERs and A330s, as well as 777-200 and 747-8 Freighters.

Cathay has three recruitment streams for its second officers. At the entry-level it has a 55-week ab initio cadet programme for those with little or no aviation experience. These will tend to be young graduates and Hong Kong identity card-holders, says Crawford. About 60 of the 200 recruits in 2013 will come via this route.

For those with more experience - usually a commercial pilot's licence - Cathay offers a 32-week programme, which ends up with an instrument rating and a seat in the cockpit of one of the airline's fleet. Recruits can range in age from 23 to 48, says Crawford, and will come from all over the world. Around 70 of the 200 intake will complete this course.

Finally, the highest level of entry is a five-week transition training programme for holders of airline transport pilot licences (ATPL), with around 70 of the 2013 recruits expected to go through this process. The three streams give Cathay a "good mix of experience coming into the cockpit, with a global flavour", says Crawford.

Promotion is relatively rapid. Under local regulations, second officers must have reached first officer rank within four-and-a-half years, but most achieve promotion a year earlier. Time to command is around 12 years, but this can vary depending on fleet size and the number of first officers coming through the system at any one time. "It has typically been 10 years, but it has been as low as seven," says Crawford.

SOURCE

A little information about the recruitment outlook at Cathay Pacific. Unlike Singapore Airlines, CX is looking to recruit more cadets in the coming year 2013, 200 of them to be exact. Perhaps this will spell great news for those looking to take a shot at this programme.

Cathay Pacific Cadet Pilot Programme

The very competitive Cathay Pacific cadet pilot programme for ab-initios. I did apply for it back in early 2010 but never got a call up from them for an interview even when they came to Singapore in 2011. I would have really loved to have a shot at it but was never given a chance. That's quite a shame but it's understandable considering how many quality applicants they get.

However, now that the ab-initio programme is closed for foreigners, this avenue to become an airline pilot is somehow closed for people with no experience in flight. Don't fret, they have more advanced programmes for those with flight experience and they're shorter in the training duration. You can click on the "Cathay Pacific Career" tab above to find out more information on it.

Good luck!

Week 3: ATPL Ground School Week 3

This week is a little different because the Progress Test has started, and every Monday will be a stressful day for the whole class. What we all did during the weekend was basically chewing the textbooks; trying our best to remember what was taught and put our knowledge to test on Monday.

The room for error is very small with the 75% passing mark. So for a paper with only 25 MCQ questions, the maximum mistakes you're allowed to make is only 6 questions. It really is a slippery slope and if you ain't careful or didn't revise enough, you will fall down the slope.

Failing is not an option with so much at stake.

The Electrics paper was a close shave at 80%

Malindo and Lion to absorb 600 unemployed pilots, hire up to 1,200 in five years

Finally some good news to a growing number of unemployed pilots. Malindo Air and Lion Air will hire more than 600 pilots from Malaysia for its operations over the next few months to years while its rivals are only hiring between 50 and 100 a year.

That's not all. According to PT Lion Grup president director Rusdi Kirana, the group has the capacity to absorb many more pilots and it can even hire up to 1,000 over the next five years.

“With all the aircraft orders that we have made, we certainly need pilots. It is not empty promises, it is real. We need pilots but it also depends on the pilots. They must have good skills, knowledge and the right attitude (before we can hire them),” he says in an interview with StarBizWeek.

He adds that “we are growing and we have placed an order for 381 new aircraft and that means we need pilots. And we are also thinking of ordering more aircraft.”

The airline group was in the limelight in February when it firmed an order to buy 230 aircraft worth US$22bil from Boeing and that purchase was said to be the single largest contract in commercial aviation history. It is because of that order, many within the aviation industry began looking at Lion Air seriously.

The PT Lion Grup owns Lion Air, Wings Air and Batik Air (to be launched in the second half of 2013) and has a 49% stake in Malaysia's Malindo Air.

“In a year, we will take delivery of 36 to 40 aircraft and for each aircraft we need five sets of pilots or 10 people. So we need to hire about 200 pilots each year and over five years we will need 1,000 pilots.

“On top of that, there will also be pilots who fall sick or go on leave, so we need 20% more. So in total, we can take up to 1,200 pilots over the five years, but it all depends on skills, knowledge and attitude,” Rusdi says.

There are over 1,000 unemployed pilots in the country who can't seem to pin down jobs because there is a limited number of vacancies and they cannot market themselves globally because they have too few flying hours.

But the emergence of Malindo Air has presented an opportunity for the trained pilots, some of whom have taken study loans from banks and are doing odd-jobs to service their debt and to make ends meet.

When news broke that Malindo Air was set up, the airline was flooded with enquires. In fact, when it conducted a walk-in interview early this month, throngs of people showed up for various jobs in the new airline. Among them were over 600 unemployed pilots who had travelled across the country for the interview.

“The airline is our fresh hope of fulfilling a career,” says an unemployed pilot who stood in line for three days for an interview.

Whether or not he gets the job will depend on him passing a written test, a psychometric test and a simulator test before he can ink a contract to fly for either Malindo Air, Lion Air or any other airline within the group.

However, they still need to attend aircraft type training which will initially be conducted in Jakarta and they will have to take loans which the group will help to provide. The training is essential to clock in the prerequisite flying hours with Lion Air before they can pilot for Malindo, which is expected to take off in mid-March next year.

To show its seriousness, the group will transport one simulator to Kuala Lumpur so training can eventually be done here.

Rusdi's strategy is a quick way of meeting the airline's needs, where instead of employing high school leavers to undertake training, he is hiring those who are already skilled and trained to undertake aircraft type and line training. That will help to save cost.

He acknowledges that “yes, it is a clever strategy but we are thinking of the long term. We could possibly take experienced pilots but then we would not be spending time to train the young pilots.”

SOURCE

This is definitely great news to the fresh pilot grads in Malaysia and are still looking for their big break in an airline job. Lion Air means serious business with their unbelievably huge order of the new B737 back in February this year. Each plane will need minimally 10 pilots to operate and with the hundreds of planes coming in, it can only mean higher demand for pilots.

For those waiting for their opportunity, do not blow this chance.

Pilots in Qantas and Cathay Pacific

An insight to being a pilot in Cathay Pacific and Qantas, two of the biggest international airlines in the world.

Boeing, SilkAir Finalize Order for 54 737s

Boeing and SilkAir have finalized an order for 54 Next-Generation 737s and 737 MAX 8s worth $4.9 billion at list prices. With this agreement, the 737 MAX has accumulated 969 orders to date.

SilkAir's order for 23 737-800s and 31 737 MAX 8s is the largest order in the airline's history and begins a fleet transition to Boeing airplanes.

"The capability of the 737s will enable us to spread our wings to even more destinations and increase capacity on existing routes," said SilkAir Chief Executive Leslie Thng.

The Next-Generation 737 and 737 MAX can fly farther than competing airplanes, enabling airlines to open new routes.

"As air travel in the Asia Pacific region continues to grow, we're proud to support SilkAir as it plans to fly more passengers and serve more cities," said Dinesh Keskar, senior vice president of Asia Pacific and India Sales, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "Passengers will soon experience not only SilkAir's award-winning service, but the comfort of the 737 Boeing Sky Interior."

Both the Next-Generation 737 and 737 MAX feature the Boeing Sky Interior, which highlights new modern sculpted sidewalls and window reveals, LED lighting that enhances the sense of spaciousness and larger pivoting overhead stowage bins.

The 737 MAX is a new-engine variant of the world's best-selling airplane and builds on the strengths of today's Next-Generation 737. The 737 MAX incorporates the latest-technology CFM International LEAP-1B engines to deliver the highest efficiency, reliability and passenger comfort in the single-aisle market. Airlines operating the 737 MAX will see a 13 percent fuel-use improvement over today's most fuel-efficient single-aisle airplanes and an 8 percent operating cost per seat advantage over tomorrow's competition.

The SilkAir order brings the net year-to-date total for 737s ordered in 2012 to 1,031 airplanes. This is the first time in the single-aisle jetliner's history that it has logged more than 1,000 orders in a single year. The 737 also broke its own record for net orders this past October when it topped the 2007 record of 846 orders.

SilkAir is a full-service airline and the regional wing of Singapore Airlines. It currently flies to 42 destinations across 12 countries.

SOURCE

After SilkAir's intent to switch fully to B737 few months back, this piece of news confirmed that they are indeed ditching the A320 for the newer, more efficient and better ranged Boeing. Boeing must have given the airline a pretty attractive discount package to convince them to totally switch over to 737.

Having such a massive order and fleet renewal is not easy for the airline. Cabin crew, pilots, engineers, simulators etc etc will have to be retrained in order for them to have the necessary knowledge to fly the new model.

Maybe it is also a way for SilkAir to distinguish itself from the many low cost carriers operating in Singapore with all of them utilising the A320. I would love to have a try on the B737 when it arrives as I've never sat in one before.

Airbus sells 460 planes in Jan-Oct, trails Boeing

European planemaker Airbus won 460 aircraft orders in the first 10 months of the year, less than half the score by Boeing as its U.S. arch rival continued to benefit from a surge in demand for its new fuel-efficient 737 MAX model.

Airbus said net orders in the period from January to October reached 403 after taking into account 57 cancellations, compared with 1,009 for Boeing in the period to November 6. The U.S. company has received 990 net orders for 737 narrow-body jets this year.

Boeing also outpaced Airbus in terms of deliveries in the period through October, handing over 486 aircraft to customers, including 342 737s, against 462 for Airbus.

The latest data show Boeing is still on course to reclaim the top spot in commercial aircraft production from Airbus this year. The U.S. group lagged Airbus on deliveries for the ninth year in a row last year.

Boeing's market share sank to its worst level in the history of its 40-year rivalry with Airbus in 2011 as it took longer to decide on a strategy to meet demand for more fuel-efficient single-aisle jets in response to Airbus' new A320neo.

But its new 737 MAX is helping it overtake Airbus this year.

Airbus said last week it expects to deliver 580 aircraft this year, with gross orders of 600-650.

Airbus' new business in October included the purchase of 15 A330-300s by Turkish Airlines and an additional order for four A350 XWB jetliners from Libya's Afriqiyah Airways.

The planemaker added that it delivered five A380 superjumbos last month, taking the total since January to 22 and keeping Airbus on track to deliver 30 of the planes this year.

The company also previously targeted selling 30 of the superjumbo planes this year but has since said that could be tough to achieve. Airbus only sold four A380s during the 10-month period.

SOURCE

Boeing's 737 MAX is selling like hotcakes while the 320 is fizzling out. The delivery numbers of Boeing also triumph Airbus'. Is the American giant making a big comeback to regain the spot as the biggest market share in commercial aviation?

On the other hand, the A380 is performing poorly with low orders. Fuel prices is probably the biggest culprit for such a poor showing. Unless the A380 becomes cheaper to operate, airlines will continue buying twin-engine airplanes that are more efficient over the same kind of range as the jumbojet.

Scoot cancels 20 flights from Singapore to Shenyang and Qingdao

SINGAPORE: Singapore Airlines' long-haul budget airline subsidiary Scoot has cancelled some 20 flights from Singapore to Shenyang and Qingdao, citing regulatory approval problems.

All flights to both destinations between 27 November this year and 8 January next year are affected as the airline has not been able to obtain all the necessary regulatory approvals for the routes.

Scoot had indicated on the flights selection page on its website and in the passengers' flight itineraries that the flights are subject to regulatory approval.

A Scoot spokesperson contacted said that it is standard practice for airlines to launch destinations and sell fares even before getting regulatory approval.

The airline declined to say how many passengers were affected.

Channel NewsAsia understands however that each Boeing 777-200 can seat 402 people.

Scoot's fleet currently comprises four Boeing 777-200s.

Affected passengers will have to make alternative travel arrangements.

Currently, Scoot tickets for flights from Singapore to Shenyang and Qingdao after 8 January next year are still available for sale.

However, these flights are still subject to regulatory approval.

SOURCE

Usually in aviation terms, selling the eggs before getting the hen is a common practice but this time Scoot has been caught in between with the failure to get regulatory approval from the Chinese authorities on time to get the flights going.

This should not have happened since I believe Scoot has timed the schedule properly to prevent such an incident which will hurt its reputation. Somewhere somehow must have been delayed which resulted in this problem cropping up and passengers being left disappointed. Hopefully there won't be further delays and flight cancellations or else Scoot will be kicking themselves in the foot. 

"Bang and flash" engine trouble hits Emirates A380

SYDNEY: An engine problem forced an Emirates A380 superjumbo to turn back to Sydney, the airline said on Monday, with passengers hearing a loud bang and seeing a flash of orange.

The pilot of the Dubai-bound Airbus plane carrying 380 passengers made the decision to turn back shortly after take-off on Sunday night.

"Emirates flight EK413 from Sydney to Dubai on November 11 turned back shortly after take-off due to an engine fault," the carrier said in a statement.

"Emirates apologises for any inconvenience caused to its customers. However, the safety of our passengers and crew is of the highest priority and will not be compromised."

Fairfax journalist Matt Campbell was on the plane and told the Sydney Morning Herald the aircraft was still climbing.

"It seemed about half an hour into the flight when I saw a bright orange flash, heard a loud bang and there was a big thump through the cabin," he said.

"The flight attendants were rushing about through the cabin and then eventually the PA came on and the captain said there was an engine problem with engine number three and that engine had now been shut down."

An Emirates spokesman told AFP the carrier was still working on what caused the scare but admitted passengers may have "seen a flash and heard noise".

"There were no flames or smoke," he added, despite some passengers telling local media they saw fire.

"The pilot made a decision to turn back as a precaution."

Another passenger told Sydney's Daily Telegraph the Emirates flight attendants "panicked more than the passengers".

"Everyone was running left and right (with) no one knowing what's happened." Amal Aburawi, a doctor, told the tabloid, and said non-English speaking passengers were not properly informed about what was happening.

She said usually Arabic announcements followed the English but "this time no one mentioned anything in Arabic and there (were) many Arabic passengers, many of them old ladies."

Qantas, which recently sealed a major partnership with Emirates, had an engine explode on one of its A380s over Indonesia in November 2010.

The accident, during a flight from Singapore to Sydney, led the Australian carrier to temporarily ground its entire A380 superjumbo fleet.

Subsequent investigations pinpointed a manufacturing defect which caused fatigue cracking in an oil pipe, resulting in a fire and potentially catastrophic engine failure.

SOURCE

My instructor don't seem to have a good impression about the A380 either. After being in service since 2007, the engine problems are still evident, with the huge scare experienced by Qantas flight QF32 in 2010 as well as the cracks discovered on the wings.

This latest incident involving Emirates adds on to the list of troubles troubling the A380. Thank god nothing massive has hit Singapore Airlines' A380 yet and hopefully it never will.

Garuda Indonesia to Spend Rp 21 Trillion Next Year for New Planes

Garuda Indonesia said on Friday it will spend a total of Rp 21.4 trillion ($2.2 billion) to bring in 24 new airplanes next year to help achieve the goals of its Quantum Leap program.

The 24 planes include four Boeing 777-300 ERs, two Airbus 330-200s, 10 Boeing 737-800 NGs, seven Bombardier CRJ1000s and an Airbus 330-300.

“The price of a Boeing 777 is about US$150 million. An Airbus 330 is $100 million, a Boeing 737 is $50 million and a Bombardier is between $20 million and $25 million,” Garuda president director Emirsyah Satar said on Friday on the sidelines of the Garuda Indonesia Travel Fair 2012 in Jakarta.

He added that the new Boeing 777 and Airbus planes would be used to serve international routes, replacing Garuda’s aging Boeing 747 aircraft.

“Flights to Jeddah for minor hajj trips [outside of the normal hajj season] and other [international routes] will be served by our new planes,” Emirsyah said.

Garuda currently uses 95 airplanes that serve 32 domestic and 18 international routes.

In addition to the 24 aircraft, twenty other airplanes are expected to arrive by the end of the year, bringing the fleet's total number to 105. The average age of its planes is 5.8 years old.

Under its robust Quantum Leap expansion program, Garuda is targeting to utilize a total of 194 aircraft by 2015.

Garuda aims to serve up to 20 million passengers this year, including those flying with its subsidiary airline, Citilink Indonesia.

Emirsyah said the figure would represent a 17 percent increase in passengers, higher than the projected 14 percent growth of the global aviation industry this year.

SOURCE

About time Indonesia's national airline renew their fleet with other Indo airlines being very aggressive especially Lion Air. Indonesia's aviation sector has be growing so much yearly that even Air Asia wants to tap into the huge market. If the country is able to iron out the safety issues, they will become the next big thing in aviation other than China.

Week 2: ATPL Ground School Week 2

Week 2 is over. And the horrors have come!! I'm starting to fall asleep in class due to exhaustion. Age catching up with me perhaps? The daily studying and reading after 8 hours of class is tiring. It seems that getting 7 hours of sleep per day isn't quite enough now.

I'm starting to worry how am I going to survive Nav Phase with my poor stamina. The batch mates have also gone a little bit crazier this week, doing weird things in class. I guess all of us are starting to feel the heat, some had already fallen sick and passed on the virus to others.

Shall not blog much, the weekly Monday progress tests have started, got to hit the books again. Keep the discipline intact.

Ryanair CEO: 'Seat Belts Don't Matter'

The colorful, attention-loving chief of Ryanair is at it again. The same CEO who suggested installing pay toilets on planes is now revisiting the idea of standing-room-only sections on flights and dissing the safety feature fliers use most.

“Seat belts don't matter,” Michael O’Leary told The Telegraph. “If there ever was a crash on an aircraft, God forbid, a seat belt won’t save you.”

O’Leary is reportedly on a quest to take out the back ten rows of seats on planes so Ryanair can offer tickets for one pound (about $1.60) to budget travelers willing to spend a flight on their feet in a “standing cabin.” The Irish airline is already known for its rock-bottom fares and extensive menu of fees for everything from early boarding to excess baggage.

What about the safety of passengers not buckled in? O’Leary told the paper they could just “hang on to the handle” when necessary and would be “fine,” adding that there’s little turbulence in Europe to worry about. People traveling by subway or train don’t wear seat belts, he pointed out.

"The problem with aviation is that for 50 years it's been populated by people who think it's this wondrous sexual experience; that it's like James Bond and wonderful and we'll all be flying first class when really it's just a ... bus with wings,” O’Leary told The Telegraph.

"If you say to passengers it's £25 for the seat and £1 for the standing cabin, I guarantee we will sell the standing cabin first.”

Don’t count on such a cabin ever showing up on any airline in any part of the world, said Todd Curtis, a former Boeing engineer and founder of AirSafe.com.

“What (O’Leary) was saying about getting rid of seat belts is a non-starter, it’s not realistic, it’s not going to be acceptable to the regulatory authorities,” Curtis told NBC News, adding that he got a chuckle out of O’Leary’s comments.

Seat belts keep passengers safe during turbulence, which can strike unexpectedly and can even happen when the sky appears to be clear, the Federal Aviation Administration says. About 58 people are injured in such bumpy rides each year in the United States while not buckled in, according to government statistics.

The FAA requires fliers to have their seat belts fastened when the plane leaves the gate, as it climbs after take-off, during landing and taxi, and whenever the seat belt sign is illuminated during flight. Airlines also often recommend that you stay buckled in at all times, because you never know when something will happen, Curtis added.

Turbulence isn't always the culprit. In 2008, dozens of passengers were hurt when a computer malfunction sent a Qantas flight into a sudden dive, Curtis pointed out.

Then, there’s the issue of O’Leary’s hypothetical standing-room-only section being located in the back of the plane, which is usually the bumpiest section of the cabin, boosting the chances of passengers losing their balance or falling down, Curtis said.

So while O’Leary may be right that flying has become less glamorous and more routine, air travel safety requirements remain the same, he added.

“The basic conditions under which aircraft fly haven’t changed,” Curtis said. “The need for (seat belts) won’t change.”

O’Leary is known for saying or suggesting controversial things that get lots of publicity for Ryanair. In September, he called passengers who fail to print their Ryanair boarding passes “stupid.” (Read more: Ryanair CEO: 'Stupid' Passengers Deserve Fees)

In 2010, O’Leary suggested getting rid of co-pilots on planes to save money. Then, of course, there was the idea of charging passengers one euro to use the lavatory on flights lasting 60 to 90 minutes.

In 2009, the airline also brought up the notion of collecting a “fat tax” from overweight passengers.

None of those ideas have been implemented.

Despite Ryanair's penny-pinching ways and the outrage it often causes, the airline attracts lots of customers. Earlier this month, it reported a 10 percent growth in profits and a 7 percent boost in passengers for the six-month period that ended in September.

SOURCE

Hahahaha, he is indeed very colourful and somehow eccentric. What I want to emphasize is that air travel might not be as prestigious as it previously was but safety definitely cannot be compromised. You want it to be affordable but you also want to reach your destination on time and in one full piece.

Boeing may take year to decide on mini-jumbo revamp

(Reuters) - Boeing Co appears to be at least a year away from offering a new version of the 777, its most profitable jet, timing that would be later than some airline customers want and could push them into the arms of rival Airbus.

Carriers such as Dubai's Emirates Airline EMIRA.UL and British Airways (ICAG.L) had planned on the new mini-jumbo, provisionally called the 777X, entering service by the end of the current decade. That being the case, the industry widely expected Boeing to begin selling the new jet by the end of this year.

With just seven weeks left in 2012, that timetable now appears increasingly unlikely, based on internal conversations between the planemaker and its customers.

"It's going to be way further off than people think," said a person familiar with the discussions who declined to be identified because the person was not authorized to speak publicly about the matter.

"Boeing is in conversations about it," the person added. "But the launch date (for sales) is a year away at least."

The 777X is aimed at the market for long-haul jets, worth hundreds of billions of dollars for Boeing and Airbus over the next decade or so. But some think delay by Boeing in creating the new 777 could push airlines into buying Airbus' rival A350-1000 jet, due to enter service in 2017.

Emirates, British Airways, Cathay Pacific Airways (0293.HK) and United Airlines (UAL.N), big buyers of the 777, have been pressing for the 777X to come sooner rather than later. The 777 is one of the most successful jets of all time and airlines are eager for an amped-up version that can go farther on less fuel with more passengers.

Rather than wait, United started talks with Airbus about upgrading some of its 25 orders for the A350-900 to the A350-1000, industry sources said. Cathay Pacific chose the A350-1000 in July. Analysts say others may grow impatient and follow.

In contrast, the 777X may not enter service until 2021 or 2022, rather than the end of the decade, based on Boeing's recent statements, said Richard Aboulafia, an analyst at the Teal Group in Fairfax, Virginia.

He was referring to comments by Boeing Chief Executive Jim McNerney on a conference call with analysts on October 24 in which he said, "We are looking at the end of the decade, beginning of the next decade" for entry into service.

"When you start throwing around 'early next decade' you're sending a message to customers to either buy our existing jets or go see Airbus," Aboulafia said. "You do not want to send that message."

A spokeswoman for Boeing said it hasn't changed the timing but declined to say if it will begin selling the first 777X by the end of the year.

"While we haven't set a firm timeline or launched the program, we've consistently talked about a potential market entry around the end of the decade and we are engaging with our customers to define the airplane and its ultimate timing," said Karen Crabtree, head of product strategy communications for Boeing. Boeing also said it always aims to balance spending between investment and shareholders.

STRATEGIC SHIFT?

Some analysts say the vague 777X timetable is fresh evidence of a bigger shift: a new reluctance by Boeing to plow capital into ambitious plane-development programs and an intention to instead return it to shareholders through higher dividends and share buybacks. Just five months ago, Boeing was seen by many as restoring an "engineering culture" that gave priority to new planes and production over immediate shareholder gains.

Also, linking "Boeing" and "delay" on the 777 serves as a painful reminder that the 787 Dreamliner, the world's first commercial carbon-fiber plane, arrived three and a half years behind schedule.

To be sure, Boeing and Airbus always do a delicate dance when launching new jets. Launch too early and they give their rival a chance to create a more technologically advanced jet. Launch too late and their rival has too much time to rack up sales, stealing the market.

In this case, the 777 delay frees up cash for other Boeing projects, such as the new 737MAX, aimed at the shorter-range market. It also avoids disrupting sales of the current 777 model, which is very popular.

And since timing and design of the 777X are must-win decisions, some say Boeing is wise to take time and get it right - even if that upsets some customers.

"We've all seen Boeing move quickly when they need to," said a person at a big Boeing customer who spoke on condition of anonymity. "If the industry is still asking this question (about timing) this time next year, then we may have some issues."

Last spring, the industry widely understood Boeing would seek board approval to begin selling the 777X by the end of the year or early 2013. That would mean work on building the jets could start in 2014, allowing the jet to enter service, or begin carrying commercial passengers, around 2019.

But the June resignation of Boeing's commercial airplane chief, Jim Albaugh - credited with solving many 787 production problems - and the ticking clock have raised concerns. Some analysts say Boeing is already at risk of waiting too long and losing its advantage in timing.

EYE ON AIRBUS

For its part, Boeing is keeping a wary eye on sales of the A350-1000, according to industry sources, and stands ready to pounce quickly if Airbus receives a surge in orders for its 350-seat rival model.

But if sales of the rival continue at a relatively sedate pace, Boeing will want to avoid moving too quickly and disrupting sales of its current-generation 777-300ER, while trying to catch the replacement cycle of 747-400s due to retire around the end of the decade, industry sources said.

Additionally, Boeing wants to be certain, before settling on the performance and economics of its 777X, that Airbus plans no further design tweaks to the A350-1000 to boost sales. Airbus has said it is happy with the design and there will be no further redesigns.

The A350-1000, the biggest member of the A350 family, is an all-new carbon composite design boasting fuel savings over the 777-300ER.

Boeing has limited margin for error. It also is juggling other complex programs such as the 787 and the stretched-jumbo Boeing 747-8. Airbus, too, has big programs under way, including smaller A350 versions and A380 superjumbo derivatives.

With order backlogs of more than 4,000 jets each, neither company faces a dire threat.

"When they get going, they'll do well," analyst Aboulafia said of Boeing. "But they'll miss a golden opportunity to deliver a knockout punch - launching the 777X quickly and badly damaging the A350-1000 before it gets traction in the market." (Reporting by Alwyn Scott and Tim Hepher.)

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The new A350 seems to have become the stop-gap measure before the B777X gets pushed out into the market in the early 2020s. The high fuel prices recently has dealt a pretty bad blow on planes spotting 4 jet engines, with Airbus scrapping the A340 totally. As a result, planes which can carry heavy loads over longer ranges are selling very well in today's market, especially the B777-300ER.

However, that is set to change with the A350-1000 as it is able to carry more passengers and is even more efficient than the 300ER. But let's not forget about the B787 too.

Exciting days ahead in terms of how efficient jet planes can become.

SIA shares fall as airline posts poor profits

SINGAPORE - Shares in Singapore Airlines fell sharply following the announcement of a steep decline in profit and after Chief Executive Officer Goh Choon Phong said he expected the second half of the financial year to be "very challenging", slowed down by the dual headwinds of high fuel prices and the economic situation in key markets.

Shares ended 1 per cent down on Monday at S$10.47, after falling earlier in the session to a four-month low of S$10.40, as the market gave its first reaction to Friday's announcement of a 54-per-cent drop in second quarter net profit on higher losses in the cargo business.

Although the result was not unexpected, the company's downbeat outlook for the second half gave investors an incentive to sell.

Speaking at a briefing on Monday morning, Mr Goh reiterated that there was little relief on the immediate horizon.

"We can expect that going forward the economy will continue to be very challenging or perhaps even more challenging than it is now, and we don't see any reprieve in terms of improvement especially from economies such as Europe," he said.

Still, despite the gloomy outlook, the airline thinks its strategy of developing both the premium and no-frills components of its business leaves it in the best possible position to weather the turbulence.

On the premium front, SilkAir is expanding and working more closely with SIA on fleet and route planning. This has resulted in a 25-per-cent increase in cross-selling between the two full-service wings of the airline, Mr Goh announced.

Meanwhile, at the budget end, Scoot is also expanding while working more closely with low-cost partner Tiger Airways to stimulate new traffic and tap new markets.

As a result of this dual-pronged approach, "SIA is able to participate in the growth of virtually any of the segments of the airline business. At different points in time, different segments of the airline portfolio grow at a different rate and are affected in a different manner," said Mr Goh.

Analysts, though, are sceptical about the impact of such measures on SIA's bottom line.

"Although SIA has attempted to stave off competition from the low-cost carriers and the Middle Eastern airlines via the development of SilkAir and the broadening of its alliance network, we think these actions will not have an immediate impact on profitability. As such, we see further near-term challenges," said CIMB Research. - David Bottomley

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Investors are not very optimistic about SIA's future and started dumping the stocks, and they are not to be blamed for it. It's tough times ahead for SIA, but all is not lost. 

The main fleet may not be performing well, but as a group, they should do much better considering Scoot, SilkAir and Tiger Airways have got great potential in the days ahead. One very good example is Qantas posting poor results but its Jetstar Group did exceptionally well and is able to minimise the impact of profit loss in 2011.

Perhaps low cost is the way to go now.