Friday, January 31, 2014

India "disappointed" after US downgrades air safety ranking


US aviation authorities have downgraded India's safety ranking in a "disappointing" and "surprising" move that will hit air links between the countries, India's aviation minister said on Friday.

The US Federal Aviation Administration downgraded India after conducting an audit last year of the country's aviation regulator that found 31 issues of safety concern, a ministry statement said.

The issues include the need for more and better trained full-time inspectors employed by the regulator tasked with carrying out safety checks on all types of aircraft and helicopters in India, it said.

"They have downgraded us to category 2. It is very disappointing and also surprising," Aviation Minister Ajit Singh said at a press conference in New Delhi.

The FAA has "determined that India at this time is not in compliance with the international standards for aviation safety oversight," according to FAA notes given to Indian regulator the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

The rating downgrade brings India below Pakistan and on a par with countries like Bangladesh, Ghana and Indonesia, according to FAA.

The downgrading effectively bars Air India and Jet Airways from increasing flights to the US, and additional safety checks will now be imposed on existing flights to the United States, the FAA's website shows.

Currently, Air India has 21 flights to the US per week while Jet Airway flies seven.

Indian airlines will also have to snap ties with US airlines, according to the website, but DGCA chief Prabhat Kumar said the downgrade would not affect the code-share agreement.

Jet has a code-share agreement with United Airlines currently, while Air India is joining Star Alliance.

Singh said 95 per cent of issues raised by the FAA have been resolved, while the remainder were expected to be resolved by March, adding it was the first time India had suffered a downgrade.

"They (FAA) should have based their decision on the situation now," said Singh, adding that the FAA's downgrade was based on air safety in September.
Diplomatic spat

The downgrade is the latest controversy between the US and India, which are attempting to put diplomatic relations back on track after outrage in December over the arrest and strip search of an Indian envoy in New York.

The envoy, Devyani Khobragade, was arrested on charges of visa fraud involving her domestic servant and lying about how much she paid her. Khobragande denied any wrongdoing and eventually returned to India after a deal was struck between the two nations to mend their relations.

In a bid to head off the downgrade, the government announced two days ago that 75 new positions would be created in the DGCA to carry out safety inspections.

"This is an important step that will aid in India regaining its former Category 1 status in the future," the FAA said in its notes to the DCGA and released by the minister.

"The United States Government commends the Indian government for taking these important actions and looks forward to continued progress by Indian authorities," the FAA said.

India's aviation sector has grown enormously in the last decade, as the 1.2-billion population becomes more affluent, boosting the number of international and domestic passengers.

But the sector has been hit in the past by safety scandals, including over fake pilots flying with fake qualifications in 2001.

Police made several arrests over the scandal involving cases of pilots exaggerating their flying time while training and other irregularities.

In one such case, a captain who made several bad landings was found to have submitted faked paperwork to gain her licence.

Experts said they expected the downgrade as the aviation regulator had failed to address earlier FAA warnings in a given period of time.

"The decision of the FAA to downgrade is both embarrassing and disgraceful... but one could see it coming," former Air India executive director Jitendra Bhargava told AFP. "The DGCA should take this as a wake up call."

SOURCE


Japan carriers' profits hit as weak yen hikes fuel costs


Japan's two biggest airlines said on Friday that the weak yen sent fuel costs soaring and profits into a nosedive as they struggled to recover from the global grounding of the Boeing Dreamliner plane last year.

However, while the surge in fuel costs, often a carrier's single-biggest expense, hit the bottom lines of Japan Airlines (JAL) and All Nippon Airways (ANA), they said a recovery in international travel helped lift sales.

Both companies are US-based Boeing's biggest customer for the state-of-the-art plane, which only resumed flying after a months' long grounding -- caused by a series of battery problems -- forced the cancellation of hundreds of flights.

The carriers are also fighting off increasing competition from a handful of low-cost carriers that have sprung up in recent years in a market they have long dominated.

On Friday, ANA said its net profit dived 36 per cent to 33.3 billion yen ($325 million) between April and December, citing the jump in fuel prices. Sales were up 7.1 per cent at 1.2 trillion yen.

JAL fared a little better, saying its nine-month net profit turned down 12.2 per cent to $1.2 billion, despite sales climbing 5.1 per cent on rising demand for international travel and its cargo service.

"The weak yen is a major factor holding back their profit," said Masaharu Shirokane, aviation analyst with Nomura Securities.

"It's a real headache for the Japanese aviation industry and as long as the yen remains weak, their bottom line will remain under pressure."

The yen has lost about a quarter of its value against the dollar since late 2012 following a policy blitz launched by Japanese premier Shinzo Abe and his hand-picked team at the Bank of Japan aimed at kickstarting economic growth and beating deflation.

JAL noted that a pickup in Japan's economy also helped lift demand for air travel ahead of an April sales tax hike.

"An economic recovery at home and overseas is stimulating demand, in particular business travel, which is profitable," Shirokane said.

"Demand for Chinese routes is also recovering from a slump... but it remains a potential risk in the future."

However, Japan's thorny ties with South Korea and China have depressed demand for flights to those countries.

Tokyo is embroiled in separate territorial spats with both countries, and a Chinese consumer boycott of Japanese brands in 2012 took a bite out of demand for flights through the first half of 2013.

ANA said it expects "passenger demand for business travel and leisure to remain robust" as it expanded its domestic and international routes, and offered discounted fares.

A 12.2 per cent rise in international passenger revenue as well as a jump in ANA's overseas cargo business helped offset a tiny rise in domestic passenger revenue and a downturn in its Japanese cargo business.

JAL also saw its international businesses offset laggard growth at home.

SOURCE


JAL nine-month profit drops 12%, boosts full-year forecast


Japan Airlines said Friday its nine-month net profit dropped 12.2 per cent to $1.2 billion owing to higher operating costs, but the carrier boosted its full-year earnings forecast.

Net profit for April to December came in at 123.5 billion yen on sales of 989.9 billion yen, up 5.1 per cent from a year earlier.

The airline said it now expects to earn 148 billion yen in the fiscal year to March, up from an earlier forecast of 128 billion yen.

The company said its bottom line had been hit by a jump in operating expenses.

It did not elaborate, but a sharp drop in the yen since late 2012, while giving a boost to Japanese exporters, has hurt its airlines by pushing up the cost of fuel, often a carrier's single-biggest expense.

JAL and its domestic rival All Nippon Airways, which also reports its financial results Friday, were hit by the worldwide grounding of Boeing's next generation aircraft.

Both companies are Boeing's biggest customer for the the state-of-the-art plane.

Japan's thorny ties with neighbours also depressed demand for flights to South Korea and China.

Tokyo is embroiled in separate territorial spats with both countries.

SOURCE


Thursday, January 30, 2014

Boeing profits up but 2014 outlook lags expectations


US aerospace giant Boeing on Wednesday reported a big jump in quarterly earnings, but signalled a leaner 2014 profit outlook after last year's boom.

Boeing's fourth quarter ended on a high note, with the company achieving record annual commercial aircraft deliveries on its way to notching a 26.1 percent rise in profits compared with the year-ago period.

But Boeing's 2014 earnings forecast pointed to headwinds in both its commercial and defence divisions.

One ripple effect from the late-2013 surge in commercial deliveries was that some of the late-2013 deliveries came early and at the expense of 2014 results, Boeing executives said. As a result, the company now forecasts essentially flat 2014 per-share earnings compared with the 20 percent gain in 2013.

Also weighing on results: the continued drag of lower US defence spending in the wake of government budget cuts. Boeing forecast revenues of $30-$31 billion in 2014 in its defence division, down from $33.2 billion in 2013.

Boeing chief executive Jim McNerney said a late-2013 federal government budget deal brings some relief from some of the worst effects of the sharp sequestration budget cuts.

"That said, we remain very concerned about longer-term budget uncertainty and the ultimate consequences of sequestration on national security, and the potential devastating impact to the nation's industrial base," McNerney said.

McNerney, addressing analysts for the first time since the company announced senior executive changes in December, also said he is not planning to retire "anytime soon."

The Boeing announcement included the promotion of Dennis Muilenburg to president, fueling speculation about McNerney's plans.

"While you may be seeing more of them, it doesn't mean you'll be seeing less of me," McNerney said.

Net earnings in the October-December period were $1.2 billion on revenues of $23.8 billion, compared with $978 million on revenues of $22.3 billion in the year-ago quarter.

Boeing reported full-year 2013 earnings of $4.6 billion on revenues of $86.6 billion, up 17.6 from the 2012 profits of $3.9 billion on revenues of $81.7 billion.

McNerney said the company has a "huge opportunity" after investing heavily in the 787 Dreamliner aircraft and other major new aircraft that are now able to be "harvested" through more cost-effective production.

Production on the 787 has reached 10 per month, but deliveries to customers are still at seven a month; the company said it wants to boost deliveries to 10 per month.

Boeing forecast 2014 earnings of $7.00-$7.20 per share, below analyst estimates for $7.57. Boeing earned $7.07 per share in 2013.

Boeing executives said 2014 earnings would also be hit by a one-time cash payment of $300 million to Washington state workers following an agreement with the International Association of Machinists on a new long-term contract.

Boeing was the best performer in the Dow Jones Industrial Average in 2013, with shares soaring 80 percent as it benefited from a surge in airline investment, but some analysts think the company's streak is losing momentum.

"2013 was a year loaded with positive surprises on many fronts," said Barclays. "With shares having re-rated so significantly over the course of 2013, we think it is becoming increasingly difficult to argue for upside."

Boeing shares were down 5.4 percent at $129.76 in midday trade.

SOURCE


Wednesday, January 29, 2014

VietJetAir nears huge Airbus order


Vietnam's first private airline, VietJetAir, said Wednesday it was close to finalising a US$6.1 billion Airbus order as part of an ambitious expansion that has shaken up the communist country's once tightly controlled aviation industry.

Like many sectors of the economy, aviation was for years dominated by state-owned flag carrier Vietnam Airlines until the government eased restrictions, paving the way for low-cost carrier VietJetAir to launch in 2011.

Amid growing demand for air travel both domestically and regionally, competition in the industry has recently heated up with fleet expansions, new routes and a planned stock market flotation for Vietnam Airlines later this year.

The Airbus deal is expected to be signed at the Singapore Airshow next month, VietJetAir managing director Luu Duc Khanh told AFP.

VietJetAir and Airbus signed a letter of intent in September for the purchase of 62 A320 medium-haul aircraft worth US$6.1 billion at catalogue prices and options for another 30.

The low-cost carrier, which currently serves 11 cities in Vietnam plus Bangkok, shot to prominence locally when it was fined for staging a racy in-flight bikini dance in 2012 to celebrate the launch of flights to Vietnam's popular tourist beach town of Nha Trang.

After two years of operation, it has cornered 25 per cent of the domestic market, taking customers from Vietnam Airlines and low-cost carrier Jetstar, according to state media.

"Competition in the market has sharply increased as VietJetAir has expanded their fleet and local routes," Pham Viet Thanh, chairman of Vietnam Airlines' management board, told the state-run news website VietnamNet this week.

Vietnam Airlines still had 61.4 per cent of the domestic market in 2013 -- down 7.3 percent year-on-year, the website said.

The government has recently announced plans for a slew of privatisations of state-owned companies, including Vietnam Airlines but has not yet provided specific details or a clear timeline.

VietJetAir's Airbus order -- which will expand its fleet ten-fold -- is central to the expansion plans of the fast-growing airline, which wants to launch routes to Seoul in South Korea and Siem Reap in Cambodia among other regional destinations.

But the company is a late entrant to the low-cost segment in Southeast Asia, behind Malaysia's Air Asia, Lion Air of Indonesia, Singapore's Tiger Airways and Jetstar of Australia -- many of whom are also expanding their fleets.

"There's something of a torrent of activity at the moment," said Peter Harbison, executive chairman of consultancy firm CAPA-Centre for Aviation.

Fear of missing out on new markets in the rapidly-growing Asian aviation sector is "a large motivator with these very rapid expansions," he said.

Because demand is growing and many of the aircraft ordered will not be delivered immediately "there is potential to absorb these but there is very much a rush at the moment," Harbison said.

He said potential for growth in low-cost carriers in the region was "mind blowing ... But that doesn't mean everyone who buys a lot of aircraft is going to make money."

VietJetAir's letter of intent was for 14 of Airbus' current single-aisle A320 model and 42 of the new A320Neo due to enter into service in 2015, which promises airlines considerably better fuel efficiency.

Another six planes will be the longer A321 version, which can be configured with up to 220 seats.

SOURCE


Air traffic controllers' strike cancels flights in Portugal


A strike by air traffic controllers against cost-cutting reforms forced about 20 flights to be cancelled at Lisbon airport on Wednesday, officials said.

The cancelled flights included services between Lisbon and airports in Portugal, Spain, Italy, France and northern Europe, the airport operator ANA said.

Controllers called the strike as part of a protest in several European countries against planned EU air traffic reforms which they fear threaten their jobs.

The strike would cause "long delays throughout the day," warned Carlos Vladrez, a spokesman for air traffic controllers of the national airspace operator NAV.

National airline TAP Portugal said it had rescheduled about 50 flights to try and avoid cancellations but delays were still expected.

SOURCE


Russian pilots raise alarm over safety at Aeroflot


A union of Russian pilots at Moscow's Sheremetyevo International Airport on Tuesday accused the country's flagship carrier Aeroflot of endangering passengers' lives by overworking staff in search for profit.

The Sheremetyevo Cockpit Personnel Association said that Russia's main airline was employing "tired pilots who can fall asleep at any moment."

"Because of Aeroflot's greed, the safety of citizens is in grave doubt," the association said in a statement.

The company did not address the union's complaint directly when contacted by AFP. But its press service said by email that "our passengers' and flight safety are top priorities of Aeroflot".

Russia's small regional airlines are notorious for their poor flight safety record.

The airlineratings.com flight tracker said Russia witnessed the world's worst crash of 2013 when 50 died in a Tatarstan Airlines Boeing 737 that exploded on landing in November in the Volga River city of Kazan.

Yet state-controlled Aeroflot is believed to have the best record in the country.

The planecrashinfo.com site said Aeroflot has had only one deadly accident in more than a decade - a 2008 crash that killed 88 and was later blamed on a drunken pilot - and the carrier has recently taken huge steps to improve its often mocked image.

The company has in fact been flying high since adopting improved standards once it joined the SkyTeam alliance in 2006.

It has scooped up several awards for eastern European service in the process and SkyTeam now calls Aeroflot's fleet "one of the most modern, youngest and fastest-growing... in Europe."

The national flag carrier this year also burnished its image by becoming the official carrier of the Manchester United football club.

Yet its share of the Russian market has been eroded by cheaper local rivals and now stands at just 40 per cent - a far cry from the days in the Soviet era when it proclaimed itself the world's largest airline.

The airline's statement noted that "Aeroflot was the first Russian carrier to enter the (International Air Transport Association's) Operational Safety Audit Registry, and has confirmed the certificate for the fifth time in 2013."

But the pilots accuse it of failing to compensate them fairly for night flights and thousands of hours of overtime.

The dispute stretches back several years and has resulted in a July Moscow City Court ruling for Aeroflot to pay out debts owed to pilots over 17 months.

The airline has contested the ruling, and the union has since seen three of its leaders jailed on disputed and still unproven embezzlement charges.

The pilots blame the arrest on Aeroflot management's attempts to discredit their cause.

The dispute has even seen the pilots send a letter of complaint to Russian President Vladimir Putin that has thus far gone unanswered.

Their cause has also been picked up by the London-based International Transport Workers' Federation and the International Trade Union Confederation - the world's largest labour organisation.

"While aviation companies in Russia have posted record profits, flight crews have been reduced and aviation infrastructure continues to decay," the International Transport Workers' Federation said in a letter of support for the Russian pilots last month.

"That is why the safety standards and infrastructure are still in a very poor situation," the letter said.

Aeroflot reported a 15 per cent year-on-year jump in passenger numbers and an 84 per cent increase in profit to $545 million (400 million euros) for the first nine months of 2013.

SOURCE


Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Changi Airport handled record 53.7 million passengers in 2013


Singapore Changi Airport handled a record 53.7 million passengers, and some 344, 000 landings and take-offs in 2013.

Cargo volumes, however, remained stable at 1.85 million tonnes. This is a 0.8 per cent increase from the previous year.

This year, Changi Airport Group is forecasting a five per cent increase in passenger traffic.

Passenger and aircraft traffic at Changi Airport reached record highs last year. Passenger movement was up five per cent from the year before while landings and take-offs rose by 5.9 per cent, supported by strong growth in key markets like China and India.

In the last 12 months, Changi Airport Group acquired eight new Chinese city links, making Changi the most connected South East Asian Airport to China with 31 city links.

The airport's busiest routes were to Jakarta, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong and Manila.

Indonesia continues to be Changi's top country market, with more than 7.4 million passengers passing through during the year, an 8.8 per cent increase.

And the group is working towards expanding connections in the region to boost passenger traffic.

Lim Ching Kiat, senior vice president of market development at Changi Airport Group, said: "We're actively working with airlines to see how to establish new routes to grow, as well as working with airlines to see how to grow more transfer traffic in Changi.

"The key markets that were strong this year, Southeast Asia and Northeast Asia, will continue to be our engines of growth and we continue to see strong growth in these two areas in the coming year."

Traffic to Southeast Asia and Northeast Asia, which accounts for close to 70 per cent of Changi Airport's total, rose 8.2 per cent and 7.0 per cent respectively.

Meanwhile, the group aims to improve runway capacity by up to 40 per cent over the coming years In the run-up to the airport's third runway to be opened in 2020.

Mr Lim said: "Changi Airport is working quite closely with the air traffic controllers and with the airlines to see how we can get more capacity and efficiency from the current runway operations. For example by improve the separation between flights and reducing aircraft occupancy time on the runway."

Outlook for cargo continues to be soft, as airlines face the pressure of declining yields.

To help ease costs, Changi Airport Group will offer landing fee rebates and incentives amounting to S$18 million for its next financial year ending 31 March 2015.

The group will also be focusing on certain niche markets like perishables and express cargo.

SOURCE


Southwest Airlines to launch international flights


Southwest Airlines, the US airline that launched a low-cost air travel revolution four decades ago, said on Monday it is expanding its horizons for the first time to international service.

The largest carrier of domestic passengers in the United States began selling seats on its first-ever scheduled international flights to three Caribbean beach destinations - Aruba; Nassau, the Bahamas; and Montego Bay, Jamaica.

Beginning on July 1, Southwest will operate daily, non-stop flights from Atlanta, the Baltimore/Washington airport, and Orlando to those destinations.

The expansion comes with Southwest's integration with AirTran Airways, which it acquired in 2011. Southwest expects to complete the integration and retire the AirTran brand by the end of the year.

By the end of 2014, Southwest plans to be operating the former Air Tran flights to Mexico's Cancun, Los Cabos, and Mexico City, and Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic.

Chief executive Gary Kelly said the opening of bookings marked "the final lap in the journey to make possible our international future."

"Today's milestone enables us to reach new territory, new customers, and build upon a four-decade foundation of doing right by the travelers who trust our value and our people," said Kelly.

Southwest, which has been in service since 1971, has bucked the airline industry trend of added fees, notably refusing to charge for the first two bags of checked luggage.

Based in Dallas, Texas, Southwest ended 2013 with full-year earnings of $754 million, up from $421 million in 2012. The company has posted 41 consecutive years of profitability.

Shares in Southwest closed at $20.61, down 1.1 percent from Friday, in an overall lower market.

SOURCE


Sunday, January 26, 2014

Week 43: PPL Flight School Week 12

Tuesday
My first flight in almost a week, was feeling a little lucky so I requested for solo check from my instructor if he deemed the conditions are favourable. Using RWY18, the wind was at 180M 14kts. That was very strong headwind but I assume it's good since there was almost nil crosswind.

After pondering a while on the wind and my lack of flying in the past 7 days, he declined a solo check for me and we went ahead with the lesson planned, which was Forced Landings in area. According to my instructor, PFL is the next hardest thing to learn after circuit flying, and I cannot agree more.

We went out to the training area, a place where I didn't go for almost 3 weeks. The wind was really strong and the conditions quite turbulent on low altitudes. Instructor ran through the checklists and tasks I had to go through during PFL. The things to do are as follow:

Pick a field to land, taking note of wind direction on ground, MUST land into wind. Achieve best glide speed of 68kts.

1. CHECKLIST
F - Fuel to both
M - Mixture to rich
S - Switch magnetos to both

2. CHECKLIST
F - Fuel pump on, cycle tanks
M - Mixture cycling
O - Ts & Ps good
S - Switch magnetos L/R/Both
T - Throttle cycling

3. Mayday Radio Call
4. Activate ELT and set transponder to code 7700
5. Passenger brief

6. CHECKLIST
B - Brakes off
U - Undercarriage down
S - Switch magnetos off
H - Hatches unlatched, harnesses on

7. Focus on landing

Yep, these are the things you have to do when you're doing an emergency landing. Lots of things to take note of while doing the flying, but it isn't very urgent as the speed is kind of low at 68kts and I was at 4500ft AMSL when an engine failure was simulated, which was about 3000ft AGL.

The tough part was choosing an appropriate field to land and finding out the wind direction on the ground. I get cattle, ponds, trees, roads, small fields that are not long enough etc etc. I have to make my decision fast and as my instructor put it, "you can't fuck around and not pick a field fast enough". That is very true, being a pilot I have to be decisive and not be clueless.

My checks were slow and not well versed, so I definitely have to brush up on that. I had a go at two PFLs before we head back to base. I was allowed to join circuit on my control. It wasn't easy when I had to keep my eyes peeled to look out for traffic as well as listening to the radio calls on which planes are at which leg of the circuit. Thankfully I managed it well but my midfield crosswind joining wasn't as good as I want it to be.

Then come the base and finals, which were really hard to do it to standard as the crosswind on base and headwind on finals were really really strong, almost close to 20kts. My first landing wasn't good, I ballooned when I tried to flare and my instructor had to come in and add some controls to stabilise the aircraft. 
We had another go with a touch-&-go, but the second landing was no better, any small back pressure I applied on the yoke caused me to balloon quite badly. I guess I had overestimated my ability and didn't respect the headwind I was subjected to. It was really good experience for me as I learned that different landing technique is needed in different conditions. Experience is something that can't be rushed, I have to pick them up bit by bit and improve myself along the way.

A good lesson overall, a reality check on my flying skills and I need to be better at my PFL checklists.

Wednesday
It was a super super long day from 0830-1830hrs of mass briefs. We went through ADF/NDB, VOR and flight planning. After being so rusty on our knowledge about them 7 months after our ATPL exams, it took quite a while to get us back to the swing. Even the use of the CRP5 needed some revision. All of us were brain dead as the day ended. Lots of work will be involved when we start to go for navigation flights which require us to do flight planning.

Thursday 1st-solo check Part 3
The day has come, the third time having my first-solo check. Flight was late at 1830hrs, good conditions to fly circuits as the winds were relatively calm and the circuit wasn't so congested. As usual, I went onto my assigned aircraft for my pre-flight checks. Everything was well, except for a little chip on the propeller and a flat tyre. Haha, not a good start eh? Had a change of aircraft and off I went for my check.

I wasn't at my best initially, with my altitude failing to maintain closely to 1000ft AGL, made worse by the thermals I was facing. Even with my power pulled back to 1700rpm while turning base, I was still climbing to almost 1200ft AGL. It wasn't beautiful flying at all. At times, I even had to go into idle on base leg to lose enough height for a good final approach.

Seeing such a performance from me, my instructor was very nice and assured me to relax and not think so much about the check while reminding how well I flew in my previous solo check. Thankfully, my landings were safe enough for him to feel comfortable. I managed to improve my flying as we flew more circuits. There was even a huge moth in the cockpit that scared both of us when it suddenly flew past our faces out of nowhere LOL!! Eventually my instructor managed to get it out of the cockpit so that I can focus on the flying. We even had a laugh about it. Good stuff, it lightens the mood.

After roughly six rounds of circuit, he signaled me to do a full stop. We taxi back to the run-up bay and he hopped off the plane after asking me to be confident in myself and enjoy it. He closed the door and for the first time, I'm alone in the cockpit with the propeller spinning. It wasn't scary, but it can be stressful when you realise whatever happens from that moment on, you only have yourself to depend on. There can be no fooling around and I better keep my eyes fully opened to look out for traffic.

I taxi to the runway after a short wait at the stop-line. Gave the rolling call, full throttle and lifted off the ground much earlier due to the absence of my instructor's weight as well as some burnt fuel's weight. From this point onwards, I had to be 100% on alert about my surroundings. Climbing performance was better and I reached 500ft AGL earlier than usual. Preparing to turn for crosswind leg, I rocked my wings to look out for traffic. Soon, I had to turn for downwind leg, adjusting my position, altitude and carry out my pre-landing checks.

The sun was setting and the moment was gorgeous. I was fully enjoying myself, for a while at least. Then came the toughest part of the circuit. Turning for base, I got hit by thermals again and didn't lose enough height. Pulling all power back with 20 degrees of flaps extended, I started descending towards final leg. I was so focused I actually forgot to make my radio call. 

With sufficient height lost, I turned into final leg with a good approach profile. Made my radio call which was earlier forgotten, I extended flaps to full and prepared myself for the most stressful part of circuit flying. I had to constantly monitor my airspeed and keep to my aim point on the runway. The closer it got to the ground, the faster my heart pumped. Thankfully the touch down went well and I let out a huge sigh of relief. 

I completed my first solo successfully. A great confidence boost on my own flying abilities but I know this is only the beginning. There are a few more solo flights during the whole course of training, and each solo check will get even tougher to pass. I have to continue working hard to improve my flying especially on my landing. Experience is something that can't be rushed, but I wish I can learn as much as possible from my instructors during my short period of stay here.

Descending turn into finals

The final approach is always the most stressful leg of circuit flying


Sunday

My next flight after my first-solo was my second-solo. I don't really like the conditions that day as the winds were not constant and kept changing directions. To keep me safe, the instructor delayed my check so as to wait for the wind to settle and die down a little. So we departed 30 minutes later than scheduled and went for it.

By then, the wind was in such a direction which I had to use a runway I've never used before. I voiced my concern to my instructor and he was very understanding. To assist me in adapting to the "new" runway, he flew the first round of circuit to let me have a better idea of how it's gonna look like at the different legs of the circuit. I paid full attention to all vantage points and to his flying.

The controls were handed back to me the next time we took off during a touch&go and it was my turn to fly the circuit. My first round wasn't very good as my base turn seemed a little early which ended up finals being higher than usual. This "new" runway also looks narrower and it got me worried if I'm able to make it to centre line safely. To make things worse, the threshold area of the runway has a few buildings near it, causing the winds blowing over it to form rotors. I was experiencing turbulence nearing touchdown and had to adjust quite greatly to land properly. Good thing that my landing was safe enough.

Subsequent rounds of circuits went better with me having a better idea of how it should look but the final approaches were constantly turbulent. After about 0.8hrs of check, my instructor deemed me good enough to go solo. I was given a chance to do three rounds of circuit this time.

To be honest, I was a little scared of the turbulent final approaches. With no instructor by my side, I will have to do a go-around if my landing is way too bad to be salvaged. Nevertheless, I gathered the courage and went ahead. The first landing wasn't too scary, the touchdown was not beautiful but it was safe and gentle. Second landing went fine after I got too slow and too low. I manage to recognise the error and put in lots of power to not lose too much height. The last landing was ok and before I know it, I was taxiing back to the apron after clocking 0.5hrs of solo time.

The feeling was good in a way that I was still able to land safely even in turbulent conditions. Had it been 2-3 weeks ago, I don't think I'd be able to handle it and will simply have a hard impact onto the runway. Instructor was happy with the standard I produce and it was a good experience to fly more than one round of circuit on my own.


Pre-flight

Lunch 260114


What a week I've had. Clearing my first solo and going for my second. I finally achieved the first milestone of flight training here, lifting a huge weight off my shoulders. I can now progress ahead to build on that confidence of solo flying.


Thursday, January 23, 2014

Tiger Airways posts S$118.5m quarterly loss


Tiger Airways has posted a loss after tax of S$118.5 million for the quarter ended 31 December 2013.

In a media statement, the budget carrier said the third quarter loss in its financial year 2013/14 was mainly due to exceptional charges of S$88.3 million, which consist of a S$30.3 million loss on the planned disposal of Tigerair Philippines and an impairment of associates of S$58.0 million in the quarter.

The firm also recorded S$23.1 million as its share of losses from its associates.

At the operating level, total revenue declined by 30.5 per cent to S$172.1 million in the third quarter. This is mainly due to the divestment of its Australian unit which took effect from 8 July 2013, and lower revenue from its Singapore unit.

The group also recorded an operating loss of S$8.8 million in the quarter under review.

Koay Peng Yen, group CEO of Tigerair, said: "Our third quarter operating performance was dragged down by industry overcapacity which had led to weaker yields and lower load factors.

"We recorded exceptional charges on losses from associates. Consequently, the disposal of Tigerair Philippines will put us on a better footing going forward."

SOURCE


Taiwan's first budget airline named "V air"


Taiwan's TransAsia Airways said on Thursday a low-cost carrier it aims to launch later this year will be called "V air" as it seeks to tap the growing budget travel market.

TransAsia said it picked "V air" out of nearly 8,000 entries in a public naming contest while the new carrier's Chinese name will be "Wei Hang", which means "mighty airline" in English.

"V can stand for voyage, vision, vivid, or victory which symbolise the positive energy a new company requires and can help boost the public's preference and acceptance of the new company," it said in a statement.

Two winners of the naming contest are entitled to unlimited free flights on the budget airline for 10 years, it said.

The company, Taiwan's first private airline, said in November last year it would spend around T$3 billion (US$100 million) to launch Taiwan's first low-cost airline catering to the needs of Taiwanese travellers.

TransAsia plans initially to lease two to three brand-new Airbus A320/A321 planes and hopes to start flying by year's end.

TransAsia -- which flies to Japan, Singapore, South Korea and Vietnam, has been expanding as it benefits from increased revenues from new China routes that have opened up in recent years as relations between Beijing and Taipei have improved.

Demand for discount flights has been rising in Asia. Twelve foreign budget airlines, including Malaysia-based AirAsia and Japan's Peach Aviation, offer services to and from Taiwan.

Taiwan's leading carrier China Airlines announced in December that it would set up a new no-frills airline in a joint venture with Singapore's budget carrier Tigerair, expected to become operational in 2014 with three A-320s.

SOURCE


Sunday, January 19, 2014

Week 42: PPL Flight School Week 11

Tuesday
The heat wave has hit Southern Australia and is expected to last until Friday. As such, my flight on Monday was cancelled as by law you can't send a student for solo in temperatures 35'C and above. It was reading 35'C on the dot even at 1845hrs which was my flight time, and so I went home disappointed.

Tuesday started early for me and my mates with three mass briefs about our upcoming flying lessons. Steep turns, steep turning descends and forced landings. The first two was actually already done with flying, so the mass brief was more like a revision for me. Forced landings seems to be quite a handful. Lots of checks to do alongside the flying, plus the emergency of engine failure. I guess only flying the actual lesson will I have a better idea of the workload.

Wednesday, 1st-solo check Part 2
Another extremely hot day with temperatures hovering close to 40'C. My flight was planned at 1845hrs, and there was a heavy shower two hours before that. Lucky it stopped before my flight but the temperatures were climbing real fast once the sun emerged from the clouds again.

A quick check with the AWIS before I started taxiing showed 35'C. But it's fine, it should get cooler as the sun sets slowly. Off I went for my solo check. The conditions were very good but I was getting pretty strong crosswinds. The base leg had to be flown at 2000rpm instead of the usual 1700rpm or below to keep to airspeed of 75kts.

Final leg was better as I started descending further; I was able to control the aircraft fairly well. Then came the landing, the achilles heel of my flying. I have spent quite some time looking at other people's landing last week and I finally realised my mistake. I was rushing to land this whole time, that's why I ended up impacting the aircraft onto the runway most of the time. So this time, I took my time, holding the attitude for as long as I could. WALA~~~~ My landing was as smooth as butter, so good that my instructor was surprised and commented "that was a really good circuit mate".

One round done, second round was good, but the sun was starting to shine into my eyes as it got lower into the horizon. Sadly, the weather turned for the worse. An impending storm was coming and winds were getting erratic. My instructor decided to play safe and not send me for solo in such unpredictable conditions. I wasn't disappointed though as I got into the flight thinking about improving my landing more than going for solo.

We did two more rounds of circuit in flapless configuration for landing. The approach is a little shallower so it took me a while to get used to it. The sortie ended just shy of an hour with my instructor really glad about my flying. His words "I'm really happy about your flying. You know, you were from nehhhh about there in our previous flight to ready for solo today, that's very good improvement", it felt good to receive such compliments from an instructor that doesn't dish out praises easily.

Finally I've sorted out my crap landing and I can't wait for my next flight.

Only mother nature stopping me

Dinner 150114. Nasi Lemak by my house mate!

Brunch 170114

Dinner 170114. Oh how I miss prata

The hot weather results in a yellow moon at night

Breakfast 180114. Singapore style.

The winds cancelled my flight at the airfield but it can't stop me from doing what I like to do at the backyard

Disappointing week in terms of flying hours. Monday was cancelled due to high temperatures, Wednesday's good flight ended up with a storm which stopped me from going solo, Thursday Friday Saturday not planned, and Sunday's solo check flight got cancelled due to strong winds.

I only managed to clock 0.9hrs this whole week, which is very slow progression. I seriously hope the weather will be good and not throw such tantrums again. 11 weeks gone, I have 19hrs.



Thursday, January 16, 2014

Singapore Airlines, Air New Zealand announce tie-up


Singapore Airlines (SIA) and Air New Zealand on Thursday announced an alliance to expand services to both countries and boost their global reach as they look to capitalise on growing tourism traffic.

The alliance will enable SIA to operate its Airbus A380 superjumbos to New Zealand for the first time, progressively replacing daily services using the smaller Boeing 777-300ER, the firms said in a joint statement.

Air New Zealand will launch daily services between Auckland and Singapore using newly refitted Boeing 777-200ER aircraft, the statement said, replacing five flights currently operated by SIA.

Air New Zealand last operated flights to Singapore in 2006.

Singapore's affluent population has become a key target for global tourist destinations.

"Singapore's luxury travel market appears to offer a huge opportunity for New Zealand, with local demand for high-end travel matching the Asian-wide upswing," Tourism New Zealand said on its website.

The two carriers are aiming to boost their capacity between Singapore and New Zealand by up to 30 per cent.

SIA's daily Singapore-Christchurch service will continue as part of the alliance.

The deal will also expand Air New Zealand's connectivity to the rest of the world through SIA's extensive network.

Air New Zealand passengers will be able to access codeshare travel on the SIA network to Europe, Southeast Asia and Africa, as well as on the network of SIA's regional subsidiary, SilkAir.

SIA customers will in turn enjoy codeshare travel across the Air New Zealand domestic network and to the Pacific islands.

"This alliance is another example of our commitment to the important Southwest Pacific market, and our commitment to the further enhancement of our network," said SIA chief executive Goh Choon Phong.

Air New Zealand chief executive Christopher Luxon said the tie-up "clearly fits our business objectives of working with the right partners in the right markets to deliver seamless customer journeys".

He told reporters the partnership with SIA is the "cornerstone" of Air New Zealand's business strategy because of its international scope.

Air New Zealand's alliance with Cathay Pacific is limited to serving Hong Kong and southern China and its partnership with ANA is restricted to the Japanese market, Luxon noted.

The two carriers are seeking approval for the deal from the Competition Commission of Singapore and the New Zealand Minister of Transport, and said flights under the new alliance could start as early as December this year.


SOURCE


Asiana crash: Rescuers failed to assist run-over teen


Video footage from the helmet of a rescuer on a plane crash in San Francisco last year appears to show emergency teams failing to assist a teenaged survivor, moments before she was accidentally run over by a fire truck.

Three passengers died when Asiana Airlines Flight 214 clipped a seawall with its landing gear, skidded off the runway and burst into flames at the end of an otherwise routine flight from Seoul to San Francisco on July 6.

One of the victims, Ye Mengyuan, 16, had been pulled alive from the plane and placed near one wing.

But the Chinese teenager was later run over and killed by a fire truck, which did not spot her lying under a layer of fire retardant foam. US prosecutors decided in October not to bring charges against the firefighter driving the truck.

CBS on Thursday broadcast segments of the video, allegedly obtained by a person close to the family of the victim.

The footage shows that firefighters knew there was a person lying on the landing strip after the accident.

The video shows a truck with rescuers approaching. The man with a camera installed on his helmet sticks out his hand and asks the truck to stop.

"There's a body right there, right in front of you," he says.

Then, a group of rescuers are seen running past the girl's body without stopping to check her vital signs.

Another 182 passengers and crew aboard the Boeing 777 were injured, in the first fatal commercial airline crash in the United States since 2009.

The San Francisco Fire Department declined to comment on the video.

The department has already apologised to the girl's family.

Countering reports that the police had released the video, police official Gordon Shyy said "We would not release anything that relates to an investigation that is ongoing."

A lawyer for the Ye family, Justin Green, told CNN "the video is the best evidence of what happened. It shows at least five firefighters who saw her, who understood she was there and none of them did the basic steps to check if she was alive."

SOURCE


France sells 1% stake in Airbus Group for 451 million euros


The French state has raised 451 million euros ($614 million) by selling a one per cent stake in European aircraft and defence corporation Airbus Group, the economy minister said on Thursday.

The divestment, of around eight million shares to institutional buyers, brings France's stake in the publicly traded group to 11 per cent -- the same as Airbus Group partner Germany.

Airbus Group -- the new name for what used to be known as EADS -- has seen its shares gain 74.63 per cent over the past year, to 56.44 euros per share, in large part thanks to management reforms carried out in 2013.

French Economy Minister Pierre Moscovici late on Wednesday announced the sale, saying it would lower the French government's stake to a level on par with that of Germany's, as per a bilateral pact. Germany recently raised its stake to the 11 per cent level.

Spain's government holds a smaller stake of just over four per cent in the European group.

Moscovici on Thursday revealed that 451 million euros had been raised from the stake sale.

France has been selling off some of its state holdings in companies in a bid to bring down its debt mountain, which is equivalent to 94 per cent of GDP. Last year it raised 2.4 billion euros through divestments, nearly half of that through an earlier sell-off of Airbus Group shares.

Airbus Group is riding high after announcing this week its best commercial performance in its history, with notably 2013 being a record year for orders of Airbus aircraft, though deliveries still trailed those of US rival Boeing.

SOURCE


Brazil's Embraer meets jet delivery targets for 2013


Brazil's top aircraft manufacturer Embraer said on Wednesday said it met its aircraft delivery targets for 2013 following strong sales in the fourth quarter.

A company statement said a total of 209 aircraft were delivered, including 90 commercial jets and 119 light and large executive jets.

The company had set delivery targets of between 90 and 95 commercial aircraft, 80 and to 90 light executive jets and 25 to 30 larger executive jets.

Embraer, based in Sao Jose dos Campos near Sao Paulo, said its order backlog stood at US$18.2 billion the end of 2013.

The strong performance in the fourth quarter included a huge order for 60 E175 jets from American Airlines in a contract valued at US$2.5 billion.

Embraer last month said the deal includes an option for American Airlines to buy another 90 E175s, which could bring the total order to 150 aircraft.

Embraer is the world's third largest commercial aircraft manufacturer behind Boeing and Airbus.

SOURCE


Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Singapore Airlines assisting NZ, S’pore after measles alert


Singapore Airlines (SIA) is assisting both New Zealand and Singapore health authorities with contact information of customers who were seated in the vicinity of a passenger who had contracted measles.

SIA said this is for the purpose of contact tracing and further investigations.

The passenger had travelled from Singapore to Auckland on Sunday on flight SQ281 which arrived at night.

A SIA spokesperson said the airline was informed on Tuesday that one of its passengers on that flight had been infected with measles.

The spokesperson added that SIA will provide its full cooperation to the health authorities of both countries.

There were 260 other passengers on board SQ281.

New Zealand’s health authorities estimate that those passengers would have since been in close contact with at least another 100 people. 

SIA added that there are no reports of its cabin crew or ground staff being infected.

The crew has been informed to look out for any related symptoms over the next week.

As for disinfecting the aircraft, SIA said the ventilation systems on its aircraft are designed for air to be changed every two or three minutes, which is at a higher rate than that in most buildings.

SIA also uses High Efficiency Particulate Arrestor (HEPA) filters in its aircraft ventilation systems.

The filters are similar to those used in critical wards of hospital and clean rooms, and are replaced regularly in compliance with industry regulations. 

SOURCE


JAL Dreamliner hit by battery problem


Japan Airlines has grounded another one of its Dreamliner jets after "white smoke" was seen outside the cockpit window during maintenance, a year after the aircraft suffered a months-long global grounding over battery problems.

The carrier said that a technician at Tokyo's Narita airport, who was working on the parked plane before its departure to Bangkok Tuesday afternoon, first noticed what appeared to be smoke outside the cockpit window and then a battery system warning.

An investigation found that one of the eight lithium-ion cells in the plane's battery system had leaked, but its safety valve, which is designed to release excessive pressure, was properly open.

"The temperature of the cell was high. We believe it caused 'white smoke', which could be smoke or vapour," a JAL spokesman said.

The airline said it replaced the grounded plane with another Dreamliner, which left as scheduled, carrying 169 passengers and crew.

"We are making sure of the safety of every plane before its departure. We will continue regular flights (with Dreamliners)," a separate JAL spokesman, Norihisa Hanyu, told AFP.

In response to the Tuesday incident, US-based Boeing said the "improvements made to the 787 battery system last year appear to have worked as designed".

Boeing admitted in April that despite months of testing it did not know the root cause of the problems, but rolled out modifications it said would ensure the issue did not recur.

The measures comprised redesigning the battery and charger system and adding a steel box to prevent burning.

Since then, Dreamliners have experienced a series of minor glitches, including a fault with an air pressure sensor and the brake system.

In October, unflushable toilets caused JAL pilots to turn their plane around just after it left Moscow bound for Tokyo.

JAL's domestic rival All Nippon Airways (ANA) also said Wednesday it would continue flying the plane -- the pair are the aircraft's two biggest customers and have invested heavily in its success.

The incident was the latest for the Dreamliner since the trouble-plagued aircraft returned to service in the middle of last year following a months-long worldwide grounding.

The move was linked to a string of incidents, including a fire aboard a parked Dreamliner, which damaged the fuel-efficient jet's reputation and that of its manufacturer Boeing.

Investors appeared unfazed with JAL's Tokyo-listed shares up 1.52 per cent to 5,310 yen on Wednesday morning, while ANA was up 0.89 per cent to 225 yen, tracking a rise in the broader market.

Shares in the plane's Japanese battery supplier GS Yuasa slipped 0.85 per cent to 581 yen.

The Kyoto-based battery maker said it was "cooperating with Boeing and Japan Airlines on finding the cause" of the latest battery malfunction. It declined to elaborate further.

The US Federal Aviation Administration said it was working with Boeing and the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau to investigate, while the US National Transportation Safety Board said it was ready to assist Japanese authorities.

Officials at the Japanese transport ministry's air safety unit were not immediately available for comment Wednesday.

The number of 787s in operation worldwide had more than doubled from the 50 in service when the plane was grounded last year.

SOURCE


Monday, January 13, 2014

Airbus beats Boeing with record sales in 2013


European aircraft maker Airbus beat US rival Boeing with record sales and orders last year but came second in terms of finished airliners delivered, figures from the company showed on Monday.

Airbus said that in 2013 it took 1,503 net orders, allowing for cancellations. This compares with 1,355 orders taken by Boeing. Total orders taken by Airbus is a record for the whole industry.

Airbus also said that at the end of last year it had record orders to build 5,559 aircraft, equivalent to eight years of production. Results published by Boeing on January 6 showed that the US firm had a total order book for 5,080 aircraft.

However, last year Airbus delivered 626 planes, far behind Boeing which delivered 648 aircraft.

In 2012, Boeing had beaten Airbus in terms of orders and deliveries.

The chief executive of Airbus, Fabrice Bregier, said that the company was considering increasing production of its best-selling plane, the Airbus A320 which is popular with low-cost airlines, to satisfy global demand for medium-range aircraft.

"If the market remains positive, if the customer needs more aircraft, I think we would be silly not to ramp up again," he told journalists shortly before the company published its annual results.

Airbus is producing 42 A320 aircraft per month and had said that it did not want to increase this rate of production until it had converted to producing the latest, more fuel-efficient version, the A320neo.

"We believe there is a potential to go higher than (the) rate 42. There is an upside and we are studying it. Some upside that we will confirm in the coming months," Bregier said.

"I would like to ramp up but be in a position to remain steady," he said. After 2018, "when we have moved to the neo aircraft, we know that we will ramp up again, whatever we do now or not, we know that we will ramp up again."

Airbus won orders for 377 A320 planes last year and has taken more than 1,000 orders since it announced at the end of 2010 the launch of the A320neo.

SOURCE


Sunday, January 12, 2014

Week 41: PPL Flight School Week 10

Monday
We had to take a total of four papers in order to be able to go for our solo flights. Much studying was done the day before to recap on all the knowledge we absorbed during ATPL ground school back in Singapore. Each paper lasts for one hour with three of them consisting of 20 questions, and passing mark is 14. The last paper consists of 30 questions with a passing mark of 24.

Not easy I would say if one is not careful. Nevertheless, everyone passed all papers and we're all clear to go for our first solo depending on individual's progression.

Wednesday, 1st-solo check Part 1
The day is here, I was planned for my first solo at 1300hrs. After not flying for 6 days, I knew I will not be able to make it with my less than perfect approach and landing. Therefore, I was pretty chill about this whole thing and didn't sweat too much about it the night before.

The day started with crappy wind conditions, changing its direction almost every half hour. When I was finally ready to head out, there was a change in runway again and this time I had to do a left-hand circuit. I have only done ONE left-hand circuit before hand and when I first took off, I got disoriented immediately. Worse still, before taking off, I missed out one step of my run-up checks: set flaps to 10 degrees. When my instructor pointed that out, I almost felt like killing myself. It's like driving off from stationary on second gear rather than the first.

I guess the nerves got into me, right after the first round, my instructor said "ok this will no longer be a solo check, let's just have a normal lesson". Yeah, that's quite a blow to my confidence. I was so poor I wasn't given a second chance. However he was right. My landing looked dangerous and totally unacceptable. If I was a passenger looking at such an approach, I'd be pissing in my pants.

Speeds were either too high or too low, flare executed too high, my approach was so steep it looked like I was doing a kamikaze onto the runway. This was definitely my poorest performance till date, totally unsatisfied with my own flying. Needless to say, it was a failed sortie, my very first failure. Instructor told me not to worry about it, as the key thing is to take something back from a lesson, learn from it and do it better the next time.

To be honest, it is very frustrating when you can't get things right even when you keep trying hard. Well maybe too hard. Sigh....

Went earlier to check and revise on others' landings after not having flown for 6 days

Just not my day

Thursday
Flight planned for late noon at 1545hrs. Winds were good for the day with close to a total headwind direction. I didn't fret much the night before after that bad performance I displayed, and went to sleep early after feeling totally exhausted from my first flight in six days.

Before I got the engine started, instructor had a little chat with me, reminding me of the mistakes I committed the day before. With that in mind, I got the propeller spinning, it was actually my first ever engine start without any help from the instructor. That's a good way to start my flight? Haha.

Had a little delay at the stop-line due to heavy traffic but once I got lifted off the ground at 55kts, everything went perfectly well. I was more calm and collected, with my speeds, altitude, banking, radio calls and positioning all to standards. Once I hit the base-leg of my first circuit, my instructor actually said I was flying very well today. With that, I replied saying that the winds were very good and flying is very easy in such conditions unlike yesterday when the winds were blowing and pushing me everywhere. He said "yea you do get those days".

Quite a confidence boost after hearing his comments. Even my finals and approach were very good but sadly my flare was still rubbish, but he said I'm getting there. I felt like a different man for the day after the flight, it was as if it wasn't me who flew that crap flight the day before. Had my landing been to standards, I think the instructor would have even let me gone on my first solo.

Good day good skies

Still the annoying landing

Sunday
I'm back into the skies after a two days' break. Flight was at late noon with temperatures close to 30'C. Hot day it was but also a very windy one with speeds at about 15-18kts. Since I'm not allowed to even try solo circuits in such conditions, the instructor decided to let me have a taste of crosswind landing.

With strong crosswinds hitting me while I was flying the circuit, it gave me a whole new experience of aircraft control in terms of heading and tracking. I had to do unusual throttle adjust to accommodate the crosswind during different legs of the circuit. Therefore there isn't a fixed rule flying in such conditions. I was allowed to adjust my throttle and heading freely as long as I keep the altitude and track.

Then came the landing. It wasn't as hard as I predicted but I had to manhandle the aircraft more to get it to where I want it to be. I've been flying in pretty relaxed mode ever since my failed first-solo check. So to ask me to return to the hard-grip style of flying, it can get quite confusing. I guess I'll have to find a balance and react accordingly. Crosswind landing can be dangerous if not handled properly.

Lesson ended pretty early as there's not much need to practise in such conditions at my current stage. The next lesson will be the following day. It's gonna be a good day with good winds. Maybe? =)

CAVOK with 30'C

Choppers in the airfield



Oh yes, finally headed to the city to exchange the car during the two-day break. Classic 1994 318i E36.

318i
I love being in a car workshop

Grabbed some much needed comfort food before returning home from city

Dinner 120114. Last dinner of the week, end it with a good one
 

Friday, January 10, 2014

Some domestic commercial airlines start operating from Jakarta's Halim Airport


In an effort to try and tackle Jakarta's overwhelming air traffic, several new domestic commercial flights started operating from an alternative airport in the city's east on Friday.

Jakarta's main gateway, Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, is serving three times its capacity, but there are still concerns this move won't reduce delays.

Halim Airport, which used to be the country's main gateway until Soekarno-Hatta opened in 1985, belongs to the Air Force and is the base of dozens of airlines offering chartered flights.

Four airlines have agreed to fly out from Halim, including Garuda Indonesia, Citilink, AirAsia and Batik Air.

The airport will serve 80 flights per day and will be open until 9pm.

Yet, there are concerns that the move to Halim Airport won't reduce flight delays that often occur with domestic flights.

Chappy Hakim, an aviation consultant, said: "Halim has only one runway without a taxiway. The apron to park the aircraft is very narrow. Halim also has two training and test flight areas. If the Air Force carries out training at that area and is using the only runway for touch and go training, it is very dangerous for commercial flights to join."

Halim Airport remains an airport for the military and visiting state leaders, so incoming and outgoing flights can be disrupted at anytime.

The airport currently has one access road leading from Cawang intersection, one of Jakarta's busiest roads, raising concerns of heavier congestion.

The airport's management is in talks with the Jakarta administration to better manage traffic.

In order to encourage passengers to use public transport, taxis and Damri buses that link to bus terminals within the city are also available.

SOURCE


Swiss regulator fines airlines for freight rate cartel


Switzerland's competition authority said on Friday that it had fined 11 airlines for fixing the freight market a decade ago, with Air France-KLM hit with the highest penalty.

"Between 2000 and 2005 several airlines agreed on certain elements of the price for air freight transport," it said in a statement.

"The investigation of the Competition Commission revealed that the airlines had agreed on freight rates, fuel surcharges, war risk surcharges, customs clearance surcharges for the US and the commissioning of surcharges," it added.

Such behaviour constituted a "serious infringement" of anti-cartel laws, it underlined.

The 11 carriers were fined a total of 11 million Swiss francs (9.16 million euros, US$12 million).

The penalty for Franco-Dutch company Air France-KLM was 3.9 million Swiss francs, which the competition authority noted was a "substantial reduction" on the potential sanction, after the carrier submitted a leniency application.

American Airlines was ordered to pay 2.2 million francs, and United Airlines, 2.1 million.

Also sanctioned were British Airways, Korean Air Lines, US company Atlas Air, Nordic carrier SAS, Japan Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific Airways, and Luxembourg-based Cargolux.

Like Air France-KLM, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Japan Airlines, and Cargolux also received reduced sanctions after asking for leniency.

The competition authority said that the case was opened after Germany's Lufthansa opted to reveal the market fixing, in which it was itself involved.

As a result of having turned itself in, Lufthansa was granted immunity from any sanctions, along with its subsidiary Swiss International Air Lines which also took part in market collusion.

The competition authority said that the US Department of Justice and authorities in the European Union -- of which Switzerland is not a member -- had also investigated and fined various airlines involved in the case.

SOURCE


Thursday, January 9, 2014

New Singapore-Indian airline to get Airbus A320s


Singapore Airlines has decided to lease 20 Airbus A320s for the launch of its Indian carrier, a joint venture with the giant Tata Group, the new company confirmed on Thursday.

Singapore Airlines chose the A320s over Boeing's 737s and will source the 20 planes from leasing companies rather than buying direct from Airbus, a Tata SIA Airlines spokesman told AFP.

"It's going to be an Airbus A320 fleet. The aircraft will be on lease," spokesman Sanjay Singh said in an emailed statement.

Singh did not disclose the cost of the lease arrangements, which were sealed some 10 days ago, but media reports put the deal at US$1.8 billion.

The new airline will likely start flying around July after it gains regulatory approval in India, the spokesman said.

Indian tea-to-steel conglomerate Tata will hold a 51 per cent stake and Singapore Airlines Ltd 49 per cent in the new venture, announced in September, as they seek to exploit one of the world's fastest-growing aviation markets.

The airline, which will have an initial combined investment of US$100 million from the two stakeholders, marks the third foreign direct investment in the Indian sector since the government declared last year that international airlines could buy as much as 49 per cent of local carriers.

The Tata Group is setting up another airline venture in India with Malaysia-based budget carrier AirAsia, which is expected to start operations early this year.

In November, India's Jet Airways said it had completed the sale of a 24-per-cent stake to Abu Dhabi's Etihad.

India's aviation sector was once celebrated as a sign of the country's vibrant economy.

Its fortunes faded owing to a range of obstacles ranging from aggressive fare rivalry and rundown infrastructure to expensive fuel, but there is now renewed interest as investors eye the nation's vast aviation market and growing middle class.

SOURCE