Singapore Airlines introduces new services to Canberra, Wellington

National carrier Singapore Airlines will operate a new route, called the "Capital Express", to Australia's Canberra and New Zealand's Wellington, it announced in a news release on Wednesday (Jan 20).

Subject to regulatory approvals, flights will operate four times per week from Sep 20 on a Singapore-Canberra-Wellington route, with return flights on a Wellington-Canberra-Singapore route, it said.

Route timings for the new route based on a launch date of Sep 20, 2016. (Table: Singapore Airlines)


Flights along the new route will be operated with the 266-seat retrofitted Boeing 777-200s fitted with 38 Business Class seats and 228 Economy Class seats, it added in the release.

Singapore Airlines said with the launch of Capital Express, it will be the first airline with flights between Canberra and Wellington, as well as the first to operate regularly scheduled international services to and from Canberra.

“This new service linking Singapore, Canberra and Wellington reflects the close ties between the three countries,” said Singapore Airlines CEO Goh Choon Phong.

Flights will be available for booking through the Singapore Airlines website, call centres and travel agents in the coming weeks, the company said.

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Airlines to enjoy low fuel in 2016, costs under spotlight

Airlines can look forward to continuing low oil prices for at least this year, helping to boost profits and drive demand for travel, but need to be wary of a swift rebound and focus on staff costs, experts said at a conference on Monday.

Low oil brings non-fuel costs at airlines into the spotlight, and highlights the difference between legacy carriers such as Lufthansa and Air France-KLM and low-cost airlines like Ryanair, analysts said.

Oil prices hit their lowest since 2003 on Monday, as the market braced for additional Iranian exports after sanctions against the country were lifted over the weekend.

Mike Corley, head of Mercatus Energy Advisors, said at the Airline Economics conference in Dublin he would not be surprised to see oil prices drop by another US$5-US$10 a barrel, but cautioned that prices could bounce back quicker than people expect.

IAG CEO Willie Walsh, lauded for cost-cutting at British Airways and Iberia, said the group would continue to focus on costs in 2016 and labor would probably be the biggest part of its cost base this year as fuel comes down.

"We compete with the likes of Ryanair, the most aggressive low-cost airline in Europe. We've got to have a cost base that enables us to compete in an effective manner," he said, highlighting a decision to move some office jobs to Krakow, Poland.

Jozsef Varadi, CEO of low-cost carrier Wizz Air , said only 8 percent of costs at the eastern European carrier were staff costs but it too had to keep cutting because labor costs would otherwise creep up with inflation.

"Others run campaigns for reducing costs but that's how we do business," he told Reuters, adding the carrier was nearing Ryanair in terms of its cost base.

Low prices are also prompting more airlines to look into their fuel hedging strategies, with some wanting to hedge and others scaling back existing programs, Mercatus' Corley said.

U.S. airlines are typically much less hedged than their European counterparts.

United Airlines used to hedge around 30-40 percent of its annual fuel needs but that is down at around 15 percent for the current year, Ted North, managing director corporate finance, said.

However, low oil prices were not expected to result in airlines cancelling orders for new fuel-efficient planes, developed when the oil price was high, Peter Morris, chief economist at Ascend, said.

"The oil price has gone down, but the added benefit is someone has brought a whole new range of toys to play with," he said.

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Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix 2015

Guess who I bumped into at work! Sorry @ivygoh_ you still have to take more calcium. 😂

A photo posted by Amelia Wong (@a_meliaw) on Sep 19, 2015 at 1:46am PDT

Scoot's Cadet Programme

B777-200ER

Embark on a flying career with a vibrant and fun airline! Take off to an exciting career with Scoot Cadet Pilot Programme!

Scoot is NOT your usual airline. We are 'Scoot' for many reasons, not least because we're different. Our brand conveys spontaneity, movement, informality and a touch of quirkiness - all attributes we are well known to be associated with. These attributes will be personified in a unique spirit that encapsulates our values and style. An airline with a different attitude, surrounded by people with 'Scootitude'.

Scoot is partnering the renowned aviation school, Singapore Flying College (SFC) to develop the Scoot Cadet Programme to fill our cadet vacancies. Our cadets will undergo a customised self-funded 18 months training course at SFC. Completion of the course equips you with a Commercial Pilot Licence (Instrument Rating) or 'Frozen' ICAO ATPL. Now, you are one step closer to becoming a Second Officer!

Upon graduation from SFC, you will undertake Scoot's Multi- Crew Coordination, type, base and line training to ensure you are fully equipped with the essential skills and knowledge to fly Scoot's latest wide-body aircraft - the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

So if you have the passion for aviation and the 'Scootitude' DNA in you, we welcome you to journey with us and progress on to fulfilling your aspiration to be a pilot!



Essential Requirements

• Minimally 18 years old (as required by regulations in Air Navigation Order)
• Legally entitled to work in Singapore upon completion of training
• GCE 'A' level, Polytechnic Diploma or Degree. A minimum of 5 Credits in the GCE 'O' level or its equivalent at one sitting. These must include English, Mathematics and a Science subject, preferably Physics.
• Physically and mentally fit
• Qualify for Class 1 unrestricted medical certification as approved by the Civil Aviation Medical Board (CAMB)
• Good visual acuity of at least 6/60 without optical aid, correctable to 6/6 and not colour blind
• Be able to commit to a period of 18 months of consecutive training with no disruption

Desirable Traits

• A keen learner with a strong passion for aviation
• A team player who demonstrates composure, confidence and maturity
• A sense of humour to brighten up the day of everyone around you
• Definitely the 'Scootitude' DNA in you!

What's next?

Submit your interest with us by clicking the "Apply now" icon
More details on Scoot Cadet Pilot Roadshow and the application process will be communicated to shortlisted candidates by 23 July 2015.

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Singapore Weather & Updates

The Singapore (Paya Lebar) climate is characterised by uniform temperature and pressure, high humidity and abundant rainfall. The climate of Singapore can be divided into two main
seasons, the Northeast Monsoon and the Southwest Monsoon season, separated by two
relatively short inter-monsoon periods.

North-East Monsoon Season - December to early March - Northeast winds prevail,
sometimes reaching 20 km/h. Cloudy conditions in December and January with frequent
afternoon showers. Spells of widespread moderate to heavy rain occur, lasting from 1 to 3
days at a stretch. Relatively drier in February till early March. Also generally windy with wind speeds sometimes reaching 30 to 40 km/h in the months of January and February.

Pre South-West Monsoon - late March to May - Light and variable winds with afternoon and early evening showers often with thunder.

South-West Monsoon Season - June to September - Southeast/Southwest Winds. Isolated to scattered late morning and early afternoon showers. Early morning 'Sumatra' line squalls are common. Hazy periods.

Pre North-East Monsoon - October to November - Light and variable winds. Sea breezes in the afternoon. Scattered showers with thunder in the late afternoon and early evening.

Temperatures range from 19.4 deg C to 35.8 deg C. There is no distinct wet or dry season. Rainfall maximum occur in December and April. The drier months are usually in February and July.

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Apologies for going missing for an extended period of time as I was swamped with materials to study as well as a hectic training schedule. Managed to clear CAAS Form 32 and Base Check, with the next stage being Base Training with the airline. The pace at which things went in the past six weeks was amazing and everything went by in a blink of an eye.

I'll try to keep up with the backdated posts and update this post with the links below.

Backdated Posts:-

New pilot school boosts Singapore's hub status

A NEW pilot school has opened near Changi Airport, boosting Singapore's status as a key training centre in a region where there is growing demand for cockpit crew.

Housed in a six-storey facility at Changi Business Park Crescent, the $95 million Haite Singapore Aviation Training Centre is owned by China-based aerospace firm Haite Group.

Catering mainly to airlines in South-east Asia, it has two flight simulators and aims to add five more over the next five years. With seven simulators, it will be able to provide about 50,000 training hours a year.

Haite Singapore managing director Marc Nadeau expects to secure its first airline customer over the next few days but declined to say which one.

It is the group's first such facility outside China where it currently trains more than 2,000 pilots and flight crew each year for airlines such as Air China, China Eastern and Philippine Airlines.

With airlines buying more aircraft, it is estimated that more than half a million new pilots will be needed globally in the next 20 years.

Four in 10 are expected to be hired by Asian carriers.

Singapore Technologies (ST) Aerospace also has a pilot training arm and in the first quarter of next year, Singapore Airlines and aircraft manufacturer Airbus will open their new pilot school at Seletar Aerospace Park.

Mr Nadeau said: "We have some very big players in the region but each player has its own particular role. We are addressing not just the commercial aviation market but also business aviation and the helicopter segment. This is where we distinguish ourselves. We address all aircraft types and all aircraft segments."

Speaking at the official opening of the facility yesterday, Senior Minister of State for Transport Josephine Teo said Haite is a welcome addition to Singapore's aviation industry, which has more than 100 companies offering a full suite of services, such as aircraft maintenance and repair, parts distribution, and aircraft leasing.

Ms Teo said the firm's presence here "is a testament to Singapore's importance as an aerospace hub for the region and an excellent example of how we can partner Chinese companies to facilitate their international expansion, especially into the growing South- east Asian market".

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Batik Air flight makes emergency landing in Indonesia, no bomb found

An Indonesian Batik Air flight with 122 people on board made an emergency landing in Makassar in South Sulawesi after a suspected bomb threat, a government official said on Friday.

No bomb was found on the plane.

"I got a call from Sultan Hasanuddin airport in Makassar giving information about a bomb on Batik Air flight flying from Ambon to Jakarta," said J.A. Barata, spokesman for the transport ministry.

"Details on how they found out is unclear yet, I'm still waiting for information. The police is in charge of that now."

The plane was isolated from other flights and airport operations were not affected, said Tommy Soetomo, chief executive of airport operator Ankasara Pura I.

Batik Air is a subsidiary of Indonesian budget carrier Lion Air.

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