NewsTigerair Australia drops SIAEP after defect found on 737Tigerair Australia has stopped sending aircraft for heavy maintenance at SIA Engineering Philippines after a Boeing 737-800 was grounded for just over three weeks following a heavy check at the MRO operator's Clark facility. The aircraft, registered VH-VUB, developed a cockpit voice recorder fault after departing on its ferry flight back to Melbourne on 31 July. As there were no safety concerns, the aircraft continued on its nonstop ferry flight and landed safely, a source said.
LinkMedium-haul is best in long-haul, low-cost game: FernandesThe AirAsia X Group is wary of true long-haul, low-cost services, with a strong preference for focusing on medium-range regional routes. “Long-haul Europe is just not in our plans,” says co-chief executive Tony Fernandes. “We are pioneers in the long-haul, low-cost market, but the reality of the model is medium-haul routes of six to eight hours – that is the sweet spot.”
LinkCanadian ULCC Jetlines moves closer to 2019 launchNew Canadian ultra LCC Jetlines recently submitted its operations manuals to Transport Canada, completing the next major step in its bid to launch services next year. The carrier’s focus now shifts to training programs and securing contracts for Airbus A320-specific training.
LinkAir Seychelles promotes Remco Althuis to CEO Air Seychelles has named Remco Althuis as its new CEO, a promotion from the interim role he has held for the past eight months. Althuis was appointed as interim CEO following the resignation of Roy Kinnear, who had been Air Seychelles CEO since July 2015.
LinkBrussels Airlines looks at wet-lease options for Sukhoi aircraft Brussels Airlines is considering whether to move its wet-lease arrangement from Ireland’s CityJet, following longer-than-anticipated delays in solving technical problems with its Russian-built Sukhoi Superjet 100s (SSJ100s). The Belgian airline has used four of Dublin-based regional CityJet’s SSJ100s on some services since April 2017. That contract is scheduled to expire in March 2019 and the carrier is at the request-for-proposals (RFP) stage of determining who will be capacity provider.
LinkANA's first A380 makes flying debut All Nippon Airways' first Airbus A380 has completed its maiden flight. The aircraft was flown from the manufacturer's final assembly line in Toulouse to its site in Hamburg, Germany, for cabin interior installation and exterior painting, says Airbus.
LinkChina Southern eyes 150 widebody aircraft by 2020China Southern Airlines is looking at a fleet of 150 widebody, long-haul aircraft by 2020 as the Guangzhou-based carrier seeks expansion opportunities. Asia’s largest airline has around 800 aircraft in its fleet—mostly narrowbodies that serve regional and domestic markets—which the carrier hopes to increase to 1,000 by 2020.
LinkVinci Airports seeks to diversify Cambodian portfolioWary of an overdependence on Chinese markets and airlines, French airports operator Vinci Airports hope to attract more international markets to its fast-growing Cambodian airports. The company runs all Cambodia’s three international airports; Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Sihanoukville.
LinkMyanmar’s Yangon airport aims to attract new carriersMyanmar’s Yangon International Airport still sees enormous potential for commercial aviation in Myanmar, despite recent news of local airline startups folding. Yangon Aerodrome Company operations director Pedro Manuel De Carvalho Cavern told ATW at the annual World Routes Development Forum in Guangzhou there are simply too many startups in the country that should be focused on “quality not quantity.”
LinkRyanair partners to form Cork-based pilot-training academyIrish LCC Ryanair has formed a cadet-pilot training partnership with Cork-based flying school Atlantic Flight Training Academy (AFTA), which will train up to 450 Ryanair pilots over the coming five years. The Ryanair-mentored pilot program will create up to 50 new jobs and help support the airline’s European growth plans.
LinkUSAF Secretary wants to grow squadron numbers by 24%Secretary of the US Air Force Heather Wilson says she wants to increase the service’s number of operational squadrons by 24% to 386 by 2025 to 2030. Citing several studies, as well as feedback from service personnel, the USAF is too small to fulfil its mission as outlined in the Department of Defense’s National Defense Strategy, Wilson says at the Air Force Association’s Air, Space & Cyber Conference taking place this week in National Harbor, Maryland.
LinkTAP Air Portugal will launch daily Lisbon-Tel Aviv Airbus A321LR service; twice-daily Lisbon-Dublin Airbus A319/A320 service; and twice-daily Lisbon-Basel A319/A320 service from April 2019.
Korean Air will use a Boeing 787-9 on its 3X-weekly Seoul-Prague service from Oct. 29.
Hawaiian Airlines will start 5X-weekly Honolulu-Boston Airbus A330 service April 4.
Ukraine International Airlines will launch twice-daily Kiev-Bucharest Boeing 737-800 service from March 31, 2019; Kiev-Izmir Boeing 737-800 service from June 15, 2019; and daily Kiev-Sofia Embraer E145 service from March 31, 2019.
