Miscellaneous airline bits & bobs

[Kyo]

Suddenly feel a need to go to Fukuoka and Kyoto again next year

[flying.monkeyz]

Qantas CEO gets death threat amid bitter strike

(SYDNEY) Qantas boss Alan Joyce has received a death threat, managers have been sent menacing letters and strike-breaking workers bullied amid a bitter industrial dispute, the airline said yesterday.

Qantas is facing industrial revolt from all three of its staff unions - the Transport Workers Union and those representing pilots and engineers - after announcing plans to cut 1,000 workers as it focuses business towards Asia.

The carrier said Mr Joyce had been the victim of threats, without going into details, but one letter reportedly told the Irish chief executive: 'It's coming soon Paddy. You can't even see it.'

'The unions will fight you... Qantas is our airline, started & staffed by Australians, not foreign filth like you,' the Daily Telegraph reported the typed threat as reading in part.

The letter said Mr Joyce's 'evil plans' would come back to haunt him and he would be kicked out of the country, the Daily Telegraph reported. The paper also said senior Qantas staff had had their car windows smashed and houses damaged after refusing to strike.

A spokeswoman for the airline confirmed that Mr Joyce had received a death threat but added, 'we can't go into any details'.

Qantas corporate affairs director Olivia Wirth, who admitted she had also received threats, said workers who chose not to take part in strike action had been bullied and intimidated.

Mr Joyce said Qantas management had 'received menacing correspondence, including to their homes' in what he described as 'abhorrent, and illegal' acts.

'Those who are in the business of using threats, violence and intimidation to obtain their industrial ends should know this: these tactics are cowardly and deplorable,' Mr Joyce wrote in a memo to 35,000 staff. 'They will not work. Anyone who is caught will face the full consequences.'

Unions, which are engaged in protracted contract negotiations with Qantas on pay and conditions, have denied any involvement in the threats and questioned Qantas' decision to make them public.

They revealed that union officials have also been on the receiving end of threatening messages, Transport Workers Union (TWU) national secretary Tony Sheldon said.

Mr Sheldon showed nine emails to reporters in Sydney, including one which read: 'You lazy dirty bunch of scabs. Pulling strikes at this time of year has finally made all TWU members the most hated in the country.' Another said: 'The next bus leaves at midday. Be under it.'

Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers Association federal secretary Steve Purvinas said threatening behaviour was unacceptable and should be taken to the police. He said it was 'a possibility' the threats had been concocted to garner public support for the airline, which is considered a national icon.

'But I don't think that Alan (Joyce) has written a letter to himself for that purpose,' he told ABC Radio.

Without naming the company or people involved, New South Wales police said they had investigated a threatening letter that was sent to senior executive in May 2011.

'The author was identified and the matter finalised,' a spokeswoman said.

Officials are also attempting to confirm reports of malicious damage to cars at a company car park, she added. -- AFP

http://www.businesstimes.com.sg/sub/...59254,00.html?

[UMD]

So...

Are the peaches also part of the uniform?

[flying.monkeyz]

Arik Air orders two 747-8Is

Nigeria's Arik Air was revealed as the previously unidentified customer for two Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental aircraft. It joins Korean Air and Lufthansa as airlines with the passenger version of the 747-8 on firm order. The order is valued at $635 million at list prices.

Boeing has sold 36 747-8Is including nine for VIP customers. In addition, Air China earlier this year announced its intention to order five 747-8Is (ATW Daily News, March 9).

Lagos-based Arik carried just over 1 million passengers in the 2011 first half. It operates 120 flights daily. It said it plans to use the 747-8Is on "key long-haul routes." It currently operates A340-500 flights from Lagos to both London Heathrow and New York JFK. According to the carrier, it has traffic rights to Johannesburg, Houston, Paris and Beijing.

http://atwonline.com/aircraft-engine...o-747-8is-1007

[flying.monkeyz]

Emirates to sponsor Thames cable car

Emirates has agreed a £36 million deal to sponsor the cable car which will link the Excel exhibition centre and O2 arena, in a move which will also see the airline’s branding placed on London tube maps.

The ten-year deal will see the service named The Emirates Air Line, with the creation of two new stations – Emirates Greenwich Peninsula and Emirates Royal Docks.

Both of these will be added to the London tube map, along with a red line depicting the service’s five-minute flight path across the Thames, and the carrier’s branding will be displayed on 34 cable cars transporting passengers along the route.

Transport for London plans for the cable car system to be operational by next summer, in time for the 2012 Olympic Games. Both Excel and the O2 arena will host sporting events during the Games.

According to TfL, the £36 millon sponsorship deal covers 80 per cent of the overal construction cost of the project.

Emirates already sponsors Arsenal Football Club’s ground in north London, and has a replica version of its A380 superjumbo on display on the roundabout near the entrance to Heathrow airport.

http://www.businesstraveller.com/new...ames-cable-car

[flying.monkeyz]

Hawaiian Airlines commences operations with fifth new A330

Hawaiian Airlines stated (09-Oct-2011) its newest A330-200 aircraft made its Hawaii debut on 09-Oct-2011 following its inaugural flight from Los Angeles to Honolulu. This is the fifth new A330 to join Hawaiian’s fleet since Jun-2010, coinciding with its expansion into Asia and enhanced service for the airline’s routes in North America. The carrier's A330s are configured with 294 seats - 30 more than its B767-300 aircraft – adding nearly 11,000 more air seats p/a with each new aircraft. Hawaiian is scheduled to take delivery of four more A330s in 2012 and will have 13 of the aircraft in its fleet by the end of 2015. Hawaiian plans to introduce up to 32 new Airbus aircraft into its fleet by the end of the decade. In addition to the five A330s already in the fleet, Hawaiian has confirmed agreements in place to acquire 12 more A330s and six A350XWB-800 aircraft (starting in 2017), along with purchase rights for an additional three A330s and six A350s. [more - original PR]

Hawaiian Airlines: “Demand for Hawaii is strong in the Asia-Pacific region, so that’s where most of our growth is focused. We recently launched three new Asia routes over an eight-month period. Our Sydney service is increasing to daily flights this December and we will be expanding into another new market with our Fukuoka service commencing in April. And there will be more good news to come as we introduce four more of these new aircraft next year," Mark Dunkerley, president and CEO. Source: Company Statement, 09-Oct-2011.

http://www.centreforaviation.com/new...sia-pac-123477

[flying.monkeyz]

Emirates accelerates deployment of A380 to Munich by five weeks

Emirates announced (11-Oct-2011) its is bringing forward its first daily A380 service to Germany by serving Munich from 25-Nov-2011, nearly five weeks earlier than originally scheduled. The aircraft was initially set to replace EK 49, one of two daily services to Munich, from 01-Jan-2012. The carrier made the decision after reviewing its forthcoming A380 deliveries and expected demand. On 01-Sep-2011, Emirates increased Dubai-Hamburg capacity from once to twice daily, taking to 56 its total number of weekly passenger frequencies to Germany. The current double daily Frankfurt service will be enhanced with an extra four frequencies per week as of 30-Oct-2011, becoming a triple daily operation from 01-Dec-2011. Emirates SkyCargo has 11 weekly freighter frequencies to Germany.

http://www.centreforaviation.com/new...e-weeks-123478

[MAN Flyer]

Rather than have the board cluttered up with lots of threads about various airlines that have debateable value on here, we've gathered them together in a single thread and ask that any further ones be put here as well.

We would also ask if we could just think how much interest that particular snippet of info would be on here.

MTIA.

[milehighj]

Rather than have the board cluttered up with lots of threads about various airlines that have debateable value on here, we've gathered them together in a single thread and ask that any further ones be put here as well.

We would also ask if we could just think how much interest that particular snippet of info would be on here.

MTIA.

[kapitan]

Maybe this thread should be renamed as.....

flying.monkeyz' Miscellaneous airline bits & bobs

[flying.monkeyz]

Miyuki Suzuki's appointment as Jetstar Japan CEO marks second female executive for Jetstar Group

Jetstar Japan marked several key milestones on its way to launch on 10-Oct-2011, including the appointment of Ms Miyuki Suzuki as CEO, effective 01-Dec-2011. Ms Miyuki, a former CEO of Japanese telecommunications and IT services company KVH Co, will be the second female CEO at a Jetstar Group company, joining Chong Phit Lian who is CEO of Singapore-based Jetstar Asia.

Commenting on the appointment, Jetstar CEO Bruce Buchanan noted in an interview with The Australian: "The aviation industry in Japan has been male dominated for a long time. Japanese women are, I think, the most underemployed anywhere in the world. A female CEO is another big signal of how radically we want to change the market up here."

Jetstar Japan was required to have a Japanese chief executive, although Mr Buchanan said it was always the intention to appoint a Japanese executive to the position. "When you have a large workforce and a lot of stakeholders, (and for) understanding the local consumer markets, it's critical to have a local CEO to get the best out of the business," he said.

In a news conference in Tokyo, Mr Bruce Buchanan said Ms Suzuki's experience of working in start-up industries and in sectors going through deregulation will be a key asset in heading the company.

As previously analysed in detail in a CAPA – Centre for Aviation Airline Leader report from Aug-2011, the airline industry is notorious for its “boysy” silhouette, with a scarcity of female CEOs of commercially significant airlines across the world. In a review of the profiles of over 200 airlines around the world, it was revealed that half of the world's women airline CEOs/MDs head low-cost carriers, including easyJet, SkyExpress, Spring Airlines, Thomson Airways and Jetstar Asia. Beijing Capital Airlines, in China, also has a female CEO in Zhu Kai.

Jetstar Japan receives first round of funding

The CEO announcement for Jetstar Japan comes after the Jetstar Japan Board met for the first time in Tokyo on 07-Oct-2011 to discuss progress towards the start of domestic services in Japan by the end of 2012. Among other milestones noted by the airline’s board were the formal incorporation of Jetstar Japan and receipt of the first round of funding from project partners Japan Airlines, Mitsubishi Corporation and the Qantas (Jetstar) Group. Following the meeting, Mr Buchanan commented: "The business is well on track: we have completed the first round of funding, we have had our first board meeting and we have appointed a CEO".

The JV will initially be capitalised at around JPY3 billion (USD39 million), increasing to JPY12 billion (USD156 million) after the commencement of operations, but excludes the cost of aircraft. The three investment partners will each hold a third of the company in terms of voting rights, although Qantas and Japan Airlines will each contribute 42% of the total investment, with Mitsubishi contributing a smaller 16%. As per Japan regulations, foreign interests may not hold more than one third of a Japanese airline.

Jetstar Group CEO Bruce Buchanan also stated that negotiations with a range of potential suppliers and business partners, including airports across Japan, were "progressing well". Several airports in Japan, the world's third-largest domestic aviation market after the US and China, are vying to be the company's operation base. The carrier has previously stated it expects to operate from Tokyo Narita and Osaka Kansai International, both served by Jetstar, with other destinations under consideration including Sapporo, Fukuoka and Okinawa. Jetstar Japan also plans to ultimately offer short-haul international services to key Asian cities, with Qantas CEO Alan Joyce separately stating international services will commence within a year of launch.

Qantas orders 100 A320s. Some to be deployed to Jetstar Japan

Also this month, Qantas finalised an order with Airbus for 110 A320 family aircraft, to help with the airline’s fleet renewal and expansion plans in the coming years. The firm order for 78 A320neos (scheduled to enter service in 2015) and 32 A320s is the largest single order in Australian aviation history by aircraft units and follows a commitment signed in Aug-2011. The new aircraft will be deployed across the Qantas Group, some of which will be deployed to Jetstar Japan, while others will be utilised on short- to medium-haul domestic and international operations. Qantas will make its engine decision at a later date.

Jetstar Japan plans to launch with an initial fleet of three new A320 aircraft, configured with 180 seats in a single class, growing to 24 aircraft within its first few years. Japan Airlines (JAL) noted it is "irrelevant" that it is not an operator of Airbus aircraft, with the fleet development based solely on Jetstar's fleet profile.

Although Mitsubishi has a majority stake in the Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation, which is developing a 70-90 seat regional aircraft, Jetstar Group CEO Bruce Buchanan has said Jetstar Japan will not be swayed by parent company interests, instead continuing to concentrate on operating 180-plus seat aircraft. "There is no consideration to include the regional jets," Mr Buchanan said. "Our business is very focused on A320s and above. We have no intention of operating regional jets."

A bit of background

Japan Airlines Corp, Jetstar Airways and Mitsubishi Corp in Aug-2011 confirmed plans to establish a LCC JV in the Japan market by Dec-2012. Jetstar Japan will be Japan's third new LCC announced this year, following hard off the heels of All Nippon Airways' announcement in Jul-2011 that it plans to establish a JV with leading low-cost airline AirAsia, AirAsia Japan, in addition to its previously announced LCC, Peach. The JAL JV would add another piece to the complex jigsaw that is now transforming the Asian airline market. The potential market growth as these successive ventures are introduced can be measured in the hundreds of millions of new passengers. Removal of highly restrictive regulatory conditions and the scale of opportunities as new city pair market options emerge literally mean the sky is the limit for growth upsides.

Jetstar, with the announcement, is completing another piece of the Asia Pacific low-cost airline subsidiary puzzle, further growing its brand in Asia and gaining an increasing number of economies of scale in its operations. For JAL, the venture enables it to capitalise on recent developments in the Japan market, allowing for the diversification of its business model at a time of restructure for the carrier.

Japan Airlines president Masaru Onishi has subsequently stated he believes Jetstar Japan will be able to learn from and avoid mistakes made by other well-established US and European carriers in developing subsidiary LCCs. He added the Japanese Government needs to make further progress to enhance the global competitiveness of its airports, as part of which it needs to implement reforms to regulations on landing fees and slots. Mr Onishi said JAL has sought advice from members of the oneworld alliance in its planned move into the LCC sector.

http://www.centreforaviation.com/blo...ar-group-60383

[flying.monkeyz]

AirAsia will not proceed with proposed Vietjet JV

AirAsia announced (11-Oct-2011) it will not proceed with the proposed JV with Vietjet entered into on 09-Feb-2010 following the expiration of the prescribed period to fulfil the various regulatory requirements stipulated under the Share Purchase Agreement and the Shareholders Agreement. AirAsia stated it had decided to let the JV agreement lapse as Vietjet failed to obtain regulatory approval from the Vietnamese authorities to use the AirAsia brand on its commercial operations.

http://www.centreforaviation.com/new...tjet-jv-123676

[flying.monkeyz]

JAL continues low-density 787 configuration trend with plan for 186 seats

Japan Airlines (JAL) will configure its B787-8 in a two-class configuration seating 186 passengers across 42 seats in a 2-2-2 business class configuration and 144 economy class seats in a 2-4-2 economy class configuration. JAL has elected not to feature, at least initially, the first class and premium economy class on its other long-haul aircraft, the B777.

JAL plans to first deploy its B787 on a new Tokyo Narita-Boston route from 22-Apr-2012. JAL's low density option follows a decision from launch customer and operator All Nippon Airways (ANA) to configure its long-haul international B787 fleet with only 158 seats, or 28 fewer seats than JAL.

Both ANA And JAL will have a lower configuration density than Boeing’s "typical" three-class configuration plan of 242 seats, as stipulated in a Mar-2011 Airport Compatibility Brochure for the B787. LOT plans to outfit its B787 with 252 seats, and United 219 seats.

JAL’s 186-seat configuration, shown in sample bookings for the Tokyo Narita-Boston service, includes 42 business class seats in a 2-2-2 configuration and 144 economy class seats in a 2-4-2 configuration, as shown in sample bookings on JAL's reservation engine. The carrier has not unveiled which seat models it will use on the B787.

The business class cabin occupies zone one of the aircraft – the area between doors 1 and 2 – with three rows of 2-2-2 seats. The cabin continues after doors 2 with four rows of 2-2-2 seats

The economy cabin starts after business class and goes until doors 3. In the zone there is one row of two seats on either side with no centre seats, and then seven row of 2-4-2 seats. After doors 3 there is again one row with no centre seats and then nine rows of 2-4-2 seats. There will be galley space around doors 3. Finally there is one row of 2-4-2 seats aft of doors 4, an uncommon layout but one that could maximise seating by decreasing galley space. The extra row is also offers JAL additional exit row seats with enhanced seat pitch the carrier could sell or reserve for elite frequent flyers. Lavatory location on the aircraft is not clear.

For IFE, JAL will install the MAGIC-V system in economy class. No details on the business class IFE system have been provided, although it will likely be the same version.

The Tokyo Narita-Boston route will commence on 22-Apr-2011 with oneworld member and joint business agreement partner American Airlines. The initial four-weekly flight will increase to a daily service on 01-Jun-2011. JAL president Masaru Onishi said the Tokyo-Boston route would be possible “by making full use of the efficiencies of the revolutionary 787 as well as capitalizing on our closer relationship with American Airlines”. American Airlines will codeshare on the service and JAL will work with major Boston carrier and American Airlines partner jetBlue for onward connectivity, suggesting partnerships are just as important as the B787’s operating costs.

B787 fills gap between B767-300 and B777-200

JAL has 35 B787s on order, all -8 variants. The aircraft fills a niche between the carrier's B767-300 and B777-200 fleets, effectively giving JAL a B767-sized aircraft with a B777-200's range. The B787's length is approximately 57 metres, 2m longer than the B767-300's length of approximately 55 metres. The B767-300 seats 237 passengers in a two-class configuration. The significantly higher density of the B767-300 despite the aircraft being shorter and narrower than the B787 can be attributed to its deployment on short- and medium-haul routes where seat pitch does not need to be as great as on long-haul flights. The B787 is wider and can accommodate one or two extra economy seats per row than the B767-300. JAL's B777-200ER – seven metres longer than the B767-300 and also wider than the B767 and B787 – typically seats 268 passengers in a two-class configuration, including nine-abreast in economy, a wider layout that adds approximately 22 seats than if economy was in a B787's 2-4-2 configuration.

ANA’s long-haul international B787s to be configured with 158 seats

Also in the Japanese market, ANA has configured its long-haul international B787s with 158 seats across two cabins. The exceptionally low-density configuration can be attributed to 46 business seats (fully flat Sicma Skylounge business class seats) configured in spacious alternating rows of 1-2-1 and 1-1-1 (compared to a typical 2-2-2 or even 1-2-1 throughout configuration) and the 112 seats in economy (33 to 34 inch seat pitch) arranged in a standard eight-abreast 2-4-2 configuration instead of the nine-abreast option available to airlines and which Boeing uses as a "typical" configuration.

ANA’s initial regional and domestic B787s will be configured with 264 seats (12 Sicma Majesty business class seats and 252 economy), the densest B787 configuration confirmed to date, which will be reduced to a 222-seat configuration for regional services.

LOT and United also release B787 seating plans

So far only two other airlines have released their seating plans. LOT plans to configure its B787s with 252 passengers across three cabins: 18 in 2-2-2 business class seats that fold down to lie-flat beds, 21 armchair premium economy seats in a 2-3-2 configuration, and 213 economy seats in a 3-3-3 configuration. United Airlines, meanwhile, is planning a 219-seat configuration, split across a three-class configuration of 36 business, 63 premium economy and 120 economy seats.

http://www.centreforaviation.com/blo...86-seats-60382

[flying.monkeyz]

Woman sues airline over 'extreme turbulence'

A Texas woman is suing Continental Airlines and three other carriers over mental trauma she said she experienced during turbulence on a flight.

Colleen O'Neal of Lubbock, Texas, was flying from College Station to Houston on Oct. 29, 2009, when the flight hit extreme turbulence just minutes after takeoff, according to the lawsuit filed Tuesday in Harris County district court. Weather reports at the time of departure showed a threat of "tornados, wind shear, and dangerously strong winds with rotating and intense thunderstorms."

What was supposed to be a 20-minute flight turned into more than two hours as the aircraft repeatedly rose and fell "as if it had lost power and was falling out of the sky," according to the lawsuit.

At one point, the pilots attempted to make an emergency landing in Victoria, Texas, but it was aborted.

In the lawsuit, O'Neal claims she experienced "extreme fear during this flight and believed that she was going to die." She has since been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and suffers from nightmares, flashbacks and an intense fear of flying.

She claims that the airline failed to obtain necessary weather information and take action to ensure the safety of passengers aboard the flight.

“I think they made a mistake in taking off. I don’t think we ever should have been in the air,” O'Neal told msnbc.com on Tuesday, adding that upon landing, crew members and passengers aboard the flight took a picture because they all survived.

O'Neal said she has not been able to fly since, which she believes has damaged her job prospects and future earnings potential.

In addition to Continental, the lawsuit also names Colgan Air, Pinnacle Airlines and United Continental Holdings. United and Continental announced a merger in 2010. Colgan Air, which was operating the aircraft for Continental, is owned by Pinnacle Airlines.

A spokesman for United Continental Holdings told msnbc.com that the airline had not yet had the opportunity to review the lawsuit.

http://overheadbin.msnbc.msn.com/_ne...eme-turbulence

[Nick C]

Maybe this thread should be renamed as.....

flying.monkeyz' Miscellaneous airline bits & bobs

Many thanks to MAN Flyer for doing the much needed pruning of weeds.