Orient Aviation’s Week in the Asia-Pacific
By Dominic Lalk
The International Air Transport Association forecasts solid economic growth in 2019 for the global airline industry with Asia-Pacific carriers predicted to report a collective annual profit of US$10.4 billion in 2019, up from $9.6 billion this year.
Indonesia’s Lion Group this week said it might cancel its 230 remaining B737 MAX orders after feeling “betrayed” by Boeing in the aftermath of the fatal Lion Air crash in the Java Sea in October. AirAsia X is considering conversion of its July Memorandum of Understanding for 34 additional A330-900neo to A321neoLR orders because of market conditions. Also in Kuala Lumpur,Malaysia Airlines this week rebranded its first class offering as ‘business suite’. Airline group CEO, Izham Ismail, said the product was introduced in response to “customer demand”.
In China, Hainan Airlines will add Guiyang-Paris and Xian-Los Angeles to its network, EVA Airways will launch flights to three destinations in Japan and Jet Airways has codeshare partnership with Saudi low-cost carrier, flynas. HNA Group controlled lessor, Avolon, has confirmed an order 100 additional A320neo Family jets and BOC Aviation booked another three B777-300ERs.
International Air Transport Association predicts “solid” growth for airlines in 2019 Read More »
News
Lion Air Group considers MAX order cancellation
Indonesia’s Lion Group is threatening to cancel its orders for more than 200 Boeing 737 MAXs. The Group’s co-founder, Rusdi Kirana, said he felt “betrayed” by Boeing after the U.S. OEM pointed fingers at the airline in the preliminary report into the Lion Air MAX 8 crash off the coast of Jakarta in October. Read More »
News
EVA Air to strengthen Japan network ahead of StarLux launch
Following delivery of the carrier’s maiden B787-9 Dreamliner, EVA Airways has announced it will increase its destination to Japan from eight to 11 next year starting from the second quarter. Read More »
News
First All Nippon Airways A380 rolls out of Airbus paint shop with new livery
The first All Nippon Airways (ANA) A380 bearing the carrier’s Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle livery was rolled out of the Airbus Paint Shop in Hamburg this week. The Green Sea Turtle is native to Hawaii. Read More »
News
NokScoot to launch Delhi flights
Thai long-haul low-cost carrier, NokScoot, will be launching flights to South Asia later this month with a four times a week Don Mueang-New Delhi B777-200ER service starting on December 18. Read More »
News
Malaysia Airlines rebrands first class as business suite
Malaysia Airlines has rebranded its first class offering as “business suite”, effective December 12. The product will be available on the airline’s six A350-900s and six A380s and largely identical to the old first class product. Read More »
News
Avolon adds 100 A320neo Family jets; BOC Aviation confirms three B777-300ERs
Dublin-headquartered aircraft lessor, Avolon, has confirmed an order for 75 A320neo and 25 A321neo. The agreement is the single largest Airbus order placed by Avolon and takes the lessor’s cumulative orders with Airbus to 240 single aisle and 44 wide body aircraft. Read More »
News
Jet Airways agrees to extensive codeshare deal with LCC flynas
Jet Airways this week entered into an extensive codeshare partnership with Saudi Arabian low-cost carrier (LCC), flynas. Read More »
News
AirAsia X evaluating order switch from A330neo to A321neoLR
Malaysia’s AirAsia X group is considering whether to convert its MoU for 34 additional A330-900neo into commitments for the smaller A321neoLR. Read More »
News
Hainan Airlines to add Guiyang-Paris and Xian-Los Angeles
HNA Group’s Hainan Airlines has requested daily traffic rights on Guiyang-Paris starting January from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC). Read More »
News
Airbus China inks interiors partnership with Royole
Airbus China Innovation Centre (ACIC) this week signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Royole Technology – a supplier of flexible displays, flexible sensors and foldable smartphones. Read More »
News
WOW Air launches Delhi flights
Icelandic low-cost carrier (LCC), WOW Air, has launched its first route to Asia, a three times a week Keflavik-New Delhi service using its sole remaining 345-seater Airbus A330-300. Read More »
People
Emirates veteran, Hong Kong-based Edwin Lau retires
Emirates Airline has appointed Fernando Suárez de Góngora as vice president for Hong Kong, Taiwan and Guangzhou to succeed popular Edwin Lau, who has been with the Gulf carrier since 1992. Read More »
Short Takes
MRO: South Korean budget carrier, Eastar Jet, has extended its component maintenance agreement with Lufthansa Technik to include the airline’s incoming Boeing 737 MAX fleet. Read More »
