Orient Aviation’s Week in the Asia-Pacific
By Dominic Lalk
It has been a rapidly developing week in Asia-Pacific commercial aviation. On Thursday, Asia’s largest airline, China Southern Airlines, declared it would leave the SkyTeam alliance in 2019, raising questions of what’s next for China Southern and its neighbour in Hong Kong, Cathay Pacific Airways.
In Jakarta, it was announced that Garuda Indonesia subsidiary, Citilink, would take over operational and financial management of Sriwijaya Air, a struggling rival carrier. In Singapore, the SIA Group posted a 69% first-half profit decline, to US$142 million, while VietJet Air in Hanoi reported healthy profit gains. In Shanghai, China Eastern Airlines purchased an 8% shareholding in Juneyao Airlines and in Hanoi, Bamboo Airways received its long-awaited business licence.
China Southern exits SkyTeam Read More »
News
Citilink to take operational and financial control of Sriwijaya
Citilink, the Garuda Indonesia Group low-cost subsidiary, has signed a joint venture agreement with Sriwijaya Air Group whereby Citilink will take over the operational and financial management of “medium service” Sriwijaya Air and NAM Air, struggling competitors of Garuda. Read More »
News
VietJet posts US$108 million nine-month profit, mulls Darwin route
Hanoi-headquartered VietJet Air has reported an operating profit of VND2.5 trillion (US$108 million) for the nine months to September 30, up 13% year-on-year. Read More »
News
China Eastern buys 8% of Juneyao Airlines for US$455 million
The relationship between Shanghai stalwarts China Eastern Airlines and Juneyao Airlines just got a lot more intimate. Read More »
News
Cebu Pacific reports US$52 million nine-month profit
Philippine LCC, Cebu Pacific Air, this week reported a net profit of PHP2.78 billion (US$52.3 million) for the first nine months to September, down 37% year-on-year, despite incurring a US$9.6 million net loss in the third quarter, which the carrier said was the result of soaring fuel costs and a strong US dollar. Read More »
News
Cathay outlines complexity of industry’s worst cyber attack
Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific Airways this week said it had taken the airline nine months to disclose a cyber attack in March because the attack “involved a number of complex systems that took significant time to analyse”. Read More »
News
SIA Group posts 69% first-half net profit decrease
Singapore Airlines (SIA) Group on Wednesday reported a 68.9% year-on-year drop in first half net profit, to S$196 million (US$142 million). Read More »
News
Turkish reports US$755 million nine-month net profit
Turkish Airlines, a Star Alliance member, appears to be walking away unscathed from Turkey’s economic downturn brought about by sanctions and tariffs imposed by the U.S. government. Read More »
News
Bamboo Airways’ business licence approved
The Ministry of Transport in Hanoi on Monday approved the business licence of fledgling Bamboo Airways, an airline proposing a hybrid business model. Read More »
News
ATR launches Yunnan demonstration tour
Franco-Italian turboprop manufacturer ATR this week completed a demonstration tour of its ATR 42-600 in Yunnan, China. Read More »
News
IndiGo coverts 125 A320neo to larger A321neo
India’s IndiGo Airlines has converted 125 of its orders for the A320neo to the larger A321neo, Airbus order data shows. Read More »
People
Flight Safety Foundation names Shahidi new president and CEO
Flight Safety Foundation this week named Dr. Hassan Shahidi, a long-time senior executive at MITRE Corporation and a leader in aviation safety and air traffic management, its new president and CEO, starting January. Read More »
Shorttakes
Routes: AirAsia X will terminate its Gold Coast-Auckland A330-300 route but will continue to serve Kuala Lumpur-Gold Coast daily. Read More »
