Page 32 - AAA MAY-JUNE 2012 Online Magazine

AIRPORTS

ON ThE GROuNd

Slow Reaction Times

The US Office of
Special Counsel
(OSC) has laid
blame on the
Federal Aviation
Administration
(FAA) for not res-
ponding promptly
to reported air safety problems. The OSC
listed several instances where the FAA
took as long as two years to investigate
aviation-related claims. Whistleblowers
reported that air traffic controllers
(ATCs) had been responsible for narrowly
avoided collisions between aircraft and
had “slept in the control room, left shifts
early, and used dangerously imprecise
AirAsia X Moves Closer language, resulting in a near-crash.”
Special Counsel Carolyn Lerner of the
AirAsia X has been given the green light to fly into Beijing Capital International OSC said that the public rightly expects
Airport, instead of its previous Beijing destination, Tianjin. The move will cut zero tolerance on risks. “Preventive
50kilometres (and a lot of time) off the travel distance to the city, and will make the measures could be far more effective if
flight more attractive to passengers tight on time, hopes AirAsia X. The flights begin the Department of Transportation (DOT)
mid-June, and will compete with LCC Jetstar at the new destination. The move from listened to its own employees’ alarm
Tianjin, considered an alternative airport for Beijing, means that SIA offshoot Scoot bells and acted on them promptly,”
is now the only LCC flying into Tianjin as a gateway to Beijing. AirAsia X CEO Azran she warned. Lerner pointed out that
Osman-Rani noted the change should improve take-up by Chinese travellers. In an the FAA has one of the highest rates of
interview with China Daily, he said the Tianjin route consists mainly of Malaysian and whistleblower filings per employee of
Singaporeans – something the airline is keen to redress as it presses ahead with a any US government agency. Since 2007,
push into the Chinese mainland market. 87 warnings had been made about
aviation safety. Even more shocking,
initiatives, and up to 20% rental rebates the DOT ultimately substantiated all but
for cargo tenants leasing CAG cargo five of those incidents – that’s 89% – in
facilities at Changi Airfreight Centre. whole or in part.
Despite these incentives, local flagship
Singapore Airlines Cargo has slashed
carrying capacity by 20% and reduced New Touchdown
flight frequencies to key markets in
slump-hit Europe and North America. One of the latest airports due to open in
While passenger traffic at Changi has China is the Hengyang Nanyue Airport,
Cargo Cults been growing strongly over the past two currently being built at a cost of Yuan
years, the air cargo sector overall has
656.19 million (US$103 million). Situated
With cargo tonnages dropping across the been facing strong headwinds. The global near Yunji Town, Hengnan County, it
region, Changi Airport Group (CAG) has air cargo market contracted 0.7% in 2011, will offer a 2.6-kilometre narrow-body
announced a S$15 million (US$12 million) and Asia-Pacific, the largest international runway. Some 6,000 m2 of terminal
support package under the Changi air cargo market at 40% share, declined space is planned, and projected opening
Airport Growth Initiative (CAGi) scheme. the most by 4.8%. Although airfreight is 2013. It is planned that by 2020, the
The scheme includes a 20% landing fee movements at Changi Airport rose by airport will be handling around 4,300
rebate at Singapore Changi Airport for 2.8% to 1.87 million tonnes last year, it aircraft movements, 350,000 passengers
all freighter flights, partnership funding has only recovered to tonnages it last per annum (ppa), and approximately
support for new cargo development reached in 2008. 1,200 tonnes of cargo.

32 ASIAN AIRLINES & AIRPORTS MAY / JUNE 2012 WWW.ASIANAIRLINES-AIRPORTS.COM