Page 37 - AAA MAY-JUNE 2012 Online Magazine

AIRLINES

Tiger flies Lanka
Tiger Airways has launched direct flights
between Singapore and Colombo, flying
three times a week from the end of May.
This will make it the first LCC to fly direct
from Singapore to Colombo. “This marks
the launch of our second new route since
the beginning of this year, and is part of
our ongoing push to expand our network
and paw print in the region,” said Stewart
Adams, Managing Director of Tiger Japan Airlines Takes Two
Airways Singapore. The only other key Japan Airlines (JAL) took delivery of the ensure route profitability, and also the
LCC to operate out of Bandaranaike airline’s first two 787 Dreamliners on enhanced in-flight comfort that our
International Airport is Sri Lanka-based a single day last month. The planes are customers will be delighted with,” he
Mihin Lanka, which flies mainly to the slated to serve previously unflown routes added. The 787 Dreamliner is more
Indian subcontinent, but offers code from Japan to the US. JAL will start a efficient to operate and has lower fuel
shares with Air Lanka to several other Boston service next month and add San use compared with current offerings,
South East Asian destinations. Diego later this year, said Yoshiharu Ueki, thanks in part to its lightweight composite
president of Japan Airlines. “The 787 construction which makes it the first mid-
More LCCs for India? with GEnx engines has the performance size aircraft capable of flying long-range
economics that JAL is looking for to
routes, says Boeing.
An application has been filed with the
Ministry of Civil Aviation by Capt G.R
Gopinath (who sold Deccan to Kingfisher)
to start a scheduled carrier with 12
Airbus 320s and ATR-72s. A Kingfisher
‘no-compete’ clause will end by Q4 2012,
and Gopinath told AAA the vacuum from
the “sudden collapse of Kingfisher”
was likely to leave a hole in the market.
Gopinath wants to fly to destinations
with a large base in the south. These
could include 21 locations like Mumbai, Singapore Sinks Cathay Cuts
Delhi, Coimbatore, Madurai, Bangalore, Singapore Air (SIA) slumped to a more than Cathay Pacific may have to mothball
Hyderabad, Guwahati and Goa. expected loss of US$31 million in the last some of its fleet aircraft and cut route
quarter, according to the latest company numbers thanks to slowing passenger
Timor Jets reports. Analyst projections had it making numbers and high fuel costs on its long-
haul routes. Recent revenue growth
a US$100 million or so profit, but increased
Timor Air has confirmed a start date competition from LCCs, a softening of the has been falling “well short of target”
of three months for its Embraer 170 premium market and high oil prices have it said in a statement, adding that its
service on the Nicolau Lobato (Dili)- all cut into the company’s operating costs. premium and cargo services had seen
Darwin and Dili-Perth routes. Newly The passenger load rate stayed level at a slowdown too. “Fuel prices remain at
appointed CEO of Timor Air, James 68.5%, but as Goh Choon Phong, SIA CEO crippling highs and our cargo business
Stewart Kim said the aircraft will offer noted, higher costs had “cut into” projected still shows no sign of any sustained
up to 124 seats, including 12 in business yields, and that “a high fuel price and weak pick-up,” Cathay Pacific Chief Executive
class. The deal is set to leverage the economic environment are particularly John Slosar said to employees. “The
increasing oil and resource traffic challenging to long-haul airlines.” SIA is (aviation) world is still balancing on
between Dili and Perth, the Australian reported to have abandoned plans to offer a knife edge,” he said. Last year the
oil industry’s capital, and a much cabin attendants and pilots unpaid leave, airline’s fuel costs rose 38% compared
improved luggage allowance over the but earlier this year introduced a scheme to the previous year. The airline has
previously operated Saab 340 aircraft to offer first officers up to two years also put off scheduled delivery of new
on the same routes. unpaid leave. aircraft from Boeing.

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