Aviation News

Singapore Airlines

Virgin Australia will seek to end its relationship with Malaysia Airlines (MAS) as it pursues a partnership with aviation powerhouse Singapore Airlines (SIA).

Virgin and SIA have lodged an application with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) to form their alliance.

The pair wants ACCC approval to codeshare and cooperate on pricing, scheduling, marketing and sales on Australia-Singapore services and international and domestic connecting flights.

They also plan to bid for corporate and government travel contracts, and offer reciprocal benefits to members of their respective frequent flyer programs including lounge access and the ability to earn and burn points.

Virgin and SIA said they were looking at new routes, but specific city pairs were blanked out in the public version of their application.

They also said they would look at adding additional capacity and using larger aircraft on between Australia and Singapore.

The application also confirmed Virgin was looking to wind up its reciprocal frequent flyer and interline arrangements with the Kuala Lumpur-based MAS.

MAS announced earlier this month it would join the oneworld airline alliance and seek closer cooperation with national flag carrier Qantas Airways.

“Therefore there is no prospect of a broader relationship with Malaysia Airlines,” the application said.

“As a result of both the proposed alliance and Malaysia Airlines’ decision to join oneworld, both parties will discuss termination of their existing relationship.”

Virgin and SIA said they would spend money improving IT, booking and check-in systems, and on product alignment and marketing.

They have asked for approval for an initial 10-year term to “ensure adequate time to achieve a return on that investment”.

Virgin said the tie-up with Singapore Airlines complemented the airline group’s partnership with Etihad Airways and other tie-ups chief executive John Borghetti has assembled to build a network of global destinations without spending hundreds of millions on new aircraft.

“For commercial reasons, Virgin Australia does not intend to codeshare on Singapore Airlines routes where it has codeshare coverage with Etihad,” the application said.

This arrangement would extend to the Brisbane-Singapore-Abu Dhabi service, which Virgin was due to start flying from February 2012 and currently operated three times a week by Etihad.

“While the alliance will provide Virgin Australia with the ability to codeshare on Singapore Airlines services between Brisbane and Singapore, Virgin Australia has an existing codeshare with Etihad on this route,” it said.

“Virgin Australia does not intend to codeshare with both airlines on this route.”

SIA has 92 return services a week between Singapore and Australia.

Cebu Pacific Air

Budget carrier Cebu Pacific is beefing up its staff to support its aggressive expansion over the next decade.

In a statement on Thursday, the company said that it has 150 new positions open exclusively for female flight attendants.

The hiring of additional cabin crew will augment Cebu Pacific’s workforce in time for the delivery of four brand-new Airbus A320 aircraft in the second half of 2011, and 16 brand-new Airbus A320 aircraft from 2012 until 2014.

The company recently announced a $3.8-billion order for 30 Airbus A321 Neo and seven Airbus A320 aircraft to be delivered from 2015 until 2021.

It is the largest order for the Airbus A321 Neo in the world. This was also the largest order ever made by any airline in the country.

“Our expansion will allow us to continue offering high-paying jobs to more Filipinos, and keep them close to their families,” vice president for marketing Candice Iyog said.

“Cebu Pacific will continue to give more Filipinos the chance to build their careers in the airline industry. Our plan to hire more flight, cabin and ground crew will continue to grow as the airline grows.”

According to Iyog, the company has so far created close to 5,000 jobs with an annual payroll of over P2 billion, contributing significantly to the Philippine job market.

Cebu Pacific is one of several airlines in Asia that have announced aggressive expansion plans this month, in time for the Paris Airshow.

Malaysia’s Air Asia ordered a record 200 planes from European aircraft manufacturer Airbus for roughly $17 billion.

Indian budget carrier IndiGo likewise announced an order of 180 new planes for $16 billion.

Cebu Pacific, owned by the Gokongwei group, has 16 international and 34 domestic routes. It is currently the country’s largest airline in terms of passengers served.

This year, the airline expects to sell over 12 million tickets, up from 10.5 million last year.

source: http://www.inquirer.net

Boeing 777 Freighter

Federal aviation regulators hit aircraft manufacturer Boeing with a $1.05 million proposed fine Monday for improper assembly of the emergency oxygen systems on nine of its 777 jetliners.

Federal Aviation Administration inspectors found that tubing carrying oxygen to passengers in the event of a loss of pressure in the cabin were attached at an angle when they should have been nearly straight, the agency said in a letter to Boeing.

Failure to properly connect the tubes “could result in the system not supplying oxygen to passengers should depressurization occur,” the FAA said in a release.

The errors were noticed in inspections conducted from April through October of last year, the FAA said.

“There is no excuse for waiting to take action when it comes to safety,” Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said in a statement. “We will continue to insist on the highest levels of safety from our aircraft manufacturers.”

Boeing acknowledged that instructions for its workers had been unclear, which led to the improper installation. But the aircraft giant said the errors had never compromised safety.

“The safety of our products is Boeing’s number one priority,” Boeing said in a statement.

Boeing said that after FAA inspectors discovered the problem, the company conducted testing of the tubing and found that the crooked connections worked fine, delivering oxygen without any leaks. The company also updated instructions so workers would install the connections correctly.

The 777, Boeing’s successful long-range widebody jet, has been in service since 1995 without a single fatal accident. The company has delivered 934 of the jets to airlines as of May 31.

In a letter to Boeing, the FAA told the plane maker that it had discovered 46 instances in which Boeing had erroneously certified that the tubes were installed correctly when they were not. The FAA can levy up to $25,000 per violation, which would have totaled $1.15 million. Instead, it said it would accept a payment of $1.05 million.

Fines over $1 million are rare for the FAA, but the agency does not keep a listing of its proposed fines. The largest fine issued by the agency was $9.5 million against now-defunct Eastern Airlines in 1987. Southwest Airlines paid $7.5 million in 2009.

Boeing has 30 days to challenge the fine. Aviation firms often end up paying lower amounts.

source: http://travel.usatoday.com

Remains of RusAir's Tu-134

MOSCOW, June 27 (Xinhua) — A total of 47 victims killed in last Monday’s Tu-134 plane crash in northern Russia have been identified, local media reported on Monday.

Citing the Russian Health and Social Development Ministry, Interfax news agency said experts had done all their works on identifying the victims.

“The identification process has lasted five days, and it went on round-the-clock during the first few days. The experts have done everything to identify all crash victims as soon as possible,” an official of the ministry was quoted as saying.

The RusAir’s passenger plane, with 52 people on board, crash-landed in Russia’s northern republic of Karelie last Monday. The fuselage was totally destroyed and caught fire as the plane was trying to land on a highway near the airport in heavy fog.

Initially eight people survived and were taken to hospitals, but three of them, including a 10-year old boy, eventually died last week. Currently, four survivors were undergoing treatment at Moscow-based hospitals, while one survivor was staying in a hospital in Petrozavodsk, capital of the Karelie republic.

Preliminary investigation suggested the plane may hit a power line during its landing.

source: http://news.xinhuanet.com