asl aviation group internal newsletter
n°7 - summer 2015
A message from our CEO Warm summer greetings to all at ASL. Given the nice summer weather in Europe you may think I’ve forgotten other parts of the ASL Group, I haven’t! It’s always warm in India, Thailand and South Africa (albeit cold in the evenings!) There is plenty of activity throughout the ASL Group currently with charter and contract flying from France and Ireland on the respective Boeing 737 and Boeing 757 fleets. Cargo activity for our major clients is also at high levels. We will of course cover these and indeed the scheduled passenger flying across the Group and Globe as well as ASL’s various Support businesses and aid/relief flying during the upcoming ASL roadshows. Three very pleasing recent and unsolicited points of feedback concerning all ASL’s business activity which I would like to share with you, can be summed up as follows:
A new brand for a stronger and more significant Group
Your premium brand had better be delivering something special, or it’s not going to get the business.
T
Warren Buffet o succeed to full potential in business today a company must think of itself as a brand and this must be reflected throughout the
organisation. Brands exist because companies and organisations have many audiences, and these audiences place great store in brand and reputation because it makes decisions on
> ASL’s business approach is reputable!
a purchase or investment safer and easier.
> ASL is trustworthy by its customers and providers!
A company that understands itself and its brand and
> A SL companies are committed to finding solutions for customers!
that has brand strategy as its business strategy has the
It of course goes without saying that that we need to consistently focus on our Group values (Profitability, Reliability, People, Quality and Safety) in order to ensure consistent and positive feedback such as this. In terms of opportunities and challenges I am confident that with these strong attributes the ASL Group will continue to grow from strength to strength in the months and years to come! Thank you for your enthusiasm and efforts.
foundation to successfully build loyalty, demand, sustainable income, reliable earnings and market value. In March Hugh Flynn wrote to all staff on the initiation of the new ‘Platform for Growth’ strategy and our new Group structure. A critical component of this new structure was the plan to change the names and brand of the 4 European airlines and this has now happened. Air Contractors has become ASL Airlines Ireland
Our new brand and identity will achieve a number of key strategic aims: > The creation of an evolutionary new identity and brand image > A progressive transition from the current ASL Aviation Group identity > Show a clear and consistent link between ASL Aviation Group and the 4 airlines > Reflect key selling points of trust, reliability, size and credibility > Affirm ASL’s commitment to our new value proposition to our customers > Enable us to enhance optimisation across the Group > Increase the competitiveness of each airline in the market
Europe Airpost has become ASL Airlines France
Sincerely,
Farnair Switzerland has become ASL Airlines Switzerland Farnair Hungary has become ASL Airlines Hungary
Hugh Flynn
Each airline has now begun the transition to the new
group finance update
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the big paris air show
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.... and the best Paris air show!
asl airlines europe
safair : Safair Celebrates 50 Years of Excellence q uikjet india : Quikjet India to Launch Cargo Services k-mile : K-Mile Looks to Expand Network
support and leasing
the aclas brand : Development, Collaboration and Growth Leasing : Busy times for leasing team
taste of asl’s world
brand elements will become more and more visible internally and externally with our customers and the market generally.
Implementing the Change As the new brand and identities have been formally
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asl airlines ireland : “Irish Aircraft Operator of the Year 2015” a sl airlines france : New routes as ASLF develops passenger strategy asl airlines switzerland : LEP Programme a Winner for Airline and Pilots
rest of the world
brand, and in the weeks and months ahead all of the
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announced we are now moving quickly to implement the required change, with ASL Group supporting the airlines in the brand implementation with guidance on policy and procedure. The first aircraft is expected to be painted in the new ASL Airlines
The aim of this new common identity is to ‘affirm ASL’s commitment of enhanced service capabilities to
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The ‘Brand Steering Group’ has been established at Group level:
our customers, our shareholders and at internal level
> To guide the implementation process
throughout the ASL Group.’
> To monitor developments and progress
The connection between ASL Aviation Group and ASL
> To manage the centralisation structure in order
Airlines will be obvious to our customers and pros-
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Corporate Support
to control costs
pective customers and the new common identity will
This Steering Group will meet as often as required
position us perfectly for future growth.
throughout the implementation process. >>>>
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asl aviation group internal newsletter
Airline Implementation A ‘Brand Implementation Group’ has been established with
Image, identity and brand consistency is hugely important
Service
representatives from all 4 airlines involved. The members of
and our aim is to achieve a consistent brand image across the
We are dedicated to providing ‘preferred’ customer satisfaction.
this group will assist their CEO’s in driving the brand imple-
Group and all 4 ASL Airlines and the Style Guides and Logos
Excellence
mentation in each airline. Their roles include:
are designed to assist with this.
• Reporting on progress of the implementation process
Our new consistent and common approach to branding will
operations to optimal levels.
• Discussing related issues and seeking support or guidance
include such items as aircraft livery, vehicle branding, let-
• Informing their airlines of brand implementation standards
terheads, website domains, e-mail addresses and signatures,
Flexibility
and requirements. Project Updates will be issued regularly
business cards, signage, presentations and publications.
to assist with this.
The value proposition
Abbreviations
The value proposition is a key component of the brand. With
The following abbreviations have been approved for use throughout the ASL Group. ASL Group > ASLG ASL Airlines > ASLA
a strong brand, customers will know exactly what they should expect in terms of service and value from the company, and all
We can adapt at all times to changing customer requirements, using our combined Group resources to best effect. Responsive We have the capability to respond quickly and effectively to individual customer needs, even when they are unplanned. Fleet
associated companies bearing that brand name.
Our large fleet is matched to individual customer needs, and
The elements of our value proposition reflect the strength
both planned and unplanned operations.
of the brand and these must be continuously developed and
ASL Airlines Ireland > ASLI
We continue to develop ‘centres of excellence’ to manage our
commonality reduces costs and increases our capability in
enhanced.
Value
ASL Airlines Switzerland > ASLS
Neutral
ASL Airlines Hungary > ASLH
We are big enough to work totally independently for each
reducing our effectiveness, allowing us to pass on the benefits
ASL Airlines France > ASLF
individual customer.
Style Guide
Safety
We use our size and strength to control our costs without of competitive pricing to all of our individual customers. Expertise We can call on the knowledge and proficiency of our people
We have all the safety protocols, practices and culture that
throughout the Group to ensure that we always provide the
the standard for the use of logos, fonts, colours and names asso-
would be expected of a major airline.
best service.
ciated with the brand and this has been distributed to all airlines.
People
A separate ‘Online Style Guide’ will be issued within a few days
We attract the best people because we know that people are
to each airline for use for websites, digital marketing and general
our strength and the best people want to work with us.
The Importance of Brand and Reputation
The Brand Style Guide is a very important document that sets
online use.
Reliability This is a core value because we know that it is absolutely key to our customers’ success and our extensive capabilities are
ASL AVIATION GROUP BRAND STYLE GUIDELINES
LOGOS AND USAGE
geared to on time performance. 10mm
10mm
10mm
10mm
10mm
10mm
10mm
10mm
10mm
Competitive
10mm
10mm
10mm
10mm
10mm
MINIMUM WIDTH FOR PRINT 30mm
best pricing to our customers. 10mm
10mm
Our size and scale means that we compete hard and offer the Quality
Our customers, shareholders and providers understand the value of their brands and reputation to their business and they protect their brand at all times. They must be reassured that we understand the importance of brand, and particularly that we understand the importance and value of their brand and reputation. Our customers, shareholders and providers are essential to our growth and they need to be assured of our brand’s reputation and strength. They will take comfort from dealing with a big
We are committed to quality in the air and on the ground and
brand, with global reach, similar brand values and the ability
we have the teams, fleet and back-up to offer superior service.
to deliver, safely, neutrally and cost effectively.
Group Finance Update Following the strong financial performance of 2014, the start of 2015 has seen a reasonably steady start. While there is ground to be made up on this front, steady progress has been made on both the reporting and IT infrastructures with a number of projects under way to build on this progress. The integration of ASL Switzerland is progressing well with the team now fully up to speed on all the Group reporting requirements. A big well done to all involved on this as it took a lot of hard work and effort to ensure a seamless transition. On the 12/13 May all the CFOs met in Dublin for a number of working sessions. It was an extremely productive couple of days where ideas and information were exchanged with a view to ensuring that each of your finance teams are operating as efficiently and effectively as we can. A number of initiatives are under way which will hopefully make all our lives easier but more importantly ensure that a strong financial platform is put in place that facilitates the continued growth of the Group in the future.
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asl aviation group internal newsletter
The Big Paris Air Show ….and the Best Paris Air Show! In mid-June the skies over Paris were graced by the latest technological marvels of the air; the graceful A350 and superjumbo A380 from Airbus, the B787 Dreamliner from Boeing dazzling with its almost vertical take-off and many more, all vying for attention from the sky gazing throngs of sun scorched masses below. The Paris Air Show is one of the biggest and most prestigious in the world, and this year again the Wednesday of the show was book-ended by ASL Airlines Switzerland ATR 42 HB-AFF operating directly into, and out of the show at Le Bourget on its annual VIP show flight. There was plenty of military equipment on show of course, with the latest war machines demonstrating just how far aviation has come in the mere 112 years since the Wright Brothers first flew. Theirs was just a 12 second flight at 20 feet for 40 yards, but just 11 years later in 1914 the first military aircraft were flying observer missions, and a year later the first fighter flew, and the first fighter ‘ace’ was declared, appropriately enough, a Frenchman, Roland Garros. It’s another Paris air show though that is without question the best place to visit to see those aircraft of the First World War and their descendants from wars that came thereafter, throughout the 20th Century and right up to the modern French fighter jets of today.
Held on Pentecost weekend every year, La Ferte Alais is a unique aviation event that not only features flying displays from the earliest to the latest aircraft, but does it with style, imagination and creativity. All of the famous, infamous and historic names take to the air from the grass runway in La Ferte; the Red Baron in his triplane, the Spitfires, Zero’s, ME109’s and Mustangs of the Second World War and of course the bombers that were such a part of that war. Add to that the very distinctive three engines Junkers Ju52 and the Queen of the Skies in war and in peace, the DC-3 Dakota, and we have still only made a small dent in the long list of aircraft at this superb show. No standard exhibition flying here, the bombers all fly in formation over the field, through the smoke and flame of anti-aircraft fire, the fighters engage in a dogfight to the death and the firebombers arrive to drop their water on the bombed airfield…and all the while the sound effects blare out while music like the theme from 633 squadron sets the scene!
This year again ASLG and ASLF combined to bring important customers and business partners to this unique show and once again, La Ferte Alais proved to be a huge success with everyone. Hardly surprising then was that one of the biggest cheers of the afternoon from the crowds was for the guest appearance by an ASLF B737-300 Freighter….with its special message of love for La Ferte! In keeping with the theme of the show, the B737 flew with 8 Boeing-Stearman military trainer aircraft, telling an important part of the story of the evolution of Boeing. An air show, yes, but not just an air show. An aviation theatrical event! For anyone who has ever looked up into the sky and marvelled at how aircraft fly, even for a second, La Ferte Alais is an air show not to be missed.
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ASL Airlines Europe ASLI “Irish Aircraft Operator of the Year 2015”
It seemed absolutely fitting that the last major note in the history of Air Contractors before it became ASL Airlines Ireland was to be crowned ‘Irish Aircraft Operator of the Year’. In a country renowned for its aviation expertise and one that is home to a number of major European airlines it was a major and perhaps somewhat surprising achievement to win this prestigious award at a gala event hosted by the Irish Aviation Authority. Yet when one looks at the tremendous accomplishments in the calendar year of 2014 on which the awards were based, it is less surprising.
Hugh Flynn, Chief Executive of the ASL Aviation Group and Colin Grant, ASL Airlines Chief Executive, with the award for ‘Irish Aircraft Operator of the Year’ won by ASLI.
2014 was an exceptional year for ASLI in terms of all the criteria for the Aircraft Operator Award; operational performance, route and service initiatives, safety, customer service, passenger numbers and technical innovation. The initiative with Aer Lingus to introduce Boeing 757 narrow body passenger flights on routes from Dublin and Shannon in Ireland to New York, Boston and Toronto in North America has been hugely successful.
asl aviation group internal newsletter
post-revolution Libya and Europe. This involved placing two Afriqiyah Airways A320’s on our AOC and the Irish register, and operating them from Libya to London, Dusseldorf and Rome using our Irish and European crews. The service passed all European safety, security and regulatory inspections and requirements and operated successfully until new hostilities saw us withdraw in the interest of the safety of our staff and crew. Technical innovation saw the airline become the first to gain Boeing 757 ETOPS 180 certifications from the IAA and the first to successfully complete the 12th and final review gate of the IAA’s accelerated ETOPS process. We also won the prestigious Bravo Zulu Award for exceptional customer service from FedEx for the second year running. This reflected operation performance over the extremely busy Christmas peak period that saw the airline operate 854 sectors with just 3 minor delays, an on time performance of 99.4% on 100% completed sectors. In the first quarter of this year we have been working with DHL to optimise its services by transferring A300’s to the Hong Kong register and by opening a new A300-600 base for Irish registered aircraft in Bahrain to serve the Middle East region. The aircraft continue to operate on the Irish register under suitable lease arrangements, further reflecting the airline’s underlying commitment to tailor a product to suit our customers’ unique requirements.
The B757 offers Aer Lingus the opportunity to offer a suitable product and capacity service on routes whilst at the same time protecting the integrity of Aer Lingus’s twin Airbus fleet strategy (A330’s and A320’s). Our B757’s enabled Aer Lingus to reinstate allyear round transatlantic services from Shannon and facilitated both a new Dublin-Toronto route and new Dublin-New York JFK early morning departure. This made a business day return flight available for the first time. A joint initiative with associated ASL Aviation Group airline, FlySafair of South Africa, also saw us operate two aircraft during the summer months on Ryanair’s UK and European routes. These route and passenger initiatives saw our passenger operations grow six-fold from a single Boeing 737 to a fleet of 3 Boeing 737’s and 3 Boeing 757’s. Passenger numbers increased from 65,000 in 2013 to 450,000, almost a 700% increase. In August 2014 we carried over 100,000 passengers in a single month for the first time. Both passenger initiatives required superior management and technical leadership to introduce new aircraft to the fleet, gain certification for transatlantic flying and crucially to operate to the procedures, standards and requirements of each of our respective customer airlines. This included the successful operation of 25 minute turnarounds on Ryanair services and exceeding the reliability and on time performance standards set by Aer Lingus. In both instances, using the airline customers own cabin crew, we were able to recreate the same inflight service offered by the customer. We also worked closely with the IAA on a project to assist in reinstating passenger flights between
The Minister for Transport in Ireland Mr. Paschal Donohoe, presents the ‘Irish Aircraft Operator of the Year’ award won by ASLI to Mr. Hugh Flynn, Chief Executive of the ASL Aviation Group.
ASLF New routes as ASLF develops passenger strategy ASLF is successfully continuing to implement its diversification strategy with the launch of five new passenger routes this summer. The airline is continuing to fly under the name ‘Europe Airpost’ until the end of the summer season as all aircraft, tour operator and passenger bookings and promotions have been linked with the name.
Up until March 2014 we operated one ageing L382 Hercules aircraft. The aircraft was returned at the time to associated company Safair for use in aid and relief operations. ASLI is currently engaged in the Lockheed programme for the development and certification of the enhanced LM100J aircraft that is targeted for production in 2016. Using ASLI’s specialist and unique experience of operating this type of aircraft, our technical specialists are providing input to the design and certification of this aircraft for commercial operations to EASA standards. All of these achievements were only made possible by the tremendous support, expertise and dedication of the very committed team at ASLI and the airline’s accomplishments are a credit to each and every one.
LEP Programme a Winner for Airline and Pilots
In December 2014 Farnair joined the ASL family and just six months later the strength of 4 European Airlines were united under the new “ASL Airlines” brand. At ASL Airlines Switzerland we will continue our focus on the ATR sector including further development of the activity in the growing African market and beyond.
For more than 10 years the entire airline has been mobilised each summer to provide passenger flights for its tour operator customers during peak season. The invaluable experience of passenger flying gained through these programmes enabled the airline to launch its own scheduled passenger flights two years ago. Over the past 12 months, ASLS operated with an OTP at zero minutes of 99.2% and with a regularity index of 99.9% - a top performance on which we were congratulated by UPS. Having established the infrastructure and added 4 aircraft to the fleet over the last two years, ASL Airlines Hungary will continue to expand its B737 operations. ASLF is reinforcing its strategy of scheduled medium and long haul route development in niche markets. The first scheduled flights of the summer season were launched on May 1st, serving Vienna from Bordeaux and Toulouse. Operating twice a week, the route connects two south western economic capitals of France to the Austrian capital, and has already been a great success, particularly with ‘citybreakers’ who will enjoy these direct flights until September.
LEP Training and BUD Handling Apart from the airlines, let’s also have a look at the training and handling units…. Becoming a pilot is a dream for many yet often it’s not easy to make this dream come true. This is why Farnair Training, in cooperation with ASL Airlines Switzerland, created the line experience pilot (LEP) concept.
The Brive to Porto route was operated last year and this year ASLF is flying the route again for two months, beginning early July, and the airline is also flying to Porto from Rennes with a two times weekly service.
As the operator of six types of aircraft ASLI’s activity is unique within Europe and sharply different from similar size airlines and low cost operators that are limited to one type of aircraft. The airline is very aware of its responsibilities to the environment and operates a fleet of 17 ‘green’ ATR turbo-prop aircraft throughout Europe every night for major express freight integrators. As these are night time freight flights the ASLI employs a fuel preservation programme to reduce CO2 emissions.
ASLS - ASLH
The launch of the European schedule routes confirms ALSF’s strategic positioning as an airline supporting the European regions and working with them on economic and tourism development by fulfilling regional travel needs. The transatlantic route between Paris-CDG and Halifax is operating for the second consecutive year and this year ASLF will fly through Dublin instead of Glasgow. This route also facilitates connections with the flights of local airline Air Saint-Pierre, linking Halifax to the French islands of Saint Pierre and Miquelon. These scheduled flights give individual customers access to the attractive fares, and to the exceptional quality of service that some of them have already enjoyed on tourist flights.
All candidates are trained by experienced instructors in the state of the art simulator at the Farnair Training Centre Austria. Having passed an extensive selection programme and after successful completion of the Type Rating course, the co-pilots are given the opportunity to fly for ASLS for a minimum of 12 months or 500 block hours for a reduced salary. This enables them to gain experience and increases their value on the job market. After or even during their LEP period, the airline has the option to hire them on a permanent basis. The LEP programme is advantageous for both the candidate and the airline and has so far successfully brought a total of 50 pilots into the career of their dreams. Farnair Handling (FHD) constantly demonstrates its ability to attract new customers for its ground handling services at BUD airport, with Emirates, Air China and Sky Greece being part of their latest success stories. By the beginning of this year FHD had significantly increased its capabilities and today a team of around 50 employees successfully caters to all of our customers’ ground handling services around the clock.
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Rest of the world SAFAIR
asl aviation group internal newsletter
Our legacy fleet continues to form the backbone of our present operation, with excellent performance from these teams and aircraft.
Safair Celebrates 50 Years of Excellence
This year we celebrate 50 years of Safair’s efficiency and excellence. The first six months of our passenger airline FlySafair have been very successful and domestic air travel in South Africa has undergone substantial changes since our entry into the market. Our pricing has seen fares drop by up to 39% on some routes with demand increasing by up to 132%. We’re also setting the bar in terms of on time performance with the best year to date performance among all domestic carriers at 95%. To date we’ve carried just over 445 000 passengers, and we are gaining noticeable popularity. This is in keeping with our mission and vision to be an affordable, easy and on time airline. We are also growing our routes. When we started in October 2014, we operated one route. In December we expanded our offerings to five routes and in June 2015 we added four more routes to our schedule. In other exciting news, we are also growing our fleet. We’re in the process of leasing three Boeing 737-800s and two Boeing 737-400s to add to the current fleet of four 737-400s. Upgrading to the 800s is the next step in our evolution as a low-cost airline as the 800 offers us additional capacity and better efficiency. We aim to take delivery of the first 800 in August, which will also sport an updated livery. But it is not only the commercial airliner side that is growing. We’ve also added a new Hercules L100-30 to our legacy fleet, which brings our Hercules fleet up to six operational aircraft. ZS-OPS will be stationed in Entebbe, Uganda.
The Indian economy is expected to be one of the fastest growing economies in the world with a projected GDP growth rate of 7.5% this year. Logistics is a vital component of this economic activity, of which air cargo is a largely untapped segment with only one freighter operator that is owned by an integrator in the country.
CFO Pieter Richards, CEO Elmar Conradie and Director Operations Wimpie Davidson with the new Hercules L100-30, ZS-OPS
Lastly, we are also celebrating a change in management. Dave Andrew has moved from CEO to take on a role in the ASL Group. He will remain on as director of Safair. Former CFO Elmar Conradie has taken over as CEO, while Pieter Richards has been promoted to the CFO position.
Quikjet India Quikjet India to Launch Cargo Services
Quikjet has signed an agreement with a leading cargo consolidator/GSA in India to launch domestic air cargo operations with a network covering major Indian cities such as Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai and Bengaluru. The plan is to commence operations by September 15th with one B737-400 freighter and then add additional aircraft; B737-400s and/or ATR 72’s depending on demand and routes. At Quikjet we are now busy with ramping up our team and making other preparations for the resumption of operations, which will prove to be a turning point in the airline’s history. We have always believed in the Indian market and hence had invested in this platform with a long-term strategic perspective.
Quikjet is therefore well poised to provide a cost effective, reliable and high quality neutral platform with a focus on the express and niche general cargo, where volumes have been fuelled by the rapidly growing economy and the recent boom in e-commerce. In the midst of this commercial and operational activity, we achieved another crucial milestone by securing an approval from the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) to increase ASL Switzerland’s equity stake in Quikjet from 50.93% to 72.59% which is the first such approval granted to any foreign airline in India. We are confident that the series of positive developments at Quikjet in the first half of 2015 are important catalysts that have provided Quikjet with all the key ingredients required to embark on a high growth trajectory.
involving 84 monthly cycles without access to any spare aircraft.
Now that the operation has stabilized, we are in advanced discussions with customers to expand the network in the region by adding B737-400 and ATR72-500 freighters. K-Mile has also recently signed an agreement with Boeing to develop MSN specific SBs and modification kits to have two B737-400s RNP-1 compliant, which is being made mandatory for operations into Hong Kong, the regional DHL hub. Although this involved a significant investment, by October this year K-Mile will be equipped with two B737-400 freighters that meet the criteria imposed by the various Civil Aviation Authorities and Airports in the region, especially pertaining to the age of the aircraft and RNP-1 certification.
K-Mile K-Mile Looks to Expand Network For the first few months of this year, K-Mile focussed on stabilizing and fine tuning its operation for DHL, connecting Thailand with Vietnam and Hong Kong with one B737-400 freighter. The airline achieved an average dispatch reliability of over 99.14% in a complicated operation
K-Mile has also recently undergone a stringent AOL renewal process and has had its AOL renewed for another five years. With the imminent ratification of the ASEAN open skies agreement, K-Mile is perfectly positioned to make the most of the growth opportunities in the region, especially at a time when most of the larger airlines are significantly curtailing their freighter operations.
Support and Leasing Support The ACLAS Brand
Development, Collaboration and Growth It has been one year since ASL’s MRO began operations in Livingston, close to Edinburgh Airport. This was the next stage in the transformation from the old Air Contractors Engineering company into a focused component overhaul and repair business. The business opened with a bang that included Part145 FAA approval status being granted, allowing dual release CAA/FAA certification on all component repairs performed at the MRO. This placed the organisation on a firm footing for third party growth in America and of course in Europe. With both the ASL Aviation Group’s support companies at the time under the stewardship of David Slipper it was felt that the strength of the ACLAS brand could be leveraged to benefit the support companies. The ACLAS Global brand had been established three years ago and the ACLAS name had quickly become synonymous with innovative customer support solutions that are flexible, high quality, cost efficient and tailored to specific customer requirements. It was decided therefore to build on this and rebrand the MRO business as ACLAS Technics. The rebranding meant both ACLAS companies became aligned in terms of related logos and common fonts and imagery. This allowed both to present a clear identity to the market-
place when marketing their services through the updated websites and new advertising, exhibition and marketing materials. The stronger alignment and growing synergy between Global and Technics extended beyond the rebranding process to sales and business strategy. All potential areas of collaboration were explored and this was positively embraced by all personnel within both organisations. The end result has been a greater understanding of each other’s business sectors and more proactive sharing of market data, ultimately facilitating the provision of an excellent ‘one stop shop’ experience for the customer. Joint initiatives have included customer visits, advertising and a successful attendance by both companies under one ACLAS banner at the recent AP&M conference in London, where initial discussions took place with many potential new customers for both Technics and Global. Other major developments during the year for Technics have included an increase in capability and scope for both Boeing and Airbus structural components. This has seen new third party business in the shape of major UK airline Jet2, Rockwell Collins, Killick Aerospace and DOT LT. This will be a key focus area of business growth for Technics over the coming months and years.
In addition to the new aircraft type support, the core ATR business has also moved forward with starter generator overhaul capability now being offered to the market. ASL Airlines Switzerland and Global have provided a commitment to support this sector, which epitomises the spirit of collaboration within the ASL Group. Technics continue to be supported by all airlines within the ASL Group, and this teamwork continues to develop in an encouraging manner. Global and Technics are both focused on continuing to promote ACLAS as the provider of high quality, specialist, and tailored services in the marketplace.
Leasing Busy times for leasing team
The Leasing division has been extremely busy of late with work in progress on 13 aircraft. The big news however is that the ASL Aviation Group has finalised a purchase agreement for two ATR72500’s. Once acquired these aircraft will be converted to freighters, by way of the Aeroconseil structural tube passenger to freighter conversion. These aircraft will become ASL’s first -500 Freighters which is a significant development in our relationship with the type and further demonstration of our commitment to ATR freighters, and in particular the integrator freight market. In addition we are also busy with the lease in of an additional ATR72 -200 Freighter and we are also currently investigating the opportunity of conver-
ting some of our ATR72 aircraft to Large Cargo Door freighters. The ATR has grown in significance in our fleet from our cautious first acquisition back in the early 2000’s to a fleet of close on 40 owned and operated aircraft. ATR is currently the largest regional passenger turbo prop aircraft manufacturer and the ATR Freighter remains the preferred feeder freight aircraft for the integrator market. In addition to the ATR activity, we are currently busy with the delivery of an ASL owned B737400 Freighter, previously EI-STB, to TNT. This is the second of a package of two aircraft leased to TNT. The redelivery of the first three of the Safair Lease Finance owned B737-800’s, that have been on lease to South African Airways since they were acquired new, has also commenced. Following their redelivery these aircraft will be leased to Safair for the FlySafair operation. Two additional B737-400 passenger aircraft are also to be leased in to support the FlySafair operation. There are four additional leased in B737-400 Freighters currently in work, one for ASL Airlines France, one for ASL Airlines Hungary, one as the first aircraft for the launch of the Quikjet operation in India with an optional second aircraft also for Quikjet. One of the ASL owned B737-400’s, previously EI-STE has been sold to Swift Air. All in all a lot of activity for a very small but committed team. That being said it wouldn’t be possible to take on all of these aircraft transactions without the support of the ASL team and all of the ASL Airlines for which we are very grateful.
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Tastes of ASL’s World South Africa
asl aviation group internal newsletter
moitié of Gruyere and Vacheron. In a motivational tale by Spencer Johnson*, cheese was used as a metaphor for what is wanted from life. From that perspective, cheese has always been key to ASLS. To be successful, be able to identify cheese, meaning new opportunities…..to relish the adventure and, as a team, to enjoy the taste of new cheese. This is the spirit we live every single day. But finally, remember, when you are stirring your bread in the cheese, be careful! If you lose your bread, men pay for a round, ladies kiss the person seated next to them!
Thailand Braai Values! South Africa is a hodgepodge of cultures, but at the end of the day we are all still uniquely South African and there’s no one dish that suits the majority of South Africans better than a braai. On the 24th of September every year we celebrate a public holiday called National Heritage Day. It’s also been dubbed National Braai Day, and South Africans from every creed and culture gather together around the coals to grill some lovely meat. A braai by its very nature is about people. Unlike other meals, the braai is often a collaborative event with the meat prepared in the open with all gathered around the coals. While most ardent braai-masters balk at back-seat braaing, a joint effort is often the result. Each guest usually contributes something to the table, be it a side dish or a secret family dressing. This speaks to our value of reliability as people put faith in the old family secrets to always produce the winning dish. Quality is key to the braai experience. With meat at the centre of the dish, one needs to find a prime cut to ensure a good meal because there’s no masking the flavour in sauces and gravies. Safety is a key consideration in braaing because one deals with an open fire which poses obvious dangers. Profitability is generally the best part of a braai, because the key to a good braai is always to ensure that there is enough left over for lunch the following day!
Switzerland
green vegetables, lashings of gravy made from the juices of the beef and, to add a little spice to the meal, a soupcon of hot horseradish sauce. The meal is usually accompanied by a glass of red wine (or, very historically, a glass of English beer) – but just one (or two) for safety! You may be familiar with most of these ingredients but perhaps not the Yorkshire pudding. This is a dish made from a batter consisting of eggs, flour and milk. Cooks in the north of England, but not particularly from Yorkshire, made use of the fat that dropped into the dripping pan to cook a batter pudding while the meat roasted in the oven. It was often eaten as a separate course prior to the main meat dish and has been claimed to provide a cheap way to fill the diners, thus requiring a lesser amount of the more expensive ingredients. It can also be served as a pudding, so has the advantage of being both profitable and flexible! Strong synergies from complimentary ingredients providing a real quality and reliability to the English people. An advanced culinary support solution. All you need in nutrition!
Scotland Thai Beef Curry For the signature dish of Thailand, we have chosen the Massaman Beef Curry. This curry is unique among the various Thai curries because it is more like an Indian curry using mainly dried spices for seasoning. The curry is rather mild as the heat of the chilies is mellowed with the addition of dried spices, coconut milk, onions, potatoes and peanuts. This is a Southern Thai curry with a lot of Indian influence. Massaman is thought to be an old way of saying “Muslim” for many of the dried spices were carried to Thailand by early Muslim traders. The Massaman curry paste and the beef represent the team that is hardy and robust. While the heat of the chilies in the curry paste is mellowed the beef is softened by a low heat long boil. So the team is caring and inclusive with a deep blend of strong leaders in the dried spices, coconut milk, onions, potatoes and peanuts. Sourdough bread or roti (Nan bread), condiments, and a Bordeaux wine accompany the excellently matched team members of the Massaman Curry. This dish represents the openness of the Thai culture which accommodates the various races from the Chinese who came down over the millenniums as well as the Indian and Muslim traders who arrived later followed by the Portuguese traders and the modern day travelers. K-Mile is a good representation of this with employees from various backgrounds and cultures.
England
Great Chieftain of the Puddin-race As Scotland’s national dish, Haggis is one of our most famous icons. Haggis is classed as a savoury pudding, and is definitely not the dessert type! Ingredients are a combination of animal offal, oatmeal, onion, salt and spices, and flavours differ depending on the butcher. It is usually served with “neeps and tatties’, or turnip and potato to the non-Scots amongst us. The origin of the word “haggis” remains unknown but many believe it comes from the Scots word “hag” which means to chop or hew. In 1787, Robert Burns dedicated an entire poem to the haggis – “Address to a Haggis”. Celebrations of Burns’ life are held annually on 25 January, Burns’ birthday, when haggis, neeps and tatties are served up with copious amounts of whisky. The whole event begins with the haggis being “piped-in’ and a rendition of Burns’ poem, culminating in the stabbing of the haggis, allowing it’s aroma to waft around the room. The strong flavours of the haggis reflect the Scottish people in that you never quite know what you’re getting until you get under its skin. The oatmeal, which helps bind the ingredients together is like the strong patriotic feeling that most Scots possess.
Swiss Fondue
Ireland
One of the most famous dishes in Switzerland is Fondue. For centuries, Swiss living in the mountains relied on fondue as a way to use bread and cheese during colder months. Today, it is a must-have for any local or visitor to the country from autumn to spring. Dunk rustic country bread into melted cheese, infused with lashings of wine and garlic, bubbling over an open flame. Paired with white wine and followed by some eau de vie or tea this is much more than an epic winter meal! It is indeed real team work. You gather around the so-called caquelon, stirring the melted cheese with a piece of bread on a long fork, preventing it from sticking to the bottom. If you don’t do it continuously and the right way, you spoil the meal. Fondue comes in a lot of varieties, here we opt for a moitié-
The “Values’ of English Gastronomic Delights! Traditional English meals have ancient origins with roasted and stewed meats, boiled vegetables and broths providing an unrivalled array of flavours. From these origins, evolved roast beef and Yorkshire puddings, usually complimented with roast potatoes, root vegetables such as carrots or parsnips,
The Potato Almost everyone when asked about Irish food mentions one thing - the Potato! It’s impossible to talk about Irish food without mentioning it.
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Tastes of ASL’s World They first saved us and then almost destroyed us in history, but there are few households where the potato is not still part of our staple diet. Irish people are fussy about their potatoes and supermarkets will typically stock at least 5 or 6 different varieties, depending on the season and each variety will be suited to a particular method of cooking. Of all foods, the humble spud is certainly the most traditional. We may not be dependent on them in the way we were in the past but there are a lot of Irish people for whom a dinner without potatoes is not a dinner at all! The potato was introduced to Ireland by the late 1500s and within 200 years it had replaced older staples, including oats and dairy products, becoming the mainstay of the Irish diet. In the 1840s, the country’s heavy reliance on potatoes led to the disaster known as the Irish Potato Famine. The result of the Great Famine was that by 1851, at least one million of the Irish poor had died and another million had emigrated. Even though they had suffered through the Irish Potato Famine, Irish people continued to love potatoes. As soon as the spread of the disease stopped, the potato returned to its place as the staple food in the Irish diet. As of 2001 the Irish were consuming more potatoes than most countries in the world!
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even in their gastronomy, and so goulash became highly fashionable. The dish that had until then been eaten only by herdsmen using wooden spoons and from a shared kettle, moved from the herdsmen’s kettles into the cooking pots of the wealthy.
India
Restaurants started to put goulash on their menus too, and by the second half of the 20th century, the soup became the number one dish of Hungary that every tourist coming to the country must try. Goulash is more than a traditional dish, it is the proof of Hungarians’ commitment to integrity and the symbol of cooperation even in hard times. Goulash is the glory of our efforts, the result of a learning progress based on the recognition of the common values and customs. No matter, how ancient this recipe is, Goulash has a well-deserved place on every tourists’ plate visiting our country. Do not forget this story when you taste Goulash. Think about the long journey leading to its success and enjoy the characteristic f lavours dancing in your mouth!
India’s Signature Dish India is an amalgamation of diverse cultures with over 29 states and 122 languages but one thing that unites us all is our love for food. Dishes are served according to taste as either mild, medium or spicy and Indian food is also heavily influenced by
France
religious and cultural choices and traditions. We present to you one signature dish that most people identify as Indian and suits most palates, the succulent red creamy
So if we were to compare ASLI’s core values to the traditional humble Irish Potato what would we say? Well, we can provide you with plenty of variety to choose from, using our innovative team who always provide a tasty experience with value for money and are guaranteed to be a good accompaniment to have by your side!
chicken with the perfect blend of spices and flavours, Chicken Makhani, also known as Chicken Tikka Masala. A truly heavenly food this dish “almost” represents everything India is - spicy, colourful, hearty, flavourful, comforting and regal. To understand the extraordinary tale of Chicken Tikka Masa-
To enjoy some tasty Irish potato recipes take a look at www.potato.ie
la, we need to travel back 5000 years when tandoor clay ovens were invented. Locals were beginning to raise chickens at the same time and realized both made an awesome combination. Today, there are more than 50 variations of the same dish.
Hungary
We have given you the recipe so go ahead and experiment. If you have an Indian store in your city, you will get all the spices, but otherwise don’t fret; we at Quikjet India will happily courier the ingredients to you ASL home chefs. Bon appétit!
Quality, Diversity, Flexibility, Sharing are the keys of French excellence
Find 9 delicious receipes from the ASL countries on your intranet.
If you ask a Frenchman what is the national French dish, you are likely to plunge him into deep confusion as nothing is more diverse than the cuisine of France.
Hungary for Goulash! Goulash is lauded as the Hungarian specialty all over the world. It is one of the national dishes of Hungary and a symbol of the country. This thick, hearty dish was (and still is) a very popular dish among herdsmen in Hungary who made it in a cast-iron kettle hung above open fire, out in the fields. The name originates from the Hungarian “gulyás”. The word “gulya” means “herd of cattle” in Hungarian, and “gulyás” means “herdsman”. Today, gulyás refers both to the herdsmen, and to the soup. In English gulyás became goulash, and in some other parts of the world stews and casseroles are called goulash too. Herdsmen have the best ingredients at hand, most importantly prime quality beef, and the preparation method fitted very well to their work and lifestyle; they don’t have to stand by the side of the kettle and stir its content all the time and they still have a tasty and hot meal to fill up their stomach. In the second half of the 1800s it became very important to protect treasures of Hungarian culture, the language and the gastronomical delights, as part of the movement to emphasize Hungary’s national identity. It became imperative to protect the Hungarian tongue (German had become the national language), and to remember and pass down the traditional Hungarian dances, and their national costumes. The Hungarians wanted to protect the national characteristic of the Magyars, everywhere,
From the northern regions of the country to Provence, from Brittany to Alsace, passing through Burgundy, the Southwest, or Corsica, French cuisine fully represents the wide diversity and the abundance of cultural wealth of its regions, with each having its own specialties. Designated as an “Intangible Heritage of Humanity” by UNESCO since 2010, French cuisine is renowned worldwide for its quality and diversity. The product of a long legacy, French cuisine is in constant evolution thanks to chefs who constantly refresh it. This remarkable capacity to adapt is another factor in the tremendous success of French cuisine, allowing it to export all over the world and become a famous and global culinary reference point. In addition to its chef ’s recipes, the French culinary legacy is also represented through iconic products of superiority such as wine, champagne and foie gras or cheese and chocolate. But what would these products be without humans? Because the kitchen is above all a story of sharing and of pleasure, and in France this is reflected in the figures which show clearly that 97% of French people cook themselves at home. The need to satisfy their customers, to renew and to excel are values shared by all French chefs and in which the ASLF staff recognize themselves through the quality of their work. Just like French cuisine, quality, usability, diversity and flexibility are the characteristics that are key to the successful relationships between ASLF and all its customers whether they are cargo customers, tour operators or individual passengers.
France The Paul Bocuse Fried Egg - England Yorkshire Pudding - Ireland Famous Champ Potato - India Chicken Makhani / Chicken Tikka Masala - Switzerland Fondue - South Africa Braaivleis - Scotland Haggis Hungary Goulash - Thailand Massaman Beef Curry
Bon appetit ! Director of publication: Hugh Flynn Contributors: Dave Andrew, Marlouise Booyse, Vivienne Burch, Delphine Bukva, Jean-Francois Dominiak, Colin Grant, Ian Hilton, Sanand Karnik, Andrew Kelly, Annette Kuhnert, Linda Little, Laszlo Molnar, Frank Phillips, Ian Reece, Wendy Velzian. Coordination: JetCom Design: Oxalis média Credits photos: Hugh Flynn, Cosmonaut Design, ASL Airlines Ireland, ASL Airlines France, ASL Airlines Switzerland, ASL Airlines Hungary, Quikjet, Safair, K-Mile.