االربعاء 23سبتمبر 2015
http://www.latimes.com
American Airlines jet makes emergency landing in Sacramento An American Airlines jet carrying 146 people made an emergency landing in Sacramento after reporting a clogged fuel line Tuesday morning, officials said. Despite the fuel-line problem, the plane was able to fly and land safely at Sacramento International Airport, said Chris Harvey, spokesman for the Sacramento Fire Department. No one was injured during the emergency landing, officials said.
Flight 1218 departed Sacramento just after 9 a.m. heading for Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport when an indicator light in the cockpit pointed to a possible mechanical issue, the airline said. That’s when the pilot decided to return to Sacramento, it said. “Our maintenance team is currently inspecting the aircraft,” the airline said. “We apologize to our customers for the inconvenience.”
http://tvnewsroom.org
German court deems Lufthansa pilot strike not legal As the formal reason given by the union when it originally voted for strike action 18 months ago was the early retirement benefits, the judge said that Wednesday’s walkout – the second day of a two-day strike that forced the cancellation of more than 1,000 flights – was not justified. The airline, which is under pressure to reduce costs to keep up with rivals, said that it expects to return to a normal schedule today. At the heart of the conflict between the cockpit crew and their employers are the company’s plans to change pre-retirement rules for 5,400 pilots as well as the future structuring of the carrier, which the union fears will result in a systematic relocation of jobs. The airline’s application for a court injunction against the walkout – the 13th in 18 months – was turned down by Frankfurt’s labour court late on Tuesday. Their union is in a long battle over pay and retirement benefits. VC spokesman Markus Wahl said that the union was surprised by the ruling. The strike only affects Lufthansa services, while flights by its subsidiaries – Germanwings, Swiss, Austrian Airlines and Brussels Airlines – are operating normally. Germany’s biggest airline has said that service should be back to normal after a court ordered striking pilots back to work. The airline needs to lower costs to compete with fast-growing budget rivals such as Ireland’s Ryanair. “When it comes to strikes, you’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t”, Jonathan Wober, chief financial analyst at CAPA-Centre for Aviation, said. “Nevertheless, Lufthansa must see that this is no way to resolve problems with the workforce”, the union said.
http://www.traveldailynews.com
Chief executives of Etihad Airways parner airlines gathered in Rome for leadership summit - See more at: The chief executive officers of six airlines in the Etihad Airways Partners group met in Rome to identify and progress collaborative initiatives designed to cut the carriers’ costs, increase their revenues, and expand sustainable choice for their customers. The partnership summit was chaired by James Hogan, President and Chief Executive Officer of Etihad Airways, and brought together the leaders of Alitalia, the airberlin Group, Jet Airways, Air Serbia, Air Seychelles and Etihad Regional, and the chief officers of Etihad Airways and Alitalia. Etihad Airways holds minority stakes in Alitalia (49 per cent), airberlin (29.2 per cent), Jet Airways (24 per cent), Air Serbia (49 per cent), Air Seychelles (40 per cent) and Darwin Airline, which trades as Etihad Regional (33.3 per cent). The meeting follows the conclusion last week of an innovative collective financing agreement, through which US$700 million was raised on the international markets for use by Etihad Airways, Etihad Airport Services, airberlin, Alitalia, Jet Airways, Air Serbia and Air Seychelles.
“The airline industry is global, not local,” Mr Hogan said. “Individually, we are small participants in the global market. But collectively, our partnership serves 330 destinations, flies almost 700 aircraft and carries over 100 million passengers each year, making us the world’s seventh largest grouping of airlines. We leverage the buying power, resources, relationships and influence of our participating airlines to achieve the most cost-effective and customer-friendly outcomes.” - See more at: http://www.traveldailynews.com/news/article/68142/chief-executives-of-etihadairways#sthash.EBDzcXm6.dpuf
Members of Etihad Airways Partners also work together to reduce costs and improve efficiency and customer choice through measures which otherwise would only be available through mergers or takeovers. In addition to codesharing and joint commercial activities, the members of Etihad Airways Partners collaborate through resource sharing, adoption of best practice, and joint procurement of assets, services and supplies. They also develop relationships between each other, or facilitate deals with external airline partners or suppliers. Beyond last week’s joint financing agreement, the airlines also collaborate on the sourcing of IT platforms, aircraft and insurance, and share resources including pilot and cabin crew training. A number of airlines in the group have sourced additional aircraft from each other or redeployed excess fleet to each other.
Employees have been transferred between airlines, enabling members of Etihad Airways Partners to recruit skills or provide fresh employment opportunities within the group. Service and product of the partner airlines, in the air and on the ground, is increasingly being aligned as part of a strategy to offer customers a seamless, high quality product across Etihad Airways Partners. Loyalty programs are also interconnected between the airlines of Etihad Airways Partners. - See more at: http://www.traveldailynews.com/news/article/68142/chiefexecutives-of-etihad-airways#sthash.EBDzcXm6.dpuf
Etihad Airways Group has established the Global Loyalty Company, which owns the Etihad Guest program and majority stakes in airberlin’s topbonus, Alitalia’s MilleMiglia and the Jet Privilege program of Jet Airways. Air Serbia, Air Seychelles and Etihad Regional have all adopted the Etihad Guest program, while NIKI uses topbonus. Alitalia and airberlin are also introducing the same Business Class service and product as Etihad Airways, initially on long haul aircraft, and many more opportunities for collaboration are being explored by all of the Etihad Airways Partners airlines for both passenger and air cargo services. Etihad Airways and Chapman Freeborn announce Airbus A380 and private jet collaboration Etihad Airways has also unveiled a new partnership with leading global aircraft charter specialist Chapman Freeborn, to complement its exclusive The Residence and First Apartment cabins, both available on the airline’s Airbus A380 fleet. The agreement with Chapman Freeborn is to promote and market the luxurious living spaces to its top-tier clientele, giving them the opportunity to receive the levels of luxury, discretion and technology they expect on private jet, which can now be enjoyed on Etihad Airways’ longhaul network. - See more at: http://www.traveldailynews.com/news/article/68142/chief-executives-ofetihad-airways#sthash.EBDzcXm6.dpuf
Shane O’Hare, Etihad Airways’ Senior Vice President Marketing, said: “Etihad Airways’ A380s are unrivalled for their innovation and
comfort. We have elevated the travel experience for premium guests by configuring our flagship aircraft with genuine living spaces, providing the levels of privacy, technology and discreet service only found on the most luxurious private jets. “Chapman Freeborn’s customers can now enjoy a private jet experience on the largest passenger aircraft in the world, and the infrastructure of a world-leading airline, operating to primary gateway airports. We chose Chapman Freeborn for their great experience and professionalism and we know that this partnership will showcase our beautiful cabins to the most discerning travellers.” Russi Batliwala, Chapman Freeborn Chief Executive Officer, said:
“Etihad Airways is at the forefront of the commercial aviation industry, leading the way with its Residence and First Class cabin innovations. It is therefore a perfect fit for our private jet services. We are proud to be in partnership with Etihad Airways, offering our customers a totally unique best-in-class experience which complements our private jet service perfectly.” - See more at: http://www.traveldailynews.com/news/article/68142/chiefexecutives-of-etihad-airways#sthash.EBDzcXm6.dpuf
Etihad Airways’ A380s currently operate three daily services from Abu Dhabi to London Heathrow, and one of its two daily services between Abu Dhabi and Sydney. On 1 December, Etihad Airways will deploy an A380 on one of its two daily flights from Abu Dhabi to New York JFK. Guests travelling in The Residence and First Apartments will also be able to charter private jets through Chapman Freeborn for travel onwards from Etihad Airways’ A380 gateways, providing a point-to-point experience to their final destination.
Chapman Freeborn provides access to a large fleet of executive jets from the largercabin, long range aircraft such as the Gulfstream G650 and Dassault Falcon 7X, to smaller, versatile types such as the Cessna Citation X and Bombardier Challenger 350. Measuring 125 square feet, The Residence has changed the landscape of premium airline travel, providing a private three-room cabin, including a living room, double bedroom, private bathroom, dedicated Savoy-trained Butler, and onboard Chef. The Etihad Lifestyle Concierge team, which works closely with the airline’s Butlers inflight, delivers a highly personalised experience, offering a range of services including dining reservations, entertainment bookings, special events, destination information and lifestyle services. On the ground, a VIP Concierge team assists guests with all check-in and security formalities, dovetailing perfectly with Chapman Freeborn’s global private jet service. The Etihad Airways A380 is configured with nine ground-breaking First Apartments, featuring a completely private living space with a reclining lounge chair and an ottoman which converts to become a separate 80.5 inch long fully-flat bed. The onboard Chef provides First Apartment guests with superior a la carte dining, or a menu tailor-made from a larder of fresh ingredients.
Guests staying in The Residence and First Apartments enjoy full inflight connectivity, including WiFi and mobile services, advanced personal entertainment systems, and luxury chauffeur transfers to and from airports served by Etihad Airways’ A380 fleet. - See more at: http://www.traveldailynews.com/news/article/68142/chief-executives-ofetihad-airways#sthash.EBDzcXm6.dpuf
http://www.travelweekly.com
Emirates' Thierry Antinori During a year in which Emirates opened its 10th U.S. gateway, in Orlando, last month, while answering allegations from the Big Three U.S. airlines that the United Arab Emirates subsidizes the airline in violation of open-skies agreements, News Editor Johanna Jainchill sat down with Thierry Antinori, Emirates' chief commercial officer, in the carrier's luxury suite at the U.S. Open tennis tournament in Flushing, N.Y. Q: The [Big Three] airlines say Emirates is heavily subsidized by the UAE, which is why it can offer all the things you say makes it a better carrier. A: Our president, Sir Tim Clark, already answered those allegations when he was in Washington and gave a 450-page report refuting each of the infamous attacks of the Big Three airlines, the troika [American, Delta and United], so we do not need to open that again. ... Emirates is run purely commercially and you know, before I worked for Lufthansa, and Emirates is a lot different than Lufthansa, but one thing is in common: the same auditors, the PwC. Our accounts have been audited ... and we are not distracted. We continue to make our service for the customers. The story of this country, which is marvelous and beautiful, is consumer freedom of choice, and the U.S. economy and the U.S. tourism industry benefitted from that. And many people from airports and other airlines like JetBlue and Atlas and FedEx are supporting [us] in this debate. So we cannot mix the interests of the country with the interests of [the Big Three airlines].
Q: What's the strategy behind Orlando? A: Orlando is a multifaceted market. It's about incoming people, especially from India and the [Gulf] countries to visit Orlando, Disney, to take cruises, but also Orlando is one of the most important cities in the world for meetings, conferences and trade. ... It's also for people based in Florida to travel to the Middle East without having to make multiple stops. If you want to go now from Orlando to Hyderabad, you have one stop via Dubai. ... Until now you had to fly Orlando to Atlanta to Amsterdam to Delhi and Hyderabad.
Q: So you would say Emirates created a market with this route? A: Of course. Now people from Kuwait, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Bahrain and even from India will say, 'Emirates is flying to Orlando? It must be interesting'... With Emirates, it's about growth. You see opportunities, you look for opportunities, you stimulate, you are offensive; 35% of the worldwide population lives within a four-hour flight from Dubai, 75% within an eighthour flight. We are balanced: 30% of our business is Asia, 30% Europe and the 40% rest is a mix of [Gulf], Africa and Americas. The U.S. airlines [don't fly to the region frequently]; for instance, American, is not flying one flight to Middle East or India. We are interested in all the world.
Q: How much of your U.S. business comes through travel agents? A: Between 80% to 85%. We are committed to the trade. ... We put money on the table to inform the trade. We think that personal interactions are important. If you meet people, you know people; if you know people, you communicate with people; if you communicate, you trust people. If you trust people, you can make a good business. ... In this country, because the customer has a choice, every day you have to show why the customer has a good reason to fly with you.
http://www.livemint.com
Etihad to buy bonds to help Jet Airways recast debt Jet Airways (India) cheif Naresh Goyal. Etihad has floated a special purpose vehicle to buy bonds worth Rs738 crore out of a nonconvertible debenture (NCD) sale of around Rs1,000 crore planned by the Indian airline. Mumbai: A special purpose vehicle (SPV) floated by Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Airways PJSC will buy bonds worth Rs.738 crore out of a nonconvertible debenture (NCD) sale of around Rs.1,000 crore planned by Jet Airways (India) Ltd, two people close to the development said. The move will help India’s second largest airline by passengers carried, in which Etihad holds a 24% stake, refinance costlier debt. As on 31 March, the Naresh Goyal-controlled Jet Airways had a consolidated debt of Rs.11,902.67 crore. Jet Airways has already secured approvals from shareholders to raise $400 million via NCDs. The first person cited above said raising cheaper debt from EA Partners IBV is critical for Jet Airways at this time. EA Partners is an SPV created by Eithad Airways along with its own airport services unit and five airlines in which it holds equity stakes. Last week, the SPV raised $700 million through an innovative new platform of financing transaction on the international markets.
Etihad Airways holds minority stakes in Alitalia (49%), Air Berlin (29.2%), Jet Airways (24%), Air Serbia (49%), Air Seychelles (40%) and Darwin Airline, which trades as Etihad Regional (33.3%). The SPV will allocate nearly 20% of the collected funds each to Etihad Airways, Etihad Airport Services, Air Berlin and Alitalia; 16% to Jet Airways; and the rest to Air Serbia and Air Seychelles. Goldman Sachs International, ADS Securities and Anoa Capital were joint lead bookrunning managers for the EA Partners offering. The second person said Jet Airways will initially raise Rs.738 crore, which will be used for capital expenditure and buying planes, as well as for refinancing high-cost loans. The airline is planning to raise more funds via debt, but nothing has been finalized, the second executive added. Both executives requested anonymity. “We will make the necessary disclosures at the appropriate time,” a Jet Airways spokesperson said. Kapil Kaul, chief executive officer (south Asia) at consulting firm Capa India, said Jet Airways needs to raise significant capital to strength the balance sheet, deleverage and increase liquidity. “The $112 million share out of $700 million raised by Etihad Airways and partners will be insufficient but an important step towards meeting their capitalization objectives for the medium term. I see Etihad Airways making another round of significant capitalization in FY2016 (fiscal year 2016, but not necessarily by raising stake,” Kaul said. Goyal had told Mint 14 August that he won’t be selling any more stake in Jet Airways. Kaul said his consulting firm is seeing Jet’s turnaround viable only if domestic operations are structurally fixed at the earliest. “Overall, significant challenges remain, but international operations are making remarkable progress. On-time performance needs real improvement and going forward, Jet Airways has to invest in B737 product upgrade,” Kaul said. Jet Airways’ interest cost dropped 15% to Rs.920.47 crore in 2014-15 from Rs.1,083.6 crore a year ago. Shares of Jet Airways fell 4.03% to Rs.326.45 on Tuesday on the BSE, while the benchmark Sensex lost 2.07% to close at 25,651.84 points. At the beginning of 2014-15, Jet Airways’ chief executive officer Cramer Ball had outlined a three-year turnaround plan to get back to profitability.
http://www.bangkokpost.com
Lufthansa lauds premium economy Frankfurt: Lufthansa has declared its premium economy a success less than a year after the new cabin class, its first in 35 years for long-haul flights, was introduced. The response by volume, yield and passenger feedback met the German carrier's expectations, confirming its decision for a new travel class, said Jens Bischof, chief commercial officer. Premium economy was introduced in November last year, one of Lufthansa's biggest product upgrades in its history, costing US$4 billion. Towards the end of next month, Lufthansa is due to complete the installation of 3,600 premium economy seats, each costing the equivalent of a new Volkswagen Golf in Germany, on its 106 aircraft. "We have not yet really started promoting our premium economy and not a lot of travellers are aware of this offering, but we will do so once our installation is complete," said Mr Bischof. Once the word spreads, particularly in large travel markets like China, Lufthansa can capitalise on emerging demand for premium economy, he said. Lufthansa's early success with premium economy is credited to more travellers willing to pay for something better than coach. The new travel class aims at cost-conscious business and leisure travellers who want more comfort and privacy along with enhanced service but would rather not fork out for business class.
A round-trip Bangkok-Frankfurt fare on Lufthansa's premium economy is around 54,500 baht, just over 45% more than the coach fare on the same aeroplane and about 56% less than business class. Lufthansa's premium economy seats offer up to 50% more room than the airline's economy. Depending on the aircraft type, the seat is up to three centimetres wider and provides greater privacy as well as about 10 centimetres more room at the side thanks to each seat having its own armrest and a central console between the seats. The back rest can be reclined further and the seat pitch is more spacious with 97 centimetres. With a baggage allowance of two items weighing up to 23 kilogrammes each, premium economy passengers can take twice as much free luggage with them compared with economy class. The head rests can be set to the exact height desired and folded at the sides for added comfort and support. There are height-adjustable foot rests from the second row. Lufthansa's premium economy has some features of business class: a welcome drink (no champagne) upon boarding, amenity kit and bottled water in the seats. Meals are presented on menus with two choices as in coach, but with a bit more food served on porcelain tableware on a tray. Mr Bischof was frank that Lufthansa's premium economy is not the best in class when compared with Singapore Airlines (SIA). But he insisted Lufthansa has everything necessary to appeal to travellers, particularly for the price. SIA's premium economy to Europe may cost some â‚Ź350 (14,000 baht) more than Lufthansa's, he said. The target market for premium economy looks like the market for business class over two decades ago, said Annette Mann, director of customer experience at Lufthansa. Premium economy is as profitable per square inch for Lufthansa as business class, Mr Bischof said. Lufthansa expects about 1.5 million passengers annually on its new premium economy, projecting to earn about â‚Ź1 billion a year from it. Some 10% of all seats on Lufthansa longhaul aircraft will be retrofitted for the premium economy class. Ms Mann said business class had evolved so much over the years, becoming what first class was in the past. But business-class travellers are unlikely to trade down because the flat beds and perks in today's business class are still a world away from premium economy, she said.
http://news.thaivisa.com
Aviation: Cabinet to issue executive decrees to fasttrack restructuring of supervisory bodies BANGKOK: — The cabinet on Tuesday approved the proposal of the office of the Prime Minister’s secretarygeneral to completely overhaul the Department of Civil Aviation in order to upgrade Thailand’s aviation safety standard red-flagged by ICAO. To fast-track the restructuring process in order to avoid further actions from ICAO, the cabinet decided to issue three executive decrees and one ministerial regulation instead of issuing bills which will be time consuming. Government spokesman Maj-Gen Sansern Kaewkamnerd said the government wanted to quickly address the air safety standard problem and this would be possible only when executive decrees were promulgated to quicken the restructuring process. The restructuring process will include the creation of an aviation supervisory organization which is non-governmental to be called the office of civil aviation and the transformation the Department of Civil Aviation into the Aviation Department.
http://www.ch-aviation.com
Thai considering MRO joint-venture with Air France-KLM
Thailand's transport minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith has told the Bangkok Post that Air France-KLM would be interested in setting up a maintenance, repair and overhaul joint venture with Thai Airways International (TG, Bangkok Suvarnabhumi). According to the minister, Utapao is being considered as a possible location for a new maintenance base. According to Thai president Charamporn Jotikasthira, the airline the MRO subsidiary of Air France-KLM, AFI KLM E&M, are still discussing the types of services to be offered by the MRO joint venture as well as details on the investments by both parties. Final decisions are expected in June of the 2016 following a joint study.
http://www.thecairopost.com
New passport stamp system causes delays at Cairo Airport CAIRO: Departure halls and lounges at Cairo Airport have been crammed with passengers since Tuesday morning because of the introduction of a new system of processing and stamping passports, Youm7 reported. Around 15 flights have been postponed for 30 to 45 minutes, according to Youm7. It is “normal” to witness delay when applying the news system and it will take a day or two for all staff to “get used to the new system,” security source at the airport told Youm7. The new system is meant to finalize departure and arrival procedures more quickly than the old one, the source said. Meanwhile, Cairo Airport continued to close its airspace due to military exercises that may affect air traffic in Cairo for the fourth day in a row from 11 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. Journalist Amr Abdel Hamid told Sada el-Balad channel Tuesday morning in a phone call that he had been waiting in a line to stamp his passport for two hours. “An unprecedented state of chaos, I’ve never seen such a situation before,” Abdel Hamid said. “Thousands of passengers waiting for passports, lines, fights; you feel there’s chaos enough for half the planet,” he added.
ادارة العالقات العامة -الشركة القابضة لمصر للطيران