Aerospace Diary

Neelam Mathews July 31, 2012 At a recent meeting during the second visit this year of DG IATA Tony Tyler, Jet Airways Chairman Naresh Goyal told Aerospace Diary when queried, that the carrier was in talks with an international alliance. When queried when the announcement would be made, Goyal dismissed it with a: "We will announce it...." With Jet not permitted to talk to Star Alliance following the Air India fiasco, OneWorld still holding its umbilical cord with shamed (by IATA) Kingfisher, this leaves only SkyTeam. There has been another school of thought that is convinced Jet will not join an alliance easily as it tends to make partnerships with airlines the world over to suit its routes and ambitions.

Neelam Mathews August 30, 2011 Ethiopian Airlines entered into a code share agreement last week with South Korean Asiana Airlines to enhance the growing cooperation with Star Alliance member carriers. Ethiopian Airlines said the partnership would provide passengers of both airlines with greater flight options and better connections between Africa and Asia. Ethiopian Airlines will put its code on Asiana operated flights to and from Hong Kong and Seoul and Asiana will share code on Ethiopian operated flights to and from Hong Kong and Addis Ababa. "We are delighted to partner with Asiana airlines, which is one of the major airlines in Asia and the agreement will support our commitment towards improving the travel experience of our passengers," Tewolde Gebre-Mariam, CEO of Ethiopian Airlines, said. The airline said the code share arrangements would offer easier flight choices, shorter transit options and greater convenience to customers. The Ethiopian Airlines said...

Neelam Mathews Aug 3, 2011 Even as Star Alliance pulled out of a partnership with Air India that is said to have not meet its standards, the carrier has also delayed the completion of its lounge at the Delhi International Airport. Aerospace Diary learns once the lounge is completed around October, it will not have the ten tenants it was to host - Star's ten member carriers that fly into Delhi. Meanwhile, Star carriers' are said to have located another space to move to at the airport, says an official.  "T3 Delhi issues will be discussed between those concerned in due course," a Star official tells Aerospace Diary. Discussions are said to be on also at the Mumbai airport. While Air India has incurred high costs to get into the Star circle, the Alliance too, has invested time and money by way of liasing with airport developers, compliance training and sharing of branding costs with Air India over the past three years. “It is purely the lethargy, ineffi...

Neelam Mathews Aug 1, 2011 Time- 9:15am IST Patience has its limits. After extending an invite to Air India in Dec 2007, Star has suspended t he integration of Air India into the alliance after meeting of its board yesterday, July 31. This is possibly the first time Star has made such a move. “This is due to the fact that Air India has not met the minimum joining conditions that were contractually agreed in December 2007,” says a Star statement. Air India’s numerous delays and promises to join the alliance is not going to help its sagging image.  Following a recent review of the status of Air India’s application at a meeting held between the Indian Ministry for Civil Aviation, Star Alliance CEO, Jaan Albrecht and the Air India CMD, Arvind Jadhav, the decision to suspend has received subsequent confirmation by the Star Alliance Chief Executive Board, says Star.   Star also says the decision has been made jointly with AI. Ailing Air India has said to have paid approximat...

Neelam Mathews July 14, 2011 A delegation of Star Alliance headed by CEO Jaan Albrecht will hold discussions with the ministry of civil aviation on July 18 as a prelude to Air India joining the alliance, Chairman and Managing Director Arvind Jadhav said when queried by Aerospace Diary. The meeting is expected to review all aspects of fulfillment of Star requirements by Air India and to confirm the date of the joining. “The meeting will be to exchange views because Air India will be joining the alliance,” MOCA secretary Nasim Zaidi told Aerospace Diary. Asked whether there was any credence to speculation that Air India might withdraw its commitment to join Star, Zaidi said: “No.”

Posted by- Neelam Mathews July 2, 2011 Thai Airways International is raising its presence in Europe. Starting its winter operations, the first connection   to the city from SouthEast Asia, it will fly thrice weeklies between Brussels and Bangkok. The Boeing B777-200 ER will be equipped in a two-class configuration offering 262 seats in economy class and 30 seats in Royal Silk Class. Thai Airways has been eying the sector for at least two years, following Brussels Airlines' entry into Star Alliance. The airline is also launching its first direct flights from Copenhagen to Phuket sarting om November 11 using a Boeing 747-400. Last year, arrivals from Europe to Thailand reached 4.42 million visitors, representing 28% of its international arrivals, From Europe, Scandinavian travelers were close to 640,000 arrivals, a market share of 14.5%. Denmark alone accounted in 2010 for 152,000 travelers, up by 5.2% over 2009. There were 80,000 arrivals in 2010 from Belgium. Most of the D...

Business & Operations Dec 01 , 2010 , p. 33 The limited scope of MRO suppliers in Africa is changing, as African markets start to grow. By Neelam Mathews ADDIS ABABA—While the African subcontinent represents only 4% of global MRO revenues, its markets are anticipated to witness greater demand for MRO services as a result of air traffic growth, new aircraft deliveries and airline consolidation, says Frost & Sullivan. These predictions are supported by Boeing ’s September forecast, which pegs carriers in Africa to experience steady growth over the next 20 years, with a delivery of 710 airplanes in that time frame. Obvious growth is happening in Ethiopia, as Ethiopian Airlines gets set to join the Star Alliance in the next 12-18 months. Of the 58 destinations it services, 37 are in Africa. The carrier is amid preparations to receive the first of five Boeing 777-200LRs on order on Nov. 21, a second in mid-December and a thi...

Airports Aviation Daily Apr 20 , 2010 , p. 12 Neelam Mathews As business returns, Bangalore International Airport Ltd. (BIAL) is investing $140 million to expand its airport to accommodate 17 million passengers expected by 2015, up from the present 9.2 million. “A growth of 11-15% a year will take us to 17 million passengers by 2015. The terminal will be expanded by 70% of the existing building with an additional passenger space of 40,000 sq.m,” CEO Marcel Hungerbuehler tells The DAILY. Hyderabad International Airport, also a greenfield airport, handles 6.6 million passengers a year. The GVK group, which owns a majority stake in Bangalore Airport, is reviewing plans — earlier put on hold — for an aerospace park near the airport that would have facilities for civil and defense services. GVK holds a nearly 37% stake in Mumbai International Airport Ltd. and about 29% in BIAL. Passenger numbers at BIAL are up 14% in the fiscal year ended March 31, compared with last year. Increas...