Aerospace Diary

SINGAPORE AIR SHOW  »  2014 by    NEELAM MATHEWS Budget carrier IndiGo, an IATA member, is being courted by Qatar Airways to participate in a code-share agreement. February 8, 2014, 5:00 PM New relationships are changing the Asia Pacific’s airline landscape as it enters a new stage of maturity  with once-fierce opponents forming partnerships  for reciprocal gains. Overcapacity in fleet numbers has fueled competition and compelled budget carriers to look at cooperation initiatives despite the budget airline industry’s penchant to avoid complexity. The 47 budget carriers in the region–with 10 startups to be launched this year–have in hand more than 1,600 fleet orders, with around 1,000 aircraft already in their collective inventory. “There will be no turning back as the momentum that low-cost carriers have steadily built up in Asia over the last decade continues to gain steam,” said a 2014 report by the  CAPA ...

AIN AIR TRANSPORT PERSPECTIVE  »  NOVEMBER 26, 2012 by    NEELAM MATHEWS Singapore Airlines’s recent acquisition of a 10-percent stake in Virgin Australia is a prime example of the wave of strategic realignments now happening in the Asia Pacific air transport sector. (Photo: Airbus) November 26, 2012, 6:00 PM Tough economic times are resulting in innovations by carriers in the Asia Pacific region looking beyond traditional business models through strategic realignments and new product offerings. Recent ground-breaking deals include Virgin Australia selling a 10-percent stake to Singapore Airlines ( SIA ) and buying 60 percent of Tiger Airways; the new partnership between Emirates Airline and Qantas; and Etihad Airways purchasing a 10-percent stake in Virgin Australia. “It is hard to say who is next. Qatar Airways said it would never enter into an alliance, and within a week it was in bed with British Airways,” commented ...

Neelam Mathews July 23, 2012 Having just returned from the Farnborough Air Show, I must confess there were a few moments when questioned about the happenings on Indian aviation, it was difficult to put on a brave face. Today the world is in a capsule and it is amazing how much outsiders know about our inside going-ons. The major topic of discussion is ofcourse, our once five star airline, Kingfisher. “How can it survive? How come your government doesn’t shut it down? Don’t your laws protect people working in a company close to bankruptcy?  Insurance rates are high and investors now have little confidence? What about FDI? Which airlines are up for grabs? Most queries to which one has few answers. Almost being a month away, I came back to hearing more depressing news- the DGCA had been fired, Kingfisher had more pilot issues and was now flying with barely 10 aircraft (couldn’t confirm this) and fares have touched the skies. A businessman flying to Bangalore ...