You are on page 1of 31

10 2015

http://www.phuketgazette.net
Senior transport officials to discuss aviation crisis with
ICAO, Germany and Australia
PHUKET: In a bid to ease the country's current aviation woes, the
Transport Ministry is seeking help from the International Civil
Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and preparing a team to visit Germany
and Australia, while South Korea decided yesterday to temporarily
allow Jet Asia Airways to operate charter flights to the country.
Transport Minister ACM Prajin Juntong yesterday said his team - led
by the deputy minister and the Civil Aviation Department directorgeneral - was scheduled to meet with the ICAO president in Canada
from April 20-22 to discuss the situation concerning aviation safety in
Thailand and the impact of air restrictions and bans imposed by
several countries in Asia.
"The ministry is now drawing up an aviation action plan, which will
be completed this week and will be sent to the ICAO, airlines and
aviation authorities in the countries we plan to visit," he said.
The meeting with the head of the ICAO is expected to help ease
restrictions and a ban on Asian air travel due to significant safety
concerns in Japan and South Korea.
The ban resulted in five airlines registered in Thailand being unable
to operate charter flights, extend new routes or increase flight
frequencies into Japan and South Korea during the summer season,
which ends in September.
ACM Prajin said South Korea's Office of Civil Aviation had, however,
given temporary permission to Jet Asia Airways to operate charter
flights to the country, effective through April 15.
The temporary permission is not extended to Asia Atlantic Airlines
and NokScoot, although the two carriers have asked to be allowed
to change their charter-flight service to scheduled operations, he
added.

http://www.phuketgazette.net
(Continue)
"The three airlines had planned a number of charter flights to South Korea
throughout April, carrying 22,119 passengers," said the minister.
As to scheduled flights by Thai Airways International and Thai AirAsia X,
the South Korean authorities said they may relax the rules if the carriers
planned to increase the number of flights.
During talks with South Korea last week, the ministry asked the country to
reconsider its position and grant special permission for Nokscoot and Thai
AirAsia X to operate charter flights into Korea, as the two Thai-based
carriers had shared foreign ownership - with Singaporean and Malaysian
businesses, respectively.
The transport minister said his team was scheduled to meet with the
aviation authorities in China yesterday and today, as well as visiting
Germany and Australia after the Songkran Festival for similar discussions,
despite those countries not having issued restrictions such as those
imposed by Japan.
Meanwhile, Tony Tyler, director-general and chief executive officer of the
International Air Travel Association (IATA), said it was not looking good for
Southeast Asian travellers as two of the region's biggest countries Indonesia and Thailand - were in the spotlight for safety and other lapses.
"To ensure safe flights and comfort, and to realise the full benefits of plans
to liberalize the region's air travel market, Indonesia and Thailand must fix
problems that have been highlighted by global bodies," said an IATA
expert.
As part of plans for Asean to operate as a single aviation market, which
Singapore has been strongly pushing for, all 10 member nations, except
for the Philippines, now allow neighboring carriers to fly without any
restrictions to their capital cities.
Almost all restrictions have also been lifted for flights to other cities.
Alan Tan, professor of aviation law at the National University of Singapore,
said the problems of inadequate infrastructure - airports, runways,
crewing, safety and air traffic control - affected many countries in the
region.
- See more at: http://www.phuketgazette.net/thailand-news/Seniortransport-officials-discuss-aviation-crisisICAO/56822#sthash.hyYMCfrs.dpuf

http://www.channelnewsasia.com
Thailands Transport Ministry seeks to address concerns
over the safety of planes based in the country, and bring
the Thai aviation sector in line with international
standards.
BANGKOK: Thailands Transport Ministry is drawing is up an
action plan to address concerns over the safety of planes based
in the country, The Nation newspaper reported.
"The ministry is now drawing up an aviation action plan, which
will be completed this week and will be sent to the the
International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), airlines and
aviation authorities in the countries we plan to visit," Transport
Minister Prajin Juntong told The Nation.
The daily also reported that Mr Prajin and his team from the
Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) will head to ICAO
headquarters in Canada from Apr 20 to 22 to discuss the ongoing
safety situation surrounding Thai aviation.
ICAO, a United Nations body, recently reported "significant safety
concerns" to the DCA after an audit earlier in the year.
In response, Japan last week blocked new flights from Thailand in
a move affecting charter services by budget carriers Thai AirAsia
X and NokScoot as well as Asia Atlantic Airlines, said the DCA,
adding existing flights would not be impacted. Charter flights
from flag carrier Thai Airways have also been hit.
On Tuesday, South Korea allowed Thai-based Jet Asia Airways to
temporarily operate charter flights to the country, but several
other Thai carriers remain unable to do so or increase their flights
to South Korea and Japan until September.

http://www.channelnewsasia.com
(Continue)
The action plan drawn up by the Transport Ministry involves
getting the DCA in shape so that they can handle the inspection
of safety standards of all Thai-based carriers.

The first part of the plan involves drawing up a new safety


standard which will be in line with those set out by the ICAO. The
second part focuses on retraining - the DCA needs to upgrade the
qualifications of existing staff and hire more staff.
Seven years ago, there were 10 airlines operating out of Thailand,
now there are more than 40. In the past, most of the new hires at
the DCA would have to begin work straight away without having
to undergo proper training. Now, over the next year, the DCA
hopes to bring the training of its staff in line with the required
international norms.
The third part of the plan would involve the re-certification of all
planes in the country.
The DCA will continue to be in discussions with its counterparts
in South Korea and Japan to ensure the safety standards of
existing planes meet international standards. These will go on for
the next few months to a year while the Thai authorities work to
improve the overall structure of aviation in the country.

http://www.channelnewsasia.com
The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore says these
inspections have ramped up after the International Civil
Aviation Organisation (ICAO) reported significant safety
concerns in Thai carriers earlier this year, but no
restrictions have been imposed.
SINGAPORE: The surveillance and ramp inspections of Thai carriers
aircraft operations in the Republic have been stepped up, said the Civil
Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) in a news release on Thursday
(Apr 2).
Its statement came after the International Civil Aviation Organisation
(ICAO) reported significant safety concerns in Thai carriers earlier in the
year. The Thai government has since said it would urgently improve airline
safety in the country.
CAAS added it has not imposed any restrictions on Thai airlines. This is
unlike other countries like Japan, who blocked new flights from Thailand
last week a move which affected charter services by budget carriers
such as Thai AirAsia X and NokScoot.
In the release, CAAS said it has in place a Foreign Operators Surveillance
Programme (FOSP), under which foreign carriers are required to have an
Operations Permit from CAAS to operate in Singapore.
The release said that CAAS evaluates an application for an Operations
Permit using a risk-based methodology, which takes into consideration
factors such as the safety oversight capability of the State of Operator, the
operational capability of the carrier and the safety records of the aircraft.
In assessing a foreign carrier's operations, CAAS takes into consideration
safety information from other aviation authorities including the outcomes
of the inspections or audits they conduct, it added.
CAAS also conducts periodic ramp inspections on the foreign carrier's
aircraft when they are in Singapore; the frequency of which is dependent
on CAAS assessment of the carrier.
The regulator assured that any major deficiencies found in the ramp
inspections have to be addressed by the carrier for it to continue
operations in Singapore.

http://www.dnaindia.com

US watchdog upgrades India's aviation safety


ranking to Category-1
India's aviation safety ranking was on Wednesday
upgraded to Category-1 by US aviation watchdog Federal
Aviation Administration (FAA), a move that could pave
the way for domestic airlines to expand their services to
that country.

The upgradation, which saw restoration of the safety


ranking, came more than 14 months after it was
downgraded to Category-2 following the failure of
aviation regulator DGCA to meet the international safety
norms during two safety audits by FAA.
Announcing the upgrade here today after a meeting with
Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Ganapathi Raju, US
Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said that India
has "worked hard" to get back the status.

http://www.orissadiary.com

Etihad Airways, Jet Airways sponsor Mumbai


Indians
Mumbai: Etihad Airways and Jet Airways will be the official airline
partners and principal sponsors for the Pepsi Indian Premier League
(IPL) team, the Mumbai Indians, for the 2015 Twenty20 tournament.
The announcement was made ahead of the Mumbai Indians first
match against the Kolkata Knight Riders in West Bengal on 8 April.
It will be the second consecutive year that Etihad Airways and Jet
Airways have partnered with the Mumbai Indians, which has become
one of the largest sports brands in India and followed by millions of
cricket fans around the world.
Crowned champions of the 2013 IPL, the Mumbai Indians will be
hoping to build on their efforts in the Pepsi IPL 2014 when they
progressed to the semi-final stage having played the first five
matches in the United Arab Emirates.
Peter Baumgartner, Etihad Airways Chief Commercial Officer, said:
The Pepsi Indian Premier League is recognised as one of the most
exciting competitions in world sport, with the Mumbai Indians its
biggest team, so its great news for Etihad Airways to be named as
the teams joint airline partner and principle sponsor alongside our
friends at Jet Airways.
We can't wait for the Mumbai Indians season to start against the
Kolkata Knight Riders and to continue the fan engagement activities,
particularly in social media, which were so popular in 2014.
Following the same format as last year, the Etihad Airways logo will
be located at the top of the back of the shirts worn by the Mumbai
Indians for home matches and the Jet Airways logo will be featured in
the same position for away matches.

http://www.orissadiary.com

(Continue)
Raj Sivakumar, Jet Airways Chief Commercial Officer, said: The
Mumbai Indians partnership is without question one of our most
exciting sponsorship properties and were thrilled to work with the
team again for the 2015 Pepsi IPL.
The brand exposure that both airlines will gain throughout the next
two months of the IPL will be phenomenal and we look forward to
supporting the Mumbai Indians as Rohit Sharma and his team looks
to win the title for the second time.
Akash Ambani of Mumbai Indians said, We are delighted to renew
our association with international brands like Etihad Airways and Jet
Airways as Principle Sponsor. The core values of our brands are
synergistic in aiming to delight our patrons.
This renewal reinforces the unique value that Mumbai Indians
represents and offers to its partners. We look forward to
strengthening our relationship across all platforms.
Among the highlights of the sponsorship agreement will be the
display of extensive Etihad Airways and Jet Airways branding and
messaging beamed across LED pitch-side advertising and on giant
screens in the Wankhede Stadium.
that India has "worked hard" to get back the status.
.

http://www.straitstimes.com

SIA Engineering, Boeing get green light for aircraft


maintenance joint venture
SINGAPORE - SIA Engineering and Boeing have received
the all-clear to set up a new firm that will provide aircraft
maintenance, repair and overhaul services.
In giving the green light, the Competition Commission of
Singapore said on Thursday that the proposed joint
venture "will not substantially lessen competition in any
market in Singapore" and therefore will not infringe any
competition rules.

The new firm aims to offer services to the Singapore


Airlines (SIA) group and other third-party customers
primarily based in the region.
Aircraft maker Boeing will own 51 per cent of the
company with SIA Engineering taking the remaining
stake.
- See more at:
http://www.straitstimes.com/news/singapore/transport/st
ory/sia-engineering-boeing-get-green-light-aircraftmaintenance-joint-ven#sthash.pvWNTPPn.dpuf

http://www.wacotrib.com

New TSTC, American Airlines partnership creates


job pipeline for pilot graduates
A new partnership between American Airlines and Texas
State Technical College aims to put more of the colleges
flight training graduates in the cockpit of the companys
planes.
The college on Wednesday signed a pipeline agreement
with Envoy Airlines, a subsidiary of American Airlines
Group that flies under the American Eagle brand.
Through the arrangement, Envoy personnel will directly
mentor and recruit aircraft pilot training students to enter
the companys pipeline instructor program, which could
lead to direct hiring opportunities with American Airlines.
We like to partner with somebody that we can put our
name (with) and be proud of and we want to be part of,
and thats with TSTC, said Nick Brice, director of pilot
recruitment for Envoy.
TSTC graduates about 20 students from the aircraft pilot
training associates degree program each year, said
Carson Pearce, director of the colleges aerospace
division.
The partnership is an effort to address an expected
shortage of pilots in the next few years because of
retirements. Pearce said the airline industry projects a
shortage of 6,000 to 8,000 pilots by 2018.
Brice said Envoy estimates that it could be down 600
pilots in the next few years based on the 20 pilots per
month who transition to American Airlines.

http://www.wacotrib.com

(Continue)
Thats just basic attrition. That does not count those
who get sick or quit aviation or they go work for another
company. (And) thats just to American, Brice said.
That number will increase, so thats why we want to be
partners in a pipeline program with schools like TSTC,
so that we get a constant flow of pilots for the future so
that we can keep flying our schedule.
TSTC has a similar agreement with Utah-based SkyWest
Airlines. But the partnership with the Fort Worth-based
American Airlines aligns more closely with the colleges
mission of producing graduates for the Texas workforce.
TSTC in 2013 switched to a new state funding formula in
which it is allocated state money based on the earnings
of graduates who obtain jobs in Texas.
Its very, very, very important now that we are able to
have this opportunity for (students) to be able to get
jobs, TSTC Vice President of Student Learning Dale
McCall said at the signing ceremony for the agreement.
Part of our funding will now come from placing our
students . . . so this affords us to do that.
Pearce said TSTC students will benefit from being able
to interact with a major airline earlier in their studies and
will gain insight into the culture of American Airlines
before they begin their careers as pilots.
The partnership will target students who have graduated
and are beginning work as flight instructors at TSTC.
Fast track

http://www.wacotrib.com

(Continue)
The agreement is to get our seasoned graduates on a
fast track to American Airlines, Pearce said. Envoy is
coaching them, providing them with guidance to advise
them on their career, giving them the ability to see their
facilities in Dallas at DFW (International Airport),
interacting with their people, and put them in a place to
get an interview.
Pearce said the initiative also will allow graduates to
more quickly earn the minimum flight hours they need to
apply for positions with a commercial airline. Pearce said
airlines typically require a minimum of 1,250 flight hours,
but pilot students usually graduate from TSTC with
about 250 hours.
Flight instructors then can earn about 170 hours of flight
time a month, so it would normally take graduates about
six months after completing the program to earn the
hours needed to seek a position at an airline.
Its a very good thing for the college, its a very good
thing for our graduates, and of course its a very good
thing for the flying public, Pearce said. TSTC produces
top-notch aviators, and the airlines are clamoring for our
graduates.

http://centreforaviation.com/

Lufthansa SWOT: new low cost platforms are


smarter strategy than resorting to protectionism
The Lufthansa group reported an operating margin of
3.9% in 2014, up from 3.5% in 2013 (based on its
operating result before restructuring and project costs).
However, adjusting 2013 for the change in depreciation
policy implemented in 2014, its margin would have been
fallen by 0.7ppts year on year, the result of a damaging
pilot strike and weak pricing. Lufthansa expects a
significantly improved result in 2015, when ASK growth
will be 3%, although it expects unit revenue to fall. All its
capacity growth will be on the long haul network, where
http://centreforaviation.com
unit revenue was weakest
in 2014.
The development of strategic joint ventures to resist
growing long haul competition from Gulf-based airlines
makes sense. Its growing use of lower cost platforms in
both short haul and long haul point to point markets is
also welcome, but Lufthansa faces an ongoing challenge
in taking its pilots with it on this course of action.
Moreover, Lufthansa's protectionist instinct as a
response to competition may have short term delaying
value - but if it is intended as a serious strategy, it is high
risk.
We consider Lufthansa group's strengths, weaknesses,
opportunities and threats in the context of these, and
other, issues.

www.psnews.com.au

Transport Agencies link for air safety


Australia's transport safety investigator and civil aviation safety
regulator have signed an agreement to cooperate to improve
aviation safety.
Chief Commissioner of the Australian Transport Safety Bureau
(ATSB), Martin Dolan and Director of Aviation Safety at the Civil
Aviation Safety Authority (CASA), Mark Skidmore signed the
new Memorandum of Understanding on 30 March 2015.
Mr Dolan said the MoU spelled out how the two Agencies would
cooperate in the interests of improving aviation safety.
"We are working together-with the ATSB identifying safety
issues through its investigations and findings, and CASA and
the industry responding to those issues, as appropriate-to
promote high standards of aviation safety," he said.
http://centreforaviation.com
ATSB and CASA sign MoU
The MoU contains protocols for interactions between the two
Agencies, including notifications of accidents and incidents and
procedures around access to evidence, exchange of information
and initiating safety action.
Both Agencies have reiterated a commitment to tell the other
Agency about matters they reasonably believe the other Agency
needs to know for safety purposes.
Mr Skidmore said it was important for the Agencies to share
safety information ''while recognising that there are limits to
what the accident investigator can provide to the regulator''.
"CASA will only ask for information if it is clearly in the interests
of safety," he said.
"The ATSB makes the decision on what information is provided
to CASA. If CASA has information it believes relevant to an
ATSB investigation, it will let the ATSB know."
The MoU is for three years with an annual review of its content.

http://www.deccanchronicle.com

Improved bag handling technology saves air


transport industry $18 billion
New Delhi: The air transport industry has cut the rate of
mishandled bags by 61.3 per cent globally since 2007, creating US
$18 billion in total estimated cost savings, according to air
transport IT specialist, SITA.
The SITA 2015 Baggage Report showed that the rate of mishandled
bags in 2014 was 7.3 bags per thousand passengers, down from a
peak of 18.88 bags per thousand passengers in 2007. This decline
comes despite a significant rise in passenger numbers over the
same time period, peaking at 3.3 billion passengers in 2014.

Francesco Violante, CEO, SITA, said, This improvement in


baggage handling over the past seven years is largely a result of
strong technology investment and innovation in baggage systems
automation and processes. However, rising passenger numbers
will continue to place pressure on baggage infrastructure and
processes, so the industry cannot afford to become complacent.
With IATA forecasting continued passenger growth of around 7 per
cent in 2015, all industry partners will need to continue to invest,
collaborate and focus on baggage management.
From 2013 to 2014, global passenger numbers rose 5.5 per cent,
and aircraft load factors increased globally to 79.7 per cent. This
increased pressure on existing systems nudged the rate of bag
mishandling up in 2014 to 7.3 bags per thousand passengers, from
its all-time low of 6.96 the previous year.

http://www.deccanchronicle.com
(Continue)
More than 80 per cent of the mishandled bags in 2014 were
delayed, with transfers between connecting flights the
leading cause of late delivery. In 2014, mishandled transfer
bags accounted for 49 per cent of all delayed bags or 11.81
million bags; however, the majority of bags were reunited
with passengers within one to two days.
Airlines and airports are continuing to invest in new
technology to optimize passenger and baggage processing,
including self bag tagging, self bag drop, systems
automation and bag ticketing.

According to SITAs 2014 Airport IT Trends Survey, baggage


processing and management ranked among airports top
investment priorities, with investments in self-service
processes, such as kiosk and bag-drop technology leading
the way.
Over the next three years, 59 per cent of airports said they
would invest in major self-service programs, as passengers
increasingly express a desire to have more control over
their journeys, including their baggage.

http://www.deccanchronicle.com
(Continue)
By 2017, around 69 per cent of airlines said they would provide
passengers with real-time updates on the location of their bags,
with 66 per cent looking to provide these updates via smartphone
apps. In addition, both airlines and airports are looking for new
ways to enable passengers to file missing bag reports themselves.
Around 18 per cent of airlines already offer passengers the ability
to report missing bags via self-service kiosks and 10 per cent via
smartphone apps; by 2017, nearly two-thirds of airlines expect to
offer these services.
Baggage tracking is set to improve further in coming years as a
result of IATA Resolution 753: Baggage Tracking. The resolution,
which goes into effect in 2018, requires IATA members to maintain
an accurate inventory of baggage by monitoring the acquisition
and delivery of baggage.
For example, BagJourney, SITAs end-to-end baggage tracking
solution for the air transport community, provides a cost-efficient
and accurate method of tracking passengers bags anywhere along
their journey from check-in to the destination airport. It can also
enable passengers to access information on the location of their
bags at any time when the airline provides this service and
passengers subscribe to it.
SITA has led the air transport industry in providing baggage
tracking and tracing solutions for the air transport community
more than 20 years. Today, more than 200 airports and 500 airlines
worldwide use its baggage management solutions. By facilitating
communications between airlines and local baggage handling and
reconciliation systems, SITA helps ensure that bags reach their
correct destination.
Its proprietary BagMessage system delivers more than 2.5 billion
messages between airline departure control systems and
automated baggage systems annually. And more than 2,800 airport
locations use WorldTracer, SITA's system which traces mishandled
bags globally.

http://www.dailysabah.com

Turkish Airlines flight makes emergency landing in


Germany due to cracked window
A Turkish Airlines passenger plane en route to Istanbul
made a forced landing at Germany's Nuremberg Airport on
Wednesday, after its left cockpit window shattered, the
airline said.
The Dusseldorf to Istanbul flight diverted to Nuremberg,
landing at 0658 GMT, a spokeswoman for the airline said.
Passengers were evacuated from the aircraft and taken to
the terminal to wait for the next flight, whilst technical
experts examined the damaged plane, the spokeswoman
added.

You might also like