Asia-Pacific carriers may be the first to recover from the dramatic industry downturn due to the lower household debt in Asia compared with the US andEurope, according to the International Air Transport Association’s chief economist. Asia-Pacific airlines may see recovery as early as 2010 – ahead of the rest of the industry – due to the lower household debt in the region compared to significantly higher household debt levels in the US and … [Read more...] about MALAYSIA: Asia-Pacific carriers could be first to recover
Carriers
AirBridgeCargo finds clear air amid the turbulence
For AirBridgeCargo (ABC) – the scheduled cargo unit of the Volga-Dnepr Group – the current industry downturn is a mixed blessing. While its scheduled cargo business has clearly suffered, the slowdown has opened up new, and welcome,opportunities for its ad hoc charter business. By Donald Urquhart. Operating its fleet of six Boeing 747s – one -200, one -300 and four -400s – ABC has followed a similar rudimentary blue print that most other … [Read more...] about AirBridgeCargo finds clear air amid the turbulence
MALAYSIA: IATA revises airline losses upwards to US$9 billion
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has predicted that the world’s scheduled airlines could lose as much as US$9 billion in 2009 – nearly twice the level of losses it forecast just three months ago – and has revised its 2008 loss estimate upwards to $10.4 billion from the previous estimate of $8.5 billion. In his ‘State of the Industry’ address to 500 of the industry’s top leaders gathered in Kuala Lumpur for the 65th … [Read more...] about MALAYSIA: IATA revises airline losses upwards to US$9 billion
MALAYSIA: AirAsia X orders 10 Airbus A350 XWB
AirAsia X, the long haul low cost affiliate of Malaysia’s AirAsia Group, has placed a firm order with Airbus for 10 A350-900 XWB aircraft. The airline will use the aircraft on a network linking its Asian hub in Kuala Lumpur with destinations worldwide, especially in Europe and Australia. “Business is all about timing and long-term strategy,†said Tony Fernandes, director and founder of AirAsia X. “At AirAsia we have always planned for the long-term. By buying the … [Read more...] about MALAYSIA: AirAsia X orders 10 Airbus A350 XWB
JAPAN: Japanese air cargo drop slows in April
Japan’s two largest airlines – Japan Airlines (JAL) and All Nippon Airways (ANA) – saw their international cargo volume decline again in April on a yearon- year basis amid the global economic slump, but the contraction was the lowest in five months. Japan Airlines, Asia’s biggest air carrier, said its international cargo volume declined for the ninth consecutive month in April, plunging 28.7 per cent to 39,795 tonnes, an improvement over March when … [Read more...] about JAPAN: Japanese air cargo drop slows in April
JAPAN: NCA stalls fleet expansion, losses until 2011
Japan’s Nippon Cargo Airlines – a subsidiary of Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK Line), the nation’s largest shipping firm – has announced a stalling of its fleet expansion plan over the next three years to weather “unprecedented†economic turbulence. Japan’s second-largest international air cargo carrier after Japan Airlines, currently operates eight Boeing 747- 400Fs and had originally planned to increase the number of … [Read more...] about JAPAN: NCA stalls fleet expansion, losses until 2011