Alliance Air, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Air India (AI), will be converted into a cargo airline with the assets of Alliance Air to be transferred to the newly formed company, Air Alliance Services, a subsidiary of AI and one of its strategic business units. The National Aviation Company Ltd (Nacil), which runs AI, was asked to come up with a strategy to convert Alliance Air into a cargo airline by end-February by Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel, according to a Business Standard … [Read more...] about INDIA: Air India to convert Alliance into cargo airline

Air India is struggling to find someone willing to take up to six B777s off its hands for wet-leases up to two years as carriers are still reluctant to add back capacity to the market. “Inquiries are coming but the rentals they are quoting are much less than our expectations,” sources in the airline told the Press Trust of India. This has forced the airline to extend the date for submitting bids for the third time. The ailing national carrier had invited requests for quote … [Read more...] about INDIA: No takers for wet leases for Air India’s B777s

Emirates is set to boost its capacity in the Indonesian cargo market by nearly 27 per cent to 233 tonnes per week in each direction by increasing its flight frequencies and expanded onward connections between the Southeast Asian country and Europe. From 1 March Emirates will increase its current Dubai-Jakarta passenger/bellyhold cargo service frequency from 11 flights a week to a double-daily, with the introduction of three additional B777 aircraft. Key Indonesian exports include … [Read more...] about INDIA: Emirates to boost Indonesian capacity

Australia’s Qantas will not renew its membership in the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) when it expires this year, ending its 40-year membership in the 17-member regional body. “Qantas continually reviews the effectiveness of public affairs activities, including membership of industry bodies,” the carrier said adding that this included international organisations, such as the AAPA. “With the growth of aviation in Asia, and the need to manage … [Read more...] about AUSTRALIA: Qantas bails out of APAA

Boeing has delivered four Next- Generation 737-900ER aircraft to Lion Air in December. The new aircraft will be deployed to increase frequencies on existing routes and to replace older aircraft in the fleet. Lion Air, a Jakarta-based private carrier in Indonesia, is the launch customer of the 737-900ER. The airline operates an all-Boeing fleet, which includes MD-80s, MD-90s and 747s. It has a fleet of 41 737s including Classics and Next-Generation models. … [Read more...] about INDONESIA: Four B737-900ERs delivered to Lion Air

Vietnam Airlines earned a pre-tax profit of US$8.1 million in 2009, down 42.1 per cent from the $14 million reported in 2008, according to a Agence France Presse report. The airline cited the global recession and H1N1 flu as the key reasons for the drop. Revenue declined 16.7 per cent to $1.3 billion. … [Read more...] about VIETNAM: Vietnam Airlines full-year profit tumbles 42%