Fly Damnit

MAS going with the 737-800 and a380

April 1st, 2008

So, finally a conclution for the previous posts 737NG or A320 for MAS? and MAS new planes (fact vs. rumor). MAS is getting the Boeing 737-800 (NG).

March 31, 2008 18:21 PM

MAS To Buy Up To 55 Boeing 737-800 For US$4.2 Bln, To Take Delivery Of A380 In 2011

KUALA LUMPUR, March 31 (Bernama) — Malaysia Airlines will buy up to 55 Boeing 737-800 at US$4.2 billion or about RM13.39 billion, its Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Datuk Seri Idris Jala announced here today.

The national carrier would also take delivery of six A380 in 2011 inclusive of compensation, he said in a statement to announce the airlines’ narrowbody fleet acquisition plan.

“Under our Business Transformation Plan, we are embarking on our network expansion to transform into the World?s Five Star Value Carrier,” he said.

“I am very excited with these developments as these new fleets will both form a strong platform for Malaysia Airlines to profitably grow.”

“The deliveries will not happen for a few years yet, when the weakness in the global economy should be less of a concern,” he said.

“We have placed a firm order for 35 B737-800 with an option for another 20 aircraft. The total cost of the 55 aircraft is US$4.2 billion at list prices,” Idris Jala said.

He said: “We expect to take delivery of the first aircraft from September 2010 onwards, which will be used to replace our existing B737-400 fleet and to allow us to expand to points which were not previously economically viable.”

Malaysia Airlines also has the option to swap the B737-800 to the larger B737-900.

“These aircraft will be used mainly for the Asean region, including the domestic sector in Malaysia and the fast growing economies of China and India.”

“Clearly, we are now gearing ourselves to benefit from the growth of this region which is projected at around six percent per annum,” he said.

Idris Jala said MAS’s aim was to ensure that the aircraft for the core network will always be the latest in terms of technology.

“We will likely partially purchase the B737-800 on our own and partially lease them as that would give us the flexibility to manage our balance sheet and financing commitments, and to sell some of them when the timing is right,” he said.

Idris Jala also announced that Malaysia Airlines will take delivery of all six A380-800 in 2011, with the first aircraft to be delivered in January and the sixth in August.

“After extensive discussions with Airbus and Penerbangan Malaysia Bhd, we have agreed on the terms for the delayed delivery of the six A380-800 aircraft ordered by PMB in 2003.

“The terms include an agreed amount of compensation for the delay,? he said.

The six A380-800 aircraft was supposed to have been delivered from January 2007 to December 2008.

Idris Jala said: “I think today is a good day for Malaysia Airlines, Airbus and Boeing.

We kept the A380 on terms that are win-win for us and Airbus.

We placed narrowbody jet orders with Boeing.

We are happy to work with both aircraft manufacturers.”

“We are now looking at the widebody aircraft replacement and will intensify our discussions with the manufacturers.”

“This is again an opportunity for both Airbus and Boeing to make their best pitch for our business.

Malaysia Airlines is committed to expand its network for the medium and long haul market,? he said.

– BERNAMA

Fun fact: MAS used to lease 2 737-800. Below is a picture taken by Capt Radzi Desa and was posted at Airliners.net. All credit goes to them.

So, 55 b737-800 at the end of 2010 and 6 A380-800 early 2011. Its going to be a busy year for MAS.

Posted in News, Boeing, Malaysia Airlines | No Comments »

Lufthansa Airlines crosswind attempt

March 3rd, 2008

Title from CNN: Storm blows jetliner off runway
Battling blustery weather, a Lufthansa Airlines flight scrapes its wing on the ground during a landing attempt.
Source: CNN.com

(CNN) — Battling blustery weather, a Lufthansa Airlines flight scraped its wing on the ground during a landing attempt in Hamburg, Germany over the weekend, an airline spokesman said Monday.
art.plane.cnn.jpg

The plane recovered and landed safely the second time around, the spokesman said.

Amateur video of the incident that appeared on the Internet showed the Airbus A320 teetering as it tried to land during brutal winter storm on Saturday.
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“As we were about to touch down, a gust of wind pressed the left wing towards the ground,” a Lufthansa pilot identified only as Oliver A. said in a statement. “We pulled up immediately. A maneuver we practice in training very often.”
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The airline said the pilot has been flying for Lufthansa for 17 years.

Airline spokesman Wolfgang Weber said the left winglet, a fin at the end of the wing scraped the ground after a gust of wind tipped the plane. Damage to the plane was minimal and not structural. He said the plane is already back in service.

Other title:
Plane scrapes wing during landing in Germany
A320 lufthansa nearly crashed during crosswind approach

Posted in Videos, Accidents, Airbus | No Comments »

777-300ER low flyby Video

February 25th, 2008

Source 1
Pilot Ian Wilkinson was flying the Boeing 777-300ER on its maiden flight from the manufacturer’s plant in Everett, Washington, when he turned around after takeoff and swooped about 10m above the runway, the South China Sunday Morning Post reported.

Cathay Pacific chairman Chris Pratt was among the VIP passengers on board the plane when Mr Wilkinson did his unauthorised fly-by of the Boeing factory on January 30, the newspaper said.

Mr Wilkinson was sacked last week while a second pilot, believed to be the co-pilot, had been suspended from training duties for six months, according to the Post.

Videos and photographs of the swoop have been posted on the internet and pilots’ gossip forums, with some praising the stunt but others describing it as dangerous and poorly executed.

A Cathay Pacific spokeswoman said Mr Wilkinson insisted the fly-by was not dangerous but said he had been sacked for not seeking approval for the manoeuvre.

The airline had a well-established approval process for such manoeuvres and had conducted them in the past at air shows but only “with proper approval in place'’, she said.

Picture is not from flydamnit.com. Its from a user at PPRuNe.

Source 2

It is with some regret that I have to inform you of a Disciplinary Hearing related to the delivery flight of our latest B777-300ER. The operating crew conducted a low level fly past at Everett Airport in Seattle, prior to departure for Hong Kong, without having obtained the necessary approval or authorization.

Please could I remind all crew to refer to Vol 2, Part 2, Page 1-8-8 section 21 prior to any non-scheduled flight including demonstration flights or fly pasts. The first stage of the D&G proceedings has taken place resulting in a decision to terminate the employment of the Pilot Flying and relieve the Pilot Monitoring of training duties for a period of 6 months. Both decisions are subject to the appeals process.

N. P. Rhodes
Director Flight Operations

Source http://blog.seattle-deliveries.com/2008/01/cathay-777-b-kpf-delivery.html

Discussion link: http://forum.flydamnit.com/index.php?topic=1283

Posted in News | No Comments »

737NG or A320 for MAS?

February 4th, 2008

Mas is going to replace the 737-400 fleet. MAS had been using it for the last 15 years. Which one do you prefer?

Boeing 737 NG

Airbus A320

About the 737 NG
Wikipedia for the 737 family

Passengers
Typical 2-class configuration	162
Typical 1-class configuration	189
Cargo	1,555 cu ft (44 cu m)
Engines (maximum thrust)	CFMI CFM56-7 27,300 lb
Maximum Fuel Capacity	6,875 U.S. gal (26,020 L)
Maximum Takeoff Weight	174,200 lb (79,010 kg)
Maximum Range	3,060 nautical miles (5,665 km)
Typical Cruise Speed (at 35,000 feet)	0.785 Mach
Basic Dimensions
Wing Span With Winglets	112 ft 7 in (34.3 m) 117 ft 5 in (35.8 m)
Overall Length	129 ft 6 in (39.5 m)
Tail Height	41 ft 2 in (12.5 m)
Interior Cabin Width	11 ft 7 in (3.53 m)

About the Airbus A320
Wikipedia for the a320 family

AIRCRAFT DIMENSIONS
			metric		imperial
	Overall length		37.57 m.		123 ft. 3 in.
	Height		11.76 m.		38 ft. 7 in.
	Fuselage diameter		3.95 m.		13 ft.
	Maximum cabin width		3.70 m.		12 ft. 1 in.
	Cabin length		27.51 m.		90 ft. 3 in.
	Wingspan (geometric)		34.10 m.		111 ft. 10 in.
	Wing area (reference)		122.6 m2		1,320 ft2
	Wing sweep (25% chord)		25 degrees		25 degrees
	Wheelbase		12.64 m.		41 ft. 5 in.
	Wheel track		7.59 m.		24 ft. 11 in.

BASIC OPERATING DATA
			metric		imperial
	Engines		two CFM56-5 or IAE V2500		two CFM56-5 or IAE V2500
	Engine thrust range		111-120 kN		22,000-27,000 lb. slst
	Typical passenger seating		150		150
	Range (w/max. passengers)		4,800 (5,700) km.		2,600 (3,000) nm.
	Max. operating Mach number (Mmo)		0.82 Mo.		0.82 Mo.
	Bulk hold volume - Standard/option		37.41 m3		1,322 ft3

DESIGN WEIGHTS
			metric		imperial
	Maximum ramp weight		73.9 (77.4) tonnes		162.9 (170.6) lbs. x 1000
	Maximum takeoff weight		73.5 (77) tonnes		162 (169.8) lbs. x 1000
	Maximum landing weight		64.5 (66) tonnes		142.2 (145.5) lbs. x 1000
	Maximum zero fuel weight		61 (62.5) tonnes		134.5 (137.8) lbs. x 1000
	Maximum fuel capacity		23,860 (29,840) Litres		6,300 (7,885) US gal.
	Typical operating weight empty		42.4 tonnes		93.5 lbs. x 1000
	Typical volumetric payload		16.6 tonnes		36.59 lbs. x 1000

Related news

MAS To Finalise Purchase Of New Aircraft By End Of Q1

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 31 (Bernama) — Malaysian Airline System Bhd (MAS) aims to finalise its needs for wide- and narrow-bodied aircraft by the end of the first quarter this year.

“The national carrier has not decided whether it will be an Airbus or Boeing,” MAS managing director, Datuk Idris Jala, said at the launch of its Business Transformation Plan here today.

As a preparation to purchase new aircraft, MAS undertook a rights issue and redeemable convertible preference shares exercise to partially raise fund to the tune of RM1.5 billion in 2007.

The fund, together with its cash balance, will enable MAS to finance the aircraft acquisition.

Meanwhile, MAS’ executive director/chief financial officer, Tengku Azmil Zahruddin, said MAS would decide on the narrow-bodied aircraft first.

“We are at the tail-end of the evaluation for the narrow-bodied aircraft.

“However, due to the backlogs both in Airbus and Boeing, we may lease the type of aircraft we want before taking delivery of our own,” he said.

Idris said aircraft purchase was the single biggest decision MAS has to make.

“When you make that decision into the future, you better know what you are doing (because) it is about RM20 billion commitment,” he said.

Idris said the general principal in increasing fleet size was to reduce the different types aircraft, increase the density in the economy seat, buy aircraft for core network and lease for the non-core network.

“The logic is simple. For core network, owning the aircraft gives us the flexibility to dispose of and change the aircraft based on the market.”

Currently, MAS leases most of its aircraft.

Idris also hoped to ride on airlines that have ordered new fleet but would not be able to realise the orders.

“When they don’t need the aircraft they will sell it at a lower price. Some airlines are making losses but made a lot of aircraft orders. So, I do believe we want to take them,” he said.

On Airbus A380, Tengku Azmil said progress was not good in the ongoing talks.

He, however, said MAS would definitely ask for compensation.

– BERNAMA

*News posted by our forum member at http://forum.flydamnit.com/index.php?topic=516.0

Posted in News, Airbus, Boeing, Malaysia Airlines | 5 Comments »

FlyDamnit has a new page icon

February 1st, 2008

I got the new page icon from Boeing’s official page. Its the picture used in one of the page. I edited it a little bit and make it smaller.

Here is the original picture.

Posted in News | No Comments »

British Airways 777 crashed at Heathrow

January 24th, 2008

17 January 2008
British Airways 777 crashed at Heathrow Airport.

Passengers are led to safety after a British Airways jet from Beijing landed short of the runway at Heathrow Airport, injuring six people and causing delays at the world’s busiest airport.

A British Airways jet crash landed short of the runway at London Heathrow on Thursday, injuring six people and causing delays at the world’s busiest airport.

The undercarriage of the Boeing 777 was wrecked with the back end and the engines touching the ground. Passengers poured out of emergency slides while firefighters sprayed safety foam around the jet. One said he felt he had won the “lottery” by escaping unharmed.

Television pictures showed skidmarks carving up the grass ahead of the runway used by Flight BA38 from Beijing with 136 passengers and 16 crew on board. All the injuries were reported as minor.

Paul Venter, a passenger on the flight, said the plane hit problems just as it was about to land.

“I could hear the undercarriage come out and the next moment the plane just dropped,” he said.

“The wheels came out and went for touchdown, and the next moment we just dropped. I couldn’t tell you how far.

“When everything came to a standstill, I looked out of the window and the undercarriage was gone and the plane was on its belly.

“I didn’t speak to the pilot, but I saw him, and he looked very pale.”

BBC television quoted the pilot as saying he had lost all power as it was landing and had to glide it in.

The incident happened shortly before Prime Minister Gordon Brown was due to take off from Heathrow for China on an official visit. His flight was briefly held up.

The southern runway was closed at Heathrow, causing delays. Some flights were being to other airports.

Another passenger, Fernando Prado, told BBC television by telephone that all the passengers had been evacuated within two or three minutes, adding of his escape: “I won the lottery today.”

A Heathrow spokesman said the plane carried out an emergency landing at 12:42 pm (1242 GMT) and that it had been fully evacuated.

“The Heathrow southern runway has been closed, but the northern runway remains open,” he added.

BA chief executive Willie Walsh said: “We are very proud of the way our crew safely evacuated all 136 passengers on board.

“The crew are very experienced and are trained to deal with circumstances like this.”

He said the Air Accidents Investigation Branch would probe what happened and the airline would cooperate fully.

“It would be innapropriate for me to speculate as to the likely cause of this incident,” Walsh added.

He said the aircraft in question was about six years old and BA had 43 Boeing 777s in operation.

Six passengers were taken to hospital with minor injuries, said a spokeswoman for the London Ambulance Service.

A London police spokesman said there was no suggestion that terrorism was involved.

The British prime minister was travelling with a party of around 30 journalists, businessmen and personalities, including Virgin chief Richard Branson and Olympic athlete Kelly Holmes.

2nd source

LONDON A British Airways jet from Beijing carrying 152 people crash-landed Thursday, injuring 19 people and causing more than 200 flights to be canceled at Europe’s busiest airport.

Investigators will speak to the pilots and study the plane’s flight data recorder and maintenance records to determine what caused the crash-landing at Heathrow Airport, tearing the plane’s underbelly and damaging its wings.

Nothing suggested it was terror-related, Scotland Yard said.

Timothy Crowch, an aviation analyst with 35 years of experience as a commercial pilot, said the landing gear punched through both wings, indicating a “massive vertical impact.” That suggests a total loss of engine power may have been the cause, he said.

Robert Cullemore of Aviation Economics, a London-based aviation consultancy, said the pilot kept the plane in the air long enough to prevent a disaster.

“If it had landed 200 meters [656 feet] shorter than it did, it may have hit perimeter fence and obviously some other buildings and the car park, clearly we would be dealing with fatalities and obvious damage,” Cullemore said.

Firetrucks surrounded the Boeing 777 after it landed, spraying fire-retardant foam around the aircraft. Two of the plane’s giant wheel units were ripped from the craft during the landing and could be seen on grass near the runway.

Passenger Paul Venter said the trouble started as the aircraft was about to land.

“The wheels came out and went for touchdown, and the next moment we just dropped. I couldn’t tell you how far,” he said.

The plane’s wheels appeared to collapse as it came down in the grass in front of the airport’s southern runway, witness John Rowland told the BBC.

“It crashed into the runway, debris was flying everywhere, there was an enormous bang and it skidded sideways,” he said.

Hillingdon Hospital said it was treating 13 injured, and six went to other hospitals. British Airways said one person suffered a broken leg.

The accident on one of Heathrow’s two runways occurred just before a plane carrying British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and a delegation of business leaders, including Virgin Chairman Richard Branson, was about to depart for China. The prime minister’s plane was about a half-mile away.

More than 200 flights were canceled nearly a fifth of the day’s flights, airport operator BAA said. Planes were able to take off and land on Heathrow’s northern runway, air-traffic control company Nats said. Some flights were diverted to other airports.

The Air Accident Investigation Branch was investigating, British Airways Chief Executive Willie Walsh said, adding that the airline didn’t want to speculate on the cause. The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board also said it was sending a team of investigators to help.

Note - News and pictures are from the internet.

Posted in News, Accidents, Boeing | No Comments »

Quick recap of 2007

January 14th, 2008

First of all i would like to welcome my self back to this forum. I havent been online for quite a while while. Alot happened and i didnt cover them. These are some of the events:

Dr Sheikh Muzaffar, first Malaysian in space. There was 3 candidate for it. One of them is our Capt. Mohd. Faiz Kamaluddin (front left in pic) from Malaysia Airlines. Congrats for being nominated. (Not to be mistaken with the other Dr. Faiz Khaleedwho was the second choice).

LIMA air show. Thanks for the guys who cover the air show and posted it in the forum with lots of pictures.
http://forum.flydamnit.com/index.php?topic=1061.0

And some other event.

As for MAS, some of u might notice theres the Box Meal for some sectors, the cabin crew is reduced from 5 to 4 for some sectors in the 737 fleet and the recent fuel price increase will effect the aviation world.

Welcome 2008. More updates to come..

Posted in Uncategorized, News | No Comments »

Funny flight attendant

November 16th, 2007

This video was posted by the YouTube user rodizzl.

From the YouTube “About This Video”:

this was on my flight from LAX to Chicago MDW, and there was this flight attendant who made some very interesting remarks that had the whole plane laughing. i couldnt record the flight attendant, but i did record the sunny so. cal weater. enjoy.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=9ta9ltJGxjk

Posted in Videos | No Comments »

Singapore Airbus A380 lands in SIN

October 28th, 2007

I landed in Singapore (in a b737 haha) at 1140pm local time (1540 UTC). It was dark but the weather was good. The runway in use was runway 02C. Once landed we followed the green light to our parking bay - F36. Normally we were given bay F30 or F31. Getting a different bay is not abnormal. Once the passanger disembarked, the aircraft cleaners told us to look outside. She said that the aircraft that looks like a Dugong just landed. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dugong.

“The A380?” I aksed.

“Yeah, it looks like a Dugong!” she insisted.

So we looked outside and saw the Airbus moving in to the parking bay not far from us. We were told that the Airbus had some kind of delay. There were suppose to arrive a little bit earlier. As we moved inside the terminal we saw the first few passengers coming out of the maiden flight into Singapore. They were greeted with some kind of flower lei made of orchids accompanied by a group playing some percussion. I didnt see any press, just airport/SIA staff greeting them. I assume the first few one who came out where the first class suite class passangers.

The flight number was SQ380 (someone correct me)

The Singapore Airlines A380
Length: 72.6m x 71m
Height: 24.1m
Engine: 4 x Rolls-Royce 70,000lbs (5.3m)

Max take-off weight: 560 tonnes
Max landing weight: 386 tonnes
Max zero fuel weight: 361 tonnes

Max capacity: 555 persons on board
Singapore Airlines configuration: 491 persons (not sure)

SIA’s Airbus A380 leaves Australia for Singapore
SYDNEY : The world’s biggest airliner left Australia for Singapore on Friday after a storm delayed the return leg of its historic maiden flight by more than two hours.

The Singapore Airlines Airbus A380 set off from Sydney at about 6:15pm local time (0815 GMT) after airport authorities decided the double-decker superjumbo had to sit out a storm front moving through Australia’s largest city.

Earlier, a four-man band playing light jazz had entertained the passengers as they waited to board. Excited travellers took pictures of themselves against a backdrop of the huge aircraft, which was visible on the tarmac.

The Airbus A380, the largest airliner ever built, successfully completed its maiden commercial flight into Sydney on Thursday, heralding a new era in aviation after months of delays and massive cost overruns.

The superjumbo, which can carry more than 850 people in an all-economy class configuration, winged its way into history as 455 passengers enjoyed champagne and caviar on the seven-hour flight.

Most of them were due to make the return trip.

See also: http://www.a380.singaporeair.com/

More facts from the airbus mainpage:

Why create an aircraft such as the A380?
With air travel expected to continue growing, the A380’s ability to carry more passengers and freight will help ease airport congestion by transporting more people and freight without additional aircraft movement.

What will the A380 change for me as a passenger?
The A380 will provide more comfort in every class. This is possible because the A380 offers 50 per cent more floor space but will typically carry only 35 per cent more passengers. Some of the benefits will come as wider seats even for Economy class, some as more spacious aisles and galleys areas to stretch your legs. Regardless of how airlines plan their seats and services, the design of the A380 cabin ensures low noise level throughout and up to 15 per cent more stowage space for your carry-on luggage.
In addition, the cabin will benefit from advanced lighting systems and new standards of in flight entertainment, which will greatly enhance your overall travel experience.
These advances in cabin comfort are particularly important for the long haul routes such as London-Singapore and Los Angeles-Sydney.

How many passengers will I be flying with?
The A380 is designed to carry 555 passengers in a typical seating configuration, including an Economy, a Business and a First class. However most airlines have actually indicated that they may have fewer seats than this. In any case, you will not feel crowded thanks to the width of the two separate widebody decks as each will provide more space for everyone.

Will the economy class also benefit from more space or will it be only for the business and first classes?
The main deck of the A380 is wider than that of any commercial jetliner in operation today. Its extra floor space will benefit everyone aboard and will give airlines new opportunities to create innovative cabin arrangement for the greater comfort of all passengers. Regardless of how airlines arrange their seats and services, even the economy class will be wider. High capacity overhead bins and the latest generation of in flight entertainment will also significantly enhance passenger comfort.

Will it take me longer to board and to retrieve my luggage?
The innovative cabin of the A380 includes a wide dual-lane staircase, which will allow you to board the aircraft in the same time as any other large aircraft, using two standard bridges. Many airports are planning direct passenger access to the upper deck of the aircraft.
The use of longer or linked baggage belts carrousels will ensure that your baggage is delivered in times comparable to today’s.
Passenger convenience for boarding and de-boarding has been carefully considered early on in our consultation with both the airports, which will accommodate the aircraft and the airlines, which will operate it.

How far and where can I fly with this aircraft?
The A380 is designed for long-haul travel and can fly up to 15,000km /8,000 nm non-stop. It will mostly fly on those routes which see the heaviest concentration of large aircraft flights today. Currently 60 major airports around the world are ready for the A380 or preparing to receive it.

Are the ticket fares going to be more expensive on an A380?
The A380’s efficiency and advanced technology will result in a 15-20 per cent lower seat mile costs for the airlines. Therefore, for the same level of comfort and service, on the same route and with the same airline, the ticket fares should be equivalent or possibly less expensive than on any other aircraft.

What impact will a bigger aircraft have on the environment?
The A380 will be an environmentally friendly aircraft, which will produce half as much noise on take-off as its competitor and consume less than 3 litres of fuel per passenger over 100 km, a rate comparable to that of an economical family car. With its greater capacity and unprecedented environmental friendliness, the A380 provides the most economical and socially responsible solution to growing air traffic on key trunk routes.

I want to be one of the first to fly the A380. When will it be operated for the first time and by which airline?
Singapore Airlines will be the first airline in the world to introduce the A380 into commercial service in 2006. The carrier has already launched a ‘first to fly A380′ logo, which - for maximum effect - has been placed between the aircraft’s twin row of windows, one of the new aircraft’s most recognisable features.
To be the first to know about Singapore Airlines’ A380, visit www.A380.singaporeair.com

Which airlines have so far announced firm orders and commitments for the A380?
To date, Airbus has received 154 orders and commitments from 15 customers. These are (in alphabetical order): Air France, China Southern Airlines, Emirates, Etihad Airways, Federal Express, International Lease Finance Corporation, Korean Air Lines, Lufthansa, Malaysia Airlines, Qantas Airways, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways International, UPS and Virgin Atlantic Airways.

Is the A380 the most technologically advanced aircraft to date?
The A380 combines the very latest technologies for materials, systems and industrial processes. It meets the most stringent international certification requirements. The A380 is not only the most spacious civil jetliner ever built, it is also the most advanced - representing a unique technology platform from which all future commercial Airbus aircraft will evolve.
Each new technology developed, tested and adopted for the A380 has been carefully studied to determine its effects over the lifetime of the aircraft, and has been selected for its proven reliability and long-term benefits.

On another slightly related news:

AirAsia gets the nod for flights to Singapore
Thursday October 25, 2007
By WONG SAI WAN

PETALING JAYA: Now everyone can fly cheap to Singapore. AirAsia got the nod from the Government yesterday to operate two flights daily to the republic.

It is learnt that the Cabinet gave the nod at its weekly meeting. This decision comes a few days after Singapore’s Transport Ministry said that it was keen to see further liberalisation of the air services agreement with Malaysia.

According to sources, Tiger Airways, Singapore?s own budget airline, would also be offered to fly the same route.

?This means that travellers will have a choice of not only one low-cost carrier to Singapore but two. This will surely spark a price war,? an aviation analyst commented.

On average, MAS flies seven shuttle flights a day to Singapore while SIA does it six times daily.

For the shuttle service, which is jointly operated by the two airlines, the price of a one-way ticket is RM167 while an economy non-shuttle one is RM266. Airport tax and surcharges cost RM140.

AirAsia and Tiger Airways are expected to charge about 30% of the non-shuttle fare but will have the usual cheap offers for limited seats. The two low-cost carriers will operate the route between the LCCT at KLIA and the Budget Terminal at Changi Airport.

It was learnt that AirAsia and Tiger Airways would only be allowed to operate the two flights each on off-peak hours. Sources expected the two carriers to start operations in January.

The analyst said the decision would be a big boost to the two airlines as Singapore and Malaysia were two popular international hubs aimed at different markets.

?The cheaper 40-minute flight between KLIA and Changi airports will mean more international passengers stopping in Singapore or Kuala Lumpur to make the extra hop to either place.

?AirAsia will benefit more than Tiger Airways because of the regional connections it already has. Couple that with the coming of AirAsia X, they will be able to even pull long-haul passengers from Singapore,? he added.

AirAsia chief executive officer Datuk Tony Fernandes could not be contacted for comment. AirAsia officials said he had flown to Singapore.

Fernandes had been vocal about the reluctance of the two governments to allow budget airlines to operate between the two countries ahead of the Asean open skies agreement, which will come into force in 2009.

Source: TheStar

http://forum.flydamnit.com/index.php?topic=972

Posted in News, Airbus | 1 Comment »

What do you think about the Box Meal?

October 20th, 2007

Im sure most of you had been reading the news about Malaysia Airlines’ box meal. The information about the meal boxes can be found here, from the previous post.. U can expect to find an apple, a plastic fork, spoon, and knife, mineral water,chocolate/oat snack, some sandwiches, and maybe a slice of cake or some salad.

Below is a picture of the box incase u have no idea what it looks like.

For a better picture Click Here and read his review on the box meal too. MAS to introduce meal boxes for regional short-haul flights

What people say:

Observers find MAS meal box hard to swallow
By Anna Maria Samsudin (NST)

October 17 2007

NATIONAL carrier Malaysia Airlines (MAS) stands to lose out in the regional air travel market, following the introduction of meal boxes for economy class passengers on its regional short-haul flights.

Market observers said the move has, in a way, lowered the airline’s prestige as a full-service carrier (FSC) and may result in passengers, especially those expecting frills, switching to budget airlines.

Holiday Tours and Travel Sdn Bhd general manager Danny Jee said looking at the robust growth of low-cost carriers (LCCs) in the region, it is becoming more crucial for FSCs to stick to its business model.

Instead of trying to compete with budget airlines in terms of airfares, FSCs should focus on how to further “pamper” its passengers in an effort to make a clear distinction between the services they offer and that of the LCCs, he said.

“Not everyone is willing to fly on a budget airline. There is still a sizeable market that prefers to fly with FSCs, simply because of the five-star service as well as the pampering factor they offer.

“Thus, FSCs such as MAS need to continue to offer the frills that passengers are used to in order to effectively compete with the LCCs,” Jee told Business Times.

“There are passengers who do not mind paying extra. However, those who paid premium would like to see and feel what they are paying more for,” he added.

On October 1, MAS introduced meal boxes for its Indochina flights between Kuala Lumpur and Ho Chi Minh City, Phnom Penh, Yangon and Bangkok and flights between Kuala Lumpur and Kuching, Miri and Kota Kinabalu.

The meal boxes will be offered on the remaining regional sectors by January 2008.

Singapore-based Standard & Poor’s Equity Research aviation analyst Shukor Yusof said MAS’ decision to switch to meal boxes from the conventional tray set meals was mainly to help trim down its cost and simplify operations.

Many FSCs in the US and Europe have adopted this form of inflight meals for their short-haul routes and MAS is simply following suit.

Shukor said the switch could help MAS save quite a substantial amount of money.

Because meal boxes are much lighter and do not require onboard heating, it would also contribute towards weight reduction, enabling the airline to cut its fuel cost since lighter planes burn less fuel.

“In addition, it will also make things simpler for the cabin crew as it will make the cleaning process easier and faster. This in turn would help improve their turnaround time,” said Shukor.

However, Shukor concurs that there is a high likelihood of passengers not liking the new concept.

“At the end of the day, passengers still prefer a hot meal. I hope that this meal box concept will stay with the economy class segment and will not be introduced on its business and first class as well as its long-haul flights,” he added.

Think Again on Meal Boxes

By William Dennis

AS a frequent traveller, I think Malaysia Airlines’ decision to serve meal boxes in economy class on flights to Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, Yangon, Phnom Pehn, Miri, Kuching and Kota Kinabalu effective Oct 1 has definitely affected its image as a full-service carrier (FSC).

I think that the quantity and quality of food on MAS’ regional flights had dropped significantly over the past year. With the introduction of the meal boxes, the airline is taking another step backwards in its inflight product offering.

Meal boxes were served on MH 686/687 on the Fokker 27 (F27) night flights on the Kuching-Singapore-KL sector in the mid-1970s. Serving the same in this present day of air travel on regional flights, especially on the international sectors, is like taking the airline’s product offering backwards 30 years.

A good number of FSCs in Europe have resorted to serving meal boxes on short-haul routes. But the same can’t be adopted in Asia, which is a different market altogether. It is here in Asia where the best airlines in the world are and looking constantly to enhance their product offering for a firm grip on market position.

It is clear that MAS’ move to replace the hot meals with meal boxes is to reduce the weight of the aircraft hence the fuel burn- off on these flights. This reduces its operating cost. But it should not be at the expense of its inflight service.

MAS should be making an effort to enhance its inflight product offering and compete with low-cost carriers and Thai Airways International, its main competitor on the Indo-China routes.

With air travel getting more competitive among FSCs and with low- cost airlines eating into the former’s market share on regional flights, MAS should reconsider its inflight move.

MAS had closed its first-class lounge at Changi Airport but early this year, it reopened it probably after realising that it had lost market share to Singapore Airlines.

With MAS operating regional routes with an aging fleet of B737- 400s with cramped seats in economy class and business class, it puts itself at a further disadvantage. Thai Airways operates the Kuala Lumpur-Bangkok route either with the B777-200, the Airbus A330-300 or the A300-600R while AirAsia operates with the brand-new Airbus A320-200 aircraft.

It would not come as a surprise if MAS loses market share on regional routes.

A few months ago, MAS said that it aimed to be a five-star airline with low cost. You can never be a five-star carrier with low cost. It is a fact and that is the reality of the airline industry.

WILLIAM DENNIS

Subang Jaya

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