Airliners of the World VI

[oney]

AMSTELVEEN, 22 June 2011 – KLM Royal Dutch Airlines has taken another important step in aviation sustainability. In September KLM will launch more than 200 flights being operated on biokerosene between Amsterdam and Paris. “KLM has once again shown it is stimulating the development of biokerosene”, according to managing director Camiel Eurlings. “In November 2009 we demonstrated that it was technically possible to fly on biokerosene. Now, a year and a half after our first demonstration flight on Camelina, a new phase has been entered around the world, that of certification. Authorisation will soon be granted to operate commercial flights on biofuel. I am especially proud to announce that KLM will take this substantial step in September”.
Amstelveen | 22 June 2011

The flights will be operated on biofuel made from Used Cooking Oil. KLM is open to using different raw materials for the end product, as long as they meet a range of sustainability criteria, including substantial reductions in CO2 emissions and minimum negative impact on biodiversity and food supply. All biofuels used by KLM also have to meet precisely the same technical specifications as traditional kerosene and must not require any adjustments to aircraft engines or infrastructure.


The fuel is produced by Dynamic Fuels and supplied by SkyNRG, the consortium launched by KLM and North Sea Group and Spring Associates in 2009. SkyNRG is actively developing a sustainable production chain for aviation biofuels. The sustainability of alternative kerosene depends on many factors and is assessed on a case-by-case basis. In order to be able in future to reach the right decisions in this area, SkyNRG is advised by an independent Sustainability Board, consisting of the Dutch wing of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), Solidaridad, and the Copernicus Institute of the University of Utrecht. A positive recommendation from the Sustainability Board carries a lot of weight for KLM.


KLM also supports the view published in the WWF’s Energy Report which indicates that alternative fuels made from biomass are the only appropriate replacement for fossil fuels for such sectors as the airline industry. Eurlings: “The route to 100% sustainable energy is enormously challenging. The costs of biofuels need to come down substantially and permanently. This can be achieved through innovation, collaboration and the right legislation that stimulates biofuel in the airline industry, but with an eye on honest competition. We really need to move forward together to attain continuous access to sustainable fuel”.


KLM has been committed to developing sustainable biofuel since 2007. Air France KLM is also an industry leader in the field of fuel efficiency. Air France KLM has been sector leader of de Dow Jones Sustainability Index for six successive years.

source: http://www.klm.com/corporate/en/news...Amsterdam.html

[aircargo]

PAL considers increasing flights
WEDNESDAY, 06 JULY 2011 18:13 LENIE LECTURA / REPORTER
Business Mirror

PHILIPPINE Airlines (PAL) is thinking of increasing its flights to popular routes within the region, company president Jaime Bautista said.
Rather than exploring new destinations, PAL is thinking of mounting more flights to its most travelled routes in the region such as Singapore, Bangkok, Hong Kong, India, South Korea, Beijing, Shanghai, Xiamen, among others. 

“More on expansion of routes,” said Bautista when asked of the airline’s expansion plans this year.

“China is a growing market.  We have flights to Beijing. We need bigger planes to Shanghai and Xiamen. These are all growing markets. South Korea also continues to grow. Likewise, traffic in Singapore, Bangkok and India is also growing,” said Bautista in an interview.

“Our [passenger] load factor is in the high 70s to low 80s,” he added. The passenger load factor is the ratio of revenue passenger miles to available seat miles of a particular flight.

PAL, he said, carried about 9 million passengers in fiscal year 2010-2011. “This is slightly lower than last fiscal year’s figures at 9.3 million because domestic passengers who used to fly with PAL flew with Air Philippines [now known as AirphilExpress], which is a subsidiary of PAL,” Bautista said.

PAL is set to announce its April 2010 to March 2011 financial results this month. “There is a turnaround from last fiscal year’s loss of about $14.3 million,” said Bautista, without providing details of the airline’s financial performance. “The report is still being finalized. Final figures will be released next week.”

PAL, he said, will post profits on account of an improved traffic and good economic condition in the US.”

“America will continue to contribute a big share in our revenues, especially if we add more flights to the US.  In Canada, we expect bigger revenue owing to the Boeing 777’s thrice-a-week operations there. But there is a slowdown in our Japan traffic,” said the PAL president. Japan was hit by twin disasters in March—a destructive earthquake and massive tsunami in the northeast part of the country.

Overall, the PAL official said 2011 is yet another challenging year for the airline industry  given the surge in jet fuel price which has gone up to $125 per barrel compared with last year which ranged between $100 and $115 per barrel.  “Turmoil in the Middle East continues which may lead to even higher oil price,” he noted.

[phoenix1]

Any ideas kung bakit tinanggal ng PAL ang online seat selection?

[ekimnat]

Flew on PR-598 SGN-MNL today, using one of the old A320 with the triple Mabuhay class economy seats. Age was really obvious, old TV monitors, old toilets, etc. How many of these old A320s are still in service?

[evodesire]

Flew on PR-598 SGN-MNL today, using one of the old A320 with the triple Mabuhay class economy seats. Age was really obvious, old TV monitors, old toilets, etc. How many of these old A320s are still in service?

I believe there are 4 A320s with old interiors. You should try the A340. They are more fit to be in the museums for its old school and ageing interiors.

[quannar]

may promo na naman PAL hehe

[oney]

Sino naka pasok na ng isang presinto sa Thailand? kita ko sa tv, yung mga upuan dun mga Thai Airways seats hahahaha

[markpaul]

Tiger Airways to fly SINGAPORE-CEBU on September!

[power(bubbles)]

Korean Air

They'll most likely be selected over Asiana since they were also sponsor of the bid team.

[ijm]

KE just received their first 737-900ER with AVOD. hope they fly these to Cebu

[evodesire]

I so love the sky interiors of the new gen 737s! A320 interiors look dull!

[evodesire]

Flew on PR-598 SGN-MNL today, using one of the old A320 with the triple Mabuhay class economy seats. Age was really obvious, old TV monitors, old toilets, etc. How many of these old A320s are still in service?

Sorry, my bad. Correction, there are 2 more left. C3221 and C3223. Next to that is C3230 which entered service on December 2005. I believe this had the coastal interiors already and AVOD at Mabuhay class.

[keyser_soze]

Malaysia's AirAsia to extend Airbus deal to 300 planes
Tue Jul 5, 2011 8:55pm EDT
www.reuters.com

(Reuters) - AirAsia Bhd will extend a deal with Airbus for its new A320neo jets to 300 planes, a source with knowledge of the deal said, making the Malaysia-based budget airline one of the largest in the world.

The two sides had announced a deal for 200 planes at the Paris Air show last month, shattering aviation records, but the additional order takes the list price of the contract to a staggering $27 billion.

Like the previous order, the additional 100 planes would also carry CFM International engines, the source said.

The source, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity, said AirAsia would receive a discount for the entire order, but did not give further details.

Deliveries of the latest batch of the A320neo planes will be at the discretion of AirAsia, the source added.

The initial order of 200 planes will be delivered from 2016, as Air-Asia seeks to reap the benefits of being based near the two fastest-growing aviation markets in the world -- India and China.

The A320neo is a version of Airbus's best-selling 150-seat passenger jet offering fuel savings with new engines from 2015 and will heap pressure on Boeing to take a decision to either rework its current offering or come up with something new.

AirAsia chief Tony Fernandes told Reuters earlier this week he saw the company as a 500-plane airline, which would make it second only to America's Southwest Airlines.

AirAsia, which flies to 63 destinations in more than 20 countries, has 90 planes currently, almost all single-aisle Airbus A320s. Besides the 300 Airbus A320neo deal, it has another 75 Airbus aircraft already in the pipeline, and which Fernandes said he was keeping on order.

(Reporting by Y-Sing Liau and Raju Gopalakrishnan, Writing by Vinu Pilakkott; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman)

.......


wow! 300 A320neo.. ang dami!!

[aircargo]

Cebu Pacific sees lower 2011 profit on fuel costs

Reuters
Posted at 07/07/2011 7:42 PM | Updated as of 07/07/2011 7:42 PM


* Sees Q2 net profit higher than Q2

* To add flights, routes in China, Japan

MANILA, Philippines - Budget carrier Cebu Air Inc. said on Thursday high fuel costs were hurting the airline industry, but the strength of Asian economies would support the growth of low-cost carriers (LCC) in the region.

Cebu Air, operator of the country's largest budget airline Cebu Pacific and a unit of conglomerate JG Summit Holdings Inc., expects a lower net profit this year compared to 2010's P6.9 billion on costlier fuel and lower passenger load, Chief Executive Lance Gokongwei said.

However, profit in the second quarter was likely to exceed its net income in January to March because the airline had raised its fuel surcharge in late March, he told reporters.

"2011 is proving to be a tough year for all airlines, particularly with the issue of rising fuel costs and increasing competition," Gokongwei told reporters.

"But we believe the LCC market in Asia will continue to grow given rising purchasing power and increasing aviation liberalization."

First-quarter net income was P1.2 billion, down 23% from a year earlier.

Cebu Air has said it expects to at least meet its target of flying 12 million passengers this year, up 14% from last year, despite high fuel prices.

The company had 48% of the domestic passenger market in 2010, Gokongwei said.

Cebu Air competes with flag carrier Philippine Airlines locally, and with Singapore's Tiger Airways and Malaysia's Air Asia Berhad in the region.

"Our balance-sheet strength will be a key differentiator versus other LCCs, especially under the current challenging fuel environment," Gokongwei said when asked about increasing competition in the budget airline market.

The company plans to expand operations in the region, particularly North Asia, as it more than doubles its fleet in the next 10 years with a $3.8 billion order of 37 planes from Airbus, a unit of France's EADS.

Gokongwei said Cebu Pacific plans to fly to more routes and add flight frequencies to China and Japan within the year.

The airline has 33 jets, of which 25 are A320s and eight are turbo prop planes from aircraft maker ATR, jointly owned by EADS and Finmeccanica.

Cebu Air lost 1.4%on Thursday to hit a two-week low as the broader market index slipped 0.5%.

[ekimnat]

wow may new thread na.


AirAsia eyes 10 Airbus units

by Jeremiah F. de Guzman

AirAsia Inc., the unit of AirAsia Group in the Philippines, said over the weekend it will deploy up to 10 Airbus 320 in the first three years of its operations to serve Southeast Asian destinations.

AirAsia Philippines chairman Antonio Cojuangco told that the carrier’s maiden flight is set in October.

“We will start with two Airbus 320. We still don’t have specific routes. We still have to go through applications first,” Cojuangco said.

He said first aircraft would be delivered in August and the second in October or November. The airline, he said, had applied for four regional destinations that he did not disclose.

The carrier earlier said it wanted to launch flights from the Philippines to Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Jakarta, Bangkok, Hong Kong and China.

Cojuangco also said AirAsia Philippines planned to increase its fleet from just two this year to eight to 10 Airbus 320 in the next three years.

“But all these plans are subject to what we actually achieve,” he said.

“We will offer prices that are lower than market prices, lower than others. That’s our business model,” Cojuangco said.

Cojuangco, Marian Hontiveros and Michael Romero equally own 20 percent of AirAsia while AirAsia Berhad controls the balance.

AirAsia Philippines earlier announced it would set up base at Diosdado Macapagal International Airport in Clark, Pampanga province.

DMIA, which is 85 kilometers away from Ninoy Aquino International Airport, is the main airport serving the immediate vicinity of the Clark Special Economic Zone.

The airport is also home to the airline’s sister company, Malaysia-based AirAsia Berhad, which has been flying from Kuala Lumpur and Kota Kinabalu since 2005.

The airline earlier said it would have an initial authorized capital stock $25 million to jump-start operations. “We didn’t have to increase capitalization. We are just leasing aircraft,” Cojuangco said.

AirAsia added that it would expand its operations by putting up hubs in Cebu or Zamboanga City once it gained ground in the local market.

The Philippines, meanwhile, failed to close an air agreement with Indonesia.

“We did not finish the negotiations [on Friday]. The parties agreed to set another round of talks within the year,” Civil Aeronautics Board executive director Carmelo Arcilla said in a text message late Friday.

Indonesian aviation officials visited the Philippines Thursday to meet with the local panel for a new air pact between the two countries.

http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/i...&d=2011/july/4

How many of you guys will tavel all the way to CRK to fly on AirAsia PH when there are 3 other LCC alternatives flying out of MNL?

In spite of what the Central Luzon lobbyists say, I believe CRK will never match MNL as long as a fast and efficient transport system does not exist.

[neni0hk]

^^^unless they create a shuttle bus system like the one in KL

[evodesire]

How many of you guys will tavel all the way to CRK to fly on AirAsia PH when there are 3 other LCC alternatives flying out of MNL?

In spite of what the Central Luzon lobbyists say, I believe CRK will never match MNL as long as a fast and efficient transport system does not exist.

I agree. Lets say the price difference of an Air Asia ticket is 1k, this is where your 1k will go. Gasoline from Manila to Pampanga is about 500 per way, depending pa on the traffic in Manila. Then tollgate is about 160. Assuming you leave your car in Pampanga, syempre you have to travel back to Manila so another 500 + 160. Automatically, kain na ang na save mo na 1k sa gasolina at tollgate.

Eh how about travel time pa? Going to Pampanga, you have to alot 2.5 to 3 hours of travel time the safest because you can never predict the traffic in Manila. And you have to be in the airport 2 hours prior. So that gives you 5 hours alotment.

With all those hassles you have to put up with just for a 1k savings on your fare, di na bale.

[ekimnat]

^^^unless they create a shuttle bus system like the one in KL

you will still have to deal with traffic, weather, and loss of time. A fast train system like HKG would be the best solution but then it will be so expensive to build, i.e. Northrail.

[aircargo]

I agree with you evodesire. Ang layo talaga ng Clark. But let's not discount the marketing geniuses at Air Asia. If they want to capture more Manila-based customers, then a reasonable (or free?) shuttle service should be in the offing to sweeten the deal.

[neni0hk]

you will still have to deal with traffic, weather, and loss of time. A fast train system like HKG would be the best solution but then it will be so expensive to build, i.e. Northrail.

yup! i agree but that is far from happening considering that they are starting operations months from now. shuttle buses synchronized with the flights or with good frequency can be a workaround.

I agree with you evodesire. Ang layo talaga ng Clark. But let's not discount the marketing geniuses at Air Asia. If they want to capture more Manila-based customers, then a reasonable (or free?) shuttle service should be in the offing to sweeten the deal.

same sentiments. maybe they can also make it as an option to be bundled with the fare like the Skybus.