Page 14 - AA 2018_11

Debrief

Space Museum in Tucson, Arizona.
The aircraft, a 777-200 with line
number WA001, flew for almost
two decades with Cathay Pacific as
B-HNL. Cathay withdrew the aircraft
from service and ferried it to Tucson
in mid-September.
–
Air New Zealand has set down
November 12 2018 for the start of
commercial service with its incoming
fleet of Airbus A321neo narrowbodies.
The A321neos have been configured
to seat 214 passengers in a single-class
layout, an increase of 27 per cent, or
46 seats, from the 168-seat A320ceos.
The airline has seven A321neos and
six A320neos on order for its trans-
Tasman and Pacific Islands network.
–
Air New Zealand chairman Tony
Carter says rising fuel prices
represented the airline’s greatest
challenge for the year ahead. Speaking
at the airline’s annual general meeting
(AGM) in Christchurch on September
26, Carter said the company was
Qantas has signed a – for the 17-hour flights between Perth optimistic about the current market
codesharing agreement Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce and London Heathrow, as well as the dynamics and demand trends.
with KLM covering flights to has been named as the next chairman training of staff, set-up of required However, he said the current levels of
Amsterdam via Singapore. of the oneworld alliance governing infrastructure and the management of jet fuel prices would be a “headwind
board. He succeeds Finnair chief operational readiness. on profitability compared to the prior
executive Pekka Vauramo, who has – year”. “Fuel is certainly the biggest
stepped down after leaving the airline Qantas and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines headwind we face, undoubtedly,”
to take up a new job. Joyce has been have signed a codeshare agreement Carter said in response to a
appointed for a two-year term. covering routes between Australia shareholder question. While Air New
– and the Netherlands. Under the deal, Zealand left guidance of underlying
Still on Qantas, the airline has Qantas will add its QF airline code on earnings before taxation in the vicinity
appeared to lay the groundwork to KLM’s Singapore-Amsterdam nonstop of NZ$425 million to NZ$525 million
operate Airbus A330 widebodies flight. At the same time, KLM will for the 12 months to June 30 2019
to Bali during peak periods in an place its KL airline code on Qantas’s unchanged, Carter said the outlook
application to Australia’s International flights from Singapore to Brisbane, statement assumed an average jet
Air Services Commission (IASC). Melbourne, Perth and Sydney. Qantas fuel price of US$85 per barrel, while
The application, which requested said it would continue to codeshare on noting jet fuel prices had recently been
an allocation of 1,250 seats per Emirates’ Dubai-Amsterdam flights. “trading above this level”.
week on the Indonesia route, said: – –
“Effective during the Northern Winter American Airlines president Robert Also at the AGM, Air New Zealand
scheduling season, commencing Isom has told a company forum chief executive Christopher Luxon
28 October 2018, Qantas plans to he is confident the United States said the airline was continuing its
upgrade aircraft on selected services Department of Transportation (DoT) evaluation of a replacement for its
on the Indonesia route, including from will approve the proposed alliance eight Boeing 777-200ER widebodies.
B737 to A330 aircraft.” Further, it said with Qantas some time in 2019. “We “Work is being done now to assess
the capacity would be “fully utilised” feel really good about where things what aircraft will be most suited to
by January 31 2019. Currently, Qantas stand,” Isom is reported to have told our future network, and we will be
flies from Melbourne and Sydney to staff according to the View from announcing the result sometime in
Denpasar with Boeing 737-800s. the Wing website. “Our hope is that the first half of calendar 2019,” Luxon
‘Fuel is – In other Qantas fleet news, the sometime in 2019 that we get approval said. The eight 777-200ERs are
between 11 and 12 years of age.
for joint business then we’re off to the
certainly Australian Institute of Project races.” The two carriers are making a –
Air New Zealand said it would
Management has named Qantas’s
second attempt at securing regulatory
the biggest Boeing 787 entry-into-service team approval for anti-trust immunity on temporarily suspend its Auckland-
Australia-US routes, after their first
as the national winner in its annual
Tokyo Haneda nonstop flights over the
headwind we project management achievement bid was rejected in 2016. Northern Winter scheduling season
(from October to March) due to
awards. The award recognised the
team’s work in introducing a new AIRLINE NEWS necessary maintenance requirements
face.’ aircraft type into service alongside The first Boeing 777 ever built has for its Boeing 787-9 Rolls-Royce
TONY CARTER innovative customer products suitable been donated to the Pima Air and Trent 1000 engines. Instead, it will
14 AUSTRALIAN AVIATION