SINGAPORE: Singapore Airlines Raises S$10 billion Of Liquidity

Singapore Airlines (SIA) announced that the Company has raised S$10 billion or 6,3 billion euro of liquidity through its recent Rights Issue, as well as a mix of secured and unsecured credit facilities.

This puts SIA on a steady footing as it tackles the challenges posed by the global Covid-19 outbreak.

SIA secured S$8.8 billion in liquidity through the successful completion of the rights issue on 5 June 2020.

And more S$900 million was raised through long term loans secured on some of SIA’s Airbus A350-900 and Boeing 787-10 aircraft.

Singapore Airlines has also arranged new committed lines of credit and a short term unsecured loan with several banks, which provide further fresh liquidity amounting to more than S$500 million.

Separately, all existing committed lines of credit that were due to mature during the course of 2020 have been renewed until 2021 or later, thus ensuring continued access to more than S$1.7 billion in liquidity.

During this period of high uncertainty, SIA will continue to explore additional means to shore up liquidity as necessary.

For the period up to July 2021, the Company also retains the option to raise up to a further S$6.2 billion in additional mandatory convertible bonds, which will provide additional liquidity if necessary.

Singapore Airlines Chief Executive Goh Choon Phong said. “We are grateful for the strong support of our shareholders for our successful rights issue, which has secured the company’s future amid an unprecedented global health and economic crisis. We are also grateful to our relationship banks for their support in extending additional secured and unsecured loans, as well as committed lines of credit. SIA will remain steadfast and agile during this period of great uncertainty, and continue to act nimbly in responding to the evolving market conditions.”

Singapore Airlines has become the first passenger flight to return to New Zealand after lockdown.

Flight SQ285 touched down in Auckland this afternoon as the airline resumes services in Auckland and Christchurch.

Auckland Airport's general manager for aeronautical commercial Scott Tasker says it's a positive step.

We're really pleased today to have Singapore Airlines restart their services that are carrying passengers.

They're reinstating the ability of people to fly to and from New Zealand via Singapore.

Mr Tasker says it's significant New Zealanders can now return home on commercial flights from a major international hub like Changi Airport and not have to rely on repatriation flights.

However, the return of international flight doesn't mean the immediate return of tourists.

At this stage, anyone coming into New Zealand must be a New Zealand resident or citizen and still require a 14 day quarantine."

Before the Covid-19 pandemic, Auckland Airport averaged more than 2000 international flights a month, operated by more than 20 airlines.

In the month of June we expected to have about 101 flights operated by 10 airlines, so the volume of flights have reduced significantly, says Mr Tasker.

Singapore Airlines (SIA) is the flag carrier airline of Singapore with its hub at Singapore Changi Airport. The airline is notable for using the Singapore Girl as its central figure in corporate branding.

It has been ranked as the world's best airline by Skytrax four times and topped Travel & Leisure's best airline rankings for more than 20 years.

Singapore Airlines includes many airline-related subsidiaries. SIA Engineering Company handles maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) business across nine countries, with a portfolio of 27 joint ventures, including with Boeing and Rolls-Royce.

Singapore Airlines Cargo operates SIA's freighter fleet and manages the cargo-hold capacity in SIA's passenger aircraft. It has two subsidiaries: SilkAir operates regional flights to secondary cities, while Scoot operates as a low-cost carrier.

Singapore Airlines was the launch customer for the Airbus A380 - the world's largest passenger aircraft - as well as the Boeing 787-10 and the ultra-long-range version of the Airbus A350-900.

It ranks amongst the top 15 carriers worldwide in terms of revenue passenger kilometers, and is ranked tenth in the world for international passengers carried.[6] Singapore Airlines was voted as the Skytrax World's Best Airline Cabin Crew 2019.

The airline also won the second and fourth positions as the World's Best Airlines and World's Cleanest Airlines respectively for 2019.

SINGAPORE: Singapore Airlines Chops Flights After Travel Ban

Singapore Airlines has warned that the coronavirus epidemic represents the “greatest challenge” it has ever faced as the flag carrier cut 96 per cent of its passenger flights in response to the crisis.

Late last night the island city-state took extreme steps to combat the spread of the disease by banning all inbound travellers.

In response, the airline will ground 138 out of its 147 planes – including the planes of subsidiary Silk Air – as well as 47 of budget carrier Scoot’s 49 planes.

Singapore is also taking additional steps to mitigate the financial impact of the crisis, including implementing salary cuts for staff and delaying new aircraft orders from suppliers.

It is also in discussion with various banks about extending its credit lines and securing further liquidity in the face of the ongoing disruption.

In a note released before the measures were implemented, brokerage UOB Kay Hian said that the carrier needed “backstop liquidity” of at least 5bn Singapore dollars (£3bn) by June.

In a statement, the airline said that it would “continue to aggressively pursue all measures to address the impact of the Covid-19 outbreak on the company”.

“It is unclear when the SIA Group can begin to resume normal services, given the uncertainty as to when the stringent border controls will be lifted,” it added.

Shares in the airline dropped nearly 11 per cent during the day’s trading.

The global financial capital has been one of the states to best tackle the coronavirus outbreak, only confirming its first two deaths from the illness this weekend, despite being one of the first countries outside of China to be afflicted.

According to data from Johns Hopkins University, Singapore has only had 455 confirmed cases of the disease, considerably lower than many of its neighbours.

ingapore Airlines will almost grind its international flight network to a halt in light of the Singaporean Government’s ban on visitors and transit travellers, and similar bans in many countries to which it flies.

Between them, Singapore Airlines and SilkAir will ground 138 aircraft, out of a total fleet of 147 jets – leaving just nine aircraft flying – with low-cost subsidiary Scoot parking 47 of its 49 planes.

Until at least the end of April 2020 there will be flights to just five destinations – Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Jakarta and Brunei – representing a staggering 96% capacity reduction.

"The resultant collapse in the demand for air travel has led to a significant decline in SIA’s passenger revenues," the airline said in a statement.

"It is unclear when the SIA Group can begin to resume normal services, given the uncertainty as to when the stringent border controls will be lifted."

Many of Singapore Airlines' flights to Australia and other destinations were already slated to be wound back or cancelled from late March until at least the end of April, with these changes serving as a further reduction.

As Singapore is a city-state with no commercial domestic flights, the impacts of global travel restrictions on the airline will be significant.

In February 2020, Singapore Airlines and SilkAir ran up to 155 return flights per week between Australia and Singapore: plus, five return flights per week between Melbourne and Wellington.

Singapore Airlines cancellations: what to do if you're affected
Alternative travel options can be clarified once Singapore Airlines reveals which flights have been cancelled and which remain, with a standing policy that "affected customers will be notified and re-accommodated onto other flights."

The airlines' current waiver policy is to allow tickets to become open-dated, to change flights without fees, or retain the value of the ticket for future travel before 31 March 2021.

For urgent assistance within 72 hours of your flight, contact the reservations team at 13 10 11 from Australia or +65 6223 8888 from overseas if you booked directly with Singapore Airlines. If you booked through a travel agency, contact that agency.

If your travel isn't as imminent, then you can contact the team through an online form. As a last resort, if you can't get in touch and miss your flight departing between 16 to 31 March 2020, all no-show fees will be waived when you rebook or change your ticket to open-dated.

You can keep track of Singapore Airlines' latest advisories, including new flight cancellations and ticket waiver policies, on its website.

SINGAPORE: Singapore-Newark Route Is The World’s Longest

At over 8,000 nautical miles, The Singapore-Newark route is currently the world’s longest with regularly scheduled service. It’s a very prestigious route flown by Singapore Airlines using its Airbus A350-900ULR aircraft designed specifically with the route in mind.

First opened with the Airbus A340-500 earlier in the century, the route relaunched in October 2018 with the ULR aircraft being able to perform the flight with better economics than its predecessor.

Before the relaunch, the only other option for New Yorkers looking to head to Singapore and vice versa was through intermediary cities such as Frankfurt, increasing the journey time by hours.

It allows enough time for a business traveler to make it to their hotel early in the morning and freshen up before getting to the office to start the typical workday at 9 A.M.

Though timed perfectly, the flight regularly clocks in at an eye-watering 16 to 18 hours of flight time in each direction.

SQ22 leaves Singapore a bit before 1 a.m. and gets into Newark at around 5:30 a.m. or earlier. The proper strategy for this flight is to stay awake the first half of the flight and sleep the second half.

Qantas recommended a similar strategy to test subjects on its research flight from New York to Sydney in October.

This way, one basically sleeps during the nighttime of the destination and wakes up prior to landing. While not a perfect cure for jet lag it is the equivalent of having an early morning start vs dealing with a 12-hour time difference.

That’s what I did for the most part and this is something Singapore Airlines doesn’t seem to understand.

The airline insists on timing meal services around Singapore time instead of Newark time. The main meals on the flight are served at a time when people should be sleeping.

There is an initial meal service after take-off, which is acceptable, but the timing of the second meal service is downright disrespectful since it is more geared towards people operating on the departure time instead of the arrival time zone.

This effectively negates the notion of getting some proper rest on a business class flight.

Singapore Airlines insists in pairing meal times to the origin and not the destination.

The cabin on Singapore Airlines’ Airbus A350-900ULRs consist of only two cabins, premium economy and business. While the premium economy seats feature only recliner chairs, business class seats come fully-equipped with lie-flat seats.

There are a lot of complaints about this seat being cramped and having to sleep at an angle but for someone of average height, the seat is great and I actually prefer it to a lot of the reverse herringbone style type seats due to the width of the bed space in the upper body area.

Bulkhead seats in rows 11 and 19 are recommended for taller folk but those are hard to come by since Singapore Airlines reserves them as bassinet seats but will occasionally release them to high-value customers.

Many would say I missed out on the flight but I didn’t I accomplished exactly what I intended to do, maximize rest on the flight.

Often times we lose sight of what business class is about, it’s primarily a method of effectively get rest to be ready to go right upon reaching your destination.

Economy class is about being miserable and first class is about having fun. Business class is business.

The more you travel, the more you start to appreciate sleep. You can only be so excited sitting in a reverse herringbone seat for the umpteenth time, you don’t need to stay awake to revel at the fact I’m not in coach.

That’s what you do when sitting in Cathay Pacific first class because that’s first class. That’s supposed to be fun, even though you do aim to sleep well on those flights too.

SINGAPORE: Singapore Airlines Commences Flights To Seattle

Singapore Airlines is going ahead with non-stop services to the US with the departure of flight SQ28 to Seattle this morning.

The flight departed Changi International Airport earlier and is scheduled to arrive at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport today, at 09:05 local time.

Customers departing from Singapore received an exclusive goodie bag containing items such as a commemorative certificate, SIA batik pen and passport cover as well as a mini notepad featuring the Seattle skyline.

Upon arrival in Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, the aircraft will be receiving a water cannon salute.

Seattle is the fourth US destination after Los Angeles, New York (Newark) and San Francisco to be served non-stop from Singapore.

The Seattle flights will initially be operated three times weekly before increasing to four times weekly in October, bringing the total number of weekly non-stop Singapore-US services to 31.

When combined with SIA’s existing one-stop services to Houston, Los Angeles, New York (JFK) and San Francisco, total US service frequency will increase to 57 per week.

The new Seattle services will further strengthen the Singapore hub by providing customers faster and more convenient connectivity from key markets such as south-east Asia, south Asia and Australasia to North America.


Tourism Observer

Best World Airlines 2019 At Skytrax Awards

Qatar Airways has been named the world's best airline for 2019 at the annual World Airline Awards, announced at the Paris Air Show on Tuesday.

It's the fifth time the Middle East carrier has taken out the top gong at the awards run by research firm Skytrax, the first airline to win the world's best award five times since the rankings began in 1999.

As usual, the top 10 was dominated by Asian and Middle Eastern airlines.

Last year's winner, Singapore Airlines, dropped to second place, with Japan's All Nippon Airways remaining in third. Cathay Pacific climbed from sixth position to fourth, while Emirates dropped one spot to fifth.

Qantas continued to climb in the rankings, hitting eighth spot after climbing from 13th to 11th last year. However, Virgin Australia continued to drop on the list, falling to 25th position from 22nd last year. In 2017 the airline was ranked 13th.

Qantas dominated the regional awards, taking out best airline, first and business class for the Australia/Pacific, while Air New Zealand won best premium economy and best cabin cleanliness. Jetstar won best low-cost airline in the region.

It was a big year for Qatar Airways with the airline also winning for World's Best Business Class, Best Business Class Seat and best Middle Eastern Airline.

The airline unveiled its revolutionary new business class seats, the "QSuite" in 2017. The seats featured the world's first double-bed in business class, as well a face-to-face "party of four" configuration. Qatar Airways introduced the class on Australian routes in June last year.

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, Akbar Al Baker described the results as a proud moment.

Becoming the first airline to be named as 'Airline of the Year' for the fifth time is a landmark achievement, he said.

Edward Plaisted of Skytrax said: To be named as the World's Best Airline is a great recognition of Qatar Airways high standards, and recognises the hard work and dedication from every member of staff to satisfy customers.

In other key awards, Singapore Airlines took out the award for best cabin crew and best first class, Japan Airlines won best economy class, Emirates best inflight entertainment and AirAsia was named best low-cost carrier,

The World Airlines Awards are based on customer surveys conducted by Skytrax. According to Skytrax, more than 20 million survey entries were recorded between September 2018 and May 2019 for this year's awards, with voters coming from more than 100 different countries.

The World's Top 10 Airlines of 2019.

01 - Qatar Airways

02 - Singapore Airlines

03 - ANA All Nippon Airways

04 - Cathay Pacific

05 - Emirates

06 - EVA Air

07 - Hainan Airlines

08 - Qantas Airways

09 - Lufthansa

10- Thai Airways

World's Best Cabin Staff 2019

01 - Singapore Airlines

02 - Garuda Indonesia

03 - ANA All Nippon Airways

04 - Thai Airways

05 - EVA Air

06 - Cathay Pacific

07 - Hainan Airlines

08 - Japan Airlines

09 - Qatar Airways

10 - China Airlines

Best economy class

01 - Japan Airlines

02 - Singapore Airlines

03 - Qatar Airways

04 - Thai Airways

05 - ANA All Nippon Airways

06 - Emirates

07 - Cathay Pacific Airways

08 - Hainan Airlines

09 - Lufthansa

10 - EVA Air

Best business class

01 - Qatar Airways

02 - ANA All Nippon Airways

03 - Singapore Airlines

04 - Emirates

05 - Qantas

06 - Hainan Airlines

07 - Thai Airways

08 - Etihad Airways

09 - Cathay Pacific Airways

10 - Garuda Indonesia

Best premium economy

01 - Virgin Atlantic

02 - Singapore Airlines

03 - Air New Zealand

04 - Austrian Airlines

05 - Air Canada

06 - Qantas Airways

07 - Lufthansa

08 - Virgin Australia

09 - Aeroflot

10 - Air France

World's Best Low-Cost Airlines 2019

01 - AirAsia

02 - easyJet

03 - Norwegian

04 - Southwest Airlines

05 - AirAsiaX

06 - Jetstar Airways

07 - WestJet

08 - Indigo

09 - Ryanair

10 - Eurowings

The World's Cleanest Airlines

01 - EVA Air

02 - Japan Airlines

03 - ANA All Nippon Airways

04 - Singapore Airlines

05 - Asiana Airlines

06 - Hainan Airlines/

07 - Swiss Int'l Air Lines

08 - Cathay Pacific

09 - Qatar Airways

10 - Lufthansa

Best inflight entertainment

01 - Emirates

02 - Qatar Airways

03 - Singapore Airlines

04 - Virgin Atlantic

05 - Delta Air Lines

06 - Qantas Airways

07 - United Airlines

08 - Lufthansa

09 - Turkish Airlines

10 - American Airlines


Tourism Observer

World’s Top 10 Airlines of 2019

The World’s Top 10 Airlines of 2019

1. Qatar Airways

2. Singapore Airlines

3. ANA All Nippon Airways

4. Cathay Pacific

5. Emirates

6. EVA Air

7. Hainan Airlines

8. Qantas Airways

9. Lufthansa

10. Thai Airways

Singapore Airlines has lost its “Best in the World” gong with Qatar Airways back on top after nabbing the coveted title at the prestigious 2019 Skytrax Awards.

Qatar also walked away with World’s Best Business Class, World’s Best Business Class Seat and Best Airline in the Middle East. It’s the fifth time the Middle East carrier has taken out the top gong at the awards, after losing the top spot in 2018 to Singapore.

Singapore Airlines slipped into second place, while Japanese airline ANA All Nippon Airways received the bronze medal.

Known as the Oscars of the aviation world, the World Airline Awards are handed out annually by Skytrax, the leading global authority on airline and airport service quality.

In its 19th year, the ratings are based on the world’s largest passenger satisfaction survey, which took place from September 2018 to May 2019 with online voting in English, French, Spanish, Japanese, Chinese and Russian.

This year passengers from over 100 countries voted on 300 airlines from around the globe, while Skytrax said there were 21.65 million eligible entries.

Australian airline Qantas made a return to the top 10 list for the first time in three years, after coming in at 11th spot in 2018 and slipping to 15th position in 2017.

Virgin Australia came in at 25th, down from their 22nd ranking in 2018.

In a statement, Skytrax CEO Edward Plaisted admitted not everyone would agree with the rankings’ assessment.

We operate the survey and awards in a 100 per cent independent and impartial format according to the commitment we gave back in 1999, he said during the awards ceremony at the Paris Air Show.

While every winner may not be the favourite of everyone, those that disagree should understand that these are the Passenger’s Choice Awards.

Jetstar came in at 53rd overall, dropping from 46th position in 2018, while Air New Zealand was ranked 16th.

Jetstar however ranked third in the ‘World’s Best Long Haul Low-Cost Airlines’ and sixth in the ‘World’s Best Low-Cost Airlines’ for 2019.

Fiji Airways was awarded first place in the “Best Airline Staff in Australia Pacific” category, which recognises the combined airline staff service for both on-board and ground staff, in the Australia Pacific region through passenger feedback and Skytrax evaluation.


Tourism Observer

IRAN: Airlines Avoid Flying In Iran Air Space After US Ban

Qantas will re-route flight paths to avoid parts of Iran after the United States aviation regulator issued an emergency order banning US airlines from certain areas amid escalating tensions between the two countries.

The US Federal Aviation Administration on Friday banned US carriers from flying in Iran-controlled airspace over the Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman, after Iran shot down an American surveillance drone.

The FAA said there were numerous civilian aircraft operating in the area when the drone was shot down and that it was concerned about the escalation of tension and ministry activity close to high-volume aircraft routes.

The US carrier United Airlines has also suspended its flights from Newark in New Jersey and Mumbai, India, which goes through Iranian airspace following a thorough safety and security review.

Qantas flights to and from London, both via Singapore and non-stop from Perth, frequently fly over Iran.

A spokesman for the airline said it was adjusting our flight paths over the Middle East to avoid the Strait of Hormuz and Gulf
of Oman until further notice.

The airline also often flies through Iraq as an alternative passage through the Gulf region, and expects the impact on flying time to be negligible.

Other carriers such as Singapore Airlines commonly used by Australians flying to Europe fly the same route over Iran.

Qatar Airways and Etihad Airways flights in the area prohibited for US carriers at 1pm on Friday.

The FAA’s directive does not apply to Australian-flagged carriers, and Australia’s aviation regulator does not have the power to tell airlines where they can or cannot fly.

Australian airlines use their own safety management systems to decide whether to avoid flying in certain areas. Those systems consider safety advice from numerous sources, including bodies like the FAA.

The FAA's announcement came over an Iranian surface-to-air missile on Thursday bringing down the US Navy RQ-4A Global Hawk, an unmanned aircraft with a wingspan larger than a Boeing 737 jetliner and costing over $US100 million ($144 million).

The US said it made plans for limited strikes on Iran in response, but then called them off.

The downing of the drone was the latest of a series of incidents in the Gulf region, a critical artery for global oil supplies, that included explosive strikes on six oil tankers.

The FAA previously warned commercial aircraft of the possibility of Iranian anti-aircraft gunners mistaking them for military aircraft.

In July 2014, Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 was shot down by a missile over Ukraine, killing all 298 on board, prompting carriers to take more steps to uncover threats to their planes.


Tourism Observer

INDIA: Bad Times For Jet Airways, Will They Fly Again?

After stopping operations earlier this month, Jet Airways technically isn’t gone forever. There are still some who want to see the airline gain additional financing in order to resume operations.

While there are some indicators Jet Airways could fly again, it seems unlikely given the current situation.

Jet Airways had a lot of debt and very little cash. India’s all out price war, with fares as low as a few cents, meant that there was an incredibly slim margin for profit.

Unfortunately, the market just didn’t work for Jet Airways. They invested in new aircraft, including the 737 MAX, and broadened their international partnerships. With a robust route network, Jet Airways thought they could be India’s top carrier.

Also burdening Jet Airways were high fuel costs and high taxes. Jet Airways simply could not make a profit. They teetered and tottered for months before finally seeing their fleet depleted.

In the days prior to their official suspension, only a handful of aircraft were operating and zero international routes were scheduled.

There has been a movement to resurrect Jet Airways. Former Jet Airways staff engaged in protests to get the airline up and running again. Jet Airways had a sizeable staff who are now faced with major uncertainty.

While some crew members went off to rival carriers, like SpiceJet, others are still looking for opportunities.

Jet Airways relied heavily on Etihad Airways for investment. Etihad itself faces significant financial concerns, yet somehow found Jet Airways worth sustaining. Over the years, they have put millions of dollars into the airline.

However, after the collapse of the airline and Etihad’s ongoing losses, it doesn’t seem like Etihad would want to resurrect the carrier before they get on solid financial footing themselves.

Etihad could always partner with an Indian conglomerate as Singapore Airlines did with their investment in Vistara. This could give Etihad some additional security since they wouldn’t necessarily be the ones pumping in funding for Jet Airways.

Jet Airways seems to be running out of luck and time for a new investor. With rival carriers descending on Jet’s valuable assets such as planes and the valuable slots at crowded airports, Jet Airways would face significant headwinds if they restarted operations.

This would definitely worry investors, especially as Indian airlines continue to miss out on record profits that other carriers see.

This is the question that aviation analysts and investors are grappling with. Jet Airways has a lost a lot in terms of positive name recognition, reputation, and key assets.

A new Jet Airways would have to reassure travelers that they can trust the carrier with their travel plans.

India’s aviation market is already quite crowded. State run Air India doesn’t seem to need to focus on turning a profit and low-cost carriers account for a significant market share.

As a result, it would be necessary for Jet Airways to define themselves as something different to what India already has. The problem is that Jet Airways doesn’t really have anything new and unique to offer travelers that current carriers cannot provide.

Delta Airlines recently announced a return to India. Though still vague on a few details, Delta plans to fly from New York to Mumbai. Mumbai was a major hub for Jet Airways. Thus, it made sense for Delta to connect the cities since there would be strong connecting opportunities.

Jet Airways has closely worked with Delta and KLM.

In the aftermath of Jet’s collapse, it seemed highly unlikely that Delta would return to Mumbai. Previously, it was reported that Delta may have some interest in Jet Airways and had a codesharing partnership with the carrier.

However, now that Delta is returning to Mumbai, it could be possible that they will have a role in resurrecting Jet Airways. Now, while there are no official reports or even rumors indicating Delta is seriously considering this.

While many would like to see Jet Airways resume operations, it seems highly unlikely, it may be the end of Jet Airways forever.


Tourism Observer

Safe And Unsafe Airlines

AEROFLOT OR ANY RUSSIAN AIRLINE

Russian airlines lead the world in crashes and fatalities. The only air disasters in the past ten years that stole the headlines from missing Malaysian Air flights were catastrophic Russian crashes which wiped out the Polish government, a hockey team, and hundreds of vacationers to Egypt.

Aeroflot is Russia’s flag carrier, and it has an ominous record as the airline with the most crashes in the world.

Today Aeroflot is modern and safe and hasn’t had a major incident since 2008, but the list of other Russian airlines, including S7 and Siberian Air and Nordstar, with huge crashes, is too hard to ignore. If you’re flying in or out of Russia, take Finnair.

AIR NEW ZEALAND

Air New Zealand was rated as the safest airline in the world by Skytrax for 2017, the third year in a row they won this prestigious, and important, award.

This is New Zealand’s flag carrier and they have flights to destinations mostly in Asia, but also to the UK, US, Australia, and Canada. The only incident they’ve had is when a flight carrying pilots, technicians, and a safety inspector crashed into the ocean in 2008.

Otherwise, Air New Zealand has never lost a civilian passenger, joining the ranks of Air Canada for the safest airline. With fewer accidents, crashes, and deaths than any other airline, rest easy when you’re traveling on Air New Zealand!

PAKISTAN INTERNATIONAL AIRLINES

Pakistan's flag carrier, Pakistan International Airlines, is one of the most messed-up airlines in the world. The airline has a near-zero rating fromairlinereviews.com and is in the top 10 least safe airlines in the Skytrax annual review.

The airline has suffered many crashes resulting in fatalities every single year since they were founded in 1947, and when they’re not crashing or blowing up mid-air, they have a long list of minor accidents caused by pilot negligence and lack of ground maintenance.

FINNAIR

Finland’s largest airline and flag carrier has an impeccable safety record.They haven’t had a fatality since 1963, and have had few mishaps and accidents than any other airline in the world since then.

There were a couple of hijackings and attempts at bombing a Finnair airline, but these were all dealt with efficiently by authorities and passengers and crew were unharmed.

Finnair keeps a fleet of modern, well-maintained aircraft crewed by excellent pilots and professional flight attendants. If you’re flying anywhere in Europe, you can’t go wrong with Finnair.

MALAYSIAN AIRLINES

Malaysian Airlines has had a bad decade. Several large airline disasters have captured the world’s media attention, including the disappearance of Flight 370 in 2014.

What seems like such a shock to the world was no surprise to airline safety agencies and industry watchdogs, such as airlinereviews.com. Malaysian Airlines has a history of minor crashes, unsafe maintenance, corporate corruption and half-trained pilots and aircrew.

When several planes went down more recently, it was a culmination of a bad corporate culture that resulted in one of the most unsafe airlines in the world.

BRITISH AIRWAYS

British Airways was founded in 1974 by a government commission and has since grown to become the largest carrier in the UK. British Airways is one of the safest airlines in the world and hasn’t lost a passenger since 1976 when Flight 476 collided with another aircraft on takeoff, hurting 63 people on board.

This is the only time British Airways has had fatalities. Their pilots and crew are top-notch, and thanks to their fantastic skills several notable disasters have been avoided, like when Flight 900 flew through a volcanic ash cloud and the pilots glided the aircraft to a safe landing.

Qr the time a windshield blew out and the pilot was sucked out of the aircraft, but hung on while the co-pilot landed the plane safely. Nobody was hurt.

AIR INDIA

Air India is an Indian government owned airline founded in 1932. It has a dubious safety record, with a habit of exploding in mid-air.

Thankfully modern security screening has drastically reduced airline bombings around the world, but that doesn’t stop things like Air India flights randomly catching fire, or skidding off the runway, or simply driving into parked airplanes at the terminal loading docks.

Skytrax rates Air India as one of the least safe airlines due to a lot of negligence-caused accidents on the part of pilots, aircrew, and ground maintenance.

AIR CANADA

Air Canada has a proud and long history as one of the safest airlines in the world. Canada’s flag carrier was founded in 1937 and has never had a single fatality in all that time. They have flights to 207 cities around the world, making them one of the top 10 largest airlines and one of the top five oldest.

They’ve had the odd mishap, like in 2017 when the pilot accidentally turned off his radio while coming into San Francisco International Airport and landed on a runway full of taxiing airplanes.

This was the most serious incident in the airlines, history, and nobody was hurt. The pilot was suspended and the airline launched a full investigation. Air Canada flights are modern, well-maintained, and professional.

THAI AIRWAYS

Thailand’s national carrier has had a tough run as a world-class airline. They try really, really hard to be safe, but bad things just keep happening. In 2001 an entire wing blew up thanks to a fuel leak, resulting in one death on board.

In 2009 a flight crash-landed on a runway, while another plane dove into a rice paddy in 1998, killing everyone on board. For the most part, Thai Airways is safe, as they’ve had very few fatalities.

It’s just that things keep blowing up or falling off their airplanes, which shows a lack of maintenance and, as is usually the case with airlines from the developing world, corporate corruption which stops new parts and aircraft from reaching the fleet.

CATHAY PACIFIC

Cathay Pacific was one of the most luxurious airlines in the world at one point, winning the coveted “best airline” year after year. It has since fallen from the top spot, replaced by newcomers such as Qatar Airlines and Emirates.

Cathay Pacific still holds on to its stellar safety record, however. Hong Kong’s flag carrier reaches destinations around the world, and its last disaster was in 1972 when a bomb took down a flight, which can’t really be held against the company.

Their airplanes are known to be well-maintained and crewed by professionals, and their customer service is the best in all of Asia!

JETSTAR PACIFIC

Jetstar Pacific is a budget-airline out of Vietnam. Officially called Jetstar Pacific Airlies Joint Stock Aviation Company, this airline is near the bottom of Skytrax’s annual airline safety list.

According to aeroinside.com, which tracks airline incidents, Jetstar Pacific has had numerous safety incidents including tail strikes on takeoff, when the plane rotates the nose up to takeoff, the pilot is supposed to lift the plane off the ground or the tail will smash into the runway, known as a tail strike.

Other reports include landing gear malfunctions, noxious fumes in the cabin, and failure to pass a safety inspection at an Australian airport.

LUFTHANSA

Lufthansa was founded in the 1920s and then regrown after World War II and is one of the largest airlines in the world today. You can catch a Lufthansa flight to pretty much anywhere in Europe, and rest confident that you’ll actually get there alive. The airline isn’t without incidents, however.

Between 1959 and 1993, Lufthansa had several major accidents resulting in fatalities. The past 25 years have been very safe, with no fatalities and very few accidents. Although they are expensive, you’re getting what you pay for when you choose to fly with Lufthansa.

EGYPTAIR

Egyptair is Egypt’s national airline, with flights to nearly a hundred countries around the world. It’s also rated by Skytrax as one of the ten least safe airlines.

Even if you discount the company’s disasters, such as Flight 804 flying into the Mediterranean in 2016, or Flight 990 flying head-first into the Atlantic in the 90s, you still have an airline with a long history of mishaps.

In 2016 a plan caught fire while sitting on the runway. Another’s engine fell off during takeoff. There have been multiple hijackings of Egyptair flights in recent years, which makes for an uncomfortable vacation.

EMIRATES

Emirates has a decent safety record. They’ve never had a fatality on any of their flights, although they have had several mishaps on takeoff and landing.In 2004, and again in 2009, Emirates flights ran out of runway and plowed through landing lights and fences.

Nobody was hurt, but come on, really?In both cases, the investigators blamed the pilots for not lifting off and blamed Emirates for not giving the pilots enough rest between flights.

The odds of such an exciting start to your travels are rare, so instead sit back and enjoy Emirates world-famous comfort and service.

PHILIPPINE AIRLINES

Philippine Airlines is the flag carrier of The Philippines and is also one of the safest Filipino-operated airlines.Unfortunately, they aren’t the safest in the world, with a string of accidents, most of them minor.

Philippine Airlines flights have also been targeted by terrorists in the past, with al-Qaeda blowing up an airliner in 2007, and local extremists knocking down local propeller-driven craft now and again.

For the most part, you’ll survive your flight with these guys, but they still remain accident prone. Engines seize up mid-flight, landing gear doesn’t retract, planes fall off the runway, minor stuff.

SINGAPORE AIRLINES

Asian-based airlines seem to have a fantastic safety record. Eva, Cathay Pacific, and Singapore Airlines are all represented in the top 10 safest airlines in the world.Singapore Airlines isn’t without incidents, however.

In 1991 Pakistani militants hijacked Flight 117, until Singapore Special Forces stormed the aircraft and freed all the passengers while dispatching all the terrorists.

In 2000, Flight 006 took off from the wrong runway in Taiwan and crashed into some construction equipment, and 86 people lost their lives. There haven’t been any other fatalities in the airline's history and they’ve had an accident-free 18 years!

CHINA AIR

China Airlines is the largest air carrier in China and is partially government owned. If you’re heading to China, chances are you’ll end up booked on a China Air flight.

They fly to more than a hundred cities around the world, and is considered the 10th largest airline in the world! China Air also has one of the worst safety records of all the major airlines, with more than 30 catastrophic crashes and hundreds of minor accidents.

Most of their pilots are well-trained and come from a military background, but it seems that the aircraft themselves are not well maintained, and the company tends to skimp on spending the money necessary to keep their fleet safe.

EVA AIR

Eva Air is a Taiwanese airline launched in 1989. They have one of the best safety records of all the Asian airlines, and to date has not had a single aircraft incident or passenger fatality.If you’re flying Eva Air you can rest assured that you’re in good hands.

I’ve never flown Eva, but passenger reviews online tell a story of friendly, professional treatment, comfortable flights and average food.If you’re heading anywhere in Asia, try Eva Air. At the very least you’ll get there alive.

CUBANA

Cubana Airlines is considered one of the most accident-prone airlines in the world, with an accident rating 60 times higher than British Airways! Cubana is Cuba’s national airline, wholly owned by the Communist government.

It was founded in 1930 as a subsidiary of Pan-Am Airlines, but after Castro’s takeover, it was nationalized. Today it is known as Crashbana by Cubans and Mexicans.

In 2018 it had a catastrophic crash with 107 fatalities, which came only a year after another crash, which was eight months after another crash. If you must go to Cuba, fly on Air Canada.

JAPAN AIRLINES

Japan Airlines is one of the safest airlines in the world, having only one catastrophic accident in its history. That was when Flight 123 flew face-first into a mountain back in 1985, taking 520 passengers with it.

The company has since fired all of its kamikaze pilots and passengers can expect a relatively comfortable flight. I’ve flown JAL several times and was once even upgraded to first class, the only time in my traveling career, so I have a soft spot for them.

According to airlinerratings.com, JAL has a 7.2 out of 10 rating, making them one of the top 10 safest in the world!


Tourism Observer

INDIA: Tatas’ Love For Air India

It’s over four years since India’s Tata group went back into the country’s aviation sector.

In 2013, after staying on the sidelines for over six decades, the salt-to-software conglomerate returned to India’s aviation sector through two joint venture (JV) partnerships with Malaysia-based AirAsia Bhd and Singapore Airlines.

The Tata group had founded Air India (AI), then Tata Airlines, in 1932, which the Indian government took control of in 1953. Ever since, the group had stayed out of the airline business.

Now, it is eyeing a bigger slice of India’s aviation pie. On Oct. 10, chairman N Chandrasekharan said that his group would consider acquiring the beleaguered national carrier Air India.

This isn’t the first time that the Tatas have shown interest in AI, currently India’s fourth-largest airline by market share. In 2000, the group partnered with Singapore Airlines to bid for a 40% stake in the company, but the plan didn’t materialize as Singapore Airlines withdrew.

We will definitely look at it (AI), Chandrasekaran said. We still don’t have all the details. Every business proposal will be very seriously looked at and we will look at that (AI). Definitely.

But currently we don’t have the data there are so many different groups within Air India, and then there is real estate, there is debt, there is liabilities, and we got to look at all of that but we will definitely look at it.

The $103 billion Tata Sons’ interest in AI could have stemmed from the lacklustre showing of AirAsia and Vistara. Together, they have a domestic market share of only 7.6% with a fleet of 29 aircraft. This is significantly lower than market leader IndiGo’s 38% with 138 aircraft.

We need to look at aviation as a whole, Chandrasekaran said. We are subscale. We got two airlines both are subscale. Any decision that we take—Air India or otherwise—we have to have a story because we can’t be operating with 15 aircraft or 20 aircraft.

The Tata group owns 51% of Vistara, with Singapore Airlines in control of the rest. In AirAsia India, it owns 49%, while the rest is held by Malaysia’s AirAsia Bhd.

Over the past few years, both Vistara and AirAsia India have been looking at international operations but have been held up by regulatory hurdles, hampering business and profitability.

India’s aviation norms require an airline to deploy 20 aircraft, or 20% of its fleet, on domestic routes before it can take off on international routes. Vistara and AirAsia India have only 16 and 13 aircraft respectively.

You have got to give them time as far as their investments in AirAsia India and Vistara goes, Mark Martin, founder of Martin Consulting, an aviation consultancy based in Dubai, said about the Tata group’s investments in the aviation sector.

But, if and when Air India is bought out by Tata, it would be one massive and mega monolithic turnaround for the airline because the Tatas are the only people capable of turning around such an airline.

Buying AI will give the Tata group access to a sizeable fleet that can operate both at home and abroad. The government airline flies to nearly 41 international and 72 domestic destinations.

It is also India’s single largest international carrier with a 17% market share of the overseas routes from the country and operates 119 aircraft. But, bogged down by debt following an ill-advised merger in 2007, it has been struggling for survival.

The Tata group’s core strategy currently involves building a strong brand globally. And what better than an airline that flies to every part of the world, particularly the Americas and Africa? That’s the opportunity Air India brings to the table for the Tatas, Martin said.

India is currently the world’s ninth-largest aviation market. Domestic air travel is expected to grow 9.5% annually between 2011 and 2031, according to aircraft maker Airbus. Currently, only about 2% of India’s population uses airlines, providing a massive opportunity to expand the market.

The prospects for Air India’s privatization seem to be going from bad to worse.

Days after India’s largest airline IndiGo declared that it lacks the capability to turn the country’s state-run airline around, the private player’s closest competitor by market share, Jet Airways, pulled out of the race.

We welcome the government move to privatise Air India. It is a bold step. However, considering the terms of offer in the information memorandum and based on our review, we are not participating in the process, Amit Agarwal, Jet Airways’ deputy CEO said

Earlier this year, Ajay Singh, chairman of low-cost carrier SpiceJet, had also told CNBC-TV18 that it is too small to bid for the Maharajah.

With three heavyweights out, few aviation space players remain in the race for Air India. And all eyes are now on the airline’s founder itself: the Tata Group.

Last year, Tata Sons chairman N Chandrasekharan had made his group’s interest known when he said it would definitely look at buying Air India.

I do not think any player in India, apart from the Tata group, has the management ability to turn around an airline like Air India. Tata also has the strategic leadership, financial foresight, and consumer connect to drive traffic, said Mark Martin, head of aviation consultancy firm Martin Consulting.

The group, he said, can either individually bid for Air India, or form a consortium with a foreign airline.

The Tata group, India’s largest diversified conglomerate, had total revenues of around Rs673,350 crore ($100 billion) as of financial year 2017.

It went into aviation in the 1930s with the launch of Tata Airlines, which was later nationalised and rebranded as Air India. In 2014, it partnered with AirAsia Behrad to launch AirAsia India. A year later, its joint venture with Singapore airlines, Vistara, took flight.

If the Tatas, too, opt out, government will have to look for alternatives.

One option could be one or more foreign airlines teaming up with Indian financiers, Martin explained. Airlines like Qatar airways can partner with private equity firms, for instance, and bid for Air India, he said.

A foreign airline can only have up to a 49% stake in Air India, with ownership and effective control of the airline resting with an Indian entity.

However, some experts believe the sale terms need to be overhauled.

The government may have to reconsider separating the domestic operations from the ground-handling services and international operations, Dhiraj Mathur, partner at PwC India said.

Additionally, low-cost players do not necessarily want to enter the full-service airline business, Mathur said. Therefore government will likely have to change the terms if it wants Indian players to participate.

Air India is the flag carrier airline of India headquartered at New Delhi. It is owned by Air India Limited, a government-owned enterprise, and operates a fleet of Airbus and Boeing aircraft serving 94 domestic and international destinations.

The airline has its hub at Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi, alongside several focus cities across India. Air India is the largest international carrier out of India with an 18.6% market share.

Over 60 international destinations are served by Air India across four continents. Additionally, the carrier is the third largest domestic airline in India in terms of passengers carried after IndiGo and Jet Airways with a market share of 13.5% as of July 2017.

The airline became the 27th member of Star Alliance on 11 July 2014.

The airline was founded by J. R. D. Tata as Tata Airlines in 1932; Tata himself flew its first single-engine de Havilland Puss Moth, carrying air mail from Karachi to Bombay's Juhu aerodrome and later continuing to Madras currently Chennai.

After World War II, it became a public limited company and was renamed as Air India. On 21 February 1960, it took delivery of its first Boeing 707 named Gauri Shankar and became the first Asian airline to induct a jet aircraft in its fleet.

In 2000–01, attempts were made to privatise Air India and from 2006 onwards, it suffered losses after its merger with Indian Airlines.

Air India also operates flights to domestic and Asian destinations through its subsidiaries Alliance Air and Air India Express. Air India's mascot is the Maharajah (Emperor) and the logo consists of a flying swan with the wheel of Konark inside it.


Tourism Observer

SINGAPORE: Singapore Airlines Plane With 284 On Board Hits Aerobridge At Changi Airport

Singapore Airlines (SIA) plane carrying 272 passengers along with 12 crew members struck an aerobridge at Changi Airport on Tuesday (Sep 18). Singapore Airlines flight SQ178 was scheduled to depart Singapore for Ho Chi Minh City at 09:45 Local Time.

Flight was delayed after the forward fuselage of the Airbus A330-300 struck the rear aerobridge during push-back at Changi Airport.

All passengers and crew members disembarked normally via the forward aerobridge.

Arrangements were made for passengers to be accommodated on another aircraft to Ho Chi Minh City, the spokesperson said.

The damage to the aircraft is currently being assessed and investigations will be carried out to determine the cause of incident occurred.

Several in-flight announcements were made to inform passengers of the situation. After the passengers disembarked, they were escorted to another gate and provided with refreshments.

As a result of the delay, the flight departed Singapore at 12:00 Local Time and arrived in Ho Chi Minh City at about 12:45 Local Time – 01:55 minutes behind schedule.

Statement issued on Wednesday, Changi Airport Group (CAG) spokesman Ivan Tan said that the aerobridge was slightly damaged in the incident, but has since been repaired. CAG will work with the relevant parties on the investigations.

It also said that ground personnel provided assistance to the affected passengers.

CAG will work with the relevant parties on the investigations, it added.

Tuesday’s incident was the latest in a string of woes for Singapore’s national carrier.

This is not the first time a plane has been damaged on the ground at Changi Airport.

In November last year, a tow tug caught fire as it was pulling an SIA Boeing 777-200 to a departure gate.

The aircraft was crossing the bridge above Airport Boulevard Road when the tow tug caught fire. There were no passengers aboard the aircraft at the time but the fire damaged the plane, which had to be grounded for repairs.


Tourism Observer

AUSTRALIA: Singapore Airlines Pilot Fails Alcohol Test, Flight From Melbourne To Wellington Cancelled

Singapore Airlines (SIA) flight from Melbourne(MEL) to Wellington(WLG) was cancelled on Saturday morning (Sep 15) after the pilot failed an alcohol test.

Australia’s Civil Aviation Safety Authority had conducted a random drug and alcohol test on all crew members before the flight, and the pilot didn’t pass the test due to having higher than suitable blood alcohol limit, said an SIA spokesperson.

The pilot in question has been suspended from all operations until an investigation is undertaken, SIA said.

Flight SQ247 was scheduled to depart Melbourne at 07:00 Local Time on Saturday and arrive in Wellington at 12.20 Local Time. And the return flight SQ248 on Saturday was also cancelled, said SIA.

Passengers affected due to flight cancellation took to social media to express their frustrations, saying that they had no information for several hours about alternative arrangements such as booking a new flight.

We sincerely apologize to those affected by the cancellation of these flights. However, the safety of our customers and crew is our highest priority, said the SIA spokesperson.

We are currently working with those customers whose travel has been inconvenienced to find suitable alternate travel arrangements as soon as possible, SIA added.


Tourism Observer

NEW ZEALAND: EVA Air Leases Its Boeing 777 To Air New Zealand

Air New Zealand will use a leased plane from Taiwan's EVA Air to cover for Dreamliner aircraft that are still affected by Rolls-Royce engine problems.

An EVA Boeing 777-300 will be used on Auckland-Vancouver and Auckland-Nadi routes for a fortnight from later this month.

It is the second leased 777 Air New Zealand is using.

During a six-week period until early September, the airline has an ex-Singapore Airlines 777-200 on the Auckland Honolulu route as it works through checks and repairs, if needed, to different parts of Trent engines.

The EVA plane is believed to be about nine years old, six years younger than the ex-Singapore aircraft which has been praised as roomy but has had problems with its in-flight entertainment system.

Air New Zealand said that it was leasing planes because continuing to get customers to their destinations has been its first priority as it worked through disruption from engine issue.

EVA Air is a fellow Star Alliance member.

This particular aircraft is of a similar standard to our Air New Zealand fleet with business, premium economy and economy class seating, the airline said.

There are 38 business class seats, 64 premium economy and 221 economy seats.

We are pleased to confirm that Air New Zealand crew and pilots will be operating this aircraft, who will provide the friendly Kiwi service our customers are familiar with.

Earlier this year the airline wet leased older Airbus A340s from charter operator Hi Fly that needed to be staffed by its Portuguese crew.

Air New Zealand's flight schedules have been badly affected because nine of its 11 Boeing 787s have engines subject to inspections of compressors and range some can fly from airports has been restricted.

Engines have been flown to Singapore to replace cracked compressor blades, a job that can take 10 days but also stretch for weeks depending on what else is needed.

The intermediate compressor problems, and earlier turbine blade problems led to groundings and severe disruption for airlines, including Thai and LATAM which also serve this market.

British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and Singapore Airlines' regional carrier Scoot have also been affected by problems with Trent Package C engines, used by about a quarter of the Dreamliner fleet.

EVA Air started flying in 1991, has 78 aircraft serving 63 destinations. It had more than 12 million passengers across its network and the US is its biggest market outside of Asia Pacific.

The airline was awarded best business class and premium economy class in Asia, at the 2018 TripAdvisor Awards which are determined by airline reviews and ratings submitted by travellers worldwide.


Tourism Observer

SINGAPORE: Singapore Airlines Adjusts Fares

Singapore Airlines is the latest carrier to overhaul its fare structure, offering new pricing tied to the level of service and amenities included.

The Asian carrier’s announcement comes after Delta, American and a couple of other carriers decided to roll out basic economy-type pricing for international travel on some transatlantic and Latin American routes.

Airlines are adding these new fares to beat back competition from the new generation of ultra-low-cost international carriers such as Wow and Norwegian in Europe, and Air Asia, Tiger and Peach in Asia.

Effective January 20, Singapore and its SilkAir affiliate will introduce the new pricing on all tickets sold worldwide. The biggest changes are for those flying economy class.

The change will bring a selection of three fare types for economy class travelers, called Lite, Standard and Flex. Those buying the cheapest fares – Lite – will incur a US $5 charge for advance seat selection i.e., more than 48 hours before departure — except for families traveling with children.

Standard and Flexi fare buyers won’t see a seat selection fee, but Standard purchasers will face an unspecified new fee if they select forward zone seats which are in higher demand, the airline said.

Buyers of Flexi fares in economy class will get an increased checked bag allowance of 35 kg. (77 lbs.); it will remain at 30 kg. (66 lbs.) for the other two fare types except on U.S. routes, where the piece concept is unchanged.

Reservations booked with Lite fares can’t be canceled, and changes will incur a fee. Cancellation and change fees will apply for Standard fares; Flexi fare buyers will get free changes but will be charged for cancellations.

The level of the fees may vary and is subject to change, the airline said.

For members of the airline’s KrisFlyer loyalty program, only Flexi fare purchasers in economy class will get 100 percent credit for mileage flown. It will be 75 percent for standard fares and 50 percent for Lite fares.

Premium economy seating will have two fare classes – Standard and Flexi. The only difference is in the level of miles earned – 125 percent for Flexi fares and 100 percent for Standard.

Business class will also have Lite, Standard and Flexi fares, with KrisFlyer mileage accrual set at 125 percent for Lite and Flexi, and 150 percent for Flexi.

Advance seat selection remains free and baggage allowance (40 kg./88 lbs.) is unchanged.

The airline didn’t indicate what the pricing differential would be between the new fare types.


Tourism Observer

Best, Worst Airlines And Airports In The World

Qatar Airways has been ranked the best airline in the world, according to a new study.

The research, carried out by consumer group AirHelp, has put the Middle Eastern airline on top with Hamad International airport, also based in Doha, the capital of Qatar.

The group ranked 72 airlines and 141 airports analysing a series of key performance indicators (KPI) including on-time performance and service quality. Twitter sentiment was also used to measure the KPI of the airports.

Closely followed by Qatar Airways is Lufthansa in second and Etihad Airways in third and Singapore Airlines and South African Airways in fourth and fifth respectively.

Among the worst airlines were Air Mauritius, EasyJet, Pakistan International Airlines, Royal Jordanian Airlines and Wow Air.

In terms of airports, Greece's Athens International came in second place, followed by Tokyo Haneda, Germany's Cologne Bonn and Changi, Singapore.

The worst were Stockholm Bromma, Sweden; Paris Orly; Lyon; London Stansted and Kuwait International.

London Heathrow did not make it into the top 10, coming in at number 81 out of the 141-strong list.

The report found that Stansted's poor standing was due to a large volume of negative tweets. Gatwick was the worst airport when considering this metric alone, it said.

AirHelp CEO and co-founder Henrik Zillmer said: For some time now UK airports have seemingly been in the news for all the wrong reasons and that has been realised in this data.

The UK is enviably positioned when it comes to physical movement of people globally, but this report needs to serve as a wake-up call when it comes to actual performance.

Passengers are clearly not happy and while it will be a challenge to address the issues highlighted in this report, it is also an opportunity to halt the decline in performance and provide consumers with a better experience.

Best And Worst Airlines

Best And Worst Airports

Tourism Observer

SINGAPORE: Silkair To Merge With Singapore Airlines After $100 Million Major Cabin Upgrade

Singapore Airlines’ (SIA) regional wing, SilkAir, is to undergo a significant investment programme to upgrade its
The programme will comprise investment of more than $100 million to upgrade the wholly owned subsidiary’s cabins with new lie-flat seats in Business Class, and the installation of seat-back in-flight entertainment systems in both Business Class and Economy Class.

This will ensure closer product and service consistency across the SIA Group’s full-service network.

Aircraft cabin upgrades are expected to start in 2020 due to lead times required by seat suppliers, including to complete certification processes.

The merger will take place only after a sufficient number of aircraft have been fitted with the new cabin products.

Specific details will be announced progressively as the programme develops and timelines are finalised.

Consistent with ongoing efforts to optimise the SIA Group’s network, there will also be transfers of routes and aircraft between the different airlines in the portfolio.

Singapore Airlines is one year into our three-year Transformation Programme and today’s announcement is a significant development to provide more growth opportunities and prepare the Group for an even stronger future, said SIA CEO, Mr Goh Choon Phong.

Importantly, it will be positive for our customers. It is another example of the major investment we are making to ensure that our products and services continue to lead the industry across short-, medium- and long-haul routes.

SilkAir is the regional wing of Singapore Airlines, operating a fleet of 11 Airbus A320-family aircraft and 22 Boeing 737-800 and 737 MAX 8 aircraft.

It is currently transitioning to an all-737 fleet, and serves 49 destinations in 16 countries.

Aircraft cabin upgrades are expected to start in 2020 due to lead times required by seat suppliers, including to complete certification processes, according to Singapore Airlines.

The merger will take place only after a sufficient number of aircraft have been fitted with the new cabin products, and specific details will be announced progressively as the programme develops and timelines are finalised, it added.

There will also be transfers of routes and aircraft between the different airlines in the portfolio, which Singapore Airlines said was consistent with ongoing efforts to optimize the SIA Group’s network".

Singapore Airlines CEO Goh Choon Phong called the announcement a significant development to provide more growth opportunities and prepare the Group for an even stronger future.

The changes will be positive for customers, Mr Goh, adding that it was a major investment to ensure that Singapore Airlines' products and services continue to lead the industry across short, medium and long-haul routes.

Speaking at the carrier’s results briefing, Mr Goh also said the merger between Singapore Airlines and SilkAir is not a consolidation exercise.

He said the SilkAir brand is not as well known in areas like Europe compared to here in Asia and as such, the merger will allow SIA to better position the brand in those regions.

SilkAir has always played a critical role for SIA as a regional feeder. Even with the merger, it won’t detract from that role.

However, we believe that with the merger and one single brand, it will make it much easier for customers to understand that both narrow body and wide body planes belong to the same organisation and brand.

That is not to say there is no place for SilkAir, Mr Goh told media and analysts at the briefing.

In fact there is still a lot of demand for SilkAir type of service specifically on the bigger destinations, bigger cities in Southeast Asia.

He also said that no employee will be made redundant.

Our view is that with the integration and the growth opportunity, there should be more opportunities for our staff to go into different roles, he said.

However, where there are overlaps, we will look at how to redeploy staff and also how to provide re-training. This is not something new for us, we have gone through mergers between Tiger and Scoot.

Mr Goh also clarified that when the merger is successfully completed, SilkAir will no longer exist as an airline or brand.

SilkAir operates a fleet of 11 Airbus A320-family aircraft, 22 Boeing 737-800 and 737 MAX 8 aircraft.

It is currently transitioning to an all-737 fleet, and serves 49 destinations in 16 countries, according to Singapore Airlines.

The move comes as Singapore Airlines undertakes a three-year transformation programme designed to cut costs and boost revenue amid competition from Chinese and Middle Eastern rivals and low-cost carriers.

Singapore Airlines on Thursday topped market expectations by reporting a 150 per cent rise in full-year net profit to the highest level since 2011.

This is as passenger and cargo revenue rose and the transformation programme produced early results.

But SilkAir was a weak spot, reporting a full-year operating profit of S$43 million for the 12 months ended March 31, down 57 per cent from a year earlier.

The cabin upgrade will close a gap with rival Cathay Pacific Airways, whose regional arm, Cathay Dragon, operates jets with cabins more similar to its parent than the wider gulf between Singapore Airlines and SilkAir products.

Upgrading the narrowbody product and folding SilkAir into Singapore Airlines is sensible and was inevitable, CAPA Centre for Aviation Chief Analyst Brendan Sobie said.

The product gap between SilkAir and Singapore Airlines has become too wide.

As part of its transformation programme, Singapore Airlines had already handed some of SilkAir's routes to budget carrier Scoot and merged part of SilkAir's finance team with its parent.


Tourism Observer

PORTUGAL: Wet Lease Operator Hi Fly Procures Two Airbus A380s

Portuguese wet-lease operator, Hi Fly, has announced the acquisition of two former Singapore Airlines A380s, which the Asian carrier retired after ten years of operation.

Singapore took delivery of its first A380 in 2007, becoming the world’s first operator of the type. However, shy of 11 years later, it returned the two eldest double-decker planes to its lessors in June 2017.

The Asian carrier announced that its first two Airbus A380s were “undergoing de-lease work before returning to the lessor.”

For an aircraft of such young age, it is surprising to see it phased out.

The plane’s last revenue service was from Singapore to London-Heathrow, then ferried to Tarbes Airport in France where it had been painted in a full-white livery, and its four Rolls-Royce engines had been removed.

The fate of these two planes remained uncertain. There was a strong likelihood that the A380s were to be potentially scrapped for parts.

However, increasing rumors suggested that Hi Fly wanted to purchase these two planes to substantially add capacity to its diversified fleet, and cater to airlines that need peak season capacity at the lowest possible cost.

Hi Fly operates a fleet of 15 widebody A330s and A340s.

Hi Fly president Paulo Mirpuri says the acquisition of the world’s largest airliner has been part of our company’s plans for a while.

The airline expects to take delivery of the first A380 in mid-2018.

The planes will be configured with a three-cabin layout, totaling 471 passengers in First, Business, and Economy Class.

Hi Fly says that in its upper deck, the A380 will offer 12 First Class spaces, followed by 60 Business Class seats.

On the lower deck, 399 positions will add to a total of 471 passengers.

The airline also mentioned that future high-density configurations might carry up to 868 passengers.

The Portuguese wet-lessor usually operates flights on behalf of airlines that need backup planes in case issues arise with their fleet, or a sudden spike in capacity is required.

The service it provides consists of an airplane, fuel, and crew, operating on behalf of the contracting carrier.

With the current Boeing 787 engine woes, for instance, Hi Fly has wet-leased numerous A330s and A340s to airlines around the world who desperately needed a replacement until the Dreamliners come out of maintenance.

Venezuelas Estelar recently entered into a wet-lease agreement with Hi Fly’s Maltese subsidiary to open up a new route between Caracas and Madrid.

Hi Fly provided an Airbus A340-300 for the service, but when the aircraft was scheduled for maintenance, a bigger A340-500 was provided.

However, the fact that the A380 is a niche product could be a cause for concern for Hi Fly.

Only 14 airlines around the world operate the type and not every airport in the world is A380 ready, tightening the opportunities for airlines to show real interest.

Furthermore, the fact that Emirates has been the only carrier to order more A380s, and airlines like Singapore and Malaysia Airlines are looking to get rid of the oldest units, suggests that the future of the plane, as a whole, is in trouble.

Nevertheless, having a high-density plane capable of carrying up to 868 passengers could prove lucrative during the Hajj pilgrimage season, which is the most productive season for a wet-leasing airline.

But an aircraft the size of the A380 would need to be operational year-round for it to make financial sense.

It is positive news for the A380 program. Scrapping an aircraft after ten years of service is a definite proof of failure.

Hi Fly’s endorsement of the type will give the airline great relief.


Tourism Observer

SINGAPORE: Singapore Airlines Acquires Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner

Boeing and Singapore Airlines celebrated the delivery of the first 787-10 airplane, the newest and largest member of the Dreamliner family and a jet that will set a new global standard for fuel efficiency.

About 3,000 people marked the milestone at Boeing’s facility in North Charleston, South Carolina where the latest 787 model is manufactured.

Like the other 787 Dreamliners, the 787-10 is designed with strong, lightweight composites, the most advanced systems, and comfortable cabin features.

The 787-10, though, features a longer fuselage which allows it to carry about 40 more passengers or a total of 330 seats in a standard two-class configuration.

With the additional capacity, the 787-10 provides airlines the lowest operating cost per seat of any widebody airplane in service today.

It is an honour for us to be the world’s first airline to take delivery of this amazing aircraft, said Mr. Goh Choon Phong, chief executive officer of Singapore Airlines, the 787-10 launch customer.

The 787-10 is a magnificent piece of engineering and truly a work of art. It will be an important element in our overall growth strategy, enabling us to expand our network and strengthen our operations.

Goh added that the 787-10 underscores Singapore Airlines’ longstanding commitment to operate a modern fleet, and marks the start of a new chapter in our shared story with Boeing.

Singapore Airlines – through its subsidiary Scoot – already flies the 787-8 and 787-9 Dreamliners. With today’s delivery the group will be the first to operate all three Dreamliner models.

Singapore Airlines has 68 additional Boeing widebody jets on order, including 48 additional 787-10s, and 20 of the new 777-9s.

This is a big day for all of us at Boeing and for our global supplier partners. We are thrilled to deliver the first 787-10 Dreamliner to Singapore Airlines, one of the world’s leading carriers.

And we are honored by Singapore’s partnership and trust, as reflected by their repeated orders for the Dreamliner, said Kevin McAllister, Boeing Commercial Airplanes president and chief executive officer.

The 787-10 will extend the Dreamliner effect that we are seeing across commercial aviation as the 787’s superior passenger experience and unmatched fuel efficiency helps airlines open new routes and achieve significant fuel savings and emission reduction.

The 787-10’s superior performance and high commonality with its Dreamliner siblings have attracted strong interest from around the world, including in Asia where the jet can connect all points within the region.

The 787-10 also offers Asian operators the flexibility to fly to Europe, Africa and Oceania.

Singapore Airlines plans to puts its 787-10s into scheduled service in May, with flights from Singapore to Osaka, Japan and Perth, Australia.

Prior to the introduction of these services, the aircraft will be operated on selected flights to Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur for crew training purposes.



Tourism Observer

SINGAPORE: Singapore Airlines Orders For 39 Aircraft From Boeing,

Singapore Airlines and Boeing have announced a deal for 20 Boeing 777-9Xs and 19 787-10 aircraft.

The announcement took place at a ceremony at the White House.

The order is valued at about U.S. $13.8 billion.

Boeing says it will sustain thousands of U.S. suppliers and more than 70,000 direct and indirect U.S. jobs during the delivery period of this contract.

Singapore has additional purchasing rights for 12 additional aircraft, with Boeing being six of each type.

Goh Choon Phong, Singapore Airlines CEO said that Singapore Airlines has been a Boeing customer for many decades and we are pleased to have finalized this major order for widebody aircraft, which will enable us to continue operating a modern and fuel-efficient fleet.

The airline’s executive, who was at the ceremony alongside President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, also said that these new aircraft will also provide the Singapore Airlines Group with new growth opportunities, allowing us to expand our network and offer even more travel options for our customers.

Boeing’s CEO of Commercial Airplanes Kevin McAllister also commented that Boeing and Singapore Airlines have been strong partners since the airline’s first operations 70 years ago and we are thrilled to finalize their purchase of 20 777Xs and 19 additional 787-10 Dreamliners.

Singapore Airlines’ order is a testament to the market-leading capabilities of Boeing’s widebody airplanes, and we look forward to delivering the very first 787-10 to them next year,” he noted.

This is another significant commitment to the Boeing 777 family, especially from Singapore, who already have over 50 Boeing 777 aircraft.

With a prior order for 30 787-10 aircraft, they will now have 49 on order as well as being the launch customer for the aircraft type which is due to take place between Q118 and Q218.

Singapore’s subsidiaries SilkAir, Scoot, and SIA Cargo also operate the 737MAX8, 737-800, 787-8/9 and 747-400F aircraft as a whole collective, which highlights the significance of the relationship between the SIA Group and Boeing.

The 777-9X will be a great move for Singapore Airlines as they could start to implement more of a low-cost model as the aircraft can carry 400-425 passengers with a range of 7,600 nautical miles which means they could become more of an affordable long-haul carrier.

Meanwhile,SINGAPORE Airlines (SIA) will debut its new A380 superjumbos on the Singapore-Sydney route on Dec 18, replete with updated cabin designs across four cabin classes.

The carrier announced the new cabins - across Suites, Business, Premium Economy and Economy - will be unveiled over Nov 2-4 at an event in Singapore, and will be fitted on the five new A380s the airline has on firm order with Airbus.

The first flight to Sydney, SQ221, will depart at 8.40pm and arrive at 7.40am the next morning, with more destinations to be announced in the coming months.

SIA's superjumbos fly to airports including Beijing, London, Melbourne, Mumbai, Paris and Zurich.

It said that the designs were four years in the making following extensive customer feedback.



Tourism Observer

INDONESIA: Mount Agung Eruption, Indonesia To Divert Flights To Ten Airports

Authorities in Indonesia are on standby to divert flights destined for the holiday island of Bali as increasingly frequent tremors from a rumbling volcano stoke fears an eruption could be imminent.

Yet the Balinese government has sent a letter to address the “people around the world”, pleading with tourists that Bali is still safe.
However the official advice on the Australian Government’s Smart Traveller website says to exercise a high degree of caution.

It comes as Bali Nine member Scott Rush and 166 inmates at Indonesia’s Karangasem prison were evacuated amid fears Mount Agung could boil over.

Mount Agung, about 75 kilometres from the tourist hub of Kuta, has been shaking since August.

But in recent days it’s threatening to erupt for the first time in more than 50 years, forcing more than 80,000 people to flee their homes.

Hands up who else on the Island feels anxious? One island expat wrote on her blog.

Tourists have also said they have been forced out of accommodation close to the base of the volcano.

I had been at a wedding in a remote village of Munti Gunung in the north of Bali, one tourist said.

Around 11.30pm asleep back in the diving town of Tulamben I was woken by my Indonesian brother in law and told to pack our things and evacuate the area immediately.

It was quite a worrying moment because it was at that time we realised everyone in our hotel had already left.

Family staying in another hotel were kicked out and made to find their own way to safety.

Karangasem prison lies 23km to the southeast of the volcano, which is outside of the exclusion zone, but no chances were being taken.

Evacuated alongside Rush was Sydney man Michael Sacatides, who is serving time on drug charges and Indonesian woman Noor Ellis, convicted of the murder of her Australian husband Bob Ellis.

Karangasem prison governor, Kusbyantoro, said all the prisoners had been evacuated.

Bali attracts millions of foreign visitors every year to its palm-fringed beaches and an eruption would be a major blow to its tourism-dependent economy.

Yet in a statement from Pemerintah Provinsi Bali, Indonesia’s National Disaster Agency urged tourists to continue visiting Bali.

Bali tourism is safe. Do not spread the misleading news that Bali is not safe because Mount Agung is on the highest alert status.

Please, come and visit Bali,A.A. Gede Yuniartha Putra said from Denpasar.

A Tourist who was staying in a resort away from the volcano said how he watched Mt Agung become more active.

We even experienced six tremors while diving. Two felt huge, he said.

Within three hours our hotel shipped us to our next destination early. They sensibly moved all guests to avoid the impending chaos and shut down the hotel as best they could.

They saved us trauma and anxiety. We feel so much for the workers who have lost their incomes.

Swift assurances were made in a follow-up statement, claiming 50,000-60,000 visitors were still flying in and out of the country on Wednesday.

The statement said the raised hazard level of Mount Agung could discourage tourists but because most tourist destinations were far from the exclusion zone, visitors should not be worried.

Visit Indonesia Tourism assured visitors Bali was open for business and business as usual.

The airport in Bali’s capital Denpasar has not been affected but several countries including Australia and Singapore have issued travel advisories warning travellers to exercise caution.

In anticipation of an eruption, Indonesia plans to divert flights headed for Bali to ten other airports, including on nearby Lombok and to the capital Jakarta.

The planes will be diverted to their nearest location or where it originally took off from, transport minister Budi Karya Sumadi said.

Airlines are watching the situation closely and 100 buses have been prepared to evacuate tourists.

Virgin Australia said it would be making an extra fuel stop in Darwin for some of its flights between Australia and Bali in case it is forced to turn back.

Singapore Airlines said customers travelling between September 23 and October 2 could rebook flights or ask for a refund.

Officials announced the highest possible alert level on Friday due to the increasing volcanic activity, and told people to stay at least nine kilometres away from the crater.

The Indonesian Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation recorded almost 300 tremors Wednesday morning.

A thin column of smoke can be seen rising from the mountain’s summit.

Indonesia lies on the Pacific Ring of Fire where tectonic plates collide, causing frequent seismic and volcanic activity.

Mount Agung last erupted in 1963, killing nearly 1,600 people.

Meanwhile, a rumbling, belching volcano that’s threatening to blow had forced more than 7,000 people to flee their homes by Wednesday on an island in the Pacific nation of Vanuatu.

Authorities have declared an emergency on Ambae island, where activity at the Manaro volcano has increased recently, raising fears of a major eruption.

About 10,000 people live on the island, and villagers close to the volcano have been moved to schools and community halls on the island’s less vulnerable eastern and western regions.



Tourism Observer