Category: Asia & Pacific

World’s Second-Largest Airline Caterer to be Sold

Reading Time: < 1 minute Chinese conglomerate HNA has extended its CHF1.4 billion ($1.4 billion) offer for the Zurich-based airline catering company Gategroup. By the end of the initial acceptance period, HNA had originally acquired 63.6% of ownership of Gategroup. In April, HNA had said the deal for the Swiss company required a 67% buy-in. This minimum has now been […]

Chinese Large Freighter Plane Enters Military Service

Reading Time: < 1 minute Y-20, China’s homegrown large transport aircraft, officially joined the People’s Liberation Army Air Force on Wednesday. With a maximum takeoff weight of 200 tonnes, the Y-20 is ideal for transporting cargo and personnel over long distances in diverse weather conditions. “The Y-20 entering into service marks a crucial step for the Air Force improving its […]

UPDATED: EgyptAir Crash: Crew Members Were Recorded Desperately Battling a Fire on Board

Reading Time: 2 minutes A search vessel has recovered all mapped human remains under water in the Mediterranean Sea at the crash site of EgyptAir Flight MS804, Egypt’s aircraft accident investigation committee said. UPDATED: According to mirror.co.uk,  the mystery of the missing EgyptAir flight may finally have been solved. The cockpit voice recorder of crashed EgyptAir flight MS804 indicate […]

Scoot Prepares to Fly to Europe in 2017, the World’s Longest LCC Route

Reading Time: < 1 minute Singapore Airlines’ (SIA) medium/long haul low cost airline subsidiary Scoot is now preparing to launch services to Europe in 2nd quarter 2017. For those who doubted the reality of long haul LCC operations, the evidence is mounting that the future of long haul is changing. There are now 11 LCCs operating scheduled routes longer than […]

ANA Group Buys 8.8% Vietnam Air Stake

Reading Time: < 1 minute Japan’s ANA Holdings Inc (ANA Group) has successfully completed the purchase of 8.77 per cent of Vietnam Airlines’ stake and officially become a strategic shareholder of the national flag carrier. Vietnam Airlines is expected to hold the 2016 shareholders meeting earlier than September 30 in order to elect ANA Holdings Inc to the board and […]

THAI’s First A350 XWB Ready to Start Ground and Flight Tests

Reading Time: < 1 minute The first A350 XWB for Thai Airways has rolled out from cabin furnishing & engine installation at the Airbus Toulouse Final Assembly Line. The aircraft is now ready to proceed to further ground and flight testing. This first A350-900 for THAI is scheduled for delivery in Q3 2016. Bringing new levels of efficiency and comfort […]

Six People Were Killed in a Russian Plane Crash on Fire-fighting Duty

Reading Time: < 1 minute According to a statement by the Ministry of Emergency Situations in Russia, the incident occurred during the early hours of Sunday after the Ilyushin Il-76 cargo plane crashed in the Siberian region of Irkutsk, where a wildfire has been raging for weeks. UPDATED: “During the search mission, body fragments and one of two black boxes […]

China Southern Airlines and Aeroflot Expand Codeshare Cooperation

Reading Time: < 1 minute Starting this month, Aeroflot will place its SU code on China Southern Airlines flights between Guangzhou and Moscow as well as its Guangzhou – Wuhan – Moscow service. China Southern Airlines, the largest airline in the People’s Republic of China, announced an expansion of their codeshare cooperation with Aeroflot. Both China Southern Airlines and Aeroflot […]

CASA Lifts Restrictions on Jabiru Engines

Reading Time: < 1 minute Australia’s Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) has issued a new direction on the operation of aircraft with Jabiru engines, offering relief from operational restrictions provided certain requirements were met. “The maintenance-related actions set out in the direction include adopting the manufacturer’s maintenance schedule, inspecting certain engine components and replacing engine through bolts in accordance with […]

China’s First Modern Jetliner has Finally Entered Airline Service

Reading Time: < 1 minute After more than a decade of development, China’s first homegrown airliner has officially entered commercial service. The production Comac ARJ21-700 operated by Chengdu Airlines completed its first revenue flight on Tuesday. According to AP, the ARJ entered service with a two-hour flight from Chengdu to Shanghai’s Hongqiao International Airport. The ARJ21-700, from China’s government-owned aircraft […]