Malaysia Airlines to Fly Direct Kota Kinabalu – Shanghai

Subang, 07 December 2012 : Fly direct from Kota Kinabalu to Shanghai on Malaysia Airlines twice weekly from 11 December 2012.
Malaysia Airlines flight MH394 will depart Kota Kinabalu on Tuesdays and Fridays at 8.20pm and arrive Shanghai at 12.45am the next day.
The inbound flight MH395 will depart Shanghai on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 1.45am and arrive Kota Kinabalu at 6.25am.
In addition to the exciting news on Shanghai, Malaysia Airlines has increased direct connectivity between Kota Kinabalu and Hong Kong with two more weekly flights since 1 December 2012 and will soon re-introduce international connectivity from the Sabah capital to Perth on 9 December 2012 and to Osaka on 20 December 2012.
According to Malaysia Airlines Regional Senior Vice President for Malaysia/ASEAN, Muzamil Mohammad, “The introduction of more international direct flights to and from Kota Kinabalu meets the growing demand for premium connectivity to and from Sabah. Kota Kinabalu is an ideal gateway for air travel to and from China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, North Asia, Indonesia, and Australia.”
Malaysia Airlines will be putting the new 2-class configured Boeing 737-800 aircraft with 144 economy class seats and 16 business class seats will be used to operate the Kota Kinabalu – Shanghai return service.
Malaysia Airlines’ all inclusive return fares Kota Kinabalu – Shanghai start from as low as RM1199 on Economy Class and RM3185 on Business Class for travel from 11 December 2012 to 30 September 2013.
The ‘all inclusive’ fares are available from now until 17 December 2012 through Malaysia Airlines’ website www.malaysiaairlines.com, MHmobile, flymas.mobi, nationwide ticket offices, 24-hour toll-free Call Centre at 1300 88 3000 and all appointed travel agents.
MASholidays, the travel arm of Malaysia Airlines, is also offering a 4 days/3 night Free and Easy package from Kota Kinabalu from as low as RM966 per person to Shanghai, RM1310 per person to Hong Kong and 7days/6nights to Perth starting at RM2455 per person. Customers are encouraged to contact MASholidays online at http://holiday.malaysiaairlines.com or call Malaysia Airlines’ Reservations at 1-300-88-3000, or MASholidays at 03 7863 4000 for further details.

CEB launches flights from Cebu to Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok

The Philippines’ largest national flag carrier, Cebu Pacific (PSE:CEB) expands its regional network from Cebu, with the launch of direct twice weekly services to both Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok.
CEB will begin operating a Tuesday, Saturday service from Cebu to Kuala Lumpur on December 8, 2012. The maiden flight will leave Cebu at 4:45pm, and arrive in Kuala Lumpur at 8:10pm. The return flight will depart Cebu at 8:55pm, and will arrive at 12:20am the next day.
On December 9, 2012, CEB will launch its Thursday, Sunday service from Cebu to Bangkok. The flight will depart Cebu at 4:50pm, and arrive in Bangkok at 7:20pm. The return flight leaves Bangkok at 8:10pm and arrives in Cebu at 12:40am the next day.
CEB already operates approximately 25 weekly flights from Cebu to Seoul (Incheon), Pusan, Hong Kong and Singapore.
“Cebuanos can now book our trademark lowest fares for a weekend of adventure in Kuala Lumpur or shopping in Bangkok. We are confident these direct flights will also contribute to Cebu’s booming tourism and travel industry, which remain one of our priorities. We will continue to grow our Cebu hub to encourage even more Juans to fly,” said CEB VP for Marketing and Distribution Candice Iyog.
She added that passengers can now take any of CEB’s 20 direct domestic flights to Cebu, and connect to South Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Thailand.
Sending off CEB’s first passengers from Cebu to Kuala Lumpur are Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines Chief of Staff Artemio Orozco, and representatives from the Embassy of Malaysia, Department of Tourism, Lapu Lapu City, and travel and tourism associations in Cebu.
The next day, Thailand Ambassador Prasas Prasasvinitchai and government and tourism partners will send off CEB’s maiden flight from Cebu to Bangkok.
“Congratulations to Cebu Pacific on its inaugural flight between Cebu and Bangkok!” said Ambassador Prasasvinitchai.
“We hope this will further strengthen the relationship between two great nations, and create prosperity to both countries, especially in tourism,” said Embassy of Malaysia Tourism Attaché and Tourism Malaysia-Manila Director Masrina Mohd Bakri.

QATAR AIRWAYS PLANS MAJOR EXPANSION IN POLAND FOLLOWING ROUTE LAUNCH TO WARSAW

Warsaw, POLAND – Qatar Airways has spoken of its long-term commitment to its newest market of Poland with last Wednesday’s route launch to the capital Warsaw and opening of a new European Customer Contact Centre in the city of Wroclaw early next year.
The expansion represents a significant move for Qatar Airways into an untapped market with Poland becoming the airline’s latest European country to establish a foothold in.
The Doha-based airline rounded off a busy 2012 year of expansion on December 5 with its 12th and final route launch of the year when it began operating non-stop scheduled flights from the State of Qatar to Warsaw Frederic Chopin Airport.
Becoming Qatar Airways’ 32nd European gateway, the addition of Warsaw takes the airline’s global network to 122 destinations across Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific, North America and South America.
Looking forward to another busy year in 2013, Qatar Airways is planning further steps into the Polish market, busy preparing for the opening of a brand new European Contact Centre in Wroclaw that is set to initially create over 100 jobs.
The new multi-lingual Customer Contact Centre will handle all the airline’s European customer inquiries from key European markets by phone, fax and email. It will initially serve Poland, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Switzerland and Austria, with more countries to be added.
The fit-out and all technical installations necessary for the office located in the new Epsilon Building will be completed soon for a planned February 2013 opening.
The management team of the new Qatar Airways Customer Contact Centre in Wroclaw has been recruited and is in the process of hiring staff, specifically seeking applicants with excellent customer service skills and fluency in European languages.
Speaking at a press conference in Warsaw, Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker said: “With the launch of our new flights to Warsaw and opening of our new customer contact centre in Wroclaw early next year, Qatar Airways is extremely delighted to support the local economy and give the people of Poland an exciting opportunity to travel with us and work us, initially creating over 100 new jobs.
“We are creating a great business venture contributing to both the country of Poland and our airline’s development.
“I sincerely thank our partners in Poland who have been instrumental in the airline’s expansion into this country. I am confident that the demand for services to and from here will steadily grow, allowing us further increase the airline’s frequencies on the Warsaw – Doha route over time,” added Al Baker.
“We are very pleased to provide travellers with a connection to the world from Warsaw, one of Europe’s fastest developing cities. Poles will gain great connections via our Doha hub to diverse cities such as Singapore, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Dubai, Johannesburg and Melbourne and will have the opportunity to experience our renowned five-star service.”
The Warsaw – Doha route is being operated four-times-a-week with a modern Airbus A320, featuring 144 seats in a two-class configuration of 12 in Business Class and 132 in Economy. The aircraft offers seatback TV screens providing passengers with the next generation interactive onboard entertainment system and a choice of more than 800 audio and video on demand options, together with an SMS text messaging service from each seat.
Warsaw becomes the third destination after Zagreb and Belgrade to be added to Qatar Airways’ flight schedules in Central Eastern Europe this year.
Al Baker spelled out more destinations were being looked at across Europe, but the immediate focus was to build up the network in the Middle East, Asia and North America. The airline plans to serve 170 destinations with 170 aircraft within three years. It currently operates a modern fleet of 114 aircraft.
Qatar Airways will launch services to a diverse portfolio of new routes during the first half of 2013, namely to Gassim, Saudi Arabia (7 January 2013); Najaf, Iraq (January 23); Phnom Penh, Cambodia (February 20); Chengdu, China (March 19); Chicago, USA (April 10); and Salalah, Oman (May 22).
Since the beginning of 2012, Qatar Airways has launched flights to 12 new destinations – Baku (Azerbaijan); Tbilisi (Georgia); Kigali (Rwanda); Zagreb (Croatia), Erbil (Iraq), Baghdad (Iraq), Perth (Australia), Kilimanjaro (Tanzania); Yangon (Myanmar), Maputo (Mozambique), Belgrade (Serbia) and now, Warsaw (Poland).

Peach to Add Further Seven A320-200 Aircraft to Fleet Increasing Fleet Size to 17 Aircraft from Current 10 by Second Half of 2015

Osaka, December 5, 2012 – Peach Aviation Limited (CEO: Shinichi Inoue), Japan’s first dedicated low cost carrier (LCC), announced today that it has signed a letter of intent to introduce new Airbus A320-200 aircraft to its fleet with operating leases starting in the second half of 2013.
Peach already announced that it will be operating total of 10 A320-200 jet airliners by the summer of 2013. The company reached the decision to introduce the additional aircraft based on its business plan, which is in effect from the second half of 2013 to 2015.
The planning for further aircraft procurement, beyond 2015 and based on the business plan, will start at the beginning of fiscal 2013. Peach will also consider introducing the A320neo model beyond 2015, in line with its proactive route development and future business expansion.
■ Letter of Intent 7 aircraft (operating lease)
■ Delivery between second half of 2013 and second half of 2015
■ Airbus A320-200 specifications
Length 37.6 m, width 34.1 m, height 11.8 m
Engines: CFM56-5B Numberofseats: 180
With the slogan of ‘’Making air travel more fun and bringing Asia closer together’’ Peach aims to expand its network in order to become the preferred airline between Japan and Asia, whilst at the same time cultivating relationships, connecting people and improving relations between fellow Asian cultures.

Peach Announces Schedule for International Flights through August 2013

Osaka, December 6, 2012 – Peach Aviation Limited, Japan’s first dedicated low cost carrier (LCC), announced today plans for the international flight schedule for the summer 2013 period (March 31– August 31, 2013).
■ International Flight Schedule (effective March 31 through August 31, 2013)
Peach will operate three round-trip flights daily on its Osaka (Kansai) – Seoul (Incheon) route; one round-trip flight on its Osaka (Kansai) – Hong Kong route; and two round-trip flights on its Osaka (Kansai) – Taipei (Taoyuan) route. These plans are subject to approval by the relevant authorities.
Tickets are subject to the following conditions:
・ The above airfare is for one seat on a one-way flight at the “Happy Peach” rate.
・ A fuel surcharge will not be charged.
・ In addition to the airfare above, there will be additional charges such as payment handling fees and airport tax.
・ In addition to the airfare above, there will be additional charges for checked baggage and for seat selection.
・ Tickets purchased through the Peach call center or airport ticket counter will be subject to a booking fee.
・ Fares will change depending on seat availability, and the valid amount will be applied at the time of purchase.
・ Ticket prices and conditions may be changed at any time without notice.
・ These plans are subject to approval by the relevant authorities.
With the slogan of ‘’Making air travel more fun and bringing Asia closer together’’ Peach aims to expand its network in order to become the preferred airline between Japan and Asia, whilst at the same time cultivating relationships, connecting people and improving relations between fellow Asian cultures.

AIG Announces Agreement to Sell up to 90 Percent of International Lease Finance Corporation (ILFC)

NEW YORK—(BUSINESS WIRE)—American International Group, Inc. (NYSE: AIG) and an investor group led by Mr. Weng Xianding, the Chairman of New China Trust Co. Ltd., announced today that they have entered into an agreement under which AIG will sell up to a 90% stake in International Lease Finance Corporation (ILFC), a non-core asset, to the investor group in a transaction that values ILFC at approximately US$5.28 billion.
The investor group comprised of New China Trust Co. Ltd., China Aviation Industrial Fund and P3 Investments Ltd. has agreed to acquire 80.1% of ILFC for approximately US$4.23 billion, with an option to acquire an additional 9.9% stake. Upon receipt of required Chinese regulatory approvals and exercise of the option, the investor group is expected to be expanded to include New China Life Insurance Co. Ltd. and an investment arm of ICBC International.
The transaction, which is expected to close in the second quarter of 2013, marks another success in the disposition of AIG’s non-core assets. At closing of the transaction, AIG will retain at least a 10% ownership stake in ILFC, allowing it to continue to participate in the growth of ILFC’s unique franchise, including the benefits that the investor group will bring to the company.
“This transaction creates a solid and strategic partnership for ILFC,” said Robert H. Benmosche, President and Chief Executive Officer of AIG. “While ILFC is an extremely strong business platform and AIG will retain a minority stake as a passive investor, the aircraft leasing business is not core to our insurance operations. Upon completion, the transaction will have a positive impact on AIG’s liquidity and credit profile and will enable us to continue to focus on our core insurance businesses.”
The transaction is subject to required regulatory approvals, including all applicable U.S. and Chinese regulatory reviews and approvals, and other customary closing conditions. When the transaction meets the criteria for “held for sale” accounting treatment, AIG expects to record a non-operating loss of approximately US$4.4 billion, which includes a non-cash charge of approximately $1.8 billion associated with the utilization of tax net operating loss carry forwards from this transaction.
Mr. Weng Xianding, Chairman of New China Trust Co. Ltd said, “Our group shares a commitment to ILFC’s experienced management team, its operating philosophy, and its presence in the United States. This transaction allows ILFC to continue to serve its worldwide partners in the aviation industry with world-class service while accelerating its growth in important markets, including Asia.”
ILFC is a leading independent aircraft lessor with a global customer base of approximately 200 airlines in 80 countries. ILFC’s portfolio consists of over 1,000 owned or managed aircraft, as well as commitments to purchase 229 new high-demand, fuel-efficient aircraft and rights to purchase an additional 50 such aircraft.
Under the new owners, ILFC will retain operational independence and continue to be headquartered in Los Angeles, CA. ILFC’s Chief Executive Officer Henri Courpron and President Frederick S. Cromer will continue to operate and manage the business. ILFC currently employs approximately 560 people, including more than 450 people based in the U.S., and expects to hire additional U.S.-based staff to replace AIG-supported operations. ILFC will remain incorporated in the U.S. following the closing of this transaction and will continue to be registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
Upon closing, a distinguished new Board of Directors for ILFC will be appointed. A majority of the new Board will include leading independent U.S. and European aerospace and financial industry experts, including Mr. Benmosche from AIG. The balance of the Board will be comprised of representatives of the investor group. The Board will continue to uphold “best practice” governance standards and practices.
“This is an exciting new chapter for ILFC that will position the company for robust future growth,” Mr. Courpron said. “With existing management remaining in place, the transition will be seamless, allowing ILFC to maintain its focus on delivering the best mix of modern aircraft to meet our customers’ needs around the world. In addition to a large aircraft delivery pipeline, ILFC has a dedicated management team with extensive airline, manufacturer, and leasing experience. We look forward to working with the investor group to explore new opportunities for our business. Last year, ILFC opened new offices in Beijing and Singapore dedicated to regional customer support as the region’s aviation growth and demand is well established and expected to increase significantly.”
Credit Suisse is acting as financial advisor to the investor group in connection with this transaction, and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett is acting as legal advisor to the investor group.

AerData’s fleet database AtlasData now incorporates Airfax aircraft availability

Amsterdam, The Netherlands; 10 December 2012 – AerData, the provider of software and services for the aviation industry announces that the fleet database AtlasData, is now available with Airfax aircraft availability data. AtlasData is an intuitive and powerful online tool to track, summarize and analyze the world’s fleet and its value, where the valuation expertise is implemented in co-operation with the aircraft appraiser, Avitas.
Commenting on the announcement, Paul van Tol, Managing Director AerData said; “We are proud to incorporate aircraft availability data from Airfax. This integration enables ease of use in searching and querying business opportunities and creating custom filters for analysis purposes. AtlasData is becoming the single marketplace where parties can find their fleet, value and availability data in one view.”
Jim Williams, Publisher, Airfax said; “It’s an exciting time for Airfax, and we are delighted to integrate our aircraft availability data into AtlasData. We are currently tracking approximately 1,000 commercial aircraft that are available for sale or for lease throughout the world, and details of all of these aircraft, including aircraft serial numbers and contact information, will be available in AtlasData as an optional aircraft availability module.”

Sabena technics gets maintenance and VIP completion capabilities on A380

Sabena technics announced today it has received A380 base maintenance rating from the EASA.
The new capability applies to its Bordeaux, France facility that now holds base maintenance rating on every flying Airbus aircraft (including Beluga) as a result.
“2012 was a busy year for our quality department, with no less than four new aircraft capability developments”, commented Rodolphe Marchais, Chairman and CEO of Sabena technics.
The new rating will also allow Sabena technics to perform structural parts repairs in the field or in its workshops for worldwide operators, and to perform aircraft modifications and upgrades.
“Bordeaux is also home to our VIP completion center, so we are now ready to offer our cabin modification and completion services on A380 aircraft,” added Rodolphe Marchais.
Sabena technics was well positioned to start offering A380 maintenance because one of the Bordeaux facility’s six hangars was large enough to host an A380. The MRO market has not yet caught up with the rapid increase of the worldwide A380 fleet, resulting in high demand for available slots over the next two years.
“Our dedicated A380 hangar is already fully booked until the third quarter of 2014 and we are now ready to take orders for 2015 and beyond, for which we expect the demand for 2, 4 and 6 year checks to bring a sustained level of business,” explained Jean-Luc Fournel, COO Customers of Sabena technics.
Asked whether his company feared competition from MROs from Asia and other low-cost areas, Jean-Luc Fournel replied: “In the recent years, we have seen our customer base for A330 and A340 maintenance grow steadily, including customers from the Middle East, South America and North Africa shifting from other providers to Sabena technics. In the end, operators of wide-body aircraft look at the overall value of the service and we believe there is a sustainable market in Western Europe for high quality, specialist services on this type of aircraft.”

GE Capital Aviation Services Delivers Three New Airbus A320s to Japan’s Peach Aviation

HONG KONG, December 10, 2012 – GE Capital Aviation Services Limited (GECAS), the commercial aircraft leasing and financing arm of GE, announced it delivered three new leased Airbus A320 aircraft to Japanese low-cost carrier Peach Aviation to expand the airline’s fleet. Peach was founded in February 2011.
The aircraft come from GECAS’ existing order book with Airbus. Since 2011, GECAS has delivered six new leased aircraft to Peach.

Boeing, Turkish Airlines Finalize Order for 15 777-300ERs

ISTANBUL, Dec. 10, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — Boeing [NYSE: BA] and Turkish Airlines have finalized a firm order for 15 777-300ER (Extended Range) airplanes worth $4.7 billion at list prices. The agreement, first announced in October as a commitment, also includes options for five additional 777-300ERs and is the largest order by value in Turkish Airlines’ history.
Turkish Airlines’ fleet currently includes 12 777-300ERs, the first of which Boeing delivered in October 2010. Over the past two years, these airplanes have formed the backbone of Turkish Airlines’ long-haul operations. This latest order will enable the Turkish flag-carrier to continue to serve new destinations worldwide.
“This latest order from Turkish Airlines is testament to the key role the 777 has played in the carrier’s long-haul route expansion,” said Todd Nelp, vice president of European Sales, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “In recent years, Turkish Airlines has been incredibly successful in providing its passengers with outstanding service to a growing range of international destinations. The exceptional performance of the 777-300ER, with its excellent fuel economics, reliability and passenger comfort, has been a cornerstone for Turkish Airlines’ continued growth.”
The 777-300ER seats up to 386 passengers in a three-class configuration and has a maximum range of 7,930 nautical miles (14,685 km).
Turkish Airlines currently operates a fleet that includes nearly 100 Boeing airplanes and serves more than 200 destinations across 90 countries worldwide.

CTS Engines Signs Long-Term Test Agreement with OEM

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—CTS Engines, the leading independent engine MRO in the U.S., announced today that it had signed an agreement with a major jet engine original equipment manufacturer (“OEM”) to provide test capacity for the development testing of its engines. The $13mm, four-year deal is expected to commence in January 2014 and has options for additional years. Tests will take place at CTS Engines’s Bee Line Highway test facility, located in Jupiter, Florida, which is expected to be opened in mid-2013. The new contract is expected to bring approximately 20 new technical and support jobs to Palm Beach County.
“At 155,000 lbsf, CTS’s first test stand, once completed, will be the highest thrust rated commercial test stand in the world,” said Jim McMillen, CTS’s Chairman. “With this facility, CTS will be able to test the largest commercial engines currently in production, as well as those developed in the future with even higher thrust ratings. We are pleased that this agreement solidifies our close working relationship with the OEM community, which has grown steadily over the past two years.”
CTS Engines is the world’s leading independent mature engine MRO. The company provides maintenance, repair, overhaul, and testing services to owners and operators of early stage commercial jet engines worldwide. Globally, the company offers outstanding field service support on nearly every major engine platform in operation. Since 2002, CTS Engines has built its reputation on the ability to provide its customers with a better solution for engine maintenance. Please see www.ctsengines.com for more information.

GE Capital Aviation Services Delivers Four New Leased Boeing 737-800s to Lion Air

SINGAPORE, December 7, 2012 – GE Capital Aviation Services Limited (GECAS), the commercial aircraft leasing and financing arm of GE, announced it delivered four new Boeing 737-800 aircraft to Indonesia’s Lion Air as part of a purchase and leaseback transaction.
The aircraft come from the airline’s existing order book with Boeing and were delivered in September and October to expand and modernize the airline’s fleet. GECAS has delivered a total of 12 new leased aircraft to Lion in 2012.
PT Lion Mentari Airlines and affiliated airlines are Indonesia’s largest private airline group with a fleet of more than 100 aircraft in service and an order backlog of more than 300 new aircraft. Lion and its affiliates provide passenger service to more than 75 destinations.