Malindo Air Jadikan Kota Kinabalu sebagai Hub Kedua Pada Akhir 2013

(27/3/2013) Setelah sukses melakukan penerbangan perdana 22 Maret yang lalu, Malindo Air yang berbasis di Kuala Lumpur International Airport berencana menjadikan Kota Kinabalu sebagai hub keduanya. Kemungkinan rencana ini baru akan terealisasi pada Desember 2013.

Penetapan Kota Kinabalu sebagai hub kedua bagi Malindo Air setelah Kuala Lumpur sangat memungkinkan karena perusahaan akan mengoperasikan 12 pesawat Boeing 737-900ER hingga akhir tahun 2013. Selain itu, anak perusahaan Lion Air ini juga akan kedatangan cukup banyak pesawat baru pada tahun depan.

Masuknya Malindo Air di Malaysia membuat terpecahnya duopoli yang dilakukan Malaysia Airlines dan AirAsia. Sekarang penumpang yang akan terbang di Malaysia memiliki lebih banyak pilihan dengan produk yang tidak kalah bagus, tapi dengan harga yang kompetitif.

Kota Kinabalu yang terletak di Sabah juga merupakan hub bagi Malaysia Airlines dan AirAsia. Dibukanya hub kedua Malindo di Kota Kinabalu tentu saja akan mempersengit persaingan antara ketiga maskapai ini. (Photo: Malindo Air)



http://internasional.indo-aviation.com

Iberia CEO to leave by ‘mutual agreement’

Iberia CEO Rafael Sanchez-Lozano is to be replaced by Iberia Express CEO Luis Gallego, effective immediately.
In a statement, Iberia’s parent company said: “International Airlines Group (IAG) and Rafael Sanchez-Lozano have decided by mutual agreement that he will step down as chief executive of Iberia and from the IAG board with immediate effect. He will be replaced by Luis Gallego who is currently chief executive of Iberia’s subsidiary Iberia Express. Luis has joined the Iberia and IAG boards.”
The top management change follows a weak financial performance at the Spanish carrier and labor unrest over the airline’s restructuring plans. Sanchez-Lozano, who has led Iberia for three years, said: “The company is now entering a new phase and it is time for me to pass on the baton to my successor.”
New CEO Gallego will come across from Iberia’s Madrid-based short-haul subsidiary, Iberia Express, which he has headed since its launch in March 2012. Prior to that Gallego was chief operating officer of Spanish budget carrier Vueling—currently the target of an International Airlines Group (IAG) takeover approach.
“Luis Gallego has extensive experience across a range of international airlines,” IAG CEO Willie Walsh said. “He was instrumental as chief executive of Iberia Express in creating an airline that is a great success. It is profitable, punctual and popular with customers and has created 500 much-needed jobs in Spain. Iberia is entering its next transition phase and I have every confidence that Luis can return Iberia to profitable growth.”


atwonline.com

PICTURES: Emirates A380 makes Gatwick appearance

Emirates will take delivery of 17 Airbus A380s in its financial year beginning 1 April leading to a fleet of 48 of the double-deck type by this time next year.

Laurie Berryman, vice-president UK & Ireland for the Gulf carrier, speaking at Gatwick airport on 26 March ahead of the arrival of a one-off A380 service, says the super jumbo is "key to its operations".

Flightglobal

Emirates has confined regular scheduled A380 operations in the UK to Heathrow - where it runs a five daily services - and Manchester, where it flies three times per week.

Gatwick is served using the Boeing 777-300ER, but with its three daily flights showing a load factor of 88%, Berryman believes the route is dense enough to support regular A380 operations. He would not be drawn on a timeframe to launch the service but stresses it will be a case of "if not when".

Flightglobal

The A380 flight touched down at 12:15 local time, departing around two hours later and "was almost full", notes Berryman.

"We can't commit our service to this airport yet, but hopefully it won't be too long away," he adds.

Flightglobal

Gatwick has recently completed a £6.4 million ($9.7 million) extension to stand 110 at its North Terminal to allow pier-served access for the type. Design services were provided by consultancy Atkins and construction was led by Vinci.


http://www.flightglobal.com 

BOEING 777: Garuda Datangkan 4 Unit Tahun Ini

BISNIS.COM, JAKARTA --  Garuda Indonesia akan mendatangkan empat unit Boeing 777 pada tahun ini, dan satu pesanan pertamanya datang pada Juni 2013.

Direktur Pelayanan PT Garuda Indonesia Tbk Faik Fahmi mengatakan empat pesawat Boeing 777 akan mulai datang pada Juni 2013, dan akan siap dioperasikan pada Juli untuk diterbangkan rute Jakarta-Jeddah.

“Keempat pesawat B 777 ini merupakan bagian dari total 24 pesawat pesanan Garuda Indonesia sepanjang 2013,” ujarnya, Sabtu (16/3/2013).

Menurutnya, pesanan pertama B 777yang akan datang memang masih untuk ke Jeddah, selanjutnya pada Oktober diperkirakan akan datang lagi yang kedua dan akan diterbangkan ke London.

Direktur Utama Garuda Indonesia Emirsyah Satar sebelumnya mengatakan perseroan akan mendatangkan 24 unit pesawat baru tahun ini. Pesawat-pesawat tersebut terdiri atas empat unit Boeing 777-300 ER, tiga unit Airbus 330 (dua unit 330-200 dan satu unit 330-300), 10 unit Boeing 737-800 NG, dan tujuh Bombardier CRJ 1.000.

“Ke-24 pesawat tersebut akan menambah armada Garuda yang saat ini mencapai 105 unit.
Pesawat-pesawat baru itu akan melayani rute-rute domestik dan internasional,” tuturnya.

Dia menambahkan pesawat Boeing 777 dan Airbus akan dipergunakan untuk penerbangan ke luar negeri, menggantikan Boeing 747 yang sudah tua.

Melalui program Quantum Leap, Garuda Indonesia akan mengoperasikan sebanyak 194 pesawat pada 2015. Anak usaha Garuda, yakni PT Citilink Indonesia, telah memesan 10 unit Airbus 320 dan 50 unit pesawat jenis Turbopropeler.



bisnis.com

Garuda Indonesia Sewa Boeing 777-300ER dari Air Austral Untuk Layani Umroh

(27/3/2013) Maskapai penerbangan nasional Garuda Indonesia akan menyewa satu pesawat Boeing 777-300ER dari Air Austral secara wet lease mulai 28 Maret hingga 30 Juni 2013. Penyewaan ini sudah termasuk pesawat, pilot, perawatan, dan asuransi atau biasa disebut dengan aircraft, complete crew, maintenance, and insurance (ACMI).

Rencananya pesawat akan digunakan oleh Garuda Indonesia untuk melayani penerbangan umroh dari Jakarta ke Jeddah mulai 1 April hingga 30 Juni 2013. Namun, sebelum digunakan untuk terbang ke Jeddah, pesawat akan digunakan untuk pelatihan awak kabin pada tanggal 28-30 Maret 2013.

Pesawat yang disewa Garuda ini memiliki nomor seri produksi (MSN) 35782 dan masih akan menggunakan registrasi F-OSYD dengan usia pesawat baru empat tahun.

Penyewaan Boeing ini dilakukan sebagai masa transisi sebelum Boeing 777-300ER yang dipesan Garuda tiba pada Juni tahun ini. Setelah pesanan Garuda tiba, pesawat dari Air Austral ini akan dikembalikan dan penerbangan ke Jeddah akan dilayani dengan pesawat Garuda Indonesia sendiri.

Selain itu, tambahan armada juga untuk mengakomodasi permintaan penerbangan umroh yang terus meningkat belakangan ini.

Sebelumnya Garuda Indonesia melayani penerbangan Jakarta-Jeddah dengan pesawat Boeing 747-400 yang sudah berusia cukup tua.


http://www.indo-aviation.com 

No decision on possible second A350 line: Enders

EADS has not embarked on any decision for a possible second production line for the Airbus A350, but acknowledges that success for the type might require more capacity.
Chief executive Tom Enders says that Airbus's chief operating officer for customers, John Leahy, is "very bullish" over the prospects for the twinjet family.
But Enders plays down suggestions of a second line, stressing that there is "no decision" regarding a complement to the final assembly line in Toulouse.
"This aircraft promises to be a success," says Enders, who was speaking during the EADS annual conference in Berlin. The A350 backlog at the end of January 2013 stood at 592 aircraft.
Boeing has established a second assembly line for the 787, located in Charleston. But Enders says that, if there is a business case for a second A350 line, it will be evaluated.
Enders warns that the A350 is entering a crucial phase and that the aircraft programme is "inherently risky". But he says he is "looking forward" to seeing the first prototype perform its maiden flight "in summer".
Germany's government, he confirms, has not yet contributed a €600 million loan for development of the aircraft.
"It has not been paid," he says. "We are still in discussions with the responsible people in the German government."


flightglobal.com

Engines fitted to first flight-test A350

Airbus has fitted the Rolls-Royce Trent XWB powerplants to its first flying A350 prototype, and is also installing the aircraft's auxiliary power unit.

A350 MSN1 is to undergo ground tests and painting over the next few weeks before being handed over to the airframer's flight-test team for ground runs.

Airbus has yet to finalise a maiden flight date, simply saying it is aiming to fly the twinjet "in the summer".

"With the installation of its engines and also the auxiliary power unit, MSN1 becomes essentially a 'completed' aircraft," says the airframer.

Airbus adds that the engines, which were certificated in February, have been undergoing preparation for installation with UTC Aerospace Systems. The APU, designated the HGT1700, has been developed by Honeywell.


flightglobal.com

Boeing completes first 787 functional test flight

Boeing conducted a functional check flight Monday on Line number 86, a Boeing-owned production aircraft built for LOT Polish Airlines. The flight was to test the redesign of the 787 lithium ion battery system, which was responsible for two failures that grounded the fleet earlier this year.
According to Boeing, the aircraft landed safely at Paine Field in Everett, Wash., after a 2 hr. 9 min. flight. The crew tweeted, “787 flight went according to plan. Teams now prepare for battery certification flight test in coming days.”
The manufacturer said the flight was a “normal Boeing production check flight intended to validate that all systems function as designed. During a functional check flight, crews cycle the landing gear and operate all the backup systems, in addition to performing electrical system checks from the flight profile. Across airplane programs, more than 600 functional check flights were completed in 2012.”
Boeing said in a preflight statement, “Following the completion of the functional check flight, we will analyze the data from the flight and prepare for certification ground and flight demonstration in the coming days. The plan is to conduct one certification demonstration flight. That flight, which will take place on Line 86, will demonstrate that the new battery system performs as intended during flight conditions.”
The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) also announced Monday it would hold the first of two Boeing 787-related public events April 11-12, focusing generally on lithium ion batteries in transportation.



atwonline.com

Garuda Sewa Boeing 777 Khusus Untuk Umroh?

(16/3/2013) Maskapai penerbangan Garuda Indonesia dikabarkan akan mendatangkan pesawat Boeing 777-300 yang rencananya digunakan khusus untuk penerbangan umroh pada tahun ini. Hal ini dilakukan perusahaan karena permintaan dari Kementerian Agama untuk menambah kapasitas pada penerbangan umroh.

Saat ini permintaan penerbangan ke tanah suci mengalami peningkatan yang luar biasa. Setiap tahun terjadi penambahan jumlah penumpang yang berniat melakukan perjalanan umroh sangat banyak, sehingga cukup menyulitkan maskapai penerbangan dalam menyiapkan pesawat.

Menurut Direktur Penerbangan Haji Garuda Indonesia Hadi Syahrean seperti yang dikutip dari Hidayatullah.com mengatakan, perusahaan telah siap mengoperasikan satu pesawat Boeing 777-300 yang memiliki kapasitas 442 penumpang untuk penerbangan umroh dari Jakarta ke Jeddah.

Saat ini Garuda Indonesia telah melayani penerbangan Jakarta-Jeddah sebanyak 13 kali seminggu dengan pesawat Boeing 747-400 berkapasitas 425 penumpang. Pengoperasian pesawat dengan kapasitas yang lebih besar ini dapat menjawab kebutuhan masyarakat yang ingin melaksanakan ibadah umroh.

Tidak diketahui secara pasti apakah pesawat ini didatangkan dengan cara sewa atau beli. Namun, kemungkinan pesawat didatangkan dengan sistem sewa. Selain untuk keperluan umroh, Garuda bisa memanfaatkan pesawat Boeing 777-300 ini untuk familiarisasi awak pesawat dan awak kabin, sebelum pesanan pesawat baru Boeing 777-300ER Garuda Indonesia tiba pada bulan Juni nanti.



http://www.indo-aviation.com/2013/03/garuda-sewa-boeing-777-khusus-untuk.html