Singapore Airlines (SIA) prefaced its report on its annual performance for FY2012/13 with attribution to high fuel prices and lower yields owing to a weak global economy for its lacklustre results. The announcement concluded with an equally dismal outlook, saying very much the same thing, warning that “the global economic outlook remains uncertain with the ongoing weakness in the eurozone and sluggish recovery in the United States” and that “yields …Read More
Tag Archives: Singapore Airlines
Japan Airlines flies into a ‘new sky’
Japan Airlines (JAL) is a black swan, or more precisely, a red crane called “tsurumaru” in the airline industry. It is nothing short of a remarkable turnaround story, a rarity in a highly competitive industry that saw national champions such as Malev go bankrupt and Air France, Iberia and the likes struggle to compete against an onslaught of low-cost carriers (LCCs) that have placed significant pressure on these legacy carriers’ …Read More
The best is yet to come for Virgin Australia
Time flies. Three years into chief executive John Borghetti’s “Game Change” programme which has now evolved into the “Game On” phase, Australia’s second-largest carrier Virgin Australia transformed itself into a very different animal. Having uprooted from being a low-cost carrier (LCC) as Virgin Blue, the Brisbane-based carrier is now embarking on a portfolio strategy that promises to compete fiercely with flag carrier Qantas Airways in every single segment in the …Read More
Qantas pushes ahead with Asian strategy
While rivals such as Cathay Pacific Airways and Singapore Airlines (SIA) report lacklustre performance, Qantas seems to be upbeat about making headways with its Asian strategy to turn around its loss-making international operations. The Australian flag carrier took another step forward to enhance its presence in the region when it expanded its codeshare agreement with China Eastern Airlines (CEA). Qantas International manager China Andrew Hogg said, “We said we would …Read More
Plunging Cathay profits: What went wrong?
With Cathay Pacific Airways, one of the world’s leading airlines, announcing an 83% plunge in annual profit, one must begin to wonder what went wrong. Almost five years since the onset of the global economic crisis, the fortunes of the airlines can be best alluded to the unpredictable movements of the yo-yo. It was only at the end of last year that the International Air Transport Association (IATA) could with …Read More
Is the premium economy trend finally catching on?
Is the premium economy trend finally catching on as Air Canada becomes the latest airline to announce its introduction as “a new class of travel”, starting with the Montreal-Paris non-stop route in July 2013. New, perhaps for the Canadian carrier, but not quite globally. Eva Air of Taiwan was one of the first carriers to introduce the premium economy class, when it launched its operations in 1991. There was a …Read More
Is Qantas back on track?
Judging by its FY2012/13 first half performance, Qantas looks like it is back on track. The Australian flag carrier reported a net group profit of A$111 million (US$114 million), which is almost triple last year’s A$42 million. This was achieved in spite of the continuing show of red ink for its international operations, which one may even say was an impressive result considering the reduced losses of A$91 million from …Read More
Boeing 777X & 787-10X unfazed by 787 battery woes
787-10 ‘Gate 4′ formal launch still planned in June 2013 Time between start of final assembly & flight testing on 787-9 narrowed to 4 months Folding wingtip decided for 777X 800lbs weight penalty for 777X folding wingtip, compared to 3,200lbs for 777-200 study in 1995 Folding wingtip contains no moveable parts, to be operated electrically 777X has same wing span as 777-300ER on the ground & stay as ‘Code E’ …Read More
Singapore Airlines at a crossroads
2012 was a significant year for Singapore Airlines (SIA) which saw the Singaporean flag carrier embark on a shift in strategy in reinvesting in its namesake unit alongside strengthening its strategic partnership with Virgin Australia by acquiring a 10% stake in a carrier well positioned in one of SIA’s most important core markets, in addition to the sale of its 49% stake in United Kingdom carrier Virgin Atlantic. These moves, coupled …Read More