Official Blogsite
Archive for June, 2012
Sukhoi crash recorder found
Jun 6th
Indonesian military search teams have found the “black box” from the downed Sukhoi Superjet 100 on the slopes of Mt. Salak in Indonesia. The team, led by operation chief Ketut Purwa, reported that the recorder was mainly intact, and was being send for data analysis by Indonesian and Russian experts.
The black box apparently tumbled down the mountain into a ravine below the main wreckage, and attempts to locate it earlier were hampered by the non-functioning of it’s locator beacon.
The Sukhoi, which slammed into the mountain on May 9, had 45 passengers and crew on board. All were killed.
First 747-Intercontinental takes off
Jun 6th
Lufthansa made the first commercial flight with the 747-8 Intercontinental, from Frankfurt to Washington DC.
“The Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental is an exceptional aircraft,” said Christoph Franz, Chairman and CEO of Deutsche Lufthansa AG. The aircraft features a new Business Class with “V” form seating with two neighbouring seats are angled towards one another.
Lufthansa says this allows passengers to sit facing the direction of travel, while at the same time offering maximum distance between two adjoining seats at shoulder level. With new wings with improved aerodynamics and raked tips; fuel-efficient, GEnx-2B engines and lower emissions and noise this is the first of 20 747-8s Lufthansa has on order.
Indian Pale
Jun 6th
India-based Kingfisher Airlines woes continue, with its share price down 80% since the start of last year, and the announcement of its biggest loss ever racked up since it started trading. Its quarterly report indicated a 11.5 billion rupees (US$205 million) loss in the quarter to end-March.
Analysts estimate the airline’s overall value has plummeted to around US$100 million, even though the company was rated in second spot of all Indian airlines only a year ago. Kinfisher blamed high fuel prices, a weak rupee and an “unprecedented, tough operating environment,” in a statement.
“The company has a focused fleet re-induction plan and hopes to be back to full-scale operations in the next 12 months, backed by a recapitalisation plan that the company is actively pursuing and confident of achieving,” it reported. The airline has made extensive cuts to its flight schedules and is now smallest Indian airline, rated on market share.
Going Dutch
Jun 6th
Jakarta Aviation Training Centre (JATC) has signed a deal with Stella Aviation Academy International in the Netherlands to supply type rating training on the Boeing 737 and the Airbus A320 for Indonesian airlines.
The contract involves training for airlines like Garuda, CitiLink and LionAir and introduces EASA training into Indonesia. JATC, a joint venture of SIM Industries, Lockheed Martin and a local Indonesian party, chose Stella aviation to “enhance the standards of aviation training in the rapidly expanding Indonesian market, and bring it in line with those of Europe,” it said in a statement. “This is an important step for JATC, and the wider Indonesian training market as a whole. Our airline customers are putting a lot of emphasis on ensuring world-class standard training for their pilots,” said Andrew Chalmers, Managing Director of JATC.
Initial training will be performed by Dutch instructors to ensure the training is at the desired level.
SOURCE:
http://www.jatc.aero
India allows fuel import
Jun 6th
With aviation turbine fuel (ATF) taxed heavily, making India one of the most expensive in the world, airlines have been given permission by the Director General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry for importing ATF directly from the international market. SpiceJet, IndiGo and Kingfisher have applied for approval for import.
Spicejet says it is negotiating with leading oil marketing companies and is hopeful to start importing fuel in due course.
AAA learns discussions have already started with some companies who may agree to take care of logistics of import and sale of ATF through their present facilities.
It is likely the other oil companies will not stand and watch their business dry out. So, now the cost-cutting war will be on the apron front! “Importing fuel from overseas market at comparatively lower price would help us to considerably bring down our operational cost,” SpiceJet, CEO Neil Mills said.
