INFO
arthorizon· 15 janIn het kader van algemene luchtvaart informatie voorziening en uitwisseling heb ik de vrijheid genomen hieronder een artikel te plaatsen omtrent de stand van zaken in de industrietak.
Zelf heb ik hier op het board al eens eerder gemeld dat de dooddoener," de luchtvaart industrie is nu eenmaal cyclisch, het komt allemaal wel weer goed", hier nu niet op gaat. Er is nu helaas iets heel anders aan de gang wat vergaande konsekwenties gaat krijgen op de middellange termijn.
Niet alleen vliegtuig bouwers maar ook luchtvaaart maatschappijen zullen hun produktie en personeelsbelijd bijstellen.
Ik kan me zo voorstellen dat vliegscholen dit soort publiekaties liever niet ziet verschijnen maar gelukkig is er Airwork;) wat in deze behoefte kan voorzien, zodat er plaats en ruimte is voor meedenken, info uitwisseling en discussie die wat dieper gaat dan, welk merk zonnebril.
Anyhow, here goes, courtesy Financial Times.
Aircraft industry shocked by view from ground level
Web posted at: 1/14/2009 8:44:2
Source ::: FINANCIAL TIMES
By Kevin Done, Aerospace Correspondent
Alarm bells are ringing for aircraft manufacturers. The rows of parked aircraft around the world have been growing inexorably as airlines have been forced to cut capacity: first in response to surging fuel prices and now to recession. More have been grounded as a result of carriers being forced out of business.
Orders for new aircraft are plunging from the record levels of the bubble years and there are warnings over the problems of airlines financing aircraft deliveries towards the end of this year and in 2010.
Until recently, Boeing and Airbus, the big commercial jet makers, have continued to make optimistic noises in public about the outlook for production. This positive stance was founded largely on the protective cushion offered by large order backlogs in the three years of exceptionally strong orders from 2005 to 2007.
However, the backlogs are under increasing pressure as many airlines seek to defer deliveries in response to the darkening outlook for air travel demand or, in extremis, to cancel orders - a very expensive step airlines take only as a last resort, as they forfeit the deposits.
The forecasts for both passenger and air cargo demand are grim. The dire state of the worlds economy is the biggest challenge our industry has ever had to face, says Willie Walsh, chief executive of British Airways.
The most recent data from Iata, the international airline association, showed a 4.6 percent drop year on year in international passenger traffic in November and a 13.5 percent fall in international cargo. International capacity fell by 1 percent, but failed to keep pace with the fall in demand leaving more empty seats. The 13.5 percent drop in international cargo is shocking, says Giovanni Bisignani, Iata director-general. As air cargo handles 35 percent of the value of goods traded internationally, it clearly shows the rapid fall in global trade and the broadening impact of the economic slowdown. It is the biggest fall since 2001, after the September 11 terrorist attacks in the US. The industry is now shrinking by all measures. It is back in intensive care, says Bisignani. Airlines are forecast by Iata to make a $2.5bn net loss this year in spite of the large fall in the oil price from the peak last July. Including 2009, the global aviation industry will have been in net loss for eight of the past nine years after making net profits in only 2000 and 2007 during the decade. Net losses from 2001 to 2006 totalled $41.6bn, with further losses of $5bn forecast for last year and $2.5bn for 2009. The woes at the airlines and in more rarefied reaches of corporate aviation spell growing trouble for aircraft makers. In an initial response to the threat Boeing is cutting 4,500 jobs or about 7 percent of its commercial aerospace workforce. Boeing said last week that its commercial aircraft orders had more than halved last year, falling by 53 percent to 662, from the peak 1,413 achieved in 2007. In the private jet sector, Cessna, part of the Textron group of the US, said this week that it was cutting 2,000 jobs, its second round of workforce cuts in only two months. Further job cuts are expected to be announced soon at rival US private jet maker Hawker Beechcraft.
Commercial aerospace and aviation are notorious for exaggerated trading cycles but the retrenchment could be made more vicious this time by the credit squeeze. The big difference from previous recessions is the credit crunch - aircraft deliveries are almost all financed, but there is little finance in place from mid-2009 onwards, says Nick Cunningham, aerospace analyst at Evolution Securities. This could threaten an earlier, steeper decline in deliveries. Walsh says: With access to funding increasingly difficult, we can also expect to see airlines cancelling or delaying orders for new aircraft.
Many airlines were forced to take similar action after 9/11, but at that time banks were prepared to make funds available to stronger airlines. Now airlines will have to dig deep to find the funds to pay for aircraft. According to Cunningham, deliveries in the first half of this year from Boeing and Airbus are largely financed but there are some gaps in the second half and 2010 deliveries are hardly financed at all.
This implies the potential for a delivery collapse in 2010 that could exceed the experience of recent cycles, he says. He is forecasting a peak-to-trough decline in deliveries of 46 percent at Airbus from the high this year of 500 to a low of only 272 in 2013. EasyJet of the UK, one of the worlds most successful low-cost carriers, is seeking to slow as many as possible of its more than 100 orders for Airbus A320 short-haul jets, while Hong Kongs Cathay Pacific, a leading Asian long-haul carrier, is on a similar mission at Boeing over its orders for 10 747-8 freighters and 20 777-300ER wide-body passenger jets.
Cheers
Art
9 REACTIESZelf heb ik hier op het board al eens eerder gemeld dat de dooddoener," de luchtvaart industrie is nu eenmaal cyclisch, het komt allemaal wel weer goed", hier nu niet op gaat. Er is nu helaas iets heel anders aan de gang wat vergaande konsekwenties gaat krijgen op de middellange termijn.
Niet alleen vliegtuig bouwers maar ook luchtvaaart maatschappijen zullen hun produktie en personeelsbelijd bijstellen.
Ik kan me zo voorstellen dat vliegscholen dit soort publiekaties liever niet ziet verschijnen maar gelukkig is er Airwork;) wat in deze behoefte kan voorzien, zodat er plaats en ruimte is voor meedenken, info uitwisseling en discussie die wat dieper gaat dan, welk merk zonnebril.
Anyhow, here goes, courtesy Financial Times.
Aircraft industry shocked by view from ground level
Web posted at: 1/14/2009 8:44:2
Source ::: FINANCIAL TIMES
By Kevin Done, Aerospace Correspondent
Alarm bells are ringing for aircraft manufacturers. The rows of parked aircraft around the world have been growing inexorably as airlines have been forced to cut capacity: first in response to surging fuel prices and now to recession. More have been grounded as a result of carriers being forced out of business.
Orders for new aircraft are plunging from the record levels of the bubble years and there are warnings over the problems of airlines financing aircraft deliveries towards the end of this year and in 2010.
Until recently, Boeing and Airbus, the big commercial jet makers, have continued to make optimistic noises in public about the outlook for production. This positive stance was founded largely on the protective cushion offered by large order backlogs in the three years of exceptionally strong orders from 2005 to 2007.
However, the backlogs are under increasing pressure as many airlines seek to defer deliveries in response to the darkening outlook for air travel demand or, in extremis, to cancel orders - a very expensive step airlines take only as a last resort, as they forfeit the deposits.
The forecasts for both passenger and air cargo demand are grim. The dire state of the worlds economy is the biggest challenge our industry has ever had to face, says Willie Walsh, chief executive of British Airways.
The most recent data from Iata, the international airline association, showed a 4.6 percent drop year on year in international passenger traffic in November and a 13.5 percent fall in international cargo. International capacity fell by 1 percent, but failed to keep pace with the fall in demand leaving more empty seats. The 13.5 percent drop in international cargo is shocking, says Giovanni Bisignani, Iata director-general. As air cargo handles 35 percent of the value of goods traded internationally, it clearly shows the rapid fall in global trade and the broadening impact of the economic slowdown. It is the biggest fall since 2001, after the September 11 terrorist attacks in the US. The industry is now shrinking by all measures. It is back in intensive care, says Bisignani. Airlines are forecast by Iata to make a $2.5bn net loss this year in spite of the large fall in the oil price from the peak last July. Including 2009, the global aviation industry will have been in net loss for eight of the past nine years after making net profits in only 2000 and 2007 during the decade. Net losses from 2001 to 2006 totalled $41.6bn, with further losses of $5bn forecast for last year and $2.5bn for 2009. The woes at the airlines and in more rarefied reaches of corporate aviation spell growing trouble for aircraft makers. In an initial response to the threat Boeing is cutting 4,500 jobs or about 7 percent of its commercial aerospace workforce. Boeing said last week that its commercial aircraft orders had more than halved last year, falling by 53 percent to 662, from the peak 1,413 achieved in 2007. In the private jet sector, Cessna, part of the Textron group of the US, said this week that it was cutting 2,000 jobs, its second round of workforce cuts in only two months. Further job cuts are expected to be announced soon at rival US private jet maker Hawker Beechcraft.
Commercial aerospace and aviation are notorious for exaggerated trading cycles but the retrenchment could be made more vicious this time by the credit squeeze. The big difference from previous recessions is the credit crunch - aircraft deliveries are almost all financed, but there is little finance in place from mid-2009 onwards, says Nick Cunningham, aerospace analyst at Evolution Securities. This could threaten an earlier, steeper decline in deliveries. Walsh says: With access to funding increasingly difficult, we can also expect to see airlines cancelling or delaying orders for new aircraft.
Many airlines were forced to take similar action after 9/11, but at that time banks were prepared to make funds available to stronger airlines. Now airlines will have to dig deep to find the funds to pay for aircraft. According to Cunningham, deliveries in the first half of this year from Boeing and Airbus are largely financed but there are some gaps in the second half and 2010 deliveries are hardly financed at all.
This implies the potential for a delivery collapse in 2010 that could exceed the experience of recent cycles, he says. He is forecasting a peak-to-trough decline in deliveries of 46 percent at Airbus from the high this year of 500 to a low of only 272 in 2013. EasyJet of the UK, one of the worlds most successful low-cost carriers, is seeking to slow as many as possible of its more than 100 orders for Airbus A320 short-haul jets, while Hong Kongs Cathay Pacific, a leading Asian long-haul carrier, is on a similar mission at Boeing over its orders for 10 747-8 freighters and 20 777-300ER wide-body passenger jets.
Cheers
Art
19 of 77· 15 janFrom the frontlines
From the frontlines
Art,
Thanks for the article. I wonder whether we haven't had "Peak Aviation" - looks like a long downhill slide for the forseeable future.
The job market has all but disappeared.
I can certainly confirm serious adjustments are taking place:-
At my Airline they have gone from a Pilot shortage to a Pilot surplus in less than 6 months.
The schedule is being changed for the 3rd time in a year. Changes include dropping destinations, reducing frequencies and consolidating flights. They've gone from 5 to 3 A320's - not sure if that is temporary.
CCQ courses are on hold. There's a large group flying only A330 or only A340.
Command evaluations have stopped.
Hotels have changed.
A few of my colleagues were looking at leaving - they've had to re-think that.
I'm expecting more to come.
From the frontlines
Art,
Thanks for the article. I wonder whether we haven't had "Peak Aviation" - looks like a long downhill slide for the forseeable future.
The job market has all but disappeared.
I can certainly confirm serious adjustments are taking place:-
At my Airline they have gone from a Pilot shortage to a Pilot surplus in less than 6 months.
The schedule is being changed for the 3rd time in a year. Changes include dropping destinations, reducing frequencies and consolidating flights. They've gone from 5 to 3 A320's - not sure if that is temporary.
CCQ courses are on hold. There's a large group flying only A330 or only A340.
Command evaluations have stopped.
Hotels have changed.
A few of my colleagues were looking at leaving - they've had to re-think that.
I'm expecting more to come.
15 jan
arthorizon· 21 janASIA Update. Om U verder nog even op de hoogte te houden.
Airlines brace for hard landing
By Edward Russell, | 20 January 2009
Read this article online at:
http://www.financeasia.com/article.aspx?CIID=134742
As Thai Airways requests government support, the region’s other airlines prepare for the worst.
Thai Airways' four decades of profits have come to an end. The airline, joining many of its regional and global peers, expects to post a record loss for 2008 – a year marked by volatile fuel prices and a global recession.
Asking Thailand’s government for a Bt19 billion ($545 million) loan, Thai Airways yesterday joined its Chinese siblings and banks around the world on the government dole. The loans, requested from state-owned banks, are needed to cover operating expenses that the airline will not be able to pay by the end of March, according to Thai Airways chairman Surachai Thansitpong.
Thai Airways saw its business hit drastically by an eight-day closure of Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport in December and the fall-off in leisure traffic to the popular holiday destination during the peak period. Thansitpong said Thai Airways’ ticket sales are down 30% this month alone.
The airline’s shares closed yesterday at Bt6.55, their lowest level since 1992.
And Thai Airways is not alone. “Asia Pacific losses will more than double to $1.1 billion, the biggest next year,” says International Air Transport Association (IATA) director general and CEO Giovanni Bisignani. “With 45% of the international cargo market, the drop in freight is hitting hard.”
While Thai Airways can blame factors outside its control, not least the on-going political turmoil, for its poor performance last year, other airlines cannot.
Cathay Pacific Airways attributes its losses to its massive fuel hedging contracts. In a profit warning published on the Hong Kong stock exchange website earlier this month, Hong Kong’s venerable monopoly airline reported an unrealised mark-to-market loss of HK$7.6 billion ($974 million) as of December 31, 2008. With passenger and cargo numbers also falling – December 2008 passenger traffic was down 0.3% and cargo down 23.9% – the airline’s losses are expected to widen.
“ worrying at the moment is the fall-off in our revenue stream, (which is) already quite pronounced and which we expect may get worse,” said Cathay Pacific CEO Tony Tyler in an employee newsletter.
Cathay Pacific last reported a loss in 1998. In that year, in the midst of the Asian financial crisis, the airline lost HK$542 million ($69 million). On Monday, Cathay's shares closed three HK cents lower at HK$8.24.
Singapore Airlines, long leading the region in management prowess and profitability, announced last week that it will cut 214 flights, or 3% of its flight schedule, by the end of March. While analysts do not expect the airline to post a loss – Singapore Airlines did not lose money during either the Asian financial crisis or Sars – it did experience a 3.3% drop in December passenger traffic.
Some analysts see Singapore Airlines’ schedule cuts as a signal that the economic environment for airlines will worsen significantly. On Monday, the airline’s shares closed down S$0.02 at S$11.20.
China’s airlines have led the way with regard to government support. In December, China Eastern Airlines, the weakest of the country’s big three, and China Southern Airlines, the country’s largest by passenger count, each received Rmb3 billion ($439 million) in support. In a move that highlights China Eastern’s perilous financial situation, Beijing has given the airline an additional Rmb4 billion in capital this month.
Regional carriers Grand China Express, HNA Group and Shanghai Airlines have also requested capital injections from their respective governments.
Long hailed as the centre for airline growth in Asia, China’s domestic passenger traffic grew a measly 2.9% in the 11-months to November 2008. Earlier passenger traffic forecasts called for 10% annual passenger growth until at least 2020.
In an effort to stop haemorrhaging money, both the Chinese government and the airlines are making cuts. The Civil Aviation Administration of China has already blocked the creation of new airlines until at least 2010 and in December asked the country’s existing carriers to either defer new deliveries or retire old aircraft. China Eastern is expected to reduce delivery of new aircraft to 14 from 29, sell its stake in its Joy Air subsidiary and cut salaries. Tianjin-based Okay Airways suspended operations in December.
Still, Chinese airlines are expected to have lost a record amount in 2008. Air China has already flagged preliminary losses of Rmb6.8 billion and China Eastern expects to have lost Rmb6.2 billion. China Southern has warned of “significant” losses.
Opmerking, vooral de enorme drop in cargo movements is zorgwekkend. zolang dat niet verbeterd zitten we in een neergaande spiraal.
Cheers
Art
Airlines brace for hard landing
By Edward Russell, | 20 January 2009
Read this article online at:
http://www.financeasia.com/article.aspx?CIID=134742
As Thai Airways requests government support, the region’s other airlines prepare for the worst.
Thai Airways' four decades of profits have come to an end. The airline, joining many of its regional and global peers, expects to post a record loss for 2008 – a year marked by volatile fuel prices and a global recession.
Asking Thailand’s government for a Bt19 billion ($545 million) loan, Thai Airways yesterday joined its Chinese siblings and banks around the world on the government dole. The loans, requested from state-owned banks, are needed to cover operating expenses that the airline will not be able to pay by the end of March, according to Thai Airways chairman Surachai Thansitpong.
Thai Airways saw its business hit drastically by an eight-day closure of Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport in December and the fall-off in leisure traffic to the popular holiday destination during the peak period. Thansitpong said Thai Airways’ ticket sales are down 30% this month alone.
The airline’s shares closed yesterday at Bt6.55, their lowest level since 1992.
And Thai Airways is not alone. “Asia Pacific losses will more than double to $1.1 billion, the biggest next year,” says International Air Transport Association (IATA) director general and CEO Giovanni Bisignani. “With 45% of the international cargo market, the drop in freight is hitting hard.”
While Thai Airways can blame factors outside its control, not least the on-going political turmoil, for its poor performance last year, other airlines cannot.
Cathay Pacific Airways attributes its losses to its massive fuel hedging contracts. In a profit warning published on the Hong Kong stock exchange website earlier this month, Hong Kong’s venerable monopoly airline reported an unrealised mark-to-market loss of HK$7.6 billion ($974 million) as of December 31, 2008. With passenger and cargo numbers also falling – December 2008 passenger traffic was down 0.3% and cargo down 23.9% – the airline’s losses are expected to widen.
“ worrying at the moment is the fall-off in our revenue stream, (which is) already quite pronounced and which we expect may get worse,” said Cathay Pacific CEO Tony Tyler in an employee newsletter.
Cathay Pacific last reported a loss in 1998. In that year, in the midst of the Asian financial crisis, the airline lost HK$542 million ($69 million). On Monday, Cathay's shares closed three HK cents lower at HK$8.24.
Singapore Airlines, long leading the region in management prowess and profitability, announced last week that it will cut 214 flights, or 3% of its flight schedule, by the end of March. While analysts do not expect the airline to post a loss – Singapore Airlines did not lose money during either the Asian financial crisis or Sars – it did experience a 3.3% drop in December passenger traffic.
Some analysts see Singapore Airlines’ schedule cuts as a signal that the economic environment for airlines will worsen significantly. On Monday, the airline’s shares closed down S$0.02 at S$11.20.
China’s airlines have led the way with regard to government support. In December, China Eastern Airlines, the weakest of the country’s big three, and China Southern Airlines, the country’s largest by passenger count, each received Rmb3 billion ($439 million) in support. In a move that highlights China Eastern’s perilous financial situation, Beijing has given the airline an additional Rmb4 billion in capital this month.
Regional carriers Grand China Express, HNA Group and Shanghai Airlines have also requested capital injections from their respective governments.
Long hailed as the centre for airline growth in Asia, China’s domestic passenger traffic grew a measly 2.9% in the 11-months to November 2008. Earlier passenger traffic forecasts called for 10% annual passenger growth until at least 2020.
In an effort to stop haemorrhaging money, both the Chinese government and the airlines are making cuts. The Civil Aviation Administration of China has already blocked the creation of new airlines until at least 2010 and in December asked the country’s existing carriers to either defer new deliveries or retire old aircraft. China Eastern is expected to reduce delivery of new aircraft to 14 from 29, sell its stake in its Joy Air subsidiary and cut salaries. Tianjin-based Okay Airways suspended operations in December.
Still, Chinese airlines are expected to have lost a record amount in 2008. Air China has already flagged preliminary losses of Rmb6.8 billion and China Eastern expects to have lost Rmb6.2 billion. China Southern has warned of “significant” losses.
Opmerking, vooral de enorme drop in cargo movements is zorgwekkend. zolang dat niet verbeterd zitten we in een neergaande spiraal.
Cheers
Art
21 jan
XDgb14· 21 jan
arthorizon schreef:
Regional carriers Grand China Express, HNA Group and Shanghai Airlines have also requested capital injections from their respective governments.
Shanghai Airlines of China says its 2008 net loss is likely to more than double from the 2007 figure, due to poor fuel hedging decisions and weak demand in the local aviation market.
Source
21 jan
jester· 21 jan
Bedankt Art voor het artikel, zeker interessant om te lezen. De cijfers liegen er niet om en de toekomst zal het uitwijzen.
Bij de maatchappij waar ik zelf vlieg is het helaas niet veel anders, ook van een tekort aan vliegers voor de zomer tot een overschot op dit moment.
Wat mij de laatste 10 jaar heeft verbaasd en blijft verbazen zijn de krantenberichten die ieder vliegschool keer op keer gebruikt. "Groot piloten tekort in de toekomst" , " vergrijzing slaat toe" etc.
Ondanks dat het de afgelopen 2 jaar zeer goed ging in Europa en je zelfs als low-timer bij meedere maatschappijen op gesprek kon komen en werd aangenomen. Bleven er nog veel mensen op de bank zitten, ik ben benieuwd of de scholen hun aanames van de afgelopen jaren blijven handhaven en nieuwe vliegers blijven doorpompen met 150.000 euro schuld.
Bij de maatchappij waar ik zelf vlieg is het helaas niet veel anders, ook van een tekort aan vliegers voor de zomer tot een overschot op dit moment.
Wat mij de laatste 10 jaar heeft verbaasd en blijft verbazen zijn de krantenberichten die ieder vliegschool keer op keer gebruikt. "Groot piloten tekort in de toekomst" , " vergrijzing slaat toe" etc.
Ondanks dat het de afgelopen 2 jaar zeer goed ging in Europa en je zelfs als low-timer bij meedere maatschappijen op gesprek kon komen en werd aangenomen. Bleven er nog veel mensen op de bank zitten, ik ben benieuwd of de scholen hun aanames van de afgelopen jaren blijven handhaven en nieuwe vliegers blijven doorpompen met 150.000 euro schuld.
21 jan
QED· 21 jan
jongens, dit geldt ook voor:
De banken, autoverkopers, metaalindustrie, olie clubs, vrachtvaart, wegtransport, priesters etc... zo uniek is de luchtvaart industrie echt niet... als je altijd zekerheid wilt hebben in je werk dan wordt je crimineel, hoer of politicus (of alle drie)..
Dus niet navel gaan staren of doemdenken, maar aan het werk..
PS: en vliegscholen gaan het aantal aannames niet reguleren (is ook niet hun verantwoordelijkheid)... mensen willen zelf piloot worden of niet... het is een vrije markt
De banken, autoverkopers, metaalindustrie, olie clubs, vrachtvaart, wegtransport, priesters etc... zo uniek is de luchtvaart industrie echt niet... als je altijd zekerheid wilt hebben in je werk dan wordt je crimineel, hoer of politicus (of alle drie)..
Dus niet navel gaan staren of doemdenken, maar aan het werk..
PS: en vliegscholen gaan het aantal aannames niet reguleren (is ook niet hun verantwoordelijkheid)... mensen willen zelf piloot worden of niet... het is een vrije markt
21 jan
Jetcap· 21 jan19 of 77 schreef: Hotels have changed.
Why stay at a $200 a night hotel if you can stay at a $70 night hotel?
Why even stay at a hotel? I have heard of companies (both commercial and private) that fly to same destinations a lot and got rid of hotel stays all together. Some bought houses, others apartments and have crews stay there. Most still use maid services to clean, but some make pilots clean their own mess. These are things to think about.
21 jan
19 of 77· 22 janRest
Rest
We certainly don't pay $200/night - Airlines can usually negotiate significant discounts.
The important thing is to ensure crews get significant/sufficient rest.
My schedule this week:- (local times)
Monday Colombo-Riyadh-Colombo 1800 departure 0615 arrival.
Tuesday Slept all day in the Hotel.
Wednesday Colombo-Bangkok 0145 departure 0630 arrival.
Thursday Off
Friday Bangkok-Beijing-Bangkok 0800 departure 1830 arrival
Saturday Bangkok-Colombo 2100 departure 2230 arrival
About 26 block hours with 4 out of 6 sectors at night. We need all the rest we can get!
Riyadh-Colombo involved a complex re-routing to keep our Flightlevel. Flew the flightplan route for about 20 minutes of a 5+10 flight.
Colombo-Bangkok involved fog on arrival with a holding and no expected approach time. ATIS calling visibility of 100m. Briefed and prepared a Cat2 approach and also prepared a diversion to U-Tapao. Just what you need after being up all night!
I'm earning my salary this week. ;)
Last week I was in Doha. This week I'm in Bangkok. Next week I'm in London.
Apartments/houses are not practical for this type of operation.
Rest
Jetcap schreef:Why stay at a $200 a night hotel if you can stay at a $70 night hotel?
Why even stay at a hotel? I have heard of companies (both commercial and private) that fly to same destinations a lot and got rid of hotel stays all together. Some bought houses, others apartments and have crews stay there. Most still use maid services to clean, but some make pilots clean their own mess. These are things to think about.
We certainly don't pay $200/night - Airlines can usually negotiate significant discounts.
The important thing is to ensure crews get significant/sufficient rest.
My schedule this week:- (local times)
Monday Colombo-Riyadh-Colombo 1800 departure 0615 arrival.
Tuesday Slept all day in the Hotel.
Wednesday Colombo-Bangkok 0145 departure 0630 arrival.
Thursday Off
Friday Bangkok-Beijing-Bangkok 0800 departure 1830 arrival
Saturday Bangkok-Colombo 2100 departure 2230 arrival
About 26 block hours with 4 out of 6 sectors at night. We need all the rest we can get!
Riyadh-Colombo involved a complex re-routing to keep our Flightlevel. Flew the flightplan route for about 20 minutes of a 5+10 flight.
Colombo-Bangkok involved fog on arrival with a holding and no expected approach time. ATIS calling visibility of 100m. Briefed and prepared a Cat2 approach and also prepared a diversion to U-Tapao. Just what you need after being up all night!
I'm earning my salary this week. ;)
Last week I was in Doha. This week I'm in Bangkok. Next week I'm in London.
Apartments/houses are not practical for this type of operation.
22 jan
metrodriver· 23 janHet hotel waar wij verblijven in Lagos is $250.- en is echt het minimaalste wat je wilt hebben. Een paar straten verder is het Sheraton, $450 per nacht. En dit zijn crew rates! En omdat je om 7 uur 'smorgens inchecked (nadat je een uur hebt zitten wachten omdat de kamers eerst schoongemaakt moeten worden) hebben ze het lef om je voor 2 dagen aan te rekenen omdat je vertrek om 4 uur 's middags voorbij check-out time is. Zouden we naar het Sheraton gaan dan betalen we dus $900 per persoon x 5 =$4500 voor 8 uur minimum rest. En zo gauw jij weg bent maken ze even snel de kamer schoon en verhuren hem nog een keer. 4x$450.- per dag. Kassa!
Hotels in Africa zijn over het algemeen heel erg duur. Tenzij je in de Roach-Inn tussen de hoeren wilt verblijven zit er dus weinig anders op (en dan kun je nog altijd de hoeren in de hotelbar oppikken, mocht dat in jouw avontuurlijke karakter passen).
Hotels in Africa zijn over het algemeen heel erg duur. Tenzij je in de Roach-Inn tussen de hoeren wilt verblijven zit er dus weinig anders op (en dan kun je nog altijd de hoeren in de hotelbar oppikken, mocht dat in jouw avontuurlijke karakter passen).
23 jan
arthorizon· 3 febAsia Update II
SINGAPORE (AFP) — Asian airlines are cutting routes and taking other measures to avoid flying half-empty planes during a travel slump caused by the global economic crisis, analysts and industry players say.
With most projections saying the world economy will worsen before it starts to recover, airline job cuts could come next, analysts said.
Carriers are also expected to seek alliances and other forms of cooperation to ride out the turbulence whipped up by a global financial storm that originated in the United States, the world's biggest economy, they added.
"It's going to get worse before it gets better... and airlines are making preparations to try to ride this out," Standard and Poor's aviation analyst Shukor Yusof told AFP.
Singapore Airlines (SIA), one of Asia's major carriers, has announced the suspension of some international flights affecting routes to India, Southeast Asia, the United States and Europe.
In a sign that even elite passengers are feeling the pinch, SIA's non-stop, all-business class service to New York and Los Angeles will be trimmed to 10 flights a week from 14.
"We don't want to be flying half-empty planes around the world any longer than we have to, because it increases our cost burden at a time when we can least afford that," said SIA spokesman Stephen Forshaw.
Japanese carriers Japan Airlines (JAL) and All Nippon Airways said they were slimming down by suspending or reducing flights and switching to smaller planes.
JAL, Asia's biggest airline, said it was decreasing flights from Tokyo to New York, Bangkok and Seoul beginning in late March. It will suspend services from the western city of Osaka to London.
JAL also plans to reduce the number of seats on other routes such as Tokyo to Sydney, Chicago and Los Angeles by introducing smaller aircraft.
All Nippon Airways, the country's second biggest carrier, said it would stop using jumbo 747s on flights from Tokyo to Paris and Frankfurt later this year. It would also introduce smaller planes between Tokyo and Washington.
"2009 is shaping up to be one of the toughest years for international aviation," International Air Transport Association (IATA) chief Giovanni Bisignani said in his latest assessment.
"Keep your seatbelts fastened and prepare for a bumpy ride and a hard landing."
The Asia-Pacific region was the industry's booming market in recent years but international passenger traffic carried by the region's airlines fell 9.7 percent in December over the previous year, the sharpest decline in any region, IATA said.
Only carriers in Latin America and the Middle East saw an increase.
Asia-Pacific airlines, which account for 45 percent of global cargo, also registered the steepest fall in freight traffic, a 26 percent decline last month, said IATA, the industry's trade organisation.
This is worse than the 22.6 percent fall in cargo traffic worldwide, the IATA figures showed.
"I'm expecting the inevitable -- which is job cuts. It's looking more and more likely because of the degradation in the traffic numbers both for passengers and cargo," Yusof, of Standard and Poor's, said.
He said airlines would eventually have to deal with a surplus of wide-bodied aircraft made idle from a lack of passengers.
SIA has the option of selling, leasing or parking surplus planes, its spokesman said.
But SIA says it will push through with all its current orders, including 13 Airbus A380 superjumbos -- the world's largest passenger plane -- 18 A330s and 20 Boeing B787-9s, so that it can retire older aircraft.
In Australia, national airline Qantas grounded 10 aircraft and cancelled plans to lease two new planes in November. It halted all planned domestic growth for both Qantas and budget offshoot Jetstar.
Hong Kong carrier Cathay Pacific is also under severe pressure after passenger numbers dropped 0.3 percent year-on-year in December despite an aggressive marketing campaign, following a 2.2 percent drop in November.
Cathay Pacific's revenue manager Tom Owen said the airline had been forced to cut ticket prices to keep December figures respectable.
Cathay's cargo business has been hit even harder, dropping 23.9 percent year-on-year in December. The firm has delayed a new cargo terminal at Hong Kong International Airport by two years.
Taiwan's two major carriers, China Airlines and EVA Airways, said recently introduced direct air links to mainland China had cushioned the impact of the economic slump.
"The 22 weekly flights to major mainland cities are very profitable," China Airlines senior vice president Roger Han said.
For those less fortunate, one option is consolidation, the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation consultancy said in an analysis.
It predicted that full-service airlines and some low-cost carriers "will attempt to forge new relationships this year", ranging from operational mergers to full equity transactions.
But it warned that most such attempts are likely to fail because the industry is heavily regulated.
---------------------------
Dan heb ik deze nog gehoord, journalist vraagt aan financial adviser,
"What is the best position to be in right now?"
Answer, "Cash and Foetus"
Cheers
Art
SINGAPORE (AFP) — Asian airlines are cutting routes and taking other measures to avoid flying half-empty planes during a travel slump caused by the global economic crisis, analysts and industry players say.
With most projections saying the world economy will worsen before it starts to recover, airline job cuts could come next, analysts said.
Carriers are also expected to seek alliances and other forms of cooperation to ride out the turbulence whipped up by a global financial storm that originated in the United States, the world's biggest economy, they added.
"It's going to get worse before it gets better... and airlines are making preparations to try to ride this out," Standard and Poor's aviation analyst Shukor Yusof told AFP.
Singapore Airlines (SIA), one of Asia's major carriers, has announced the suspension of some international flights affecting routes to India, Southeast Asia, the United States and Europe.
In a sign that even elite passengers are feeling the pinch, SIA's non-stop, all-business class service to New York and Los Angeles will be trimmed to 10 flights a week from 14.
"We don't want to be flying half-empty planes around the world any longer than we have to, because it increases our cost burden at a time when we can least afford that," said SIA spokesman Stephen Forshaw.
Japanese carriers Japan Airlines (JAL) and All Nippon Airways said they were slimming down by suspending or reducing flights and switching to smaller planes.
JAL, Asia's biggest airline, said it was decreasing flights from Tokyo to New York, Bangkok and Seoul beginning in late March. It will suspend services from the western city of Osaka to London.
JAL also plans to reduce the number of seats on other routes such as Tokyo to Sydney, Chicago and Los Angeles by introducing smaller aircraft.
All Nippon Airways, the country's second biggest carrier, said it would stop using jumbo 747s on flights from Tokyo to Paris and Frankfurt later this year. It would also introduce smaller planes between Tokyo and Washington.
"2009 is shaping up to be one of the toughest years for international aviation," International Air Transport Association (IATA) chief Giovanni Bisignani said in his latest assessment.
"Keep your seatbelts fastened and prepare for a bumpy ride and a hard landing."
The Asia-Pacific region was the industry's booming market in recent years but international passenger traffic carried by the region's airlines fell 9.7 percent in December over the previous year, the sharpest decline in any region, IATA said.
Only carriers in Latin America and the Middle East saw an increase.
Asia-Pacific airlines, which account for 45 percent of global cargo, also registered the steepest fall in freight traffic, a 26 percent decline last month, said IATA, the industry's trade organisation.
This is worse than the 22.6 percent fall in cargo traffic worldwide, the IATA figures showed.
"I'm expecting the inevitable -- which is job cuts. It's looking more and more likely because of the degradation in the traffic numbers both for passengers and cargo," Yusof, of Standard and Poor's, said.
He said airlines would eventually have to deal with a surplus of wide-bodied aircraft made idle from a lack of passengers.
SIA has the option of selling, leasing or parking surplus planes, its spokesman said.
But SIA says it will push through with all its current orders, including 13 Airbus A380 superjumbos -- the world's largest passenger plane -- 18 A330s and 20 Boeing B787-9s, so that it can retire older aircraft.
In Australia, national airline Qantas grounded 10 aircraft and cancelled plans to lease two new planes in November. It halted all planned domestic growth for both Qantas and budget offshoot Jetstar.
Hong Kong carrier Cathay Pacific is also under severe pressure after passenger numbers dropped 0.3 percent year-on-year in December despite an aggressive marketing campaign, following a 2.2 percent drop in November.
Cathay Pacific's revenue manager Tom Owen said the airline had been forced to cut ticket prices to keep December figures respectable.
Cathay's cargo business has been hit even harder, dropping 23.9 percent year-on-year in December. The firm has delayed a new cargo terminal at Hong Kong International Airport by two years.
Taiwan's two major carriers, China Airlines and EVA Airways, said recently introduced direct air links to mainland China had cushioned the impact of the economic slump.
"The 22 weekly flights to major mainland cities are very profitable," China Airlines senior vice president Roger Han said.
For those less fortunate, one option is consolidation, the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation consultancy said in an analysis.
It predicted that full-service airlines and some low-cost carriers "will attempt to forge new relationships this year", ranging from operational mergers to full equity transactions.
But it warned that most such attempts are likely to fail because the industry is heavily regulated.
---------------------------
Dan heb ik deze nog gehoord, journalist vraagt aan financial adviser,
"What is the best position to be in right now?"
Answer, "Cash and Foetus"
Cheers
Art
3 feb