ANA to invest in a Myanamar based airline

Earlier today, Japanese full service carrier All Nippon Airways announced a $25 million investment in Myanmar-based Asian Wings Airways (AWA). Find out more details below.

27th August 2013

Tokyo August 27, 2013 - The ANA Group, Japan's largest airline group, today announces that it
will acquire a 49 per cent stake in the Myanmar-based airline Asian Wings Airways (AWA). ANA
Group will invest $25 million (2.5 billion yen) for AWA as part of its stated strategy of expanding
into new international markets.

As part of the investment, ANA will also work with AWA to improve its operational and on-time
performance and support its expansion into markets outside Myanmar. AWA is a profitable airline
currently operating only domestic services. However, it plans to inaugurate international routes
from October this year and intends to expand its aircraft fleet with a goal of operating ten A320
aircraft by 2018. For the fiscal year ending March, 2013, AWA reported revenue of US$17.8
million.

The investment in AWA is in line with ANA's group corporate strategy for FY2013-2015 which
involves diversification into new growth areas, centered primarily around airline-related
businesses particularly in the Asian area. The acquisition of the stake in AWA represents the first
investment in a Myanmar-based commercial carrier by a foreign airline. ANA intends to capture
an increasing share of the fast-growing Asian airline market and this investment in AWA will
support that strategic goal.

In addition, on September 30 (Monday), ANA will increase the number of flights between
Tokyo-Narita and Yangon from three per week to seven and also intends to introduce larger
aircraft onto the route. As ANA works to boost transport capacity between Japan and Myanmar,
it will also improve connectivity with onward flights (operated by AWA) to key cities in Myanmar,
which is expected to contribute to ANA’s own route network.

*Note that completion of this equity tie-up is conditional upon obtaining the required permits and
approvals from the authorities in Myanmar, and the signing of a final equity tie-up agreement with AWA
and its shareholders.

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Japan 'bans' Air India's Dreamliners

Japanese government irritated by Air India's inefficiency

by Devesh Agarwal

About three weeks ago I wrote debunking the myth being created by the Air India management and their political bosses about the fuel efficient Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft being the saviour of the beleaguered national carrier. Read the Op-Ed piece here.

In June no less than the Indian civil aviation minister, Ajit Singh, announced that Air India would soon operate the Dreamliner to Japan. Very logical. The Japanese are the largest operators of the 787 Dreamliner in the world with both their major airlines, All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines being the launch and second customer of this aircraft. Japan Airlines was the first airline to bring the Dreamliner to India on regular commercial service.

And yet, Air India is unable to fly its Dreamliners to either of its Japanese destinations of Tokyo or Osaka.

Why? you ask. Simple. The wonderfully efficient Air India has failed to provide the Japanese civil aviation authorities with information they required about the modifications carried out on its Dreamliners post the battery fiasco that grounded all Dreamliners globally. Failing to receive a response to their numerous reminders, the Japanese are refusing to give Air India permission to operate the Dreamliner till they receive the information.

Sources inside the airline have told media, so irritated are the Japanese with Air India's sloth and unresponsive attitude, they have stopped interacting with the airline and are instead routing their communications through India's civil aviation regulator, the DGCA, another bastion of speedy operations.

Quite obviously the airline has no comment.

But your comments are always welcome.

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AirAsia Announces Termination of AirAsia Japan Joint Venture with All Nippon Airways

In a long expected move, Malaysian low cost carrier, AirAsia today announced its decision to terminate its participation in the joint venture with ANA Holdings Inc. under the AirAsia Japan brand with the signing of a termination agreement.

The joint venture, created two years ago under the name AirAsia Japan faced many challenges since its launch. Issues stemmed from a fundamental difference of opinion between its shareholders on how the business should be managed from cost management to where the domestic business operations should be based.

AirAsia Berhad through AirAsia Investment Ltd. had subscribed 25,120 voting shares and 23,880 non-voting shares at JPY 50,000 per share, which represented forty-nine percent (49%) of the paid-up share capital in AirAsia Japan.

The termination comprises an acquisition of AirAsia’s entire shareholding in AirAsia Japan by ANA Holdings Inc. for JPY 2,450,000,000 (approximately US$ 25.17 million). The termination also involves the return of all AirAsia aircraft leased to AirAsia Japan by November 1, 2013 and the payment of all monies accrued from the leasing of the aircraft.

Under the termination, AirAsia Japan will also settle all outstanding invoices due to AirAsia accrued from the commencement of operations. AirAsia Japan will unwind the use of the AirAsia brand in its operations, including the name of AirAsia Japan itself by November 1st 2013. Operations of AirAsia Japan flights up to October 31st 2013 will continue as planned.

Following the transfer of shares and payment of the purchase price, the Shareholders Agreement, the Brand License Agreement and other commercial contracts between the parties will be terminated immediately.

On the termination, AirAsia Group CEO Tony Fernandes said,

“I have great respect for ANA as the leading legacy airline in Japan but it is time for us to part ways and focus our attention on what we do best, which is running a true LCC. Despite the cost issues, the AirAsia brand has resonated with Japanese customers and the trend we see for July and August is very strong for all of Japan. I remain positive on the Japanese market and believe there is tremendous opportunity for a LCC to succeed, as proven by the tremendous success AirAsia X has seen. We have not given up on the dream of changing air travel in Japan and look forward to returning to the market.”

Operations of AirAsia X, the long haul low fare affiliate of AirAsia Group will not be interrupted as a part of this termination. AirAsia X will continue its operations into Japan including Kuala Lumpur to both Tokyo (Haneda) and Osaka (Kansai).

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As 787 Dreamliners return, passengers face economy class discomfort

As its much vaunted state of the art jetliner, the 787 Dreamliner returns to the skies, US airframer Boeing faces a dilemma. On the one hand Boeing has incorporated many improvements in the composite fuselage aircraft, which was meant to improve passenger comfort.

These include

• Windows that are about 30% bigger, allowing more natural light.
• Windows also feature an electronic dimming system
• Cabin pressure being maintained at a lower altitude of 6,000ft MSL rather than the traditional 8,000ft, thus reducing passenger fatigue.
• High cabin humidity reducing passenger dehydration
• The air-conditioning system is fed with air from scoops rather than engines, thus much cleaner
• The computer controlled LED lighting system that simulates the rise and ebb of natural light through the day, thus helping passengers better adjust to time zones.
• High ceilings, bigger over-head bins, and the cabin derived from the Boeing Sky Interior which gives passengers a bigger sense of space
• External to the cabin, the aircraft has an anti-turbulence system that makes for a smoother flight and much quieter engines.

Yet, despite all these improvements, with the exception of the two Japanese airlines All Nippon and Japan Airlines, all the other 787 operators have opted for the ultra-tight nine abreast 3-3-3 configuration in economy class that leaves the seats around a bone crushing 17" width. Fine for a short 737 flight, but extremely uncomfortable for the longer eight to twelve hour flights envisaged in the Dreamliner.

Even British Airways which recently revealed its 787 cabin layout has chosen the narrow 3-3-3 configuration for its World Traveller (economy) class.

One has to wait and see what configuration will "premium" carriers like Singapore Airlines choose.

So unless you are a zero sized petite Bollywood, Hollywood model, you might be well advised to leave the Dreamliner in your dreams. On the flip side, since most airlines have chosen not to have a first class in their 787s, if you have the big bucks or frequent flier miles to afford the Business Class, then the Dreamliner will truly live up to its name in its pampering.

Talking about frequent flier miles, I have just returned from one trip covering the US and Europe and had a chance to experience the new business class aboard Lufthansa's 747-8i's and the BusinessFirst "Pods" aboard Air Canada's 777s and 767s. They were both good experiences and I request you to please await my trip reports.

Unfortunately, I am going back to the US. Will be in the air when this publishes. While I am a charter member of Masochists-R-Us, but, after a long long time, I am flying Singapore Airlines, in their 777 economy class, considered the best in the world. Stay tuned for that trip report too.

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"Start from scratch", Japan Airlines' Chairman's advice for Air India

"Very important for Air India to start from scratch, completely change the way you think"

is the advice offered for India's national carrier by Masaru Onishi, Chairman of Japan Airlines (JAL). Mr. Onishi who spoke to Bangalore Aviation on January 31 on the sidelines of the oneworld entry ceremony of Malaysia Airlines.

Mr. Onishi knows the subject of revival; he led JAL's spectacular recovery from bankruptcy over the last three years. JAL practices and reputation, before its spectacular financial crash, eerily mirror those of Air India. An airline run more for prestige than for profit. Operating uneconomical routes, with ageing gas-guzzling jumbo jets, most of which flew half empty. Its staff, known less for service and more for arrogance and sloth.

Mr. Masaru Onishi

The bankruptcy of Japan Airlines, Asia's largest airline by revenue, at the time, and its resurgence two years later, is a case study in itself. (Read The Economist report.)

In the 2009 global slowdown, Japan Airlines (JAL), like Air India, suffered massive losses, ultimately declaring bankruptcy in January 2010, and having its shares de-listed from the Tokyo Stock Exchange in February 2010. Prompted by the Japanese Government, who wanted to ensure continued competition in the market, the Enterprise Turnaround Initiative Corp (ETIC), a special purpose vehicle, largely created with the JAL rescue in mind, and funded by the government and Japan’s big banks, injected massive ¥350 billion (approx $3.76 billion or Rs. 20277.7 Crore) for a 96.5% stake in Japan Airlines. Kazuo Inamori, founder of Kyocera and KDDI, was brought in as CEO, and Masaru Onishi, President of Japan Air Commuter became JAL's President. Subsequently, Inamori became Chairman Emeritus and Onishi was promoted to Chairman.

Japan Airlines Boeing 777-300ER JA732J takes off from
London Heathrow airport. Picture by Devesh Agarwal.

In return for state and bank aid, JAL went on a ruthless cost-cutting spree. It slashed its bloated workforce from about 47,000 to 31,000, retired most of its thirsty jumbo jets, reducing fleet size from 275 aircraft to 215, and mercilessly cut non-profitable routes. It reduced its Cost per Available Seat Kilometre (CASK) to ¥11.4 (approx $0.12 or Rs. 6.59) from ¥13.8, before the bankruptcy. In comparison, chief competitor All Nippon Airways' (ANA) CASK is about ¥12.9, as per a Reuters report. In addition to cost cutting, the airline went on a massive improvement spree, sprucing up aircraft and services, to target and attract passengers, especially the premium class ones.

Consequently, JAL also reported a $2.5 billion operating profit in 2012, at a margin of 17% in Q1 of 2012, the second highest in the global airline industry. In September 2012, JAL came out with a ¥1 Trillion ($8.5 billion or Rs. 57,833 Crore) initial public offering, the second largest in the world behind the $16 billion IPO of social networking giant Facebook, giving the national coffers of Japan a return of almost 100% (¥650 billion) on its investment (¥350 billion) in just two years. At the same time, JAL had scrubbed clean, the over $25 billion in debts on its books.

With his record of reviving JAL, we felt Mr. Onishi could offer unique insight to national carrier Air India, though we were no too confident, given the Japanese culture of polite soft-spokenness. With a surprising, one might say, jaw dropping, brutal frankness, Onishi-san went on to list a few points, which reminds one, why and how he led the revival of JAL.

• Start TOTALLY FRESH.
• COMPLETELY CHANGE the way of thinking.
• FORGET the past. It is gone.
• Re-examine from the HEART what you CAN DO, PROFITABLY.
• Do not CONTINUE LOSS-MAKING ACTIVITIES, just because of history.
• CHANGE STARTS FROM THE TOP. Leadership must demonstrate change before asking for it, from employees.
• Like JAL, make repeated presentations to government. CONVINCE them not to interfere in daily operations.
• If possible become a pure PRIVATE COMPANY. Immediately start thinking like one.
• Each employee must empower the company to CONTRIBUTE TO THE NATION, instead of taking resources from it.
• Company must WANT to contribute to society and the nation as a GOOD CORPORATE CITIZEN.

Profound and inspiring words; when examined carefully, should be used not just for India's national carrier Air India, but any troubled company anywhere in the world.

What are your thoughts? Share them via a comment.

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Japan Airlines wants to start Tokyo Bangalore service, but not in the near future.

Japan Airlines (JAL) wants to start a Bangalore Tokyo service, but does not have any plans to do so in the near future, Masaru Onishi, Chairman of the airline, told Bangalore Aviation on the sidelines of the Oneworld event to mark the entry of Malaysia Airlines in to the alliance.

Onishi went on to say, with the growing investment of Japanese companies in India, particularly in the Delhi and Bangalore geographies, India is definitely on the radar screen of the airline, but the lack of high enough demand for India Japan O and D (origin and destination) traffic is making it difficult for airline to firm-up its plans for expanding services to India.

The airline operates a daily flight between New Delhi and Tokyo. The other major Japanese carrier, All Nippon Airways, also operates a daily services between Tokyo and New Delhi and Mumbai.

Onishi went on to detail JAL's strategy. The airline is facing shrinking domestic markets. Short haul international flights to Korea and China are stable but are moving to the Low Cost Carrier segment like AirAsia Japan, and to Chinese airlines. Medium and long haul routes are where JAL wants to focus and India factors in to these plans.

We we asked about JAL tapping in to the large India to US West Coast market, Onishi explained that JAL already had very high passenger load factors on its trans-Pacific flights, that too from high yield markets like Japan, which makes the airline uncompetitive in low yield markets like India.

Despite this the Chairman is positive on the growth of Japan Airlines' services to India.

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Update 1: Air India grounds its Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleet, after FAA emergency directive

by Devesh Agarwal

The fleet of six Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners of state-owned national carrier Air India has been grounded by the country's aviation regulator the DGCA, which took this decision following the issue of an Emergency Airworthiness Directive (EAD) by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) the regulator in the country of manufacture, and also the certifying body of the aircraft. The EAD concerns risks of fire in the aircraft's Lithium-ion batteries.

(Read the FAA Press Release here).

(You can read the FAA Emergency AD at the end of this article, or download it here).

Air India operates three international routes (Dubai, Frankfurt and Paris Roissy), and three domestic services (Bangalore, Chennai, and Kolkata), all from its base in New Delhi. One aircraft is used as a stand-by.

An Air India spokesperson informed Bangalore Aviation the airline is making "alternate arrangements" including changing of aircraft type on some routes, and "arrangements" for affected passengers, but refused to elaborate. The airline has also not issued any statement on the 787.

The FAA EAD comes after multiple incidents which afflicted Boeing's newest generation aircraft in the last few weeks. A United Airlines Boeing 787-8 was diverted near New Orleans on December 4, 2012. On December 8, a Qatar Airways 787 reported a generator failure. On January 7, a Japan Airlines 787 suffered an APU battery fire at Boston. On January 11, another ANA Dreamliner suffered a cracked wind-shield while on a domestic flight. Air India's debut flights were marred by air-conditioning pack failures. The other three operators Chile's LAN, Ethiopian Airlines, and LOT Polish Airlines have not reported any incidents with the 787.

In addition to United Airlines, and Air India, the two Japanese carriers, All Nippon Airways (ANA) and Japan Airlines (JAL), the first two operators of the 787, who operate almost 50% of the global 787 fleet (24 out of 50), grounded their fleets yesterday. LAN confirmed it is suspending 787 flights on advice of Chile's aviation regulator. The airline issued a statement

“In compliance with the recommendation of the Federal Aviation Administration of the United States (FAA) and in coordination with the Chilean Aeronautical Authority (DGAC), LAN announces that we will temporarily suspend the operation of our three Boeing 787 aircraft.

“Flights that were scheduled to be operated by the 787 will be temporarily replaced with other aircraft in our fleet to mitigate any potential impact that this situation could cause our passengers and cargo clients. The safety of our operation and our passengers is our top priority and we lament any inconvenience that this may cause.”

LOT have cancelled their launch event for their Warsaw Chicago service. The decisions of Qatar and Ethiopian are awaited, though it is expected they will follow suit.

Boeing reimposed faith in the safety of its aircraft. Chairman, President and CEO Jim McNerney issued the following statement following the FAA's EAD.

"The safety of passengers and crew members who fly aboard Boeing airplanes is our highest priority.

"Boeing is committed to supporting the FAA and finding answers as quickly as possible. The company is working around the clock with its customers and the various regulatory and investigative authorities. We will make available the entire resources of The Boeing Company to assist.

"We are confident the 787 is safe and we stand behind its overall integrity. We will be taking every necessary step in the coming days to assure our customers and the traveling public of the 787's safety and to return the airplanes to service.

"Boeing deeply regrets the impact that recent events have had on the operating schedules of our customers and the inconvenience to them and their passengers."

A DC-10-40 modified to perform as a tanker.

The Federal Aviation Administration does not enjoy the same reputation of independence as the NTSB, due to its contradicting roles of a regulator and a promoter of aviation. One has to go back 34 years to 1979, to find the last time the FAA issued an EAD on an aircraft. That was the McDonnell Douglas DC-10, following the horrific crash at Chicago of an American Airlines DC-10. In an ironic twist of history, the travelling public lost faith in the DC-10, and McDonnell Douglas never recovered from this disaster. It eventually went bankrupt, and was acquired by Boeing.

In no way do we imply the 787 is an unsafe aircraft, and we are confident the efforts of Boeing and its vendors will find a solution; but, speed is of the essence. Through its EAD the FAA and by extension other regulators will require operators (airlines) to prove that the batteries on their 787s are safe.

Unlike earlier generation aircraft, the 787 relies on greater electrical power to perform aircraft functions traditionally performed by hydraulic means. As a result it has a greater usage of batteries. While Lithium-ion batteries similar to the type used in the 787 are fairly common in the aerospace industry, the groundings will put tremendous pressure on both Boeing, and the battery manufacturer GS Yuasa of Japan, to examine their entire value chain, from design, to manufacturing, to quality control, determine reasons for the failures and find solutions, quickly.

Boeing has not indicated it will stop or suspend production of the 787. In fact the 100th 787 just entered the production line recently. However, while Boeing can assemble 787s it cannot fly them and therefore cannot conduct any test flights. The flight lines at both the Everett and Charleston plants will start filling up soon.

While the seriousness of the battery problems are not fully known, and therefore a time-frame for implementing a solution is elusive right now, Boeing has to keep history in mind. The DC-10 grounding in 1979 lasted over a month. In today's day and age neither Boeing nor Yuasa can afford this, especially after over three years of delay plaguing this fine aircraft.

Share your thoughts via a comment.

Update 1: 787 Interim Replacement Plan

Through January 22nd, Air India has implemented the following replacement plan for segments previously scheduled to be operated by the Boeing 787 Dreamliner:

Delhi - Chennai/Bangalore will be operated with the Airbus A330-200. Since the A330s are already based in Chennai to fly Chennai-Singapore, the aircraft which operates the night flight to Chennai will be rotated through Delhi for domestic flights during the day.

Delhi - Kolkata/Dubai will be operated by Boeing 747-400s which are currently used as spare aircraft for maintenance substitutions and charters.

Delhi - Paris Charles de Gaulle will be operated by a spare Boeing 777-200LR.

Delhi - Frankfurt will be operated by a spare Boeing 777-300ER.



US Federal Aviation Administration Emergency AD # 2103-02-51 787 Battery

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FAA grounds the Boeing 787 Dreamliner

by Vinay Bhaskara

Earlier today, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grounded all flights of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner in the United States due to the recent issues with the Lithium-Ion batteries on-board several different 787s, which are attributed as the cause for the recent fire of the engine of a Japan Airlines 787 in Boston as well as several other incidents around the globe. Japan Airlines and ANA have already each grounded their fleet of 787s, and while the FAA’s action only affects United Airlines’ fleet of six Dreamliners, aviation regulators around the world typically follow the lead of the FAA in safety actions.

Here is the full press release from the FAA:

“As a result of an in-flight, Boeing 787 battery incident earlier today in Japan, the FAA will issue an emergency airworthiness directive (AD) to address a potential battery fire risk in the 787 and require operators to temporarily cease operations. Before further flight, operators of U.S.-registered, Boeing 787 aircraft must demonstrate to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that the batteries are safe.

“The FAA will work with the manufacturer and carriers to develop a corrective action plan to allow the U.S. 787 fleet to resume operations as quickly and safely as possible.The in-flight Japanese battery incident followed an earlier 787 battery incident that occurred on the ground in Boston on January 7, 2013. The AD is prompted by this second incident involving a lithium ion battery.

“The battery failures resulted in release of flammable electrolytes, heat damage, and smoke on two Model 787 airplanes. The root cause of these failures is currently under investigation. These conditions, if not corrected, could result in damage to critical systems and structures, and the potential for fire in the electrical compartment.Last Friday, the FAA announced a comprehensive review of the 787’s critical systems with the possibility of further action pending new data and information.

“In addition to the continuing review of the aircraft’s design, manufacture and assembly, the agency also will validate that 787 batteries and the battery system on the aircraft are in compliance with the special condition the agency issued as part of the aircraft’s certification.

“United Airlines is currently the only U.S. airline operating the 787, with six airplanes in service. When the FAA issues an airworthiness directive, it also alerts the international aviation community to the action so other civil aviation authorities can take parallel action to cover the fleets operating in their own countries.”

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Air India stands by its Boeing 787 Dreamliners as Japan grounds almost 50% of the global fleet

by Devesh Agarwal

National carrier Air India has stood by the six Boeing 787 Dreamliners in its fleet, even as safety concerns grounded the 787 fleet at the first two operators of the aircraft, both from Japan, All Nippon Airways (ANA) and Japan Airlines (JAL). Between the two of them, ANA and JAL operate almost 50% of the global 787 fleet, 24 of the 50 delivered till date. 

Early yesterday, an ANA Boeing 787-8 performing a domestic flight NH 692 from Ube to Tokyo Haneda was forced to make an emergency diversion to Takamatsu when there were indications of battery problems and a burning smell developed on board.

This incident is only the latest in a series of problems to affect the new generation airliner. Many of the problems that plague the Dreamliner seem to be electrical in nature and are affecting airline operators across the world. A United Airlines Boeing 787-8 was diverted near New Orleans on December 4, 2012. On December 8, a Qatar Airways 787 reported a generator failure. On January 7, a Japan Airlines 787 suffered an APU battery fire at Boston. On January 11, another ANA Dreamliner suffered a cracked wind-shield while on a domestic flight.

Air India's debut flight to Bangalore was marred by snags in the air conditioning system.

Japan Airlines the first operator of the 787 with GEnx engines, the same as Air India issued a statement

"In view of the incident encountered by another airline involving the 787-8 aircraft today, Japan Airlines has decided to cancel the operations of its 787-8 aircraft scheduled for flights today and tomorrow, January 17, 2013, to ensure complete safety." "Operations of JAL’s 787-8 aircraft from January 18, 2013 will be decided after further assessment of the situation with the investigations."

The United States National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has already launched an investigation in to the Boston incident, and now the Japan Transport Safety Board (JTSB) has launched an investigation in to flight NH692.

The spate of incidents surrounding Boeing's newest aircraft has prompted the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to conduct a review in to the design, manufacturing, and quality control and assurance processes at Boeing.

A spokesperson for Air India re-affirmed the airline's faith in the aircraft and confirmed the airline was in touch with the airframer, Boeing, and in close contact with India's aviation regulator the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). The airline will follow the guidelines prescribed by the regulator.

The DGCA has decided to take a wait and watch approach to the situation. It awaits reports and findings from the United States agencies, NTSB and FAA.

In news reports, Mr. Mihir Mishra, the DGCA, points out that globally no regulator has grounded the aircraft. The decision to ground 787s, has been taken by individual airlines.

While we respect the views of Mr. Mishra, and also have faith in Boeing and its products, we do point out, airlines are in the business of making a profit, and no airline will take the decision to ground their latest state of the art aircraft lightly.

It costs them tremendously. Whether it is loss of income by cancelled flights, costs incurred to accommodate the thousands of passengers whose travel is disrupted, costs incurred to inspect their fleet, and the incalculable losses should their passengers start doubting their Dreamliners and shun the aircraft.

Share your thoughts via a comment.

A special hat tip to Simon Hradecky at Aviation Herald for the incident reports.

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ANA to launch services to Delhi - deepening ties between India and Japan

Japan’s largest airline, All Nippon Airways (ANA), has announced that it will be launching flights between Tokyo Narita and New Delhi later this fall as part of a broader plan to increase its international capacity by 22% by the beginning of fiscal year 2014. The expansion will be enabled by a growth in ANA’s long haul fleet, as it will take delivery of 22 new jets, including 14 more of the fuel efficient Boeing 787 Dreamliner while retiring 17 older aircraft including up to 7 Boeing 747-400Ds, which are used primarily on short haul routes.

 According to an ANA spokesperson, “ANA is planning to launch the Delhi service this year, but it has not been announced which aircraft will be used.” However, one can hope that the Dreamliner, which ANA’s chief rival Japan Airlines will be using to serve Delhi on all 7 weekly flights from November 30th onwards. Currently, Japan Airlines operates the Dreamliner on 4 of 5 weekly services (Boeing 777-200ER operates the final one). The service will be increased to daily on October 28th (with the two additional flights also operated by Boeing 777-200ER) before going all-787 in November.

According to ANA, customer response to the Dreamliner has been nothing short of extraordinary

“The results of the survey, the first to be carried out since the 787 entered service with ANA in October last year, show that passengers are attracted by the unique features of the Dreamliner, which include higher cabin humidity and lower cabin altitude, more headroom and larger windows and overhead luggage bins than conventional aircraft….Some 98 per cent of passengers said they would like to fly again on the Dreamliner with ANA or another airline or go out of their way to do so.”

ANA has 55 Boeing 787s on order; 40 of the smaller 787-8 and 15 of the larger 787-9, which is planned for entry into service (EIS) in 2014.

According to ANA, the Dreamliner is also saving them money in the fuel department, offering 21% savings over ANA’s 767-300ERs. Furthermore, ANA’s first 787s were considerably overweight and lacking in engine fuel efficiency (requiring major weight reductions on the part of Boeing and performance improvement packages [pip] from the engine makers), meaning that if the early 787s are already performing this well, then the first 787s that meet spec (our sources tell us that this will happen around LN 90) are sure to perform even better. And the superb fuel efficiency could be very beneficial for India’s beleaguered national carrier Air India, who will be taking delivery of the first of 27 Dreamliners on order in the coming months.

ANA’s Dreamliners are configured in 3 separate configurations; domestic, regional, and long haul. The seat pitches and configurations for the aircraft can be found below.

Domestic : 264 (12J / 252Y): Business class seat pitch – 59 inches, Economy class seat pitch – 31~32 inches
Regional : 222 (42J / 180Y): Business – 59 inches, Economy – 31~32 inches
Long Haul : 158 (46J / 112Y): Business – 44 inches (staggered), Economy – 34 inches

Meanwhile, ANA operates daily flights between Narita and Mumbai already, twice weekly with the Boeing 737-700ER in all-business class configuration and the rest of the flights with normal mainline Boeing 737s.

According to ANA’s spokesperson the rationale behind adding Delhi service is, "ANA continues to expand the network and opportunities in Asia where the economic growth is strong, and Delhi fits the profile perfectly."

Overview of India – Japan market

As India’s economy continues to diversify and expand in fast growing sectors like technology and IT, Bangalore Aviation feels that India-Japan passenger traffic figures are set to explode. The following is an overview of the India-Japan market as it will stand in November, assuming that Air India’s re-start of international operations goes as planned.

Furthermore, we feel that there is significant potential for Indian carriers to launch more service to Japan, especially for India’s largest private carrier Jet Airways. With the airline reportedly in talks for up to 9 Airbus A330-300 aircraft, perhaps 1-2 of its A330-200s can be shifted to begin service to Narita from Mumbai? And airlines from both countries should also consider launching services from Bangalore and Chennai, both large local markets with no nonstop service. As Tokyo-Narita airport offers up more slots, there is a significant potential for India-Japan air links to grow and prosper.

Special Thanks to ANA PR team for their always prompt responses, and for confirming Delhi route plan even though no formal route announcement has been made through their PR page. 

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AirAsia Japan takes delivery of its first Airbus A320; to commence operations August 1

AirAsia Japan, a 67%-33% joint venture between Japan's ANA Group, which owns All Nippon Airways, and Malaysia's AirAsia has taken delivery of its first Airbus A320 aircraft in Toulouse, France.

The Japanese low cost carrier will start commercial services on August 1st from Tokyo's Narita International Airport to the Japanese cities of Sapporo and Fukuoka, and from August 3rd to Okinawa with an initial fleet of two A320 aircraft.

AirAsia Japan will go international when it starts flights to Korea in October. Seoul Incheon airport, and Pusan, with the fleet growing to four aircraft by the end of 2012.

AirAsia Japan’s A320s are in the standard LCC configuration of 180 seats in an all economy cabin. Like the A320 fleet of AirAsia, the AirAsia Japan A320s are also powered by CFM56 engines.

AirAsia Japan President Kazuyuki Iwakata was beaming

“We are extremely happy to take delivery of our brand new Airbus A320. Our aim is to provide opportunities for everyone to fly with low fares. With the A320’s cabin comfort and operational reliability, we want to offer better access, in particular for the Japanese travelling public, and make them feel easy to fly,”

AirAsia Japan, was established in August 2011, and shall operate under the AirAsia brand.

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First Boeing 787 Dreamliner green bio-fuel flight underway

ANA9397 the delivery flight of a brand new All Nippon Airways (ANA) Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner is making aviation history as it flies to its destination, Tokyo's Haneda airport, today.

Image courtesy FlightAware

It is the first time a 787 Dreamliner has flown powered, at least in part, by sustainable biofuels.

The delivery flight between Boeing's Delivery Center in Everett, Wash. and Tokyo Haneda Airport is also the first ever transpacific biofuel flight.

The 787 is flying with biofuel made mainly from used cooking oil and is expect to emit an estimated 30% less CO2 emissions when compared to today's similarly-sized airplanes. Of the reduction in greenhouse gasses, about 10 percent can be attributed to the use of biofuel.

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MAP: All of the announced routes by airlines for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner

To date, the only carrier to enter the new super-efficient Boeing 787 Dreamliner into service is Japan-based All Nippon Airways (ANA). However, numerous airlines have announced their planned operations for the Boeing 787 as follow:

1. ANA (already in service)
2. Japan Airlines (already delivered; will enter service in March)
3. Air India (already delivered; entry into service [EIS] TBD)
4. Ethiopian Airlines (planned operations begin in June)
5. Jetstar
6. Qatar Airways
7. Hainan Airlines
8. United Airlines

This map summarizes all of the international 787 routes announced by these operators. See more 787 articles.



The launch operator of the Boeing 787 is All Nippon Airways (ANA), who operates the aircraft on a host of domestic services within Japan (centered on their Haneda hub), as well as on a select few global routes from their dual Tokyo hubs at Haneda and Narita (Beijing and Frankfurt from Haneda). ANA has 55 787s remaining on order, with 5 already delivered.





Africa's fourth largest airline Ethiopian Airlines will be using the Dreamliner on services within Africa/Middle East, as well as to the Far East and Guangzhou. Ethiopian has ordered 10 Dreamliners.



The world's largest airline, United Airlines, had previously announced Houston-Lagos on the 787, but due to delays, it has already commenced that route on Boeing 787 equipment. The only currently planned route for the 787 is Houston-Auckland. United has an even 50 Boeing 787s ordered.



Japan's second largest airline, Japan Airlines has announced a host of international routes from both Narita and Haneda; the route to San Diego is notable as San Diego's first ever nonstop Asian flight (Philippines Airlines has served it in the past with a one-stop flight). JAL has 45 787s on order, and will become either the first or second carrier to induct 787 operations to India(Delhi)depending on the new timeline for Air India's 787 integration.



India's beleaguered national carrier Air India is currently "planning" to induct its 787s first on the long rumored Delhi-Melbourne route. However, it is still uncertain whether the airline will take full delivery of its order for 27 787s. We have pictures of the planned Air India 787 interior here.



Middle East heavyweight Qatar Airways has 30 787s on order, but has only announced service on Doha-London Heathrow thus far.



China's fourth airline, Hainan Airlines has applied for long haul services to the US from Shanghai for their first batch of 787 routes (out of an eventual order of 10), a curious choice given that their primary hubs are located in Haikou and Beijing.



Finally, the low cost wing of Australia's Qantas, Jetstar, has announced a series of 787 routes from its Asian hub in Singapore. It is eventually planned that all Singapore widebody operations by Jetstar will become 787s, with the currently used A330-200s being transferred back to parent carrier Qantas. Qantas Group as a whole has ordered 55 Boeing 787s.



In addition to these announced routes, LAN, the third largest South American airline, will announce its initial planned 787 routes at the International Air and Space Fair, FIDAE, in Chile this month on March 27th. Meanwhile, fellow OneWorld member British Airways has said that it will use the Dreamliner on services to Asia without denoting specific destinations.

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Indian and global commercial aviation news briefing: September 28th

by Devesh Agarwal

India top news

SpiceJet passenger loads on Q400 flights exceeding expectations within a week of commencing service
Sources inside the airline have told Bangalore Aviation that the passenger load factors on their Q400 operations have smashed the airline's expectations within the first week of travel itself.

On almost all routes, the passenger load factors are exceeding the break-even load factors by a "significant margin". On some routes the budget carrier is averaging over 97.5% load factors.

Of special significance are the performance of certain "virgin routes" like Hyderabad Madurai, Vishakapatanam Tirupati, Bangalore Vishakapatanam, and the soon to commence Hyderabad Mangalore flights. It is rumoured that the Hyderabad Vijayawada route has already achieved break-even, thus validating the airline's strategy of expanding to tier 2 and tier 3 cities.

The source also confirmed the airline bouyed by the response, is accelerating its Q400 delivery schedule, with the sixth aircraft, VT-SUF Kesar, due to join the fleet by October 20th.

Looking at this positive response and based on other intelligence, Bangalore Aviation opines that SpiceJet will confirm the 15 aircraft currently on option, and probably announce an additional order beyond these 30 aircraft, within the next fiscal year.

Mumbai airport to construct new taxiway. Runway 14/32 to be shut till Jan. 20, 2012
As per a release,

As a part of its ongoing efforts to enhance the overall airside efficiency at Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA), Mumbai International Airport Pvt Ltd (MIAL) today announced that it will construct a new taxiway between taxiway E1 and E3 for the secondary runway 14/32. As a result, aircraft will be able to vacate the runway, thereby reducing runway occupancy time. To facilitate this infrastructure work, runway 14/32 will be closed for flight operations from October 10, 2011 – January 20, 2012. If required, the restoration time for the same will be 48 hours. Flight operations will not be impacted as the primary runway 09/27 will continue to remain open for operations. This work including the construction and closure is being undertaken post discussion with DGCA, ATC and airlines.

Bangalore Aviation spoke to a member of the airside operations team. The new taxiway is being constructed partly keeping efficiency and partly keeping safety in mind. The existing taxiway E1 creates some interference problems with the localiser beam under certain conditions, thus delaying landings on runway 14. The shape of the new taxiway will be improved, and better fillets will be added, to eliminate the interference and also allow for wide body aircraft to exit the runway faster.

In other India aviation news

Kingfisher Airlines likely to face tough financial questions at its Annual General Meeting. (Read The Mint newspaper report also read the statement issued by Dr. Vijay Mallya, Chairman, Kingfisher Airlines.)

Mumbai airport’s ATC sets new time limits for aircraft to vacate runways to improve flight capacity. As per the report "Pilots landing in Mumbai now have to vacate the runway within 49 seconds of touchdown, while those taking off cannot occupy the airstrip for more than 40 seconds." Read more.

Airbus employees embark on third biodiversity project to India.

Air India improves its On Time Performance and load factors.

Three persons were held for theft of Nokia cell phones at Chennai airport, being transported by DHL.

The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry supports allowing foreign airlines to invest in the domestic aviation sector.

Jet Airways downgrades lounge priveleges for its JetPrivilege Gold and Platinum tier members. (From the airline website "With effect from October 1, 2011, guests will not be able to accompany Platinum and Gold members to the lounge at domestic and international airports.") Read more or download the document here.

World top news

First Boeing 787 Dreamliner JA801A makes its delivery flight.
After a wet delivery ceremony on Monday, the first Boeing 787 Dreamliner JA801A left Paine Field, Everett, Washington, USA yesterday morning at 07:16 local time (19:46 IST 14:16 GMT) and after a 9h47m flight arrived at Tokyo's Haneda airport at 09:03 local time (05:33 IST, 01:03 GMT) earlier this morning. The flight as flight ANA9397 was staffed exclusively by All Nippon Airways crew, who handled their newest baby with kid gloves. You can see the detailed flight track here on FlightAware.

You can see a video of the take-off here at Boeing's site.

Videos of the arrival at Haneda earlier this morning are available here and here. The water cannon salute is visible on this mobile phone video.



In other global aviation news

bmi is cutting domestic flights.

Aer Lingus has said its performance during July and August was better than the same time last year.

Emirates Airline, Dubai’s flagship carrier, is likely to place even more orders for new planes at the Dubai Airshow in November.

American Airlines plans to raise more than $725 million in debt by using airplanes as collateral.

Boeing and Russia's UTair Aviation have signed an order for 40 Boeing 737-800 and 737-900ER aircraft. The order is comprised of seven 737-900ERs and 33 737-800s. The agreement was previously announced at the 2011 Paris Air Show. The order is valued at $3.8 billion at list prices.


Avianca, part of the airline group AviancaTaca Holdings, has signed a firm order with Airbus SAS for four Airbus A330-200 Freighter aircraft. The new aircraft will be operated by Avianca’s cargo subsidiary Tampa. Avianca will announce its engine choice at a later date. Read more.

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Delivery of first Boeing 787 Dreamliner to All Nippon Airways in a few hours time

Yes, it is three years late, but finally, the tires have been kicked, ANA's team from the ground to the flight crews have checked out the plane, and the payment has been made. Boeing and launch operator All Nippon Airways (ANA), have signed the formal documents completing the contractual delivery of the first 787 Dreamliner ZA101, registration (tail) number JA801A.


The formal delivery ceremony marking the historic milestone will be held in Everett, near Seattle in a few hours from now. Celebrations for Boeing employees begin in about one hour at 06:00 PDT (18:30 IST 13:00 GMT) outside the 787 factory in Everett, Washington state with the static display of ZA002, one of the flight test airplanes painted in ANA's livery.

ANA and Boeing executives, employees, partners and government officials will gather at 9:00 a.m. PDT (21:30 IST 16:00 GMT) for the delivery ceremony in the same location. Airplane 24, painted in ANA's special livery, will join the display during the ceremony.

The ceremony will be webcasted live at www.newairplane.com.

JA801A will depart Paine Field, Everett to Tokyo on Tuesday morning 06:35 PDT (13:25 GMT).

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Video: Boeing 787 Dreamliner ZA002 N787EX roll out

Thanks again to Liz Matzelle we have a video of Boeing 787 Dreamliner number two (ZA002) being rolled out to the flight line.


I am a little surprised the plane is painted in the livery of launch customer All Nippon Airways since this aircraft does not have a customer. ZA002 bearing test registration N787EX can be expected to fly about three weeks after the first Dreamliner ZA001 bearing test registration N787BA will.

I was also a little surprised on the registration. Based on the series, one would logically expect ZA002 to be registered as N787BB since ZA001 is registered N787BA. A check of the FAA database shows a Raytheon G36 single engine turbo-prop registered as N787BB. What a pity.

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Video: FedEx MD-11 crashes at Tokyo Narita airport, crew killed, airport shut down

Follow Bangalore Aviation on Twitter

First posted - March 23, 01:00 GMT

A FedEx MD-11 freighter registration number N526FE performing flight 80, from Guangzhou, China crashed at Tokyo Narita International Airport in heavy winds, and burst in to flames. The two crew on board were killed. The main runway at the international gateway airport to Tokyo has been shut down.

Image courtesy Wikipedia

Most airlines have been forced to divert incoming flights to Tokyo Haneda, Osaka, Nagoya and other airports, as the longest runway of two at Narita has been closed.

The FedEx plane landed hard, tipped onto its left wing and burst into a bright orange fireball of flames, the video of the crash from Tokyo Broadcasting System shows. I have upload the video since the TBS website does not allow resizing of the small video window. The copyright remains that of TBS.

The three engined MD-11F an improvement of the old DC10 made by McDonnell Douglas, now a part of Boeing, is the mainstay of FedEx's freighter fleet who has 58 aircraft in its fleet.


This crash is reminiscent of the July 31, 1997 crash of another FedEx MD-11F at Newark. The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) faulted the pilots for the crash of FedEx Flight 14, from Anchorage, Alaska to Newark.

Airport officials are unclear how long the main runway would be closed at Narita. International Japanese carriers Japan Airlines (JAL) and All Nippon Airways (ANA) have cancelled 29 and 10 flights respectively.

Having flown frequently to Narita I can attest to the tough time pilots have in the frequently occurring crosswinds. Both runways are aligned in a roughly North South direction (156/336 degree headings on the compass), and the airport often has strong crosswinds in an easterly and westerly direction. Paucity of land prevents the authorities from building a crossing runway at the airport.

METARS (21:48 UTC):
2009/03/22 21:00 RJAA 222100Z 30013G28KT 260V330 9999 FEW020 13/M01 Q0998 NOSIG RMK 1CU020 A2948
2009/03/22 21:00 RJAA 222100Z 30013G28KT 260V330 9999 FEW020 13/M01 Q0998 NOSIG
2009/03/22 21:08 RJAA 222108Z 31025G35KT 9999 FEW020 12/M01 Q0998 RMK 1CU020 A2949
2009/03/22 21:30 RJAA 222130Z 32026G40KT 9999 FEW020 12/M02 Q0999 WS R34L NOSIG
2009/03/22 21:30 RJAA 222130Z 32026G40KT 9999 FEW020 12/M02 Q0999 WS R34L NOSIG RMK 1CU020 A2952 P/RR
2009/03/22 21:30 RJAA 222130Z 32026G40KT 9999 FEW020 12/M02 Q0999 WS R34L NOSIG

Japan's meteorological agency had issued an advisory of gales for the area around the airport.

Update 1 - 04:30 GMT

FedEx has put out a statement

A FedEx Express MD-11 was involved in an incident today en route from Guangzhou to Narita, with two crew members on board. The incident occurred upon landing. We are sad to report that there were no survivors.

Our deepest sympathies go out to the family and friends of these crew members. This loss pains all of us at FedEx. Right now our focus is on doing everything we can to assist those involved at this difficult time.

We are thankful for the quick response of emergency teams on the ground and will continue to work closely with the applicable authorities as we seek to determine the cause for this tragic incident.

Update 2 - 06:00 GMT

Widespread flight disruptions are being reported at Narita airport. Read the full article.

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All Nippon Airways slashes capacity, gears-up for 2010 'big-bang'

All Nippon Airways (ANA) of Japan, is planning strategies similar to their world-wide airline counterparts in these times of global recession. Suspending operations, reducing flights and switching to smaller aircraft, essentially slashing capacity to keep passenger load factors high, in an effort to keep the business going this year.

India is one of the more badly affected countries by ANA's re-alignments. It used to operate a 38 seat all business class Boeing 737-781ER Business Jet between Mumbai and Tokyo Narita thrice a week. This will come down to twice a week. ANA also has a code share arrangement with Jet Airways and transits passengers via Singapore.

Talking about the Indian operations, Kenji Sugino, Director – Sales, Administration and Marketing, ANA said

“Despite the global slowdown, India is one of the growing markets for ANA. We are positive about this year and are expecting good load factors and sales margins. We are going to play strategically in the Indian market this year.”

“We were receiving a good 60-70 per cent of passenger load on Mumbai – Narita route. Post 26/11, ANA is receiving about 30 per cent loads on Mumbai – Narita route. Now, the loads are about 50 per cent, but due to recession, it's not logical to operate flights half empty. However, the reduction of flights on Mumbai – Narita route is temporary and will be rescheduled once the market demand goes high. We are positive about this year and assume that the market will stabilise by mid-2009.”

76 seats for a population of 1.1 billion ??? In my opinion, both Japanese and Indian carriers are just handing over business to ASEAN carriers by their lack of capacity.

ANA has also rolled out strategic plans for its worldwide operations announcing it will slash nine per cent of its international service in the next fiscal year (April 2009 to March 2010). It will withdraw the Boeing 747 service on the Tokyo - Paris and Tokyo - Frankfurt routes, and will introduce smaller aircraft on the Washington route.

ANA is looking to the first quarter of 2010 when, as launch customer, it will receive its long awaited Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

Unlike rival Japan Airlines (JAL) whose traditional focus is on international operations from Tokyo Narita airport, ANA has always put Tokyo Haneda and domestic business first; and it is gearing up to take full advantage of the huge business opportunity expected by the massive expansion of Haneda and Narita airports in 2010 – described by ANA President and Chief Executive, Mineo Yamamoto, as the ‘Big Bang’ for Japanese aviation, coupled with deliveries of the Dreamliner.

For now, financially, ANA expects a group net loss of JPY nine billion ($ 100.4 million), instead of a previously projected profit of JPY 17 billion. ANA also slashed its group operating profit forecast from JPY 55 billion to JPY eight billion.

Tomohiro Hidema, Executive VP of Finance, ANA stated in a media release

“Given the likelihood of the situation worsening in the foreseeable future, we are faced with an operating environment vastly different from the recent past, one that offers challenges of a much harsher nature.”

The Japanese airline industry have already asked their government for financial aid.

Read the ANA press releases detailing their business plans and their financial results.

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