AirAsia X to commence flights to Nagoya

By BA Staff

AirAsia X Berhad, the long haul affiliate of the AirAsia Group, announced the launch of its third destination in Japan; Nagoya.

AirAsia X will commence its first flight into Chubu Centrair International Airport from Kuala Lumpur beginning 17 March, 2014.

AirAsia X will commence four weekly flights into Nagoya, Japan. The airline currently operates daily flights to Tokyo (Haneda) and four weekly flights to Osaka (Kansai) from Kuala Lumpur.

Azran Osman-Rani, CEO of AirAsia X said:

"We are excited to announce our latest route to Nagoya, marking our 3rd destination into Japan. This marks another milestone for AirAsia X and reiterates our expansion commitment in the key markets we operate in with the Asia Pacific Region. With the addition of Nagoya, guests will have more travel options to explore Japan, and we believe Nagoya being a scenic and historical destination will be a popular tourist destination. We have carried over half a million passengers to and from Japan. Japan contributed over 14% of our total revenue in the first half of 2013. Nagoya is strategically located just 50 minutes from Osaka and 1 hour 40 minutes from Tokyo via train. Guests may soon fly direct to Nagoya, and take a train to the metropolitan and capital city of Japan; Tokyo or visit the commercial centre of Japan, Osaka in the Kansai region and return from any of the ports we serve in Japan. Nagoya has much to offer, be it for families or even the back packers, the choices of attractions are endless.”

 He concluded:

“Japanese guest also will be able to fly to a host of destinations from Kuala Lumpur using AirAsia’s Fly-Thru service, which allows guests to easily connect between two different flights via the Kuala Lumpur Low Cost Carrier Terminal without having to worry about checking in twice.”

Fly-Thru routes available from Nagoya are: Adelaide, Gold Coast, Melbourne, Perth, and Sydney in Australia; Kochi in India; Bali, Bandung, Jakarta, Medan and Surabaya in Indonesia; Kota Kinabalu, Kuching, Langkawi andPenang in Malaysia; Singapore; Taipei in Taiwan; Bangkok and Phuket in Thailand; and Ho Chi Minh in Vietnam.

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Japan approves Finnair's inclusion in Japan Airlines British Airways joint venture

By BA Staff

Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) has granted anti-trust immunity to the joint business venture between Japan Airlines, Finnair and British Airways.  This paves the way for Finnair to join the existing joint business venture between Japan Airlines and British Airways. The agreement will allow all three airlines to cooperate commercially on flights between Europe and Japan.

The new joint business is expected to be launched next Spring. The addition of Finnair will further enhance customer benefits by providing better links between the EU and Japan, with more flight choices and enhanced frequent flyer benefits. In addition, this new joint business will allow the three airlines to cooperate on expanding their presence within, to and from this important and growing market.

The revenue-sharing agreement will strengthen the oneworld® alliance and enable it to compete more effectively around the world with other global alliances.

President of JAL, Yoshiharu Ueki, said:

"We would like to thank the regulator for approving our application for ATI with Finnair joining Japan Airlines and British Airways in our current joint business between Europe and Japan. Amid the evolving Japanese aviation industry, the ATI will enable us to build a stronger value-creating relationship with British Airways and Finnair that can further benefit our customers as well as our business."

Keith Williams, chief executive of British Airways said:

"Today's decision by the MLIT will benefit the customers of all three airlines by allowing us to explore ways to improve the connections between East and West."

Pekka Vauramo, CEO of Finnair, said:

"We are glad we are now one step closer to starting the cooperation with JAL and British Airways to provide our customers with better connections between the EU Japan."

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Boeing Forecasts Growing Need for New Pilots in Asia Pacific Region

By BA Staff

Boeing projects that the Asia Pacific region will continue to lead the globe in demand for hundreds of thousands of new commercial airline pilots and maintenance technicians to support expanding demand for new airplane deliveries over the next two decades.

The 2013 Boeing Pilot and Technician Outlook calls for 192,300 new commercial airline pilots and 215,300 new technicians in the Asia Pacific region through 2032.

Bob Bellitto, the global sales director for Boeing Flight Services said

"There is a very real, urgent demand for competent aviation personnel globally, and the Asia Pacific region is particularly impacted. While Boeing is investing in cutting-edge technologies to attract and retain young people interested in careers in aviation, this is an industry-wide issue that can only be solved with industry-wide solutions. Aviation is a great field to be in. We have a responsibility to make sure it's a viable career option for the world's youth. Tomorrow's aviation workforce is going to be very different than their present-day peers. We need to focus on their expectations for learning, moving away from paper and chalkboard-based techniques to incorporate tablets, eBooks, gaming technology and three-dimensional models."

Leading the region in projected demand for new pilots and technicians:

• China – 77,400 pilots and 93,900 technicians
• Southeast Asia – 48,100 pilots and 50,300 technicians

Other parts of the region will also continue to see long-term demand in the tens of thousands of pilots and technicians:

• Southwest Asia will need 30,900 pilots and 28,500 technicians
• Northeast Asia will need 18,500 pilots and 25,500 technicians
• The Oceania region will need 17,400 pilots and 17,100 technicians

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JAL to Introduce Original Aroma at Its Lounges in Japan

By BA Staff

Japan Airlines is set to introduce its “original aroma” at its international and domestic lounges in Japan starting from September 20, 2013. JAL has two original aroma oils that are aimed towards creating a more comfortable and graceful atmosphere with a peace of mind to their customers when they are waiting for boarding at their lounges in Japan.

Effective date:

1. From September 20, 2013 ~

Photo Courtesy Japan Airlines

Tokyo (Haneda) 

International lounge: JAL First Class Lounge/SAKURA Lounge

Domestic lounge: Diamond Premier Lounge/SAKURA Lounge

Tokyo (Narita)

International lounge: JAL First Class Lounge/SAKURA Lounge

Domestic lounge: SAKURA Lounge

Sapporo (New Chitose)

Domestic lounge: SAKURA Lounge

2. From October 2013 ~

JAL will progressively expand this service to its main airport lounges in Japan.

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Air India reduces Delhi - Tokyo

by BA Staff

Image Credit: Devesh Agarwal

As per the Airline Route blog, Indian national carrier Air India is reducing Delhi-Tokyo Narita this winter from five flights per week to four utilizing Boeing 777-200LR equipment. The new schedules for the flight are as follow:

AI 306 departs Delhi at 21:10 on Tuesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays ~ arrives to Tokyo Narita at 08:00 the next morning.

AI 307 departs Tokyo at 11:30 on Mondays, Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays ~ arrives back in Delhi at 16:50 the same day - in time for connections to the evening bank of domestic departures.

Air India had been looking at sending its efficient fleet of Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners to Tokyo, but complications have arisen due to problems with the Japanese government. However, there has been progress towards getting Air India's Dreamliners approved to fly into Japan, and as Air India is set to take delivery of at least two more Dreamliners by the end of 2013, this plan could shift. 

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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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Delta ending Seattle-Osaka

by Vinay Bhaskara

A Delta Air Lines Boeing 767-300ER - Image Credit: Delta Air Lines

As per Airline Route, Atlanta-based full service carrier Delta Air Lines is cancelling its 4 weekly services between Seattle-Tacoma and Osaka-Kansai. The flight, which was scheduled to operate throughout the IATA Winter 2013/14 season with a Boeing 767-300ER, was started in 2010 and will now end November 4th. Over the past three years, the flight has operated using a mix of Boeing 767-300ER and Airbus A330-300 aircraft. The route was served by pre-merger Northwest Airlines using a Douglas DC 10-30. But that flight was canceled in 2001.

Since its merger with Northwest Airlines in 2009, Delta has steadily grown its long haul presence in Seattle (with help from domestic code share partner Alaska Airlines). The carrier now serves six long haul destinations excluding Osaka, and will begin its seventh on 29th March 2014 with new nonstop services to London Heathrow in conjunction with equity partner Virgin Atlantic. At the time of the Northwest merger, Delta only had intercontinental service to Amsterdam, and Tokyo-Narita.

The cancellation of Seattle services marks another stage in the slow decline of long haul services from Osaka-Kansai. Today, Osaka-Kansai is down to 13 flights per week to the mainland - a daily Boeing 787 Dreamliner from San Francisco on United, thrice weekly Boeing 777-300ER to Los Angeles on Thai Airways, and thrice weekly Boeing 747-400 to New York JFK on China Airlines. Osaka-Kansai once had services from Los Angeles on United, Detroit on Northwest, and Dallas-Fort Worth on American (twice). But high airport operating costs thanks to the high construction costs at Kansai rendered much of the service unprofitable. Operating costs are no longer the main challenge. Kansai has reduced its costs sharply since opening (5% in the last year alone), and the airport has even become a favored base for Japanese low cost carriers (LCCs). However, the Kansai area as a whole has stagnated economically in the past few years, and this reduced demand has curtailed possible long haul flights. 

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Japan Airlines and Jetstar Japan start codeshare and mileage tie-up

by Devesh Agarwal

Japan Airlines (JAL) will start code-share and mileage program partnership with Jetstar Japan (airline flight code: GK) - a joint-investment with the Qantas Group, Mitsubishi Corporation and Century Tokyo Leasing Corporation.

JAL, which started code-sharing with Jetstar (the Australian LCC) in 2007, on routes between Japan and Australia, will now be codesharing with Jetstar Japan on all its domestic flights for customers connecting to and from JAL's international services at Tokyo (Narita) and Osaka (Kansai) and Nagoya (Chube). JAL will not be selling segments on flights operated by Jetstar Japan that are without connections to JAL's international services.

Customers will be able to create a single itinerary with international and domestic flights with the "JL" code, operated respectively by JAL and Jetstar Japan. This provides a network with a wider choice of flights and timings, as well as faster transfers for customers.

Reservations, sales and JAL mileage redemption of flights operated by Jetstar Japan will begin from February 27, 2013, for flights commencing from March 6, 2013.

JAL Mileage Bank (JMB) members can utilise their accrued mileage to redeem tickets on Jetstar Japan flights. Jetstar Japan will be the 17th airline that JAL has similar arrangements. Other airlines with which JAL has mileage tie-ups are all the oneworld alliance members and their subsidiaries, Air Berlin, American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Dragonair, Finnair, Iberia, LAN, Malaysia Airlines, Qantas Airways, Royal Jordanian, S7, and Air France, Emirates, China Eastern, Hokkaido Air Commuter, Bangkok Airways beyond the alliance.

For more details on eligible Jetstar Japan routes and required mileage for redemption, visit the dedicated page on JAL's website.

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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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United States NTSB identifies origin of Japan Airlines' Boeing 787 battery fire - Update 1

by Devesh Agarwal

Updated Feb 8, 2013, 0100 GMT, 0630 IST

At a news conference today, NTSB Chairman Deborah A.P. Hersman identified the origin of the Jan. 7 battery fire that occurred on a Japan Airlines 787 parked at Boston Logan Airport, and said that a focus of the investigation will be on the design and certification requirements of the battery system.

Ms. Hersman's presentation and the video of her briefing the media is at the end of this story.

Hersman said

“U.S. airlines carry about two million people through the skies safely every day, which has been achieved in large part through design redundancy and layers of defense,” “Our task now is to see if enough – and appropriate – layers of defense and adequate checks were built into the design, certification and manufacturing of this battery.”

After an exhaustive examination of the JAL lithium-ion battery, which was comprised of eight individual cells, investigators determined that the majority of evidence from the flight data recorder and both thermal and mechanical damage pointed to an initiating event in a single cell. That cell showed multiple signs of short circuiting, leading to a thermal runaway condition, which then cascaded to other cells. Charred battery components indicated that the temperature inside the battery case exceeded 500 degrees Fahrenheit.

As investigators work to find the cause of the initiating short circuit, they ruled out both mechanical impact damage to the battery and external short circuiting. It was determined that signs of deformation and electrical arcing on the battery case occurred as a result of the battery malfunction and were not related to its cause.

Chairman Hersman said that potential causes of the initiating short circuit currently being evaluated include battery charging, the design and construction of the battery, and the possibility of defects introduced during the manufacturing process.

During the 787 certification process, Boeing studied possible failures that could occur within the battery. Those assessments included the likelihood of particular types of failures occurring, as well as the effects they could have on the battery. In tests to validate these assessments, Boeing found no evidence of cell-to-cell propagation or fire, both of which occurred in the JAL event.

The NTSB learned that as part of the risk assessment Boeing conducted during the certification process, it determined that the likelihood of a smoke emission event from a 787 battery would occur less than once in every 10 million flight hours. Noting that there have been two critical battery events on the 787 fleet with fewer than 100,000 flight hours, Hersman said that “the failure rate was higher than predicted as part of the certification process and the possibility that a short circuit in a single cell could propagate to adjacent cells and result in smoke and fire must be reconsidered.”

As the investigation continues, which will include testing on some of the batteries that had been replaced after being in service in the 787 fleet, the NTSB will continue to share its findings in real time with the FAA, Boeing, the Japan Transport Safety Board, and the French investigative agency, the Bureau d'Enquêtes et d'Analyses (BEA).

“The decision to return the fleet to flight will be made by the FAA, which underscores the importance of cooperation and coordination between our agencies,” Hersman said.

She also announced that the NTSB would release an interim report of factual findings within 30 days.

NTSB Presentation. Download it here.


Video of briefing


FAA’s Special Conditions for the B-787 battery system. Download it here.


Airframer Boeing issued this statement

Boeing welcomes the progress reported by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) in the 787 investigation, including that the NTSB has identified the origin of the event as having been within the battery. The findings discussed today demonstrated a narrowing of the focus of the investigation to short circuiting observed in the battery, while providing the public with a better understanding of the nature of the investigation.

The company remains committed to working with the NTSB, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and our customers to maintain the high level of safety the traveling public expects and that the air transport system has delivered. We continue to provide support to the investigative groups as they work to further understand these events and as we work to prevent such incidents in the future. The safety of passengers and crew members who fly aboard Boeing airplanes is our highest priority.

The 787 was certified following a rigorous Boeing test program and an extensive certification program conducted by the FAA. We provided testing and analysis in support of the requirements of the FAA special conditions associated with the use of lithium ion batteries. We are working collaboratively to address questions about our testing and compliance with certification standards, and we will not hesitate to make changes that lead to improved testing processes and products.

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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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Nippon Cargo Airlines takes delivery of first Boeing 747-8 freighter

Tokyo Narita based Nippon Cargo Airlines (NCA), became the first Japanese operator of the 747-8 Freighter.

The airline currently operates eight 747-400 Freighters with two 747-400 Freighters on lease with other airlines.

The environmentally focused Nippon Cargo Airlines will also operate the delivery flight of this aircraft using biofuel. The new airplane will become the first 747-8 to use a blend of environmentally progressive biofuels (jet kerosene and used cooking oil) to fly across the Pacific Ocean.

Nippon Cargo Airlines, one of the launch customers for the 747-8 Freighter in 2005 and also part of a team that helped develop the aircraft, plans to begin revenue service with its new 747-8 Freighter by mid-August on Asia and North American routes.

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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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Indian Government expands visa on arrival scheme to 11 countries

The Indian Government is expanding its Tourist Visa on Arrival (TVOA) scheme, first introduced in 2010 to the nationals of 11 countries, Japan, Singapore, Philippines, Finland, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Myanmar and Indonesia. The TVOA facility is only available for arrivals at the four metro airports, Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata.

The government has also expanded the purpose of visit from tourism and visiting friends and relatives (VFR) to include business and medical treatment, where trips are sometimes required at short notice.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Government of India, has detailed the guidelines of the TVOA scheme.

Eligibility

• The scheme can be availed by nationals of eleven countries namely Japan, Singapore, Philippines, Finland, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Myanmar and Indonesia.
• The scheme can be availed by foreign nationals visiting India for tourism, medical treatment, casual business or to visit friends/relatives, etc.
• TVOA shall not be granted to foreign nationals who have permanent residence or occupation in India and to holders of Diplomatic/Official passports.
• The foreign nationals must hold a passport with minimum validity of six months and a re-entry permit, if required by the law of his country.
• The foreign national must be a person of assured financial standing.

Validity, extension, and restrictions

• Under the scheme, a foreign national may be granted a single entry visa for maximum period of
• 30 days.
• The TVOA visa cannot be extended or converted in India.
• A visa on arrival can be obtained for a maximum of two visits in a calendar year and there should be a minimum gap of two months between two visits.

Fees

• The visa can be obtained on submission of prescribed application form, one passport size photograph and Indian Rupees equivalent to US Dollars 60.

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Potential impact of Japan earthquake on the air transport industry

Japan, which suffered a devastating earthquake recently, has long been a major player in the air transport industry with a total market size of $62.5 billion annually.

While it is too early to assess the long-term infrastructural impact of the quake on the industry, an understanding of the industry structure in Japan can provide us with some insights.


The most immediate impact will be felt in the $19 billion domestic segment of the market which carries 83 million passengers annually. In comparison India is just around 52 million domestic passengers.

However, on the international front, Japan's $62.5 billion annual aviation market contributes 6.5% of worldwide scheduled traffic and being considered a "high value market", 10% of the industry’s total revenues.


Long term impact will be felt by the countries that connect to Japan, led by the United States, China, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and others as represented in the graph above showing the top ten countries connecting to Japan.

IATA Chief Bisignani says

"A major slowdown in Japan is expected in the short-term. And the fortunes of the industry will likely not improve until the effect of a reconstruction rebound is felt in the second half of the year,”

However, there can be a significant impact on the air transport industry in China, which is the most exposed to Japan. Japan accounts for 23% of China's international air transport revenues.


Taiwan and South Korea follow China with Japan operations contributing 20% each. Thailand, the United States, Hong Kong follow.

With Japan contributing 9% to the Singapore air transport market, Singapore Airlines is already scaling back its flights to Japan, and has delayed the March 27th upgrade to Airbus A380 of its profitable Singapore-Tokyo-Los Angeles SQ11/SQ12 service.

Soon after the quake, many economists were suggesting that while travel markets will weaken in the short term, it would pick-up sharply as the Japanese economy re-bounded once re-construction commenced in the second half of 2011. However, the radiation problems at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power facility are now diluting that initial optimism.

On the manufacturing side, the Japanese aerospace industry is a major contributor to Boeing, especially on the 787 Dreamliner programme. While the major vendors are located away from the quake epicentre and therefore their facilities are not impacted, there is a rolling blackout throughout Japan and there is still no clarity on their downstream sub-vendors. This raises questions on whether there will be a further impact on this already delay plagued airplane?

What is your take on the situation both short and long term? Post a comment.

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Massive earthquake hits Japan. Sendai airport flooded. Narita and Haneda disrupted

A massive earthquake with an 8.9-magnitude hit northern Japan earlier this morning triggering tsunamis. The epicenter was estimated at 373 kilometers (231 miles) north-east from the capital, Tokyo.

Narita and Haneda airports are shut down and there is major disruption to all flight schedules to and from Tokyo. Osaka Kansai and Sapporo airport are operational but they are going to fill up with diverted flights quickly.

Sendai airport is completely flooded. These horrifying pictures were captured by me from the TV broadcast of CNN.

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