3 sep 2015

http://www.ctvnews.ca/

North Korean airline named world's worst but offers unique service PYONGYANG, Korea, Democratic People's Republic Of - If an Air Koryo passenger ignores its no-photography rule, a flight attendant might take the camera and delete the pictures herself. Crumpling up a newspaper bearing the image of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un can earn travellers a stern lecture, or worse.

Those are among many quirks that may help explain why North Korea's airline has earned a singular distinction: It's been ranked the world's worst airline for four straight years.

Air Koryo is the only carrier to have been awarded just one star in rankings released recently by the UK-based SkyTrax consultancy agency.

More than 180 airlines are included in the five-star ranking system, which is widely considered the global benchmark of airline standards Some experts and frequent Air Koryo passengers disagree with the "world's worst" title. The airline is a definitely a unique ride, but fairly reliable, they say. The SkyTrax ratings are focused on service and not safety.

"It's a bit of a giggle, actually. They are clearly not the world's worst airline," said Simon Cockerell, of the Koryo Group, a Beijing-based travel agency that specializes in North Korea. The agency has no relation to Air Koryo, though Cockerell and his tourists often fly on the airline.

Cockerell said Air Koryo's weaknesses tend to be the kind of thing SkyTrax focuses on: cabin attendants tend not to speak foreign languages very well, there is no in-flight magazine, the meals aren't going to win any awards and, on older planes, condensation from the cooling systems tended to dampen seats and drip on passengers.

"It's not Emirates," he said, referring to Dubai's Emirates Airlines, a fourstar according to SkyTrax. "It's not quite the flying experience people are used to."

http://www.ctvnews.ca/ In-flight entertainment is usually limited to the popular Moranbong Band girl group singing patriotic odes to the leader, or North Korean cartoons, shown on drop-down screens attached to the cabin ceilings. On the less than two-hour hop from Beijing, there is a meal of sorts. It resembles a hamburger.

But Air Koryo isn't what it used to be.

Its four-plane fleet of aircraft used on international flights is surprisingly new - acquired in 2008. Lax practices, like not announcing when the plane was about to land or skipping the safety demonstrations before takeoff, were fixed long ago. The new airport terminal, a vast improvement over the temporary, warehouse-like building used until recently, provides travellers with a business-class lounge.

At the same time, being the flag-carrier of a nation shunned by much of the West cannot be good for an airline's image. Air Koryo's only regular international destinations are Beijing, Shanghai and Shenyang in China and the Russian port of Vladivostok.

"I'm not sure that I've ever seen or heard any references to Air Koryo being unsafe, only that its service is terrible," Patrick Smith, an airline pilot and author of the Ask The Pilot blog, said in an email to the AP before the latest ratings came out.

"Everything about North Korea is seen as a kind of running joke, so we should probably expect that its airline is seen this way too, right or wrong," he said, with the caveat that he has never actually flown on Air Koryo. "Some of the world's best and safest airlines are carriers the average American has never heard of."

Smith noted that Air Koryo's fleet is mainly Russian TU-204s and AN-148s, which may not be as comfortable or efficient as their American or European-built counterparts, but are not unsound.

In fact, getting its passengers where they are going - in one piece - might be Air Koryo's strong point.

The only fatal accident it suffered was in 1983 when the airline was still named CAAK, according to Harro Ranter, founder and director of the Aviation Safety Network, a private, independent foundation that has compiled detailed descriptions of over 10,700 incidents, hijackings and accidents going back to the 1950s.

Ranter cautioned that 32 years without a fatal accident does not necessarily mean an airline is safe.

"A big factor in the safety of an airline is the country's ability to conduct proper safety oversight, the level of implementation of international aviation standards and regulations," he said in an email to the AP. "It's very hard to rank airlines based on safety. The worldwide level of air safety has improved significantly over the years, so any comparison on the number of accidents or fatalities is impossible."

Still, he noted North Korea scored above the world average on most aspects in an audit of the level of implementation of international aviation standards and regulations conducted by the International Civil Aviation Organization in 2008, the most recent data available.

"If these results are still valid, there is no reason to assume that Air Koryo would be unsafe," he said.

Malaysia Airlines starts operations under new company

Malaysia Airlines has begun operations under its new corporate entity, Malaysia Airlines Berhad.

The changeover to a new company, which was completed on 1 September, is a major part of the carrier's turnaround plan, says chief executive, Christoph Mueller.

―We have been working hard for the past months to ensure a smooth and successful transition and we would like to thank our customers and airline partners for their continued support during this period,‖ he says.

The transition to the new company comes after it was granted a new air operator's certificate from Malaysia's Department of Civil Aviation on 28 August.

Mueller has previously said that under the turnaround plan, the airline hopes to break even in 2018.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/ 'Severe turbulence' on EgyptAir flight from New York to Cairo leaves 10 passengers and two cabin staff needing hospital treatment

Twelve people were hospitalised on an EgyptAir flight from New York due to 'severe air turbulence'.

The aircraft was carrying 268 passengers when, a few hours into the journey, the plane was violently rocked from side to side.

Ten passengers were injured as a result, as well as two members of cabin crew.

The pilot took the decision to continue on to the final destination of Cairo, where the plane landed safely.

The company confirmed the 12 people were taken to hospital once the plane had landed, and that they received 'superficial injuries'.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/

The Boeing 777-300ER was also met by the chairman of EgyptAir Holding Company and a host of other senior aviation officials.

An inspection of the aircraft once parked up reported no damage from the incident.

Earlier this month terrified passengers were thrown from their seats when a domestic flight was rocked by severe turbulence in the skies over China.

The Hainan Airlines plane began to shake violently as it approached China‘s largest airport, leaving 30 people, including crew, 'covered in blood', bumps or bruises, said passengers.

The turbulence was so severe that passengers were thrown into the ceiling or neighbouring rows, and ceiling panels within the cabin cracked or popped loose as the flight descended into chaos.

Passengers said the mid-air drama unfolded as flight HU7148 was nearing the end of its two-hour journey from Chengdu to Beijing Capital International Airport.

The plane was taken on a bumpy ride as it descended and reached an altitude of 14,000ft.

A passenger named Lin told China.org.cn that many on board were not wearing their seatbelts and were tossed around the cabin.

Lin said: ‗We heard two alarms at around 2pm, which were immediately followed by weightlessness. I didn‘t buckle up, so I was directly thrown to the ceiling and landed on the row behind us.‘ MailOnline has contacted EgyptAir for comment and is awaiting response.

http://www.marketwatch.com/ Boeing, Emirates Celebrate Airline's 150th 777 Delivery EVERETT, Wash., Sept. 3, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Boeing [NYSE:BA] and Emirates Airline today celebrated the simultaneous delivery of three 777s – two 777-300ERs and one 777 Freighter – marking the entry of the 150th 777 into Emirates' fleet.

Today's delivery marks the first time in 15 years that Boeing has delivered three 777s at one time to a single customer.

Emirates is the world's largest operator of the 777 and also the only airline ever to operate all six of the 777 variants introduced into service by Boeing.

Sir Tim Clark, President, Emirates airline, said: "We have enjoyed a strong and longstanding relationship with Boeing on the 777 programme. As the world's largest 777 operator, our multi-billion dollar commitment to the programme continues to support jobs and innovation across the aerospace manufacturing supply chain. The 777s give Emirates the range, reliability, and flexibility to efficiently serve close to 100 destinations on six continents with non-stop flights from our hub in Dubai. We are pleased to mark the delivery of our 150th 777 aircraft, and will continue to work closely with the Boeing team on the next generation 777X for the Emirates fleet."

"This triple delivery to Emirates is an outstanding moment in a partnership that has grown phenomenally over the last three decades," said Boeing Commercial Airplanes President and CEO Ray Conner. "As Emirates takes delivery of its 150th 777, it underlines the remarkable track record of this aircraft, undiminished as the leading longhaul passenger and cargo carrier. We are proud of this relationship and the confidence that Emirates has shown in Boeing airplanes over the years."

Emirates ordered its first Boeing 777s in 1992 with delivery beginning in June 1996. The airline's order book for the 777 continued to grow over the following years including a then record-breaking order for 50 777-300ERs at the 2011 Dubai Airshow and 150 777Xs at the 2013 edition.

Today's 777-300ER, which forms the largest part of the Emirates fleet, is the most fuel and cost-efficient airplane in its class and the most reliable twin-aisle aircraft in the world with an on-time departure rate of 99.5 percent. It also has the highest cargo capability of any passenger airplane. Emirates currently has 46 additional 777-300ERs on order with Boeing.

With today's delivery, Emirates now has 13 777 Freighters, the world's largest and longest range twin-engine freighter, capable of flying 4,900 nautical miles (9,070 kilometers) with a full payload at general cargo market densities. The airplane's range capability translates into significant savings for cargo operators – fewer stops and associated landing fees, less congestion at transfer hubs, lower cargo handling costs and shorter cargo delivery times.

Boeing also provides Emirates with essential support and services including parts and components and Airplane Health Management to speed the detection and resolution of maintenance issues, Jeppesen Crew Rostering services to optimize flight crew scheduling, and AerData STREAM (Secure Technical Records for Electronic Asset Management) to manage aircraft and engine records.

http://www.businessinsider.com/

Lufthansa could face yet another pilots strike

German pilots union Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) said Lufthansa had rejected its offer of concessions and said it could call for strikes at any time.

"Lufthansa, Lufthansa Cargo and Germanwings can expect industrial action at any time," VC said in a statement on Wednesday.

VC had offered concessions last month in a bid to end a long-running pay dispute at Lufthansa, including agreeing to an increase in the average retirement age and lowering costs.

(Reporting by Maria Sheahan; Editing by Georgina Prodhan)

http://www.bloomberg.com/ Lufthansa Ready for More Pilot Strikes as Union Proposal Spurned Deutsche Lufthansa AG Chief Executive Officer Carsten Spohr said he‘s willing to brave a fresh round of strikes to push through costcutting plans after pilots said the German carrier had rejected their latest contract proposals. ―Our pilots say: ‗low-cost? Fine, but with high-cost pay,‘‘ Spohr said Wednesday in Vienna. ‗‗That won‘t work. I hope there will be no further strikes, but if that‘s what we have to endure to make the company fit for the future, we will.‖ The latest pilot plan would deliver 500 million euros ($564 million) in savings, according to the Vereinigung Cockpit labor group, while seeking to include all pilots from discount arm Eurowings in Lufthansa‘s own collective bargaining agreement. Strikes could happen across the group ―with immediate effect‖ as a result of the management stance, the union said.

Lufthansa said separately that it hasn‘t rejected the union proposals outright and that the position should serve as a basis for future negotiations. Spohr is seeking to pare costs at short-haul operations by switching flights to Eurowings, which he says could become Europe‘s No. 3 low-cost carrier, making it vital that the unit sticks with separate contracts. ―We still find it difficult to see how both parties can meet in the middle since control of Eurowings is a binary outcome,‖ Deutsche Bank analysts including Anand Date said in a note to clients. ―As such, a resolution may still be some time away, with risks of strike action in the interim.‖ Lufthansa pilots have staged 12 strikes over the past year, compelling Spohr to twice revise his earnings targets.

The CEO, who described the dispute as the ―most severe‖ in the German carrier‘s history at the Austrian briefing, is engaged in parallel talks with cabin crew and ground staff over a range of issues including retirement benefits. ―We‘ve had too many strikes already, and they did not bring us any closer to a solution,‖ Spohr said. ―A solution can only be reached through negotiations and discussions.‖

http://www.reuters.com/ UPDATE 3-Lufthansa CEO defends cost cuts as pilots threaten more strikes FRANKFURT/VIENNA, Sept 2 (Reuters) - Lufthansa's chief executive defended the German airline's hard line on strikes on Wednesday after pilots' union Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) threatened further walkouts in an row over retirement benefits and cost cuts.

VC said earlier the German flag carrier had rejected its offer of concessions in a longrunning dispute that has seen a dozen strikes over the last 18 months and cost the airline hundreds of millions of euros.

Walkouts could start any time and could hit Lufthansa, its cargo arm Lufthansa Cargo and its budget carrier Germanwings, VC said in a statement.

"If strikes are the price to pay to make Lufthansa fit for the future, then we must pay it," Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr told journalists on the sidelines of a conference in Vienna.

Lufthansa is grappling with an increased pension deficit against the backdrop of low interest rates. It says it needs to cut costs to halt a loss of market share to low-cost carriers in Europe and more nimble competitors such as Turkish Airlines and Emirates on long-haul routes.

"We have not yet reached the same conclusion as to how Lufthansa must be structured in order to deal with the rivals who are knocking on our door and threatening to bring a new wave of low-cost flights to Germany and Austria," Spohr said.

Cabin crew union UFO, itself in pay discussions, took the unusual step of speaking out on the row, saying there was too much at stake to stay silent. It called for the two sides to resume talks and reach a solution.

"The unresolved conflict has already resulted in units shrinking and jobs being lost," Uwe Hien, in charge of pay policy at UFO, said in a statement.

The pilots had offered concessions in a bid to end the dispute, including agreeing to an increase in the average retirement age and lowering costs.

However, they had also wanted the new Eurowings budget carrier to be based in Germany, rather than Austria, so that pilots could join German collective labour agreements, which industry experts had said was likely to be a sticking point.

VC said on Wednesday Lufthansa's stance "shows that it's not about market conditions for Lufthansa, but rather about abandoning collective agreements and outsourcing jobs".

Lufthansa denied it had turned down the offer, saying it had proposed working groups to discuss the outstanding points. A spokesman said Lufthansa hoped talks could resume and that only its rivals would benefit from more strikes. (Additional reporting

by Peter Maushagen and Victoria Bryan; Editing by Georgina Prodhan and Mark Potter)

http://www.ethiosports.com/

SOUTH AFRICAN AIRWAYS SHOULD LEARN FROM ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES Next time President Jacob Zuma sends a government delegation outside the country to learn how other governments run state companies he must consider an unlikely tutor,Ethiopia.

Poor as it is compared to South Africa, Ethiopia can teach our government officials a thing or two on how to run state companies profitably without bleeding state coffers.

Ethiopian Airlines has reported a record-high net profit of R2.2-billion for the financial year ending June, up from last year‘s R1.98-billion.

While Ethiopian Airlines makes billions and expands into new markets, our national carrier, South African Airways (SAA), is bleeding money and retreating.

SAA is bankrupt and survives on loans guaranteed by the government.

Its managers have failed to produce sound financial reports. It was recently placed under the political curatorship of the national Treasury.

This after Dudu Myeni, SAA‘s chairwoman who has been learning on the job but shows no signs of improvement, clashed with the Department of Public Enterprises and senior executives over the airline‘s direction.

And there have been reports, so far not denied, that Myeni takes instructions from Zuma, who is clueless about airlines.

For many years our airline has been subjected to a string of scandals, political interference and incompetent appointments.

What was supposed to be the nation‘s pride has been turned into a shabby company which burns taxpayers‘ money like its fleet does fuel.

http://www.ethiosports.com/ It must be hurting to the most dedicated professional employees who want SAA to succeed but watch helplessly as ignorant appointees drag it to its knees.

In 2014, while the fractious SAA board intensified its typical fight with the latest chief executive officer to be forced out, Ethiopian Airlines was declared as the largest airline in Africa in terms of revenue and profit.

Why is Ethiopian Airlines, headquartered in poor Addis Ababa, more successful than SAA, which is based in Africa‘s richest region of Gauteng, closest to the most developed city of Johannesburg?

The most obvious answer is that unlike South Africa, the Ethiopian government has appointed a competent chief executive officer.

His knowledge of the aviation industry does not start and end as a passenger.

Tewolde GebreMariam, who was appointed chief executive in 2011, has been with Ethiopian Airlines for 30 years, starting in 1985 as transportation agent in Addis Ababa.

He worked through the ranks and got postings as area manager in Saudi Arabia and the United States. In 2006 he was appointed chief operating officer.

SAA has no history of appointing chief executives with comparable pedigree, who combine relevant experience with solid business qualifications.

GebreMariam has qualifications in economics and business administration.

Unlike SAA, Ethiopian Airlines does not have a chairman who is learning on the job — and failing at it.

Ethiopian Airlines has a long-term plan: Vision 2025. SAA, with its high turnover of executives, cannot set a long-term vision. Its short-term turnaround strategies never get implemented in full.

Whoever is in charge, usually not always the best available, invariably encounters political thunderstorms, forcing them to make a U-turn.

But there could be another compelling reason for SAA‘s failure: politicians believe running down the airline has no adverse consequences.

Our politicians are readily prepared to sign endless guarantees for SAA to plunge into debt markets.

Ethiopian Airlines, on the other hand, has no option of failure, as its government cannot afford big loan guarantees.

Its failure would mean the failure of the country itself. Ethiopia depends on the airline to propel its growing economy.

In-transit accommodation is growing fast around Addis Ababa Airport. With it tourism, construction and job creation. A number of Addis Ababa‘s hotels are getting a facelift, thanks to the success of the airline.

Ethiopian Airlines is an African success story that holds lessons for our government leaders — only if they have the capacity to appreciate this.

So, next time our government officials visit China to lick the shoes of Chinese leaders while claiming to study business models, they should go via Addis Ababa and take some notes.

http://af.reuters.com/

S.African airlines to cancel order for 10 Airbus aircraft -CFO

CAPE TOWN, Sept 2 (Reuters) - South African Airlines is close to finalising the cancellation of a contract to supply 10 Airbus A320 aircraft as part of plans to get the national carrier back to profitability, its chief financial officer said on Wednesday.

"We need to get the final approval from the board who can sign the documents and then we're done," Wolf Meyer told journalists at a parliamentary briefing, adding that approval was expected within days. (Reporting by Wendell Roelf; Editing by James Macharia)

http://www.arabianaerospace.aero/

Qatar Airways rolls out new cargo management system - See more at: http://www.arabianaerospace.aero/qatar-airways-rollsout-new-cargo-managementQatar Airways has designed and implemented a next generation cargo management system named CROAMIS to manage its end-to-end airline cargo business processes.

CROAMIS, Qatar Airways‘ Cargo Reservations, Operations, Accounting and Management Information System, is a single system serving the airline‘s entire global cargo network, designed to scale with the future growth expected. CROAMIS has been developed in-house by Qatar Airways through an innovative co-funded model with global IT services provider Wipro. It is an integrated system that enables comprehensive automation of the airline‘s core business functions and supports collaborative operations across the airline‘s cargo supply chain. The system incorporates the latest practices in business functions including sales, pricing, cargo ground handling, and ULD Management. CROAMIS provides an integrated revenue management module for inventory management, cargo load and revenue optimisation and also has a robust cargo revenue accounting suite. It has been developed using a platform independent state-of-the-art technologies, which facilitates modular deployment and is also cloud ready.

http://www.arabianaerospace.aero/ Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr Akbar Al Baker said: ―CROAMIS has been developed by Qatar Airways‘ IT professionals to meet the specific needs of our growing cargo business, Qatar Airways Cargo, which is today the world‘s fifth largest cargo airline. ―Designed to anticipate our future business requirements, as well as the technological developments of the aviation industry, CROAMIS will enable further efficiencies in Qatar Airways Groups‘ day-to-day business operations, and provides additional analytical information to inform our transportation planning, decision making processes.‖ Mr Ulrich Ogiermann, Qatar Airways Chief Officer Cargo, added: ―Qatar Airways Cargo is proud to launch CROAMIS, our state-of-the-art next generation business process automation system, which provides 100% coverage of all cargo business functions in a single application. ―CROAMIS will align our end-to-end cargo business processes and provide the entire global cargo network with a seamless system that will support our projected growth in the coming years.‖ Mr Srinivasan A. T., Qatar Airways Chief Information Officer, added: ―We have always seen technology as a key business enabler. Our growing cargo business needed a scalable and future proof system that works efficiently and effectively for all the stakeholders in the cargo supply chain, is accessible on any device from anywhere and can be quickly configured to support ever-changing business scenarios. This is what CROAMIS delivers and we are committed to taking the system further forward as the cargo business becomes increasingly e-enabled and all the participants in the supply chain further integrate their systems.‖ Qatar Airways has a global airfreight network, operating to more than 150 destinations worldwide, and is witnessing rapid growth each year. This growth and development presents new opportunities to deploy cutting-edge technology throughout the airline‘s business management process. With CROAMIS Qatar Airways can provide full automation for the entire ground handling operation at the airline‘s Doha hub at Hamad International Airport.

Built on service oriented architecture using Java technology, CROAMIS is an internet-based solution compatible with all mobile platforms. CROAMIS facilitates service improvements such as track and trace, e-booking and efreight functions via the Qatar Airways Cargo‘s website, thereby allowing airfreight customers to access real time information regarding their shipments.

‫ادارة العالقات العامة ‪ -‬الشركة القابضة‬ ‫لمصر للطيران‬