Andrea Crisp: March 2006 Archives

Low-cost terminals are becoming a reality in Asia with the opening of two separate facilities within the space of three days. Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) last week opened its low-cost carrier terminal, just beating rival Singapore Changi's Budget Terminal to the cutting of the ribbon.

The fact that two Asian airports have opened low-cost terminals reflects the growing demand for greater efficiencies and increased aircraft turnaround times.

The success of low-cost carrier AirAsia and increased passenger numbers sparked the decision to construct KLIA's Low Cost Carrier Terminal. Designed to suit the low-cost business model, the terminal has no travellators, escalators or airbridges. The 35,290m² terminal has one single-storey building for both departures and arrivals. It is designed to handle 10 million passengers a year, with the potential for expansion. This will ease congestion at KLIA's main terminal building. Construction began in only June last year on a fast-track basis and cost around 108 million ringgit ($29 million).

Singapore's new Budget Terminal is comparable with Kuala Lumpur's Low Cost Carrier Terminal - it is 25,000m² in size, cost S$45 million ($28 million) to build, and is similarly basic. Budget Terminal (below) however has a smaller capacity - it will initially be able to handle about 2.7 million passengers a year, with potential to handle up to 5 million. Tiger Airways is Budget Terminal's anchor tenant, and the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore is in talks with other carriers.

Fresh from Asian Aerospace in Singapore, Bombardier brought its CRJ900 tour to Europe. Aerospace journalists from the UK and France gathered at London Stansted before experiencing the CRJ900 in action as we jetted over the Irish Sea to Belfast.

It didn't take us hard-bitten journalists long to adjust to the luxury of business class, the wine, canap駸 and 32.5"-equivalent seat pitch leg-room and before we knew it, we were touching down at Belfast City airport as plane-spotters on the ground jostled to get the best shot. It's not every day the CRJ900 comes to town.

As the team from Bombardier were keen to impart at the press briefing the next day, the CRJ900's credentials are impressive. Seating between 86 and 90 passengers, it has the lowest operating costs in its class and its seat-mile costs are comparable with new-generation narrowbodies.

And despite a market trend that has dipped in the past two years, Bombardier is bullish about the future of the regional jet market. "We are confident that when the market comes back, it will come back in a big way," said Trung Ngo, vice-president marketing and communications.

A question and answer session brought a flurry of questions about Bombardier's plans for the CSeries, which were shelved just over a month ago. Alec McRitchie, director of public affairs for Europe, said that although it was "a disappointment", he hoped the CSeries would be launched later.

After a tour of the Shorts facility, we were ushered back onto the aircraft for the quick flight back to Stansted. For most it was then a quick journey home, but for the Bombardier team, the tour continued on to Central Europe on its one-month journey demonstrating the aircraft to a host of potential customers. The tour's exact route wasn't a matter for discussion.

easyJet is expanding its empire with three new routes - all outside the European Union, including its first route to Africa. It will become one of the first northern low-cost players to serve the African continent. The budget carrier will start flying to Marrakech in Morocco, Istanbul in Turkey and Rijeka in Croatia.

Daily flights from London Luton to Istanbul will start 29 June, swiftly followed by the launch of four weekly flights from Luton to Rijeka and then daily service from London Gatwick to Marrakech. Basel to Istanbul service will also operate four times weekly.

"Croatia, Turkey and Morocco are forging an ever-closer relationship with the UK and Europe. As a consequence, the demand for low fares to these countries is growing quickly, and easyJet will be in a unique position to benefit from this development," said easyJet's new chief executive Andrew Harrison.

When announcing these new long-range routes, Harrison talked about improving the airline's profitability. "We now make ｣2 ($3.50) profit per passenger. That is a relatively low profit margin, but the goal is ｣4 per passenger in the next three years. Ryanair makes ｣5 per passenger."

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has taken delivery of the world's first Boeing 777-200LR. The aircraft flew from Boeing's Everett factory in Washington, to Manchester in the UK on 25 February, where it picked up passengers before flying to Islamabad.

PIA plans to begin direct, non-stop flights from Toronto to Karachi on 3 March, and will receive a second 777-200LR later this month.

"The 777-200LR will revolutionise the way people travel with the ability to connect just about any two cities around the world," says Boeing vice-president and 777 programme manager Lars Andersen.

Boeing received US and European certification for the ultra long-range aircraft earlier this month.