June 2010 Archives

Our premium new service ATI reports that a jetbridge collapsed at Taipei's Taoyuan International Airport on 28 June:

The collapsed aerobridge was one of two aerobridges at boarding gate D6 at the airport's terminal two, Taiwan's Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) says. Preliminary investigations indicate that the bridge's column and wheel frame had separated, resulting in the bridge collapsing, says the CAA.

Before you say this post is useless without photos, have a look at the fallen jetbridge here. (And if you were there or saw the jetbridge on the ground, let me know.)

I love my job - I go to airshows and conferences around the Asia Pacific, see fantastic flying displays, and meet top industry officials. Since the economic crisis and as the recovery got underway, however, I have heard a constant complaint - there are simply far too many events for the industry.
 
Lockheed Martin's decision to scale down its participation at this year's Farnborough Airshow, therefore, holds a lesson for Asian countries.

The biennial Singapore Airshow and Asian Aerospace (the commercial-only show in Hong Kong) attempt reach out to the wider regional markets. In Asia, possibly only India (where Aero India in Bangalore and Indian Aviation in Hyderabad take turns) and China (Zhuhai Airshow) can justify having country-specific shows due to the size of the aerospace market in those countries.

Yet, we also have smaller events being held either annually or once every two years in Thailand, South Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan, Australia and even tiny Brunei. Japan Aerospace takes place once every four years.

Surely, it is time for the organisers of these shows to review their plans and take into account the "new reality" that Lockheed is talking about. The industry's budget is being stretched, and it makes less sense to commit to so many events.

Perhaps, it is time for the event organisers to come together and coalesce around one or two big regional events. Otherwise, the industry may just do it for them. Lockheed have begun.

Not sure who came up with this idea, but it seems that Thai Airways is going to sell in shops some of the curry sauces that are used in the food it offers on board flights.

Okay, it has admittedly been some time since I flew on Thai Airways. And I am pretty sure that the food must be decent (even good, perhaps).

But surely, the last thing that you want when you get back home after a long flight is to, well, taste more of the same airline food? Maybe it is just me, but airline food is just not something I look forward to when I am on the ground.

It looks like Bombardier has finally realised that it needs to do more with product support in Asia.

The Canadian aircraft-maker announced yesterday that it plans to get Fokker Services to support its Dash 8 and Q-series aircraft around the globe. The only exception is that Bombardier will continue to keep Q400 product support because this aircraft - unlike the others - is still in production.Bombardier says it has signed a memorandum of understanding with Fokker Services and plans to sign a firm deal later this year.

This is a global deal but it has particular significance in Asia, where Bombardier's major turboprop competitor ATR has pretty much been capturing the market. But having Fokker in its camp gives Bombardier a huge boost in Asia.

Fokker may have stopped making aircraft more than a decade ago, but there are still heaps of Fokker aircraft operating in this part of the world and, as a consequence, Fokker has strong relationships with many of the region's carriers.

Fokker also has a maintenance, repair and overhaul centre in Singapore - Fokker Services Asia - that serves the entire region. And it is staffed by a team of product support and sales people, some of which - such as Fokker Services Asia regional director Michael Cole - formerly worked for Bombardier.

Another step that Bombardier is taking to boost its presence in Asia is - and I'm surprised they didn't do it earlier - is to actually have commercial aircraft sales people based in Asia. It already has a few in China but Bombardier Commercial Aircraft president Gary Scott says they plan to station commercial aircraft sales people in other parts of Asia starting later this year or next year. "We are living in a global economy and it is hard to manage everything out of Toronto or Montreal," says Scott.

I just interviewed Japan Airlines' new president and COO Masaru Onishi (above), a very interesting man, at the IATA annual general meeting in Berlin.

He was talking about how, above almost everything else, JAL needs a change in mindset - moving away from its traditional bureaucratic perspectives towards running the company towards an approach that befits a proper airline.

It will be tough - the "mindset" that he talks about has been entrenched for years, and changing corporate cultures is always a big ask in Japan. Yet, they have no choice. Sure, the government could step in and keep bailing it out. That, however, is becoming increasingly unpalatable in Japan.

As Onishi puts it, only a business and mindset transformation will lead to the emergence of a leaner, profitable and successful Japan Airlines. He may not say it, but the only other option is failure.

There will be a lot of attention focused on Japan's All Nippon Airways (ANA) when it introduces the 787 into service early next year.

It has been a long wait for the aircraft, and it will be a big deal for the airline industry especially if Boeing's promised cost savings come through.

ANA will initially deploy the aircraft on its high yield routes (my best is on the first international flights going to China, although the carrier is saying that the west coast of the USA and Europe are on the cards).

Recovery is underway in the industry, but the new-age aircraft like the 787 will be needed as the airlines restructure their business and get rid of older generation aircraft like the Boeing 767s and Airbus A330s.

The 787 will be a welcome addition to the global airline industry.