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Aviation History
2004
2004-01 - 0014.PDF
mSm AIR TRANSPORT CHILEAN START-UP A new low-fare carrier is expected to enter Chile's domes tic airline market in mid-March. It will serve local destinations and run some cross-border services to Argentina. Headed by Chilean entrepreneur Patricio Suarez, the unnamed carrier will operate six 120-seat airliners of unspeci fied types. According to Suarez, the new carrier will require an investment of around $20 mil lion, which should be be recovered within 48 months of launch. TUI SLOWS DOWN Charter airline group TUI says it will take lessons learned from its loss-making German low-cost operation Hapag-Lloyd Express into the strategy for the rest of Europe, and avoid expanding too rapidly. The group unveiled its UK airline, Thomsonfly, in mid- December and is understood to have firm plans to launch a simi lar operation from Belgium. Thomsonfly is to operate to 11 points from Coventry airport from 31 March, using two Boeing 737- 500s operated under the air operators' certificate of Britannia Airways. It is also to take two fur ther ex-BMI British Midland 737-500S by May. FOKKER GROUNDED Macedonian start-up Air Vardar's Fokker 100 remains grounded at Skopje International airport due to problems with the Macedonian national airline, Macedonian Airlines. The national carrier has a monopoly in the Macedonian airline market, and has so far prevented the new private carrier from starting operations. The air craft, which is leased from Montenegro Airlines, was deliv ered in September. CANADIAN MOVE Canadian domestic carrier Canadian North has purchased five Boeing 737-200s off lease from Arkia Israeli Airlines. The aircraft, manufactured between 1976 and 1982, have been leased to Canadian carriers since Arkia purchased them in 1995-6. The five aircraft were sold for around $13 million and the sale resulted in a profit of around $1.3 million. CARGO NICHOLAS IONIDES / SINGAPORE SI A assesses economics of A380-800 freighter Operating costs of Airbus's giant compared with 747-400 attracts Singapore carrier Singapore Airlines subsidiary SIA Cargo has opened studies into a possible order for Airbus A380-800 freighters. It is meanwhile consider ing adding five or six converted Boeing 747-400Fs from late in 2006. SIA Cargo president Hwang Teng Aun says the carrier is in "a fact finding phase with Airbus" on the A380-800F, which is being devel oped for first delivery in 2008. "We are definitely considering it, because if what they say on paper can be confirmed, they are talking about a unit operating cost of about 20% below a 747-400 freighter. That is a very tangible difference in terms of operating economics for an aircraft," says Hwang. "A 20% improvement in unit operating cost is a humungous improvement - I have not seen anything like that, with the excep tion of perhaps the [Boeing] 747- 200 versus the [Boeing] 707." SIA is to be the first operator of the A380-800 passenger variant early in 2006. It has 10 aircraft on firm order, plus 15 options, and Hwang says SIA has the right to convert any of them into freighter orders. While he does not say how many A380Fs may be required or when they may be introduced, "we are talking about something that is probably five or six years away". SIA Cargo's fleet comprises 13 747-400Fs, although one is on lease to Air China, while four more are on firm order with Boeing. Hwang says the airline needs to consider adding more aircraft beyond the delivery of its final new-build 747-400F in December 2005, and having passenger aircraft converted into freighters looks attractive. Boeing and Israel Aircraft Industries' Bedek unit are both preparing 747-400 Special Freighter conversion programmes for rede livery to their first customers around the end of 2005. "We really don't have capacity plans beyond 2005, so based on that consideration and assuming they are all converted aircraft, then I will need anything from five to six [converted 747-400s] over a period of four to five years," Hwang says. POST Russia puts first Antonov An-12 on mail run <Sc .*Jbii~t !* >_^^. JUBHSSi^ilKPBBH^^P1- ~"^4)0'. The Russian post office has put its first freighter into service on flights from Moscow. An Antonov An-12 (left), leased from Aviall, is carrying mail and packages from Moscow to Anadyr, Irkutsk, Magadan, Norilsk, Petropavlovsk Kamchatka and Yakutsk for major companies including Avialeasing, aviation insurance company Avicos and Moscow Domodedovo airport. More aircraft and routes are planned. LOW-COST CARRIERS RADHAKRISHNA RAO / BANGALORE Indian no-frills market set to grow India's no-frills airline market is set for further growth. Air Deccan, a 2003 start-up, is outlining plans for countrywide and international expansion and another new opera tor is preparing to launch. Air Deccan, which is operated by Bangalore-based Deccan Aviation, is seeking Indian government approval to bring in Rpl80 million ($3.95 million) of foreign invest ment through the sale of a 20% stake. Currently, 15% of the airline is in foreign hands. The airline, which began services in August, serves 11 cities in south ern India. Managing director G R Gopinath says he has a phased expansion plan to cover the entire country and add international routes. "Depending on how the government approval comes along, we will launch flights to Bangkok, Colombo, Kuala Lumpur and cer tain regions in the Gulf," he says. Air One is the name of India's latest low-cost entrant, which plans to begin operations by April. Based in Bangalore, the airline is being steered by former Indian air force official J M Lobo and will operate 50-seat Embraer ERJ-145s on ser vices in the south and west of the country. The carrier says it will not compete with major players on trunk routes. 12 13-19 JANUARY 2004 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL www.flightinternational.com
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