Alfred Chua
Alfred Chua reports from FlightGlobal’s Asia office, where he primarily covers aerospace and air transport topics in the region. He joined FlightGlobal in 2019, and was a news reporter for a local news agency before that. Apart from aviation, Alfred enjoys good coffee, living on social media, and (occasionally) talking about himself in third person.
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AnalysisSoutheast Asia’s Covid-19 blues bad news for air travel
Southeast Asia’s coronavirus resurgence and patchy vaccination rates will delay the region’s air travel recovery, with airlines no better off than they were in the disaserous year of 2020.
- News
Qantas, Rex chiefs wage war of words — again
The heads of Australian arch-rivals Qantas and Regional Express have again traded barbs in the latest escalation of a bitter dogfight between the two carriers.
- News
Uncertainty clouds Singapore-Hong Kong travel ‘bubble’
The outlook for the Singapore-Hong Kong travel bubble arrangement remains in doubt, after Singapore authorities said that no date has been fixed for its relaunch.
- News
Malaysia eyes opportunities in eVTOL, UAV development
Malaysia hopes to venture into the development of unmanned aerial vehicles and autonomous aircraft in the future, as it remains optimistic of an aerospace industry rebound as early as next year.
- News
Topcast, Honeywell ink China 737NG distributor agreement
Aircraft parts distributor Topcast Aviation Supplies has signed a five-year agreement with Honeywell Aerospace for Boeing 737NG parts distribution in Mainland China.
- News
Lessor DAE places $1.8 billion order for 15 737 Max jets
Middle Eastern lessor Dubai Aerospace Enterprise (DAE) has placed an order 15 Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft, its first direct order of the type from the airframer.
- News
Juneyao latest Chinese carrier to suffer losses in 2020
Chinese carrier Juneyao Air was loss-making in 2020, much like its larger, state-owned compatriots, which have also saw their profitability punished by the impact of the coronavirus outbreak.
- News
Volocopter eyes air taxi foray in China
Urban air mobility company Volocopter has teamed up China’s Geely Technology Group to work on introducing its electric air taxi services into the country.
- News
China’s airlines expected to narrow first-quarter losses amid traffic surge
The Chinese airline industry is forecast to be about CNY30 billion ($4.6 billion) in the red for the quarter ended 31 March, narrowing its losses year on year amid an improvement in “recovery momentum”.
- News
Tightened crew quarantine measures punish Cathay’s March traffic
Cathay Pacific reported a third consecutive month of traffic declines as it began to feel the impact of tightened crew quarantine measures imposed by the Hong Kong government.
- News
China’s ‘Big Three’ March domestic traffic leaps past 2019 levels
After a tepid start to the year, China’s three largest carriers made significant gains in domestic traffic, surpassing even pre-pandemic levels in some instances.
- News
ANA, Wingcopter partner to develop drone delivery infrastructure
All Nippon Airways (ANA) Holdings will work with German firm Wingcopter to research and develop drone delivery infrastructure, particularly for medical supplies and consumer products.
- News
South Korea’s Aero K launches operations
South Korean carrier Aero K has commenced scheduled domestic flights, becoming the country’s eighth low-cost carrier.
- News
Virgin Australia adds 737s, restarts hiring amid domestic recovery
Virgin Australia Group will reintroduce 10 Boeing 737-800s into its fleet, as part of a wide-ranging, “fast-tracked” domestic recovery plan which will also see the carrier resume hiring.
- News
IndiGo, AFI KLM E&M renew A320 component MRO contract
Indian low-cost carrier IndiGo has extended a component support contract with European MRO Air France Industries KLM Engineering & Maintenance (AFI KLM E&M) for its Airbus A320 family aircraft.
- News
Vaccines ‘no guarantee’ for border reopening: Australia health minister
While Australia looks at “progressively opening up” its borders this year amid an ongoing inoculation drive, its health minister has cautioned that vaccination is “no guarantee” for reopening.
- News
First KF-X prototype breaks cover
The first prototype of the Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) KF-X fighter programme has been unveiled, marking a milestone in the country’s first domestically developed fighter jet.
- News
Citing pandemic uncertainty, Air New Zealand delays proposed capital raise
Air New Zealand has postponed a planned capital raise by three months, to give it more time “to assess market conditions” amid the coronavirus pandemic.
- In depth
China Airlines sees benefits in retaining regional Mandarin brand
China Airlines has said that its regional unit Mandarin Airlines will be around for the foreseeable future, even as its peers in the region have shuttered or merged such brands into mainline operations.
- Analysis
China Airlines eyes continued growth in profitable cargo market
China Airlines’ decision to focus on cargo early on in the coronavirus pandemic has largely paid off, with the airline remaining profitable despite a collapse in passenger revenue. A senior executive from the airline sheds more light on what the strategy change entailed.
