Thailand Aviation

Father of Thai air crash victim Alex Collins slams One Two Go airline as inquest looms Read More http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2011/03/20/father-of-thai-air-crash-victim-alex-collins-slams-one-two-go-airline-as-inquest-looms-91466-28368203/#ixzz1HEfNgkE4

2011-03-21T19:13:00.002+07:00

Near total avoidance of travel to Japan' threatens aviation market

2011-03-21T19:12:00.000+07:00

Last Updated: Mar 20, 2011

The crisis in Japan is threatening to cause major disruptions to the country's US$62.5 billion (Dh229.56bn) aviation market, which equates to 10 per cent of global airline industry revenues.
The country's $19bn domestic air travel market, with 83 million passengers a year, is the most vulnerable, while international carriers in the Middle East, the US and Europe are also scrambling to re-route operations to safe airports.
"Travel patterns will most certainly be disrupted over the short term, with the likely near total avoidance of travel to Japan," the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (Capa) said.
"A number of carriers have adjusted their schedules to minimise overnight stops and related crew changes in Tokyo." more

Southeast Asia announces plans for single visa system

2011-03-21T19:09:00.002+07:00

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is planning to adopt a single visa system enabling tourists to visit any of the group’s 10 member states on a single travel document. Following the lead of Europe’s Schengen single visa system, Jakarta-based ASEAN believes that a single tourist visa policy would enhance the tourism experience in the region, boosting arrivals to member states. “The plan is realistic, action oriented, attuned to the global realities and designed to ensure that the ASEAN region can continue to be a successful tourism destination,” said Thong Khon, Cambodia’s minister of tourism at the recent ASEAN ministerial meeting, held in Phnom Penh. Earlier this year, the group recently released its ASEAN Tourism Strategic Plan 2011-2015. The plan is expected to promote the region as a single tourist destination, develop a set of ASEAN tourism standards with a single certification process, enable tourism employees to work in any ASEAN country, and create a single tourist visa policy. This final intention was confirmed this week by Eddy Krisneidi, an official at the Jakarta-based ASEAN Secretariat. The strategy also gained strong support from the so-called ‘Plus 3’ countries - China, Japan and South Korea. ASEAN is also moving towards the implementation of an open skies aviation policy, which is scheduled to come into force in 2015. A unified ASEAN aviation market means that airlines would be able to fly freely over the region, transporting passengers between member states without limits imposed by individual governments in terms of routes, frequencies, airlines or aircraft types. In tandem, the single tourist visa and open skies aviation policy would have the potential to greatly improve the region’s appeal as a tourist destination, offering the opportunity to significantly increase tourist arrival numbers from the 65 million achieved in 2010. The plans have some obstacles to overcome before being implemented however, not least the inclusion of Myanmar, and local cross-border disputes, including the situation between Cambodia and Thailand.

IATA: 'Major slowdown' in Japan will affect airlines worldwide

2011-03-21T19:08:00.005+07:00

THAI advised to hire purchase

2011-03-21T19:08:00.002+07:00

The Transport Ministry has assigned Thai Airways International to buy 37 new aircraft on hire purchase instead of leasing them.

The move came after the ministry told THAI to thoroughly compare the information and figures between hire purchase of the 37 new aircraft and leasing them.
Supot Saplorm, the transport permanent secretary, said THAI earlier proposed a plan to lease 37 new aircraft. The lease project would have cost the national airline carrier about 216 billion baht.
However, the Transport Ministry wanted THAI to hire purchase them instead, as it would be worth the investment in the longer term.
THAI was told to exercise its option and compile more information on the hire purchase option.
The feasibility study showed the cost of hire purchasing 37 new aircraft was about 140 billion baht, which is more cost-effective than leasing them, Mr Supot said.
The ministry had instructed THAI to map out a new strategy to turn Thailand into a regional aviation hub.
To achieve that goal, THAI would have to work in partnership with other relevant agencies, such as the Tourism Authority of Thailand, he said.

Cambodia sets its eyes on the south coast

2011-03-17T06:40:00.000+07:00

CAMBODIA - With tourist arrivals in Cambodia approaching the 3 million mark, the country is seeking to diversify its tourism offer. As Siem Reap and the nearby Angkor temples reach saturation, the Cambodian Government is turning its eyes to the 400-kilometre coast along the Gulf of Siam.

The area receives only 162,000 international tourists a year, a mere 5% of all arrivals in the country (and compared to 44% for Siem Reap). The coast has some 60 hotels with almost 3,000 rooms, the majority of them in the coastal city of Sihanoukville (45 hotels with 1,945 rooms). Only a few of them offer world-class standards: Cambodia's Sokha Group is present with the Sokha Beach Resort, a five-star resort, while the Independence Hotel, inaugurated in 1963, reopened two years ago as a four-star property.
However, more luxury and first-class properties are to come. The Royal Group Cambodia has recently revealed its ambition to build Asia's 'first environmentally planned resort island', pioneering high-end international tourism on the country's idyllic coastline. The vision is to develop the pristine island of Koh Rong ‑ a 30-minute boat ride from the coastal city of Sihanoukville ‑ into an ecologically sustainable resort paradise rivalling established Asian resort Islands such as Bali and Phuket.

The Sokha Group is involved in two major resort developments, the Sokha O'Chheuteal beach and casino in Sihanoukville and the Sokha Bokor Resort. Both are scheduled to open in 2012. A Japanese project is also taking shape in Sihanoukville with residence apartments and a hotel. The Song Saa resort, an exclusive 25-villa property will open by the end of the year on an island off Sihanoukville. And in Ream, Accor has signed for a M-Gallery property by 2013.

The crucial problem for the coast is the lack of air access. There are still no regular flights to Sihanoukville and in the short term Cambodia's national airline Cambodia Angkor Air can only promise charter flights …

Bangkok's terminal illness: AoT's medical burden

2011-03-17T06:38:00.000+07:00

Suvarnabhumi airport's problems go beyond complaints about long immigration lines, dirty toilets and staff not smiling enough to include others of a more pressing financial nature.

Suvarnabhumi airport’s clinic is staffed by three doctors and nine nurses.

The airport is facing a rising number of foreign travellers who fall seriously ill on their journeys, and even a few who have chosen the passenger terminal to commit suicide.
Since opening in September 2006, Suvarnabhumi has seen at least six suicide attempts. Two of them have been successful, the most recent one being an Iranian.
Hundreds of foreign passengers passing through the airport have fallen seriously ill or suffered accidents, requiring immediate medical attention.
Many are treated at either Suvarnabhumi's own clinic or transferred to Samitivej Srinakarin, the private hospital that jointly offers medical services at the airport with Airports of Thailand (AoT), until they are fit enough to travel to their homelands.
That may sound normal, but what makes it an issue is the growing number of travelling foreign patients who refuse to pay their bills, and their countries simply deny any responsibility.
AoT's Medical Department said that as of 2010, a total of 59 foreign patients had not paid bills amounting to a combined 20 million baht.
That includes two attempted suicides _ a Bangladeshi man last May and a Russian man in August 2009 _ who survived but ran up medical bills totalling 850,000 and 302,000 baht, respectively.
Such patients say they have no money. Worse, their countries offer no help, telling AoT and Samitivej Srinakarin that the dispute is strictly between the individuals involved and the Thai entities.
The list of these countries is long, ranging from First World nations with comprehensive social security schemes to poorer Third World states.
"We think it extremely unfair to make us shoulder this huge financial burden while the patients' countries simply ignore the problem," said Sakchai Arunrukthavon, the vice-president of AoT's Medical Department.
"We're morally and legally bound to do our utmost to cure these critically ill patients only to find that the parties involved refuse to take financial responsibility. We have become so desperate that we've tried almost every means imaginable but to no avail."
Dr Sakchai pointed out that AoT and its hospital partner previously had no problem absorbing the bills, but the amounts involved have grown into a huge financial burden over the years.
Most patients who do not settle their bills simply leave the country, some even using air tickets paid for by AoT.
Such patients include broke backpackers, drug addicts, the jobless and those whose families will have nothing to do with them.
AoT has contacted the embassies and consulates of the patients' home countries, but to no avail.
As an international airport, Suvarnabhumi is required by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), a UN agency, to be equipped with medical facilities and services for the benefit of travellers.
Unfortunately, the ICAO rules do not explain how the medical expenses incurred can be cleared.
Dr Sakchai suggests the Thai government require foreign visitors to Thailand buy health and travel insurance.

World Airport Rankings 2010: Big changes to global Top 30. Beijing up to #2, Heathrow falls to #4

2011-03-17T06:37:00.002+07:00

The rankings of the world’s busiest airports for 2010 have yielded some key developments in global aviation. Beijing Capital Airport has surged into second place behind Atlanta, leapfrogging London Heathrow, which has also dropped below Chicago O’Hare, according to Airports Council International (ACI).

The biggest improver in this year’s list was Shanghai Pudong Airport, which surged 14 places to 20th position just behind Mainland Chinese counterpart Guangzhou (which rose three places). Shanghai Pudong, which reported a 27.2% increase in passenger traffic last year, replaces Newark in the global Top 30.
See CAPA's related World Airport Rankings 2010 reports:

Other notable performers included Jakarta, which jumped seven places to 16th largest, and Singapore - which rose from 21st to 18th place. Dubai gained two places to 13th.
Only two airports in the Top 30 did not grow in 2010, Las Vegas (-2.6%) and London Heathrow (-0.2%). Charlotte (+10.4%) was the only large airport outside the Asia Pacific region and Middle East growing by more than 10%.
NB: Click on any of the airport codes in the table below to view detailed schedule and fares data, as well as news and analysis.

World’s Top 30 Airports by Passenger Numbers: 2010

Airport	Passengers	% change	Rank 2010	Rank 2009	Change
Atlanta (ATL)	89,331,622	1.5	1	1	-
Beijing (PEK)	73,891,801	13	2	3	+1
Chicago (ORD)	66,665,390	3.3	3	4	+1
London (LHR)	65,884,143	-0.2	4	2	-2
Tokyo Haneda (HND)	64,069,098	3.4	5	5	-
Los Angeles (LAX)	58,915,100	4.2	6	7	+1
Paris (CDG)	58,167,062	0.4	7	6	-1
Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW)	56,905,066	1.6	8	8	-
Frankfurt (FRA)	53,009,221	4.1	9	9	-
Denver (DEN)	52,211,242	4.1	10	10	-
Hong Kong (HKG)	50,410,819	10.6	11	13	+2
Madrid (MAD)	49,786,202	2.8	12	11	-1
Dubai (DXB)	47,180,628	15.4	13	15	+2
New York (JFK)	46,495,876	1.4	14	12	-2
Amsterdam (AMS)	45,211,749	3.8	15	14	-1
Jakarta (CGK)	43,981,022	18.4	16	23	+7
Bangkok (BKK)	42,784,967	5.6	17	16	-1
Singapore (SIN)	42,038,777	13	18	21	+3
Guangzhou (CAN)	40,975,253	10.6	19	22	+3
Shanghai (PVG)	40,582,356	27.2	20	34	+14
Houston (IAH)	40,475,058	1.2	21	18	-3
Las Vegas (LAS)	39,397,359	-2.6	22	17	-5
San Francisco (SFO)	39,254,634	5.1	23	20	-3
Phoenix (PHX)	38,552,409	1.9	24	19	-5
Charlotte (CLT)	38,143,078	10.4	25	24	-1
Rome (FCO)	36,228,490	7.4	26	27	+1
Sydney (SYD)	35,992,164	7.6	27	28	+1
Miami (MIA)	35,698,025	5.3	28	25	-3
Orlando (MCO)	34,877,507	3.5	29	26	-3
Munich (MUC)	34,721,605	6.2	30	30	-

Big shifts towards emerging markets – more investment needed

The Asia Pacific region overtook North America as the largest aviation market in 2009. By 2014, Asia will account for 30% of global traffic, while North America will fall to 23%. Asia Pacific’s carriers are the most profitable, with USD7.7 billion in net profits in 2010, and USD3.7 billion forecast for this year, according to IATA. Of the 800 million new passengers who will fly by 2014, 360 million of them will be in Asia Pacific and 214 million of those in China alone, according to the airline industry body. China overtook Japan last year as the world’s second biggest economy behind the US.
ACI World Director General Angela Gittens said: “2010 underscored the resilience of the air transport business and resulted in over 5 billion annual passengers for the first time ever. 2010 also pronounced the shift and divergence in growth across the regions. While North America and Europe have struggled to reach pre-crisis passenger volumes, Asia-Pacific, Latin America-Caribbean and Middle East sustained a strong momentum and gained market share through double digit growth.”
Ms Gittens added: “GDP growth projections for this and the coming years are high creating a positive outlook for demand for air transport. This underpins the need to continue to expand and modernize airport infrastructure to maintain high standards of efficiency and customer service. More than ever, airports will be asked to finance these projects autonomously without public funds requiring private and public airports to be empowered to generate necessary returns on their investment.”

European, Asian airlines take steps to avoid Tokyo

2011-03-17T06:36:00.002+07:00

Thai Airways' Narinthorn Purnagupta is to pilot the airline's Vietnamese operations

2011-03-10T15:59:00.000+07:00

Soaring ambition

Wednesday, March 09, 2011 - by Philipp Beco

After years of spearheading the Cambodian operations, Thai Airways' Narinthorn Purnagupta is to pilot the airline's Vietnamese operations.

A Thai national, Narinthorn Purnagupta holds a Masters degree in economics from Brooklyn's Long Island university (Vinh Dao for SEA Globe)

As he gets ready to leave for new pastures Narinthorn Purnagupta is light hearted. He will pass the baton to a successor who, he is happy to say, will inherit a profitable Bangkok-Phnom Penh route.
The general manager of the Cambodian Thai Airways office landed in the Kingdom in early 2006. “Those were the best years. At the time and until mid-2008 tourism from Korea and Japan was booming and the country’s economy was growing at a rapid pace,” he recalls.
Then came the financial crisis. Purnagupta reckons the passenger demand fell, but he now looks at the future with confidence again as the Thai carrier holds a strong market position in a country of good prospects.
“The Cambodian market is quite sensitive, especially the traffic to Thailand,” says Purnagupta, who is keeping a close eye on territorial tensions between the two neighbours. He is acutely aware of the negative impact the conflict could have on business between and within Thailand and Cambodia. “However, even during the toughest financial crisis moments, many long-haul clients kept on flying to Cambodia via Thailand. Suvarnabhumi International Airport provides a nice getaway to the seasoned travellers who know Thailand already well.”
With a master's degree in economy from Brooklyn’s Long Island University, Purnagupta has other reasons to be optimistic about the fundamentals of Cambodia’s development.
“The population is more and more educated, investors are coming, people are getting wealthier and they love to travel. Provided we succeed in revising our Air Traffic Agreement with the authorities, I believe we would start with a third weekly flight between Bangkok and Phnom Penh as soon as business volume enables it,” he explains.
Thai Airways carries a diversified mix of clients to Cambodia from diplomats to businessmen and, of course, tourists.
“Tourism is one of the four main business pillars of Cambodia – it provides a hard currency the country needs. We are ready to take risks but it takes two hands to clap,” Purngupta says, suggesting the Ministry of Tourism could draft a better plan to encourage investment in the country’s nascent industry.
He doesn't appear concerned by Air France's network expansion to Cambodia. Yet he sees the growing presence of Gulf airlines – and their low fares – in the region a potential threat. He is quick to add that as fuel-laden long-haul aircrafts demand high -tandard catering capabilities and long runways from its receiving airports, a stopover in Bangkok for flights travelling between Laos and Cambodia and the Middle East is likely. If this proves true, Gulf airlines will lose their competitive edge on possible Europe-Phnom Penh routes.
Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport is of course central to Thai Airways' development strategy. “Regional airports may be competitors in the long term, but for the time being I think Bangkok is safe from harm. The airport has high technology standards and all the land it needs to further extend, so we can easily double our capacity in three to four years. We want to promote it as the best gateway to Indochina.” The extension of the airport is to be completed in 2015, bringing the current capacity of 45 million passenger arrivals per year up to 60 million.
Purnagupta's next stop is Ho Chi Minh City, from where he will also look after the airline’s Hanoi bureau. As the new general manager for Vietnam, he believes he will spend a substantial part of his time talking to the country’s authorities – nuturing a professional, and mutally beneficial, working relationship.
His assignment is to reinforce Thai Airway’s footprint in the country, establishing a stronger link between the local market and the Star Alliance network, which brings together 27 airways including Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines and United Airlines to name but a few.
“It’s a bigger market than Cambodia, but Vietnam Airlines’ position is very strong,” Purnagupta says. He shouldn’t have difficulties in keeping himself busy. In its latest study just released last month, The International Air Transport Association expects Vietnam to be the third-fastest market in the world for international passenger traffic by 2014.

Tiger Airways Plans Training Programme for 100 New Pilots

2011-03-10T15:55:00.002+07:00

Tiger Airways has invited qualified major aviation training providers to submit formal proposals for the provision of a Cadet Pilot training programme to be launched later this year.

Besides providing comprehensive training to individuals from various countries to enable them to qualify as licensed commercial pilots, the training programme will be tailored to the specific operating requirements of Tiger Airways. As such, the training will include topics such as airmanship, safety management, airline economics and fuel efficiency procedures.

The preferred location of the training facilities will mirror the development of the Tiger Airways network. This may include Singapore or Australia where Tiger Airways already has crew operating bases, together with Thailand or the Philippines where Tiger Airways has announced plans to create Thai Tiger Airways and invest in Philippine based airline, SEAIR.

Tony Davis, President & Group CEO of Tiger Airways Holdings, said, “We are proud to have a team of highly qualified pilots growing their careers alongside the expansion of Tiger Airways in the Asia Pacific region. While we continue to attract significant numbers of qualified pilots from other airlines, we believe that the time is now right to plan the launch of our own tailor made Cadet Pilot training programme, to be operated in conjunction with a major aviation training establishment. Tiger Airways will be growing its fleet to almost 70 aircraft by 2015, and the Cadet Pilot training programme will provide a significant number of the pilots required to operate these new aircraft.”

Tiger Airways currently has about 240 pilots across its Singapore and Australian operations, and a fleet of 24 Airbus A320 aircraft. In addition, SEAIR operates 2 Airbus A319 aircraft that are leased from Tiger Airways with pilots based in the Philippines.

GE Aviation offers latest jet engine to THAI

2011-03-10T15:54:00.002+07:00

Fuel surge stings Qantas international flyers

2011-03-10T15:48:00.002+07:00

Gillian McGee
From: Herald Sun
March 10, 2011 12:00AM

Higher prices: Qantas says fuel costs are an increasing worry for the aviation industry. Source: Supplied

AIR travellers will pay up to $45 more for international flights after Qantas increased fuel surcharges. ...read more

Jet Aviation expands aircraft management fleet in Asia

2011-03-10T15:46:00.001+07:00

Hong Kong — Jet Aviation added six new aircraft to its managed fleet in Asia, bringing the number to a total of 16. To meet the increased demand for aircraft management and charter services, the Hong Kong office also recently expanded its team of multilingual aviation specialists.

Along with increased charter demand, Jet Aviation has added six new aircraft to its management fleet in Asia in the past few months. The new additions include a Citation CJ3, a Gulfstream G550, a Gulfstream G-IV, a Bombardier Global 5000 and two Global Express aircraft.

"We are very pleased with the growth of our managed fleet in the region," says Iris Riesen, managing director of Jet Aviation's aircraft management and charter division in Hong Kong. "We work diligently to provide our clients the best service possible and these additional contracts will help us continue to meet their expectations."

Jet Aviation's 24/7 aircraft management and charter operation in Hong Kong was established in 2001. The company currently has 16 aircraft in its management fleet in Asia. Available services include the full range of aircraft management and flight support services, as well as charter services. In addition, Jet Aviation offers line maintenance, inspections and defect rectifications, and AOG support in Hong Kong.

Pan Am International Flight Academy interview in Hong Kong

2011-03-10T15:45:00.000+07:00

At the Asian Aerospace 2011 which took place in Hong Kong between 8-10 March 2011, ASIA Travel Tips.com had the opportunity to sit with Mr. Gregory Darrow, the Senior Director of Sales at Pan Am International Flight Academy.

In the interview, we discuss the company's plans for Asia Pacific, trends within the simulator market, which aircraft simulators are the most popular and much much more.

Pan Am International Flight Academy, with training locations throughout the United States and increasingly now the world, is a leading provider of training support for airlines and aviation professionals. As the only surviving division of Pan American Airlines, Pan Am International Flight Academy can trace its instruction heritage to the earliest days of airline flight training.

Pan Am International Flight Academy’s President, Vito Cutrone, joined Pan American Airlines in the 1960’s. In 1980, Mr. Cutrone opened Pan American Airline’s International Flight Academy in Miami Florida. After the closing of the airline, Mr. Cutrone remained with the flight academy to establish it as an independent training organization. Pan Am International Flight Academy now calls this Miami location its corporate headquarters.

HD Video Interview - Pan Am International Flight Academy

2012 Asian Business Aviation Conference & Exhibition (ABACE2012)

2011-03-10T15:43:00.000+07:00

Although the 2012 Asian Business Aviation Conference & Exhibition (ABACE2012) is nearly a year away, the show is positioned to be the premier event for business aviation in the Asian region, according to the event’s co-organizers, the National Business Aviation Association and Asian Business Aviation Association (AsBAA).

"It's been just a few months since NBAA and AsBAA announced plans to re-introduce ABACE in 2012, and in that short amount of time, the momentum that is building for the event has surpassed even our highest expectations," Kathleen Blouin, NBAA Senior Vice President for Conventions, Forums & Seminars told attendees at a press conference today in Hong Kong. "It's clear that ABACE2012 is on a roll, and that it will unquestionably be the foremost event for the industry in the Asian region."

Jason Liao, Chairman and CEO of the China Business Aviation Group and NBAA’s chief representative in Asia, agreed, stating: "All of the elements are coming together for a highly successful show. Leaders from across the industry and government have signaled that ABACE is the event that is best positioned to serve the business aviation community, in the coming year and beyond."

ABACE2012 - the only event in the Asian region dedicated solely to business aviation - will be held in the new Shanghai Hawker Pacific Business Aviation Center from February 28 to March 1, 2012. The event will include exhibits in the facility’s 4,000 square-meter hangar, a Static Display of Aircraft outside on its expansive ramp, and on-site education sessions led by industry veterans with knowledge of the region’s business and regulatory environment.

In providing their ABACE2012 forecast, Blouin and Liao said industry and government are coalescing around the event; as one example, the two noted that Chinese authorities have officially welcomed ABACE to Shanghai.

"The Shanghai Airport Authority is pleased to support ABACE in 2012, and for many years to come," said Shanghai Airport Authority Chairman Nianzu Wu, who recently sent an official letter of support for the event. "ABACE will be a world-class event at a world-class facility."

Hong Yin, Deputy Secretary General of the Shanghai Municipal Government agreed, stating: "The city of Shanghai welcomes ABACE. We look forward to being the host city for what will be the pre-eminent business aviation event in Asia."

Blouin and Liao also noted that all of the leading international business aviation associations - including the International Business Aviation Council (IBAC), the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) and the Flight Safety Foundation (FSF) have signed on as ABACE partners.

IBAC Director General Don Spruston observed "Business aviation in Asia is at an early phase, but the growth potential is immense. ABACE2012 will be an ideal opportunity for the global business aviation community to showcase the products, services and safety programs that have made business aviation one of the fastest-growing aviation sectors in the world."

Bill Voss, President and CEO of the Flight Safety Foundation, agreed, pointing specifically the value of ABACE in connecting government and industry leaders to focus on safety. "As business aviation begins to emerge in the Asian region, it's important that the industry's growth be accompanied by a strong safety focus," Voss said. "ABACE will provide an outstanding venue for experts in safety and other operational matters to gather and consider issues specific to the region, share best practices, and ensure that over the long-term, government and industry have an effective safety regime in place."

The support industry and government leaders have given to ABACE comes as the world’s major business aircraft manufacturers are committing to exhibit at the event. Blouin and Liao reported that Airbus Corporate Jets, Boeing Business Jets, Bombardier Aerospace, Cessna Aircraft Company, Dassault Falcon Jet Corporation, Embraer Executive Jets, Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation and Hawker Beechcraft Corporation have signed on to exhibit at ABACE. GAMA President and CEO Pete Bunce welcomed the manufacturers’ support for ABACE2012, stating "This show will be the premier marketplace for manufacturers to introduce their products to companies in the Asian region, and GAMA is delighted to be a part of the event, and to see such strong, early support from the manufacturing community."

In concluding, Blouin unveiled two new resources – a bilingual ABACE2012 web site (www.abace.aero), with all content available in English or Chinese, and a new monthly e-mail newsletter – which NBAA and AsBAA will utilize to keep industry updated on continuing information about the 2012 show.

"By any measure, ABACE2012 is coming together as the kind of world-class event that the business aviation community expects from NBAA," Blouin concluded. "The show is poised to take its place alongside other shows NBAA has been involved with, including our Annual Meeting & Convention, the European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition and the Latin American Business Aviation Conference & Exhibition."

Cathay Pacific orders 10 777s worth $2.8B

2011-03-10T15:42:00.002+07:00

Thailand's Crime Suppression Division probes missing Orient Thai 747 jet engines

2011-03-10T15:40:00.000+07:00

CSD probes 4 missing Orient Thai aircraft engines

Published: 9/03/2011 at 12:00 AM
Newspaper section: News

The Crime Suppression Division is investigating the disappearance of four aircraft engines from Phitsanulok airport amid suspicions they may have been sold as part of a tax-evasion scheme.

Officers from the Crime Suppression Division inspect a disused Boeing 747 jet. The CSD suspects the plane’s engines have been removed and sold illegally, but this was denied by the owner, Orient Thai Airways. CHINNAWAT SINGHA

The engines, as well as other major aircraft parts, disappeared from two decommissioned Boeing 747s belonging to Orient Thai Airways parked at the domestic airport.

An initial inspection by CSD police found the aircraft had also been externally repainted, rendering their countries of origin and numbers unidentifiable.

Airport director Kasem Intasorn told police Orient Thai Airways rented docking space at Phitsanulok.

The budget airline operator reasoned it could not afford space for the two Boeing planes at Bangkok's main Suvarnabhumi airport.

The CSD is examining documents to see whether Orient Thai Airways parked the planes for maintenance.

"Officers have not yet charged anybody. We're interrogating the relevant parties," said deputy CSD chief Prasobchok Prommun after appointing investigators to inspect the two jets on Monday evening. However, he said, police initially believed that the engines might have been removed for resale. A single main engine can fetch up to 26 million baht.

The two aircraft were inspected after a police informant reported that the planes might be involved in "illegal activities, especially tax evasion", according to a CSD press release.

However, Orient Thai chief executive Udom Tantiprasongchai denied the accusation. He admitted that the engines had been removed, but he said this was a usual practice for decommissioned planes.

The two engines in question had not been used for five or six years, he said. Mr Udom said the engines were now being kept at Bangkok's Don Mueang airport.

He added that the removal of the engines had been properly carried out as the company had to ask the relevant authorities for permission to transport such large airplane parts.

Orient Thai had rented the two Boeing planes for use in its domestic aviation business.

However, after the rental contract expired, the owner did not ask for them back, leaving the company to shoulder parking costs of nearly one million baht a year.

Mr Udom said the officers could seize the planes if they wanted to, or the company would be happy to give them away for free to any agencies or organisations which would like to exhibit them.

He suspected "someone might complain to police as a way to attack me", because a month earlier he had been told to pay taxes to the Customs Department for another decommissioned plane parked at U-tapao airport in Rayong, but he did not pay up.

Mr Udom said decommissioned aircraft are exempt from taxes.

He said someone had threatened in a phone call to turn the two airplanes into a "big issue".

"I was not scared because I had done nothing wrong," Mr Udom said.

Phitsanulok Airport's mysterious 747s involved in Thai tax fraud?

2011-03-09T07:40:00.000+07:00

Tax fraud suspected on old 747s

Published: 8/03/2011 at 03:06 PM
Online news:

The Crime Suppression Division officers have searched two old Boeing 747 aircraft parked at Phitsanulok airport after being informed that the owner was suspected of tax evasion, the CSD revealed on Tuesday.

On Monday, a team of CSD police with a search warrant, led by Pol Col Thanawut Thuamsombun, searched their two aircraft, which are docked at the Phitsanulok Airport. They found that the eight engines and many other parts had been removed from the two jets.

The aircraft have been repainted in white. The paint covers the aircraft’s original registration and other indications of their origin.

Photo by Chinawat Singha

A CSD source said it was alleged that the aircrafts' owner had sold parts from the two Boeing planes without paying proper taxes.

The source said the CSD team had found the two aircraft belong to Orient Thai Airlines, which had rented the docking space at Phitsanulok airport. The airline informed the airport authorities that the two aircraft were there for maintenance.

The source said it was widely known in the airline industry that the airline wanted to sell the two old aircraft for several million baht each.

The source said the CSD team had neither seized the two aircraft nor pressed any charge against any suspect.

The team has only recorded their findings from the search. The team will soon question the director of the Phitsanulok airport and the aircrafts' owner for further information.

Cobra Gold Thailand 2011: U.S. Army Alaska paratroopers land, train in Thailand

2011-03-01T11:28:00.002+07:00

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A U.S. paratrooper from 3rd Battalion, 509th Infantry Regiment (Airborne), prepares to land with his combat equipment on Wang Luk East Drop Zone during Exercise Cobra Gold 2011. (U.S. Army photo/Staff Sgt. Matthew E. Winstead)
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by Army Staff Sgt. Matthew Winstead
4-25 ABCT PAO

2/28/2011 - BAN DAN LAN HOI, Thailand -- Thai paratroopers from the 3-31st Infantry Regiment, King's Guard and their counterparts, U.S. Army Alaska's 3rd Battalion, 509th Infantry Regiment (Airborne), ended Cobra Gold 2011 with a rigorous three-day field exercise in the wilderness of Thailand, Feb. 14-17.

The operation started with airborne insertion into the massive training area.

The Thai and U.S. paratroopers both jumped from the same C-130 and landed on Wang Luk East Drop Zone and quickly consolidated their forces.

The troops shared the task of maintaining security as unit leaders readied for their first push to their objectives.

In the fictional training scenario, civilians were captured by radicals and were being held somewhere in the area.

Available intelligence pointed to the training area as their last known location.

Opposing forces were already in position to provide sufficient resistance.

The idea for the opposition was to keep the joint Thai-U.S. force moving and hit additional objectives throughout the night.
It was a test of both teamwork and fortitude inspired by the challenges of schools, like the U.S. Army Ranger School.

"We had made arrangements to leave clues and even enemy survivors to provide the joint force the means to locate the next objective after each skirmish," said Capt. Benjamin Marquez, 3-509th, battalion intelligence officer.

The joint force walked eight kilometers through rugged terrain and dense vegetation before recovering all the role playing hostages. The short break in mission requirements allowed the two armies to rest up before the final event of the training exercise, a combined joint firing operation called a combined arms live fire exercise.

U.S. and Thai forces waged a massive assault on a fictional enemy border just a few short hours after the demanding events of the field training exercise.

The joint force used U.S. Marine Corps missiles, fighter jets, and Thai artillery to pound the distant hillside which represented the border of the fictional hostile country blamed for the capture of hostages in the previous day's exercise.

For nearly 30 minutes the empty valley suffered the wrath of the two countries' firepower in a display of explosions and air dominance. Immediately afterward, a rush of Thai and U.S. paratroopers flooded in and took the area in a hail of live gunfire.

From the vantage point of the commanding generals high over the engagement area, the scene looked like a coordinated strike of ants overwhelming a battered and smoking enemy location.

The field training exercise was over. There was nothing left. As the Thai and U.S. troops returned to their camp for rest and refit, soldiers from both armies smiled and slapped each other on the back, mimicking the motions of explosions and machine gun fires.

Despite the language barrier, it seemed the two forces had bridged the culture and the underlying message was clear to participants and observers, "Job well done."

Shareholders approve Thai Tiger

2011-03-01T08:18:00.001+07:00

Bangkok Air Catering cooking up Phuket airport plan

2011-02-28T20:10:00.000+07:00

Catering unit would challenge TG venture

Published: 28/02/2011 at 12:00 AM
Newspaper section: Business

Bangkok Air Catering (BAC) has set its sights on opening a second major facility at Phuket Airport to cash in on growing demand from carriers.

BAC’s Suvarnabhumi facility employs 500 staff who produce 17,500 inflight meals a day, with a full capacity of 25,000.

The flight catering unit of Bangkok Airways is in talks with Airports of Thailand Plc (AoT), the operator of Thailand's six main airports, about setting up a flight kitchen that could produce up to 8,000 meals a day.
The nearly one-billion-baht facility would break the monopoly of the existing sole caterer at Phuket airport _ a joint venture between Thai Airways International, AoT and a business group led by the hotel tycoon Vichit na Ranong.
Thavatvong Thanasumitra, Bangkok Airways' executive vice-president for finance, said the proposed Phuket facility formed part of the expansion plan of BAC, which has successfully operated a multi-billion-baht facility at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport for the past four years.
Linus Knobel, BAC's managing director, said the facility would not only offer inflight meals to airlines making Phuket their port of call but also serve as a platform for BAC to serve other sectors as well.
The Swiss executive said BAC also hoped to provide food and beverage services to the planned sports and convention centre expected to be up and running in three years along with more hotels and restaurants on the southern resort island.
Rising demand for airline meals on flights from Phuket is in line with growing passenger traffic as carriers raise frequencies and startup airlines descend on Phuket, said Mr Thavatvong.
"We're seeing 4-5 million passengers a year go through Phuket airport, and with annual growth of 7-9% that number could easily soar to 7-10 million annually in the next three years," he said, adding that the spike in demand for inflight meals justifies additional caterers.
Mr Knobel said BAC wanted to be part of the 5.79-billion-baht expansion of Phuket Airport, Thailand's second busiest in terms of passenger numbers, which is now under way.
When completed in 2014, the airport will be able to handle 12.5 million passengers a year, almost double the current capacity of 6.5 million.
BAC is currently looking into the feasibility of building the catering facility at the airport and obtaining the rights to serve operators there.
The facility was first proposed in response to requests from its existing airline customers including Qatar Airlines and China Southern, as well as Bangkok Airways, said Mr Knobel.
Mr Thavatvong said BAC hoped to begin its new meal service about the middle of next year.
At the Suvarnabhumi facility, 500 staff produce 17,500 inflight meals a day against a full capacity of 25,000 meals.

Strategic flies new Brisbane to Phuket service

2011-02-25T09:13:00.000+07:00

Brisbane-based international carrier, Strategic Airlines, will make its first ever flight from Brisbane to Phuket today, giving South-East Queenslanders new options to travel to Thailand from $299.

Flight VC246 will be at capacity when it departs Brisbane Airport at 12:05pm, with passengers, family and special guests of Strategic Airlines owner Michael James.

Launch festivities at Brisbane Airport will include performances by Thai dancers, a cake cutting ceremony and representatives of Brisbane Airport Corporation joining airline founder and executive director Michael James to personally greet inaugural passengers.

"Phuket has been one of the most sought-after leisure destinations for local holidaymakers for many years," he said. "With our new flights from Brisbane, South-East Queenslanders now have more options for easy and affordable ways to travel there," said James. "We're looking forward to further expanding our international services out of Brisbane in the near future."

Brisbane-Phuket fares start at $299 one-way ($598 return) inclusive of taxes and are on sale online at www.flystrategic.com

Strategic is operating the service on an Airbus A330 aircraft, offering 274 seats in both business and economy class. The flights will depart Brisbane Airport every Thursday and Sunday afternoon at 12:05pm, arriving in Phuket at 4:50pm local time. The return flights will depart Phuket International Airport every Tuesday and Thursday at 5:50pm, arriving in Melbourne at 6:50am the following day.

Earlier this week Strategic Airlines also launched its new twice-weekly Melbourne to Phuket service, flying out of Tullamarine for the first time ever and giving Melbourne Airport a new international airline.

Phuket is the latest international destination to be serviced by the airline, which launched its Brisbane to Townsville to Denpasar (Bali) service in December last year and will offer direct flights between Brisbane and Bali from next month. Strategic also flies direct to Bali from Perth.

Yuma's Avengers embark on 13th MEU

2011-02-25T09:12:00.000+07:00

Story by Lance Cpl. Laura Cardoso

Photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Trevor Walsh
Marines aboard the USS Boxer man the rails in the hangar bay of the ship Feb. 22, 2011. Approximately half of the Marine Attack Squadron 211 joined the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit aboard the USS Boxer Feb. 21, 2011. The MEU is underway for a scheduled deployment to the western Pacific region. The other half of the Wake Island Avengers are currently deployed with the 31st MEU and participating in exercise Cobra Gold 2011, an annual multinational exercise between the U.S. and Thailand.

Marine Attack Squadron 211 and Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 13 Marines embarked on the USS Boxer Feb. 22, 2011, from San Diego for a seven-month deployment with the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit.

Approximately 100 Marines and six AV-8B Harriers will be providing close-air support for the MEU's infantry units as well as reconnaissance capabilities throughout the MEU's diverse variety of missions.

"Our mission out there is to provide support to the 13th MEU in any way they need," said Capt. Colin Newbold, VMA-211 pilot. "I'm confident my men will get the job done."

An unusual number of Marines within the detachment have never deployed, which caused a small concern amongst the command while preparing.

"When we first realized that a large amount of our Marines had no deployment experience, we were skeptical as to how smoothly our operations would go," said Gunnery Sgt. James Grace, VMA-211 avionics technician. "However, once workups started up and their training progressed, we were very confident in their skills. I don't believe we will run into any problems in the future, and I look forward to seeing these Marines show their stuff on the deployment."

The squadron began preparing for the deployment in October 2010. Training included standard ground preparation and on-ship training aboard the Boxer, as well as the station's Auxiliary Airfield 2, which simulates the deck of a ship, offering pilots an area to practice their landings and gain required training hours.

Throughout that time many of the inexperienced Marines got a chance to preview what their lives will be like aboard the Boxer.

"Working on a ship was a new experience," said Cpl. Renard Williams, VMA-211 airframes mechanic. "We learned a lot about what it takes to live on a ship and how our jobs are going to be at sea. I know this is going to be a good experience because we will have the opportunity to experience new cultures along the way."

The rest of the squadron is currently deployed with the 31st MEU and is slated to return in early June 2011.

Thailand’s domestic network improves

2011-02-25T09:10:00.000+07:00

February 23, 2011 by Rapeepat Mantanarat
Filed under Aviation, News

1 Comment

BANGKOK 23 February 2011 – Thailand’s aviation industry is undergoing changes that will deliver improvements to the domestic network and open up secondary destinations in the country.
In less than a year new airline services to secondary destinations, that were previously linked only by road, are offering more options for overseas tour operators.
Thailand’s delegation to the ITB in Berlin hopes to convince European tour operators that there are now options for travellers to explore destinations in the North and Northeast using a combination of tour buses and commuter airline services.
A community airline, Solar Air started operations in August 2010 and currently serves seven destinations from Bangkok’s Don Mueang Airport to secondary cities and also between provinces.
From Bangkok it operates services to: Roi Et, Nan, Mae Sot (four weekly); Phetchaboon, Loei (threee weekly), Phrae (weekly) and Chumporn (six weekly). Travel between Phetchaboon and Loei is also possible.
The airline will connect Mae Sot, the border town on the west with Chiang Mai, the major city in the north this March with three-weekly services, using a 19-seat Dornier 228.
Last month, Nok Air increased services on seven domestic routes lifting daily services across its network from 30 a day to 39.
The Bangkok-Chiang Mai route is being served by six daily services, up from four meaning the airline has a flight departing every two hours from morning until late evening.
Frequency on routes to Udon Thani and Nakhon Si Thammarat has increased from three to four; Hat Yai, from four to five; Trang, from one to two; Phuket from two to four and Surat Thani from two to three.
Services on other routes from Bangkok remain the same: Three daily to Ubon Ratchathani; twice daily to Phitsanulok; daily to Sakhon Nakhon and Nakhon Phanom and twice weekly to Buriram. Chiang Mai-Mae Hong Son is served by two flights daily.
Currently, Nok Air has 10 B737-400 aircraft in the fleet. Nok Air should take delivery of a larger B737-800s later this year. It intends to fly to Narathiwat in the Deep South where Thai AirAsia enjoys a monopoly.
Happy Air started services during the second half of 2009 as a Phuket based airline and has expanded services while making Nakhon Ratchasima, a town in Northeast Thailand, its main base.
Using a 34-seats Saab 340, it has flights between Nakhon Ratchasima and Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport, Phitsanulok and Chiang Mai (twice week); between Chiang Mai and Phitsanulok (twice week); between Suvanabhumi and Loei (four weekly), Mae Sot (three weekly) and Nan (six weekly); also between Phuket and Hat Yai and Ranong (three weekly).
Kan Air, the newest domestic airline starting operations in February, operates flights out of Chiang Mai International Airport. Initially it flies from Chiang Mai to Pai, Chiang Rai and Nan using a 12-seat Cessna turbo-prop 208 Grand Caravan with daily services.
In its business plan it says it will consider other short hops in the North from its Chiang Mai base to Mae Sarieng and Mae Hong Son.
Orient Thai Airlines is not expanding, but it will modernise its fleet this year. The airline confirmed it will take delivery of 12 Superjet 100s, with an option of 12 more Superjet 100s from the Russian aircraft manufacturer Sukhoi. Deliveries will begin in the third quarter of this year allowing the company to phase out its MD82s.
The new aircraft have 98 seats in a single configuration. It will reduce seat capacity by 37% when compared to the 155-seat MD-82s.
Current destinations from Bangkok are: Chiang Mai (twice daily), Chiang Rai (twice daily), Trang (daily), Phuket (twice daily) and Hat Yai(twice daily).
Earlier this year, Thai Asia established its third hub in Chiang Mai after Bangkok and Phuket. Domestically, it now only operates on route linking Chiang Mai with Hat Yai (daily), a commercial centre in South Thailand. Inter-provincial flights from Phuket serve Ubon Ratchathani (three weekly), Udon Thani (daily), Chiang Mai (twice daily) and Bangkok (eight daily).
However, a couple routes in the north operated by Nok Mini are currently suspended — Chiang Mai-Pai and Chiang Mai-Nan due to a change of aircraft. The airline retired its Cessa Grand Caravan fleet and is replacing it with two 34-seat Saab 340s. With just one Saab aircraft it commenced, 1 February, a Chiang Mai-Udon Thani service, with one daily flight. Three flights will be added from 28 February, lifting frequency to 10 flights a week.

Gripen aircraft first flight with Royal Thai Air Force, Sweden

2011-02-25T09:00:00.002+07:00

Thailand's new Swedish built Gripen fighters

2011-02-25T08:58:00.000+07:00

STOCKHOLM, Sweden, Feb. 24 (UPI) -- The Swedish Defense Materiel Administration announced delivery this week of six SAAB Gripen fighter aircraft to the Thai air force.
The arrival of the fighters follows the delivery of the first parts of the air defense systems Sweden and Thailand agreed on in 2008.
"We have now successfully delivered a complete air defense system," said Arne Heden, head of Gripen Thailand at the Swedish agency. "Swedish pilots and technicians will now help Thailand to start using the system."
Under a 2008 agreement, six Gripens with associated equipment and services, a Saab 340 aircraft with airborne radar surveillance system, a Saab 340 for transport and education and an integrated command-and-control system with data links was to be delivered to Thailand.
The agreement contained provisions for extensive logistical support, training for pilots and technicians and flight simulators.
Last November the Swedish agency said signed an agreement with Thailand for six more Gripens, another 340 with Erieye radar and Swedish RB 15F missiles.
Delivery will take place in 2012 and 2013.

Cebu Pacific offers P999 seat sale to 10 Mindanao destinations

2011-02-24T10:40:00.000+07:00

Tuesday, 22 February 2011 16:46

The Philippines’ largest national flag carrier, Cebu Pacific promotes its routes from Manila to 10 destinations in Mindanao in a P999 ‘Go Lite’ seat sale from February 22-24, 2011 or until seats last.

For travel this May 1 to June 30, 2011, passengers can avail of P999 ‘Go Lite’ seats from Manila to Butuan, Cagayan de Oro, Cotabato, Davao, Dipolog, General Santos, Ozamiz, Pagadian, Surigao or Zamboanga.

CEB is also offering P1,499 ‘Go Lite’ seats from Manila to Brunei and Ho Chi Minh, for travel this April 1 to June 30, 2011. Those with check-in luggage will just add P100 upon booking.

The airline flies from Manila to Cotabato, Dipolog and Ozamiz daily, to Butuan twice daily, to Surigao thrice weekly, to Davao 45 times weekly, to General Santos 18 times weekly, and to Pagadian five times weekly.

Starting March 28, 2011, CEB will increase flight frequencies to its Cagayan de Oro and Zamboanga operations. It will operate 46 times weekly flights from Manila to Cagayan de Oro, and thrice daily flights to Zamboanga.

“This seat sale is up to 44% less than our lowest year-round fares to Mindanao, so guests are encouraged to plan their business and leisure trips in advance. We offer the most number of destinations and flight frequencies between Manila and Mindanao, positively stimulating tourism and trade,” said CEB VP for Marketing and Distribution Candice Iyog.

“Guests can also take advantage of this seat sale to take connecting flights from Mindanao to Brunei and Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh). Bandar Seri Begawan in Brunei is home to beautiful mosques and is the country’s commerce, finance and government center. Meanwhile, guests can also make Ho Chi Minh as a jump-off point to Angkor Wat in Cambodia, after visiting the city’s Cu Chi tunnels,” she added.

For bookings and inquiries, guests can go to www.cebupacificair.com or http://funtours.cebupacificair.com (for Fun Tours packages), or call the reservation hotlines (02) 7020-888 or (032) 230-8888. The latest seat sales and promos can also be found on CEB’s official Twitter and Facebook pages.

Iyog also encouraged guests without credit cards to book online and pay through CEB partner banks and payment centers. “Travelers can also select seats in advance and avail of CEB’s web check-in service for their travel convenience,” Iyog said.

CEB currently operates the youngest aircraft fleet in the Philippines with 10 Airbus A319, 15 Airbus A320 and 8 ATR-72 500 aircraft. By the end of 2011, CEB will be operating a fleet of 37 aircraft – with an average age of less than 2.5 years – one of the most modern aircraft fleets in the world. Between 2012 and 2014, Cebu Pacific will take an additional 16 Airbus A320 aircraft.

Thailand's Air Force first six Swedish Gripens arrive in Asia

2011-02-24T08:31:00.000+07:00

Thailand has received its first six of 12 Saab Gripen C/D fighters, following the delivery of the aircraft to an airbase in the southern Surat Thani province. It is the first Asian country to operate the Swedish type.

According to the Royal Thai Air Force's website the aircraft arrived with the service's 7 Wing late on 22 February.
Thailand's initial six-aircraft deal includes two single-seat Gripen Cs and four twin-seat Gripen Ds.

Bangkok's eventual 12-strong fleet was purchased in two separate deals of six aircraft each; the first was signed in early 2008, while the second, which covers six single-seat examples, was signed in late 2010.


© Royal Thai Air Force

Both orders also include one Saab 340 regional airliner equipped with a Saab Microwave Systems Erieye airborne early warning and control radar. The first deal also included an additional Saab 340 to be used for aircrew training and transport activities.

Last year's order also includes the provision of Saab's RB15F anti-ship missile: a subsonic, sea-skimming design with a maximum range of over 108nm (200km).

The second batch of Gripens is due to arrive in 2013. The aircraft will replace some of Thailand's Northrop F-5s.

According to Thai media, the aircraft will be officially handed over to the Royal Thai Air Force next month after completing testing.
Because the first batch of aircraft are technically the property of Sweden until the official handover, Swedish pilots delivered the aircraft. They were flown to Thailand via stops in Hungary, Greece, Egypt and India. However, Thai pilots have already been trained on the aircraft in Sweden.

Thailand joins the Czech Republic, Hungary, South Africa and Sweden in operating the Gripen. The type is also used by the UK Empire Test Pilots' School.

A new generation version dubbed the Gripen NG is also involved in fighter competitions in nations including Brazil, India and Switzerland.

Thanks to Flight Global

Thailand's Angels of the Air - Dreams of being a Flight Attendant

2011-02-18T15:59:00.001+07:00

Good looks and a sweet smile are not always enough for a spot as a cabin crew member in the highly competitive airline industry. Now hopefuls have the option of attending flight attendant school. Perfect Angels hopes to give applicants the edge they need to land the land the job, but the course is far from cheap. Video by Chumporn Sangvilert.

Nok Air Wants MRO Operation In Thailand

2011-02-18T15:46:00.000+07:00

Feb 16, 2011

By Leithen Francis leithen_francis@aviationweek.com
Singapore

Thai carrier Nok Air is pushing maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) companies to set up shop in Thailand.
“We’re now working on getting a MRO provider for the Boeing 737-800s” and are encouraging those short-listed to do the work in Thailand, says Nok CEO, Patee Sarasin, referring to the airline’s future fleet of jet aircraft. The short-listed companies are: Air France Industries, Lufthansa Technik and Boeing, says Patee.
He says some of those short-listed firms have suggested doing the work in Malaysia or China. But having the MRO work done in Thailand will provide 15-20% cost savings, says Patee.
Nok has a fleet of 10 Boeing 737-400s and two ATR 72-200s and handles line maintenance in-house. For heavy maintenance, it has been relying on Thai Airways International’s technical arm and on Air France Industries.
Patee says Nok is now speaking to GE Capital Aviation Services about securing operating leases on 737-800s. There are very few 737-800s available for lease so it appears likely Nok will have to wait until November 2012 before adding the first aircraft, says Patee.
Nok is also in the market to lease ATR 72-500s and is hopeful it can secure leases on two to three before year-end, he says. Nok had earlier said it wanted ATR 72-200s to ensure commonality with its first two aircraft. But he says it has since decided on ATR 72-500s, because these newer model aircraft are more technologically advanced and quieter.
Thai Airways International owns 39% of Nok and is currently trying to buy Krung Thai Bank’s 10% stake in Nok so it can have more management control. Patee has been operating the business independent of Thai.

Mohonu via Wikipedia
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3rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade Marines, sailors take on Cobra Gold 2011

2011-02-15T21:59:00.002+07:00

III Marine Expeditionary Force Public Affairs

Story by 1st Lt. Nicklaus Eisenbeiser

Photo by Lance Cpl. J Nava An F-18 Hornet from Marine All Weather Fighter Attack Squadron 242, Marine Aircraft Group 12, 1st Marine Air Wing, III Marine Expeditionary Force, taxis back through the runway as an F-16 from the Royal Thai Air Force takes off at Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base, Feb. 11 during Exercise Cobra Gold 2011. Cobra Gold is an regularly scheduled annual multinational training exercise. It is the latest in the continuing series of U.S. - Thai military exercises designed to ensure regional peace and stability.

SAMESAN, Thailand - The 3rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade has begun Exercise Cobra Gold 2011 which will be conducted from Feb. 7 to Feb. 18.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of Cobra Gold, which is the largest United States Pacific Command level exercise conducted each year, continuing to build upon the partnerships of all seven countries that take part. This is also the first year that the 3rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade Forward, III Marine Expeditionary Force, has taken the lead during the exercise.

The MEB is the midsized Marine Air-Ground Task Force, serving as a hybrid and maximizing the capabilities between the forward deployed Marine Expeditionary Unit and the principal fighting force – the Marine Expeditionary Force. For 30 days the MEB is self-sufficient. It is composed of a reinforced infantry regiment, a composite Marine Aircraft Group, and a brigade service support group.

“Cobra Gold offers us the great opportunity to train alongside the soldiers and Marines of seven other countries within the Asia-Pacific region. The multinational training that we conduct will directly support any future operation or contingency that may occur in the region; ranging from humanitarian assistance to disaster relief,” said U.S. Marine Brig. Gen. Mark A. Brilakis, 3rd MEB commanding general. “With this being the 30th iteration of Cobra Gold, the foundation of support and security that we have built between countries grows stronger every year.”

Cobra Gold 2011 began with the end of Exercise Freedom Banner. Freedom Banner was designed to test the ability to conduct a maritime prepositioning force operation. Equipment and supplies were offloaded from two military sealift command ships and then transitioned the equipment and supplies for Cobra Gold 2011.

The offload staged equipment and supplies utilized for the field training exercise and for the medical and dental civil action programs. These programs are designed to support the local population, allowing them to receive the necessary treatment which normally they will not be able to obtain.

“The Maritime Preposition Force ‘in-stream’ offload conducted during Freedom Banner ’11 off the coast of Thailand was a tremendous opportunity to showcase the Navy and Marine Corps team’s ability to project combat power ashore without the use of a port facility,” said U.S. Marine Col. Jim Rubino, commanding officer, Combat Logistics Regiment 35, 3rd Marine Logistics Group, III Marine Expeditionary Force, and commander, Freedom Banner 2011, Arrival and Assembly Operations Group.

Marines and sailors are positioned at various camps throughout Thailand that includes 3rd MEB's Logistical Combat Element at Lop Buri, the Air Combat Element at Korat, and the Ground Combat Element at Ban Chan Krem.

More than 4,000 Marines and sailors will participate in everything from multilateral field training exercises to engineering projects.

While at Ban Chan Krem, Marines from Thailand, Republic of Korea and the United States are conduct live fire training. This training will go over the duration of several days and utilizes weapon systems used by each country. Live fire training like this is conducted to allow the Marines to learn tactics utilized by their counterparts and how to work cooperatively with them.

“It’s great to be in Thailand participating in the 30th Anniversary of Cobra Gold,” said U.S. Marine Col. Stephen M. Neary, commanding officer of the GCE, 3rd MEB FWD. “Here at Ban Chan Krem, the [GCE] is honored to be in the Kingdom of Thailand with (one of the) U.S.’ oldest ally dating back to 1833. “We will accomplish this [training] by conducting live fire training, executing a combat life saving package, urban operations training and a staff planning exercise for a humanitarian assistance, disaster relief problem. Our live fire training will consist of enhanced marksmanship training, a machine gun shoot and the employment of Marine air.”

Numerous engineering civic action programs sites throughout the region have also begun. Projects include additions and repairs to eight schools and orphanages throughout the country.

“The 3rd MEB [FWD] Logistics Combat Element, made up of elements from the 3rd Marine Logistics Group, appreciates the opportunity to train in the Kingdom of Thailand alongside our Thai counterparts during Exercise Cobra Gold 2011. The LCE supports all of the 3rd MEB [FWD] units participating in multiple [engineering cicic assistance projects] across Thailand. In addition, we are conducting a bi-lateral field training exercise that allows our Marines and sailors the opportunity to become familiar with Thai tactical training procedures. We have learned a great deal during this training, and we look forward to building upon the success of Cobra Gold 2011 for many years into the futures,” said U.S. Marine Lt. Col. Forrest C. Poole, executive officer of the LCE, 3rd MEB (FWD).

The ACE, comprised of air assets from Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, and MCAS Futenma Okinawa, Japan, conducts air operations from a Royal Thai air Force base, located in central Thailand.

"As always, our Royal Thailand Air Force counterparts from Wing 1 at Korat Airbase are wonderful hosts. Each year, we build upon previous training and the integration between [Marine Aircraft Group 36] and Wing 1 could not be better. There is immense trust and respect between our two country's pilots and Marines performing both command and control and aviation ground support. Cobra Gold is also a wonderful opportunity for our young Marines and sailors to build schools hand in hand with Royal Thai and ROK Marines. These humanitarian efforts bring all countries closer together,” said U.S. Marine Lt. Col. Benjamin Z. Woodworth, executive officer of MAG-36 and the ACE, 3rd MEB (FWD).

Exercise Cobra Gold 2011 is a regularly scheduled multinational training exercise designed to improve partner nation interoperability.

For more information about Cobra Gold 2011, visit www.marines.mil/cobragold2011 or www.facebook.com/exercisecobragold.

Thai Air force: crashed fighters on regular air patrol

2011-02-15T21:57:00.005+07:00

The two fighter planes that flew close to the Cambodian border on Thursday were Thai F16s on a regular patrol, and had nothing to do with the Cobra Gold 2011 exercise, air force spokesman Air Marshal Monthon Satchukorn said on Friday.

AM Monthon said there was an misunderstanding, that the planes were taking part in the Cobra Gold 2011 exercise being held in the 2nd and 3rd Army Regions.

In fact, the two F16 fighters which flew to within two or three kilometres of the Cambodian border yesterday belong to the Thai air force.

They were flying a regular air patrol from Wing 1 in Nakhon Ratchasima and not carrying any weapons, AM Monthon said.

Finnair did well in Asia

2011-02-15T21:55:00.001+07:00

by Jarkko on February 10, 2011

in Airlines

Finnair’s Asian traffic, measured in passenger kilometres, grew by just over 7% in January compared with January the previous year. Scheduled traffic grew by just over 5% and traffic overall by more than 3%.
“Demand is on a growth track, but we are still suffering to some extent from the after-effects of the cabin staff strike. We increased capacity in anticipation of growth, but the passenger kilometre growth figures remained relatively modest due to the after-effects of the strike. As a result, passenger load factors declined,” says Finnair’s Chief Financial Officer Erno Hildén.
In Asian traffic, capacity was increased by more than 20%, thereby reducing the load factor by nearly nine percentage points to 73%. Scheduled traffic capacity was increased by more than 16% and the load factor declined by just over seven percentage points to 67%.
North American traffic grew by just over 7%, European traffic grew by nearly 10% and domestic traffic by more than 9% in January, measured in passenger kilometres. Load factors declined in all scheduled traffic segments.
Leisure traffic declined by slightly more than 2% compared with January last year. In leisure traffic, capacity was also reduced by more than 2%, so the load factor rose to just over 93%.
The amount of cargo carried by Finnair grew by 41% in January compared with the previous year. A pick-up in demand, particularly in traffic between Europe and Asia, and the impact of cargo aircraft traffic launched in May last year are evident in cargo growth.
The arrival punctuality of Finnair flights in January was 71%, which is more than 12 percentage points better than last year. The arrival punctuality of scheduled flights was 73%, which is also more than 12 percentage points better than in January the previous year.

Thai air force to examine cause of two crashed F16s

2011-02-15T21:54:00.000+07:00

Air Vice Marshal Monton Satchukorn, spokesman of Royal Thai Air Force, said Tuesday that two committees were formed to investigate the cause of two crashed F16s.

One committee was assigned to examine the scene and collect evidence while another to interrogate two pilots. The committees will need some time for the investigation, according to Air Vice Marshal Monton.

As for the speculation that two F16 jet fighters might collided to each other, the spokesman said the committees would be responsible for fact finding.

One of the pilots said the engine malfunctioned for unknown reason.

Four F16s left a military base in northern Nakhon Ratchasima province for the annual Cobra Gold military exercise but at about 10:20 a.m. local time on Monday two of them disappeared from the radar system. Two jet fighters were found crashed in northeastern Chaiyaphum province at around 12:00 a.m. local time on Monday.

Two pilots were able to eject themselves safely and slightly injured.

Thailand acquired these warplanes in 2000 from the United States, which had decommissioned them. However, they should remain in usable condition for at least 15 years with proper maintenance.

Source: Xinhua

Cobra Gold 2011 Marines, sailors provide help to local Thai women's center

2011-02-10T09:18:00.002+07:00

2/9/2011 By Lance Cpl. Miranda Blackburn , III MEF

KORAT, Kingdom of Thailand —

Marines and sailors participating in Exercise Cobra Gold 2011 visited Narisawat Wefare Protection and Vocational Training Centre for Women Feb. 5, 2011, as part of a community relations project.

Approximately 20 Marines and sailors went to the center to particpate in the this, the second community relations project coordinated by 1st Marine Aircraft, III Marine Exepeditionary Force chaplains.

Cobra Gold 2011 is a regularly scheduled joint and combined exercise in the continuing series of U.S.-Thai military exercises designed to ensure regional peace bY strengthening the bonds between the seven particpating nations: Thailand, Republic of Singapore, Japan, Republic of Indonesia, Republic of Korea, Malaysia and the U.S. Community relations projects are just one part of the exercise which includes a staff exercise, field training exercise events and humanitarian civic assistance projects.

The center was established in 1966 to support disadvantaged women who have been taken out of human trafficing and prostitution.

The center provides young women with a sense of independence by giving them spiritual rehabilitation, vocational training and non-formal education to reintegrate them into society.

Approximately 150 young women between the ages of 8-18 had the chance to interact with Marines and sailors by getting to know one another, playing games, dancing and singing.

"Just being able to make them laugh was the best part," said Lance Cpl. David Odle, a Marine Air Support Squadron 2, Marine Air Control Group 18, 1st MAW, air support operations operator.

Once the activities began, the smiles were neverending.

"These (community relations projects) show the humanitarian side of the military," said Lance Cpl. Chalisa Thomas, a field wireman with MASS-2. "They have a less fortunate life than we do, and they should have a chance to at least have fun or be happy."

Thomas said she got so involved with the girls because she could tell that even her small actions were making a difference.

"Not only does it help the people, but you feel good too," she added. "Helping someone else, knowing that they're happy, makes me happy too."

Even though many of the girls couldn't speak English and only one service member in the group spoke Thai, the two groups still managed to communicate.

"Love isn't about giving things to people," said Comdr. Dean Hoelz, chaplain of Marine Aircraft Group 12, 1st MAW. "It isn't so much about what you say but what you do. Love really is like an action verb, and that's what our Marines and sailors demonstrated. They showed love to these kids, and everyone knew what it was."

By spending just a couple hours with these young women and donating some needed feminine hygiene products to the Narisawat Welfare Protection and Vocational Training Centre for Women, service members built relationships and provided help and welfare to those who needed it most.

U.S, Thai forces join to improve multinational interoperability

2011-02-05T19:48:00.000+07:00

2/3/2011 By Lance Cpl. Miranda Blackburn , Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni

KORAT ROYAL THAI AIR FORCE BASE, Thailand — Marines and sailors participating in Cobra Gold 2011 arrived at Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand, Jan. 27.

Marine Attack Squadron 211, Marine Aircraft Group 12, Marine Aviation logistics Squadron 12, Marine Air Control Squadron 4 and Marine All-Weather Fighter Attack Squadron 242 are all taking part in the monthlong exercise.
The exercise is scheduled to begin Monday, but Marines and sailors arrived early to prepare for the mission.
As they arrived, they began setting up equipment, scheduling flight plans, situating missions and organizing units.
Cobra Gold is an annual exercise that demonstrates joint and multinational capabilities and improves interoperability between the United States and Thailand.
The joint/combined exercise is designed to ensure regional peace and strengthen the Royal Thai Armed Forces defensive tactics and response measures.
While VMA-211 and VMFA(AW)-242 are performing flight operations, MAG-12, MALS-12 and MACS-4 will be supporting them from the ground.
Units from Okinawa, Japan, are joining the exercise to provide the ground combat element of the exercise as well.
“We’re like one big working machine,” said Lance Cpl. Samuel Roberto, an air traffic controller for MACS-4. “We all have to work together to make sure the mission gets accomplished.”
The purpose of the training is to show the U.S. forces’ support to the pacific region by working with the Thai military in order to maintain peace and stability in the region.
“We’ve had a long, good relationship with the Thai military, and every year it’s great to come and work with the Thai to keep those friendships up and have the opportunity to work side-by-side with a foreign country and their military,” said Lt. Col. Richard E. Petersen, VMFA(AW)-242 commanding officer.
Cobra Gold will focus on building operational readiness in tactics, equipment and logistical support for both U.S. and Thai forces.
“It is always good to be able to work with Marines,” said Thai Air Force Sgt. Akkarat Paek, a logistical support specialist. “By working together, both the U.S. and Thai militaries learn from each other.”
During the exercise, both countries plan to conduct close-air support and strike missions, as well as perform preflight planning, briefing and debriefing to produce joint after-action reports.
The Marines should gain a better understanding of the Thai culture by working in a combined atmosphere with a foreign country and coordinating flight operations of two different countries, Petersen said.

General Vang Pao legacy

2011-02-05T19:42:00.000+07:00

BY WAMENG MOUA, HMONG TODAY

February 03, 2011

His body is riddled with bullet scars suffered from his many years of warfare. Having survived through multiple assassination attempts, airplane crashes and even a carpet bombing, many observers make the claim that this man may have been divinely indestructible.

But on January 6, 2011, General Vang Pao, beloved leader of the Hmong people, lost his final battle to pneumonia, and ultimately a heart finally expired.

After a ten-day stay at a Fresno area hospital, Nais Phoos Vaj Pov took his last breath and shared his last heart-beat with loved ones huddled closely by his bedside.

His death, much like the rest of his life, seemed to play out like a Hollywood script. For one thing, the timing of his death coincides with the 50th year anniversary of the famous first meeting between the General and Col. James "Bill" Lair, the CIA operative whose alliance with the General would seal the fate of the Hmong thereafter.

Also, to die just days after appearing one last time at his favorite public event, the Hmong International New Year in Fresno, would also seem to be a great coincidence suitable for a movie script.

Observers on that day, December 26, recall that only minutes after delivering his annual Hmong New Year blessing at the Fresno County Fair Grounds, the General was rushed to the hospital after family members noticed his health deteriorate before their eyes.

They say the General's steps were a bit more timid and his breath a bit more short-winded that morning. He was in obvious pain all day. During his last public speech, his voice cracked with emotions as he seemed to know this would be his last opportunity to be in front of his people [this speech is transcribed on page 3].

"Immediately after we got into the van, the General asked us to send to his home in Southern California-a five hour drive," recalled Ge Vang, a nephew who was with the General that day. "But we told him he would need to check into a nearby hospital. He never made it back home."

Ten days later, including a short reprise where he sat conscious and communicable for a few more hours, doctors would say that the General's frail 81-year-old heart had finally come to a stop.

Those who know him best, however, say that the General's heart never stopped. On the contrary, they say that although the General's body may have died, his heart and his spirit will live forever for the Hmong.

Hong Kong: LICENSED AIRCRAFT TECHNICIAN - B1 OR B2

2011-02-05T19:41:00.002+07:00

TAG AVIATION ASIA LIMITED

LICENSED AIRCRAFT TECHNICIAN - B1 OR B2

Dedicated engineer for a TAG Aviation Asia client with Bombardier Challenger 605 and Global Express Aircraft.
Location: Hong Kong

Responsibilities:

Carry out all aspects of B1 or B2 maintenance (as applicable to license coverage), preimarly line maintenance.
Outstation support of the aircraft as required.
Maintenance control responsibility for the aircraft
Coordination and supervision of the required maintenance with our vendors.
Financial oversight and monitoring with respect to the maintenance of the aircraft.
Additional duties are directed by the TAG Aviation Asia Director of Maintenance and CEO.

Education and experience:

B1 or B2 Hong Kong, EASA, or an equivalent license (i.e. A license acceptable to the Hong Kong CAD for a direct conversion) is essential. Hong Kong licensing would be an advantage. ( Please note that FAA A&P and equivalent certificates are not acceptable)
Previous experience in corporate aviation maintenance environment is a prerequisite.
Maintenance type training or licensing on at least one of the following aircraft types is a pre-requisite: Bombardier Challenger 605, Bombardier Global.

Should for consideration, forward your CV to our Director of Maintenance, TAG Aviation Asia Ltd.pbalmer@asia.tagaviation.com

(E-mails must indicate position sought, and be less than 100kb in size)
(Only short listed candidates will be notified).

Career Level	Middle
Yr(s) of Exp	Not Specified
Qualification	(N/A)
Industry	Others
Job Function	Transportation & Logistics > Aviation Services Transportation & Logistics > Others Others > Technician
Location	Wan Chai 39 Gloucester Rd, Wan Chai, Hong KongEnlarge Map
Salary	Not Specified
Employment Type	Full Time, Permanent

Intelligence Guidance: The Situation in Egypt

2011-02-05T19:40:00.000+07:00

Posted: 04 Feb 2011 02:47 AM PST

When protests started in Egypt last week, mainstream news outlets cried “democracy!” and compared the situation in Egypt to the Berlin Wall and Tienanmen Square. Meanwhile, STRATFOR (an intelligence company I’ve followed for years) spoke of a different possibility. At the time it may have been counter-intuitive for most institutions to draw parallels to 1979 Iran, but my friend and the company’s founder George Friedman produced an internal document that raised that possibility. Days later, news outlets began asking questions about groups like the Muslim Brotherhood, and realizing there could be other forces behind the unrest than simple calls for Western-style democracy.
While the jury is still out on the Egypt situation, I have always found STRATFOR’s analyses to be thought-provoking, unconventional and more often than not, spot on in the end. Included here is that first Intelligence Guidance on the budding unrest in Egypt. Originally meant as an internal guideline for their analysts to understand and evaluate events, it was made available to STRATFOR subscribers – and now you. It’s an excellent example of how folks at this intelligence company begin thinking about a new event. I highly recommend <<joining their free mailing list>> to keep up on all things relevant in global affairs.
By the way, congrats to those of you who ordered George’s new book The Next Decade. George tells me it will debut at #3 on the New York Times Bestseller list next week. Nice forward-thinking on your part!
John Mauldin

Intelligence Guidance: The Situation in EgyptJanuary 27, 2011

The Egypt Unrest: Full Coverage

Editor’s Note: The following is an internal STRATFOR document produced to provide high-level guidance to our analysts. This document is not a forecast, but rather a series of guidelines for understanding and evaluating events, as well as suggestions on areas for focus.
Let’s use the Iranian rising of 1979 as a model. It had many elements involved, from Communists, to liberals to moderate Muslims, and of course the radicals. All of them were united in hating the Shah, but not in anything else.
The Western press did not understand the mixture and had its closest ties with the liberals, for the simple reason that they were the most Western and spoke English. For a very long time they thought these liberals were in control of the revolution.
For its part, the intelligence community did not have good sources among the revolutionaries but relied on SAVAK, the Shah’s security service, for intelligence. SAVAK neither understood what was happening, nor was it prepared to tell the CIA. The CIA suspected the major agent was the small Communist Party, because that was the great fear at that time — namely, that the Soviets were engineering a plot to seize Iran and control the Persian Gulf.
Meanwhile, Western human rights groups painted the Shah as a monster and saw this as a popular democratic rising. Western human rights and democracy groups, funded by the U.S. government and others, were standing by to teach people like Bani Sadr to create a representative democracy.
Bani Sadr was the first post-Shah president. He was a moderate Islamist and democrat; he also had no power whatsoever. The people who were controlling the revolution were those around Ayatollah Khomeini, who were used by the liberals as a screen to keep the United States quiet until the final moment came and they seized control.
It is important to understand that the demonstrations were seen as spontaneous, but were actually being carefully orchestrated. It is also important to understand that the real power behind the movement remained opaque to the media and the CIA, because they didn’t speak English and the crowds they organized didn’t speak English, and none of the reporters spoke Farsi (nor did a lot of the intelligence agency people). So when the demonstrations surged, the interviews were with the liberals who were already their sources, and who made themselves appear far more powerful than they were — and who were encouraged to do so by Khomeini’s people.
It was only at the end that Khomeini ran up the Jolly Roger to the West.
Nothing is identical to the past, but Iran taught me never to trust a revolutionary who spoke English; they will tend to be pro-Western. When the masses poured into the streets — and that hasn’t happened in Egypt yet — they were Khomeini supporters who spoke not a word of English. The media kept interviewing their English-speaking sources and the CIA kept up daily liaison meetings with SAVAK — until the day they all grabbed a plane and met up with their money in Europe and the United States. The liberals, those who weren’t executed, also wound up in the United States, teaching at Harvard or driving cabs.
Let’s be very careful on the taxonomy of this rising. The Western human rights groups will do what they can to emphasize its importance, and to build up their contacts with what they will claim are the real leaders of the revolution. The only language these groups share with the identified leaders is English, and the funding for these groups depends on producing these people. And these people really want to turn Egypt into Wisconsin. The one thing I can guarantee is that is not what is going on.
What we have to find out is who is behind this. It could be the military wanting to stage a coup to keep Gamal Mubarak out of power. They would be doing this to preserve the regime, not to overthrow it. They could be using the demonstrations to push their demands and perhaps pressure Hosni Mubarak to leave voluntarily.
The danger is that they would be playing with fire. The demonstrations open the door for the Muslim Brotherhood, which is stronger than others may believe. They might keep the demonstrations going after Hosni leaves, and radicalize the streets to force regime change. It could also be the Muslim Brotherhood organizing quietly. Whoever it is, they are lying low, trying to make themselves look weaker than they are — while letting the liberals undermine the regime, generate anti-Mubarak feeling in the West, and pave the way for whatever it is they are planning.
Our job now is to sort through all the claimants and wannabees of this revolution, and find out who the main powers are. These aren’t spontaneous risings and the ideology of the people in the streets has nothing to do with who will wind up in power. The one thing to be confident of is that liberal reformers are the stalking horse for something else, and that they are being used as always to take the heat and pave the way.
Now, figure out who is really behind the demonstrations and we have a game.

Thai start-up airlines stacked for take-off

2011-01-30T07:05:00.002+07:00

BANGKOK, 28 January 2011 – At least four new Thai airlines – three regional airlines and one domestic – claim they will start operations during the first quarter of the year.

All of them have been awarded air operations licenses from the Department of Aviation, but that is no guarantee they will all soar to profits in Thailand’s highly competitive sky.

The DoA confirmed the single all-domestic airline would operate out of Chiang Mai International Airport. Kan Air is owned by Kannithi Aviation. It claims it will be ready to start service, 4 February, on new routes; Chiang Mai-Pai and Chiang Mai-Chiang Rai using a 12-seat Cessna turbo-prop 208 Grand Caravan.

The Chiang Mai – Chiang Rai route was formerly served by Nok Mini.

In its business plan it says it will consider other short hops in the North from its Chiang Mai base to Nan, Mae Sarieng and Mae Hong Son.

Beyond its initial plans it talks of basing an aircraft in Phuket to offer similar commuter services. Its websitewww.kanairlines.com will be up and running soon.

DoA confirmed there are three airlines planning regional services starting with PC Air, that created a stir last week by saying it would hire “third gender” cabin attendants.

The other two start-up airlines are Crystal Thai Airline and Sunny Airways, but they will operate exclusively as charter airlines serving Asian points and bringing mainly tourists to Thailand pre-booked on tour group packages.

They appear to have links either with Asian tour operators, or local travel agencies and that should guarantee a minimum payload on flights.

PC Air is registered as a 100% Thai-owned airline with a capital of Bt200 million. Co-owners are Piyo Chantaraporn, a former THAI steward, fortune teller and real estate business man and Chatwiwat Klamkomol a retired government official.

Its charter operations will begin late March or April. The first of two A310s, leased or purchased, is now undergoing a C-Check overhaul in Singapore. It secured the two aircraft from Air Bagan with 228 seats each (210 in economy and 18 in business).

The second aircraft will join the fleet in three months also to serve charters. A third aircraft will be considered later when the airline prepares to launch scheduled flights in the region.

The airline says it has pilots and is now recruiting air crews and is prepared to offer jobs to the “third gender.” It also says it has a policy to hire handicapped persons to work for the airline. www.pcairline.com

Sunny Airways named Preecha Kongkate as its managing director, previously linked to ThaiJet Intergroup, which flew charter services. They were terminated in May 2004 after its Turkish Atlas aircraft was withdrawn. Also, he was the founder of Focus Jewelry, Super Star Travel and Kongkate Express.

According to its commercial manager, Chompoo Kongkate, Sunny Airways will start charter operations to Japan and Germany using a B767-200ER to be delivered next month.

It will eventually source a second aircraft. She said the airline will consider scheduled service only when charters services are profitable and stable.

Sunny Airways says on its website that it ‘intends to maintain its own aircraft up to the level of light maintenance. This includes transit checks, daily checks, and A- Checks. “In the early stages of our operations we will use Thai Airways International to provide specialised repairs and inspections… “ www.sunnyair.net

Crystal Thai Airlines is a Thai-South Korean joint venture with a Bt201 million registered capital. The Thai partner is a logistics business tycoon, Manika Sawasdipan, but there no details available, so far, on her Korean partner.

The airline like the other start-ups will offer just charter services, but hopes to go into the competitive scheduled airline market later.

Its first charters will run from Seoul’s Inchoen airport to Bangkok during the first quarter of this year. Exact dates will be determined by the Korean tour operator chartering flights.

It will take delivery of its first 174-seat A320-200 this quarter and hopes to have its second plane in the air by the last quarter. The airline said on its website a service could operate during the first week of February, but that has since been postponed.

Besides flights from South Korea to Bangkok, there are plans for similar charters featuring Mumbai and Cochin in India as well as Clark in the Philippines. There is even talk of flying to Thimpu in Bhutan; Colombo in Sri Lanka, Dubai in the UAE.

The airline vows to become the “Wings of Asia”, according to its slogan and promises to offer premium service at low fares. www.crystalthaiair.com

This is not the first Thai-Korean joint venture airline. JetAsia Airways has been promising to start service from Phuket and Bangkok to Seoul since Q3 of 2010. However, due to aircraft leasing problems it remains grounded.

Jet Asia Airways was registered, 29 December, 2009, with a capital of Bt240 million. The major shareholders are: Retired Air Chief Marshal, Paiboon Chanhom named president; Micko Travel managing director, Athikom Chanwerawong and a Chiang Mai businessman, Pichan Chantamanee.

SkyeEyes Airlines a cargo company has been looking for an opportunity to start passenger services (Haj charters) on the Bangkok-Baghdad route and from Cambodia via Phuket to Baghdad, also for Muslim pilgrims. SkeEyes Airlines managing director, Sunthorn Charoenmin told TTR Weekly the plan is pending because of visa regulations (there is no Thai consulate in Iraq) and high insurance costs due war risk cover.

At the end of December 2010, there were 53 companies all holding variations of the DoA’s air transport business permits including authorisations to fly helicopters, balloons and airships.

To register as an aviation company in Thailand requires a registered capital of at least Bt200 million for scheduled airlines.

Most of the 18 non-scheduled airlines hold a license for scheduled and non-scheduled services, too. The active ones in the current market are Siam General Aviaition (Nok Mini), Bangkok Airways, Thai Airways international, Thai AirAsia, Nok Air, Solar Aviation (Solar Air), Happy Air Traveller, Orient Thai Airlines and Business Air Center (Business Air).

Airlines who have announced their intentions to operate services are:

• Sabai Airlines: Managed by Spark Air Company. Currently the license has expired

• Legacy Air: Still holds a valid license, but could lose it in March if it fails to start operations within a year of registration.

• Nakhon Chiang Mai Air: A scheduled airline, faces its one-year deadline in mid-February

• AVA Airline: Registered October 2010, accepts crew recruitment and says it will operate with a B737NGhttp://www.avaairlines.co.th/

• Thai Regional Aviation: Registered as a non-scheduled airline with two eight-seat Piper Navajo PA31-350 Chieftain. It has a long list of domestic destinations on its website — Tak, Um Phang, Pai, Phetchaboon, Loei and Roi Et in the first phase. www.thairegionalair.com

• Quality Airway: Has a scheduled international service license and said to have two B767-300 and one Airbus A300

Cambodian airline ordered to pay crash compensation

2011-01-30T07:02:00.002+07:00

PMT Air, the Cambodian airline involved in a fatal crash in 2007, has been ordered to pay KRW3.2 billion (US$2.8 million) in compensation to families of victims killed in the disaster, the Phnom Penh Post has reported.

Cambodia's CAA is likely to break Thailand's Bangkok Airways monopoly in Siem Reap

2011-01-30T07:02:00.000+07:00

It was a funny coincidence. During the last ATF in Phnom Penh,official lunches hosted for buyers" media were offered by two regional carriers: Cambodia Angkor Air (CAA), Cambodia’s newly-established national carrier, and Bangkok Airways, a pioneer of air transport in the kingdom. Thailand"s regional private carrier was the first to launch flights in the early nineties from Bangkok to Phnom Penh and then Siem Reap/Angkor.

Similar presentations, similar entertainment programs were on the menu of both carriers. A way maybe to seduce travel professionals as both carriers are soon to compete on one of Asia’s most desirable routes: Bangkok-Siem Reap. In 1997, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen declared that traffic rights on this route were only given to a Cambodian carrier and Bangkok Airways.

Since then, Cambodia Civil Aviation systematically rejected demands from other Thai air carriers such as Thai Airways or Thai AirAsia to compete on this route. With such a decision, it was all smiles for years at Bangkok Airways while individual travelers and tourism trade winced at the high level of charged fares - in vain.

Looking at airline websites gives a better idea of the fare situation. By booking a return flight today (January 26) on Bangkok-Siem Reap (travel dates 4/02 to 6/02), Bangkok Airways’ cheapest fare comes at US$361 (THB 10,850), including taxes. This fare level can be compared to some of the prices on offer by low-cost players out of Bangkok. For a similar – or even cheaper - fare, passengers can go today to Bali or to Macau. And what about Vietnam Airlines’ policy?

For a booking on January 26 for the same travel dates, Vietnam’s national carrier – which also enjoys a monopoly on routes to Vietnam - proposes its Siem Reap- Ho Chi Minh city at US$298, including taxes and fees. And it is even cheaper if the flight is done in conjunction with a long-haul connection.

Bangkok Airways’ juicy monopoly might soon be in tatters as competition is due to come. During an exclusive talk to eTurboNews, CAA Vice-CEO Kao Lim confirmed that it seriously looks at opening flights between Siem Reap and Bangkok. “We are now waiting the delivery of two Airbus A321 to expand our international operations.

We have plans to start new flights possibly to Japan, Korea, Guangzhou, Singapore, and Thailand. Bangkok-Siem Reap is definitely an option, despite the fact that the route has not been doing that well over the last years,” he explained. New aircraft are due for delivery from April. “We are looking to have a total fleet of five aircraft for the time being,” added Mr. Lim.

For years, Siem Reap-Bangkok stood as Siem Reap’s busiest route. But annual passengers traffic has remained stagnant for almost a decade, hanging approximately around 285,000. During the same time, Siem Reap- Ho Chi Minh city became the airport’s busiest route, now representing over 310,000 passengers a year.

CAA management estimates that the combined effects of Thailand’s political crisis and high fares have depressed the air market. And Mr. Lim is already promising that he will seriously look at the price issue when launching its Bangkok-Siem Reap route.

Source = eturbonews

US community college teaching air traffic control

2011-01-30T06:57:00.000+07:00

MAYS LANDING — Imagine a video game that lets you control all the air traffic over 10 major American airports. Three people play simultaneously, one managing the planes on the ground, one managing takeoffs and landings, and a third monitoring weather and other flight data.

Sergio Gomez, Brandon Cooper and Elaina Watson got a taste of that game Tuesday, but they were not in it to play. They are among the first 78 students enrolled in Atlantic Cape Community College's new Air Traffic Control associate degree program. They are taking introductory courses now, but by next year they should be ready to try their hand at the centerpiece of the program — the new $600,000 air-traffic control tower simulation system set up at the college.

ACCC developed the air-traffic control program to tie in with the new NextGen Aviation Research and Technology Park under construction in Egg Harbor Township, and to meet a projected need for air-traffic controllers due to retirements. The U.S. Department of Labor estimates about 3,400 new air-traffic controllers will be needed between 2008 and 2018.

The program is demanding. Students who get the associate degree must then take the Air Traffic Selection and Training, or AT-SAT, exam. Test scores determine whether they are eligible to be hired by the FAA and sent to the Air Traffic Training Academy in Oklahoma City for a 12-week pass/fail training program, which determines whether they get a job. A degree is not required to take the test, but virtually all recent job openings have required that students be graduates of an FAA Collegiate Training Institute or CTI. ACCC has applied for that certification.

The Adacel air-traffic control tower simulation system, funded by grants, arrived in December and faculty and staff have spent the past month setting it up. They will spend this year testing the system and developing their own simulation scenarios. The system can also add flight simulators so students can play the role of pilots interacting with the control tower.

Cambodia Angkor eyes ASEAN cities

2011-01-27T06:07:00.002+07:00

Cambodia Angkor Air announced, Wednesday,during the ASEAN Tourism Forum, it will introduce two more Airbus 321s in 2011 and plans to buy more raising fleet strength to five of the regional jets.It currently operates a single Airbus 321 for international routes and two ATR72-500 between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap; its sole domestic service.

Hosting a buyers and media lunch at this year’s ATF, the airline’s management said it would commission A321s due for delivery in 2011 and 2012 to add regional destinations such as Singapore, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Seoul, Tokyo, or Osaka in Japan, and some cities in China over the next three years.

ASEAN destinations are a priority, the airline told buyers to ensure visitors to Cambodia can gain convenient access to Phnom Penh from major gateways.Established as the national airline, in February 2010, the airline began domestic flights between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap using a 70-seat ATR 72-500s and limited international services later in the year.

It cut over its bookings from Vietnam Airlines, a major shareholder in the venture, last May, using Sabre as its CRS, while introducing direct sales through its website www.cambodiaangkorair.comThe airline received its air operator’s certificate from the Civil Aviation of Cambodia last August.

In its latest business report, the airline confirmed it carried 329,293 passengers, of which 222,298 flew domestic services and the balance on flights from the Cambodian capital and Siem Reap to Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam. It claims an average cabin factor of 60% in 2010.

Bangkok Airways keen on running small airports

2011-01-27T06:04:00.003+07:00

Bangkok Airways remains keen on assuming the management of 28 provincial airports run by the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) after years of futile overtures.

Prasert Prasarttong-Osoth, the airline's founder and chief executive, has reaffirmed his interest in response to a plan, announced recently by DCA's new chief, inviting private companies to manage the airports.

"We have always been interested in taking over the management of those airports," said Dr Prasert.

"Our position has not changed over the years as governments comes and go."

Under a plan outlined by DCA director Somchai Chanrod last month, the state agency would improve and maintain provincial airport infrastructure, while businesses would be encouraged to handle management and invest in operating systems.

Mr Somchai said the new approach was more realistic than previous policies that envisioned the private sector shouldering all the costs involved in improving, maintaining and operating the airports.

He likened the approach to having the government build roads while the private sector operated the buses that use the roads to serve the people.

Most of the airports operated by the DCA are derelict and have been ignored by airlines due to a lack of passenger traffic.

The department says that only five of the 28 provincial airports, including Krabi, Udon Thani and Khon Kaen, generated revenue in the fiscal year to last Sept 30, amounting to about 200 million baht.

Over the years, Dr Prasert has expressed his company's readiness to assume all the costs, potentially billions of baht, to renovate the airports and restore them to good working order.

Second, Bangkok Airways would ensure there all of the airports were handling commercial flights within two years of it assuming management.

Airports of Thailand Plc, the state-controlled airport entity that runs the country's six key airports including Suvarnabhumi, is interested in managing a couple of airports under DCA control with good traffic, such as Krabi.

Airbus participates in Thai Civil Aviation Exhibition commemorating 100 years of aviation in the Kingdom of Thailand

2011-01-27T06:04:00.000+07:00

วันที่ 25 มกราคม 2554 13:18 น.
ที่มา Total Quality PR

          Airbus, the leading aircraft manufacturer, recently participated in the Thai Civil Aviation Exhibition held recently at Don Muang airport. The Minister of Transport presided over the opening ceremony to commemorate a 100 years in Thai aviation, with a focus on the contributions and vision of HRH Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn’s as a pilot and an aviation leader in Thailand.
          Airbus has long been a dedicated participant in Thai aviation since its first aircraft appeared in 1977. Airbus aircraft have continuously been very successful in Thailand and take pride in their unique concept of aircraft grouping, ensuring a unique level of operational commonality, contributing to significant savings for airlines.
          The Airbus booth was a major hit with key people in the aviation industry and the general public alike. This was proven by the amount of guests flocking to take photos and to catch a glimpse of the showcased Airbus A380 (super jumbo) mock up model aircraft, complete with every detail, down to the actual aircraft interior.
          The historical displays focused on aviation in Thailand over the past 100 years up to the present day, with an array of antique and modern aircraft, aircraft static displays, and all generations of flying enthusiasts attending the event.

Photo shows: From left to right ; Jean Ladoues, Airline Marketing Manager, Airbus, Suphot Sublom, Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Transport, Srisuk Chandrangsuk, Former Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Transport, Sophon Zarum, Minister of Transport, Pierre Jaffre, Senior Vice President – ASEAN, EADS, Somchai Chanrod, Director General, Department of Civil Aviation, Serirat Prasutanond, President of Airports of Thailand, Sub Lieutenant Naris Yoadchan, Senior Specialist 10, Airports of Thailand, together at the Airbus booth with a model of the A380 at the recent Thai Civil Aviation Exhibition at Don Muang.

New Thai airline to hire transsexuals

2011-01-27T06:00:00.001+07:00

THAILAND - THAI transsexuals were overjoyed as new airline P.C. Air on Monday took air hostess job applications from 'third sex' candidates at Bangkok's Esplanade shopping mall.

Among the successful applicants was Miss Tiffany 2007 winner Thanyarat 'Film' Jiraphatpakorn.
P.C. Air executive Peter Shan said the company had seen the potential of transsexuals to work as hostesses.
After passing the preliminary round, the transsexuals will undergo training along with female air-hostesses and will have a 'third sex' name tag pinned to their uniform to avoid immigration issues, Mr Shan explained.
The first batch of successful candidates consisted of 17 women, 10 men and three transsexuals.
Miss Tiffany 2007 winner Ms Thanyarat, 23, said she was overjoyed to get the chance she had longed for.
'At first I thought they would just take applications but not actually recruit us, as happened at other places before,' she said. -- THE NATION/ANN

Weather modification links

2011-01-26T08:09:00.002+07:00

Aeromet, Inc. (L-3 Communications) - U.S Department of Defense

BAMEX - Bow Echo and Mesoscale Convective Vortex Experiment

CALIPSO - CloudSat Validation Experiment

Delaware Department of Agriculture Cloud Seeding Program

Edwards Aquifer Authority

Federal Aviation Administration - Great Lakes Division

Gratiot Weather Modification Project

Illinois Weather Modification Projects

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration - National Hurricane Center

Naval Surface Warfare Center

Nevada State Cloud Seeding Program

New Mexico BLAST (Burst Light and Stratus Transmission) Project

North Dakota Cloud Modification Project (NDCMP)

North Dakota Thunderstorm Project - North Dakota Atmospheric Resource Board

North Dakota Tracer Experiment - North Dakota Atmospheric Resource Board

Northeast Sampling Program - Sonoma Technology, Inc.

NSF/NCAR ICE-L Field Campaign

Oklahoma Weather Modification Project (OWMP)

Panhandle Groundwater Conservation District Rainfall Enhancement Program

Santa Barbara County Water Agency

Sonoma Technology, Inc.

Stanislaus Weather Modification Program

State of South Dakota - Department of Natural Resources Division of Weather Modification

Texas Central High Plains Rainfall Enhancement Program

Texas Experiment in Augmenting Rainfall through Cloud Seeding (TEXARC)

Texas Weather Modification Program

The University of North Dakota - US Environmental Protection Agency

University of Arizona - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

Upper American River Cloud Seeding Project

Upper Payette River Basin Cloud Seeding Program

Upper Tuolumne River Weather Modification Program

Utah Division of Water Resources

West Central Texas Council of Governments Rainfall Enhancement Program

Western Dakota Water Development District - Black Hills Council of Local Government

Wyoming Weather Modification Pilot Program

New Thai-Korean airline ready to take off

2011-01-26T08:06:00.004+07:00

Crystal Thai Airlines (CTA), a new startup commercial carrier with an ambition to become Thailand's third-largest airline, is getting ready to take to the skies early next month.

CTA, a 51:49 Thai-South Korean joint venture with 201 million baht in registered capital, is due to launch its maiden flights from Bangkok to Incheon and Muan, both in South Korea, on Feb 3, with two flights per week each.

The airline is led by Thai logistics businesswoman Manika Sawasdipan and has leased one Airbus A320, with 174 seats, said vice-president Pittipol Vannarot.

The airline is also acquiring a larger Airbus with a longer range - the A330-200 - through a lease in March to support expanding services. A second A320 is expected join the fleet by the end of this year, said Mr Pittipol.

Aside from South Korea, other destinations on its radar screen are Mumbai and Cochin in India, Clark (the Philippines), Colombo (Sri Lanka), Thimpu (Bhutan), Dubai and Phuket.

While the first A320 will be used to start services from Suvarnabhumi Airport to Incheon and Muan started, CTA intends to use the larger A330 for Incheon-Phuket services in March.

The A320, which has been in service for 19 years, would then be switched to a Bangkok-Colombo route with onward service to Dubai, he said.

The carrier, using the slogan "Wing of Asia", promises to offer low fares with premium service, meaning that meals will be served. Leisure travellers will form the bulk of CTA's passenger base.

Mr Pittipol said CTA's South Korean partners, whose names were not disclosed, had strong connections with travel agencies in South Korea and could ensure sufficient passenger loads.

CTA, which obtained its air operation certificate from the Department of Civil Aviation last year, has 14 cockpit staff and 25 cabin crew - all Thais - to support the launch of its services.

Sales Executives required in Thailand's Federal Group

2011-01-26T08:06:00.001+07:00

Federal Group ranks among Thailand’s leading airlines and travel related companies. Main business of the group involves marketing & sales services for international airlines. In addition, the group also engages in corporate travel management business.At present, Federal is an airlines GSA of nine leading airlines, job opportunity for qualified candidates covers the area of airline passengers & cargo marketing, as well as, airport operation and other airlines administrative functions.
For those interested in travel management business, prospect of joining the country’s second largest corporate travel management company awaits at one of the group’s subsidiaries. There are positions available for international account manager, sales & marketing, travel consultants, e-travel business, and finance & accounting.
Federal Group is looking for young and energetic persons to join our rapid growing organization. Those with travel and tourism academic, airlines qualifications and travel working experience are considered preferable. Nevertheless, we also welcome interested persons from other fields to join our dynamic team.
Successful candidates would have good opportunity to enjoy themselves working in airlines and/or international travel environment, while having promising career advancement and decent remuneration packages.

Sales Executive (Airline) - 3 Positions

Post Date: 20 Jan 11

Qualifications:

Thai Nationality
Male or Female age over 25 years
Bachelor's Degree in any field (Airline industry will be advantage)

Skill:

Experience in the Airline industry and Travel agent will be advantage
Flexible, self-motivated with strong negotiation and interpersonal skills with the proven ability to close sales.
Team player and ability to handle workload pressure
Good command of written and spoken English
Good command of written and spoken Chainese (Mandarin) will be advantage

Interested candidates please apply in person or send application letter, resume, education certificate, recent photo to:
Human Resources Department
Federal Travel International Co.,Ltd.

27Fl., Rajanakarn Bldg., 183 South Sathorn Rd.,
Yannawa, Sathorn, Bangkok 10120
T. 02-6526000, 02-6143083 or E-mail address : recruitment@federal.co.th

Website www.federal.co.th
Website www.hrgworldwide.com

Only shortlisted candidate will be notified

	Qualification	Degree
	Yr(s) Exp	1 year
	Job Location	Sathorn
	Salary	Negotiable
	Job Type	Full Time, Permanent

More Jobs	Post Date
Ticket & Reservation (Airline) - 3 Positions JTH300003000138442	20-Jan-11
Sales Executive (Airline) - 3 Positions JTH300003000138543	20-Jan-11

KTB rebuffs THAI offer for Nok

2011-01-26T08:04:00.004+07:00

Krung Thai Bank (KTB) flatly turned down a renewed offer by Thai Airways International to acquire its stake in the budget airline Nok Air as the new price is still considerably below what the bank expected.

Following the latest round of negotiations on Jan 19, the state-controlled bank held its ground that 44 baht represented a reasonable value for Nok shares, while THAI proposed 30 baht each.

The flag carrier's board on Jan 14 authorised its management to sweeten its offer to buy the 5 million shares held by KTB for 150 million baht, or 30 baht a share, up from the 13 baht THAI originally proposed.

THAI, already the largest shareholder with 39% of Nok Air, wants to buy the bank's holding to gain greater control of the no-frills carrier.

"There is no sign yet the gap between valuations will be bridged," an insider said.

While negotiations are deadlocked for the time being, the source said both parties want to keep the door open for possible talks, though nothing has been scheduled.

Nok Air has been largely independent from THAI.

THAI's new offer was a reversal of management's previous stance that it would not pursue a purchase above 13 baht a share.

It improved its offer in the face of lingering difficulties, largely opposition from the Transport Ministry to its proposed launch of a new low-cost carrier in partnership with Singapore's Tiger Airways.

Industry observers say the chance of Thai Tiger Airways, 51% owned by THAI and other Thai entities and 49% by Tiger, getting off the ground is very slim as THAI has been unable to meet the growing list of conditions demanded by the ministry.

KTB continues to see 44 baht per share as an accurate reflection of the budget airline's book value and growth potential.

The other Nok shareholders are Dhipaya Insurance Plc (10%), the Government Pension Fund (10%), CPB Equity Co (6%), Siam Commercial Bank (5%), the Thailand Prosperity Fund by ING Funds (Thailand) Co (5%), King Power International Co (5%) and individual investors (10%).

Thailand eyes its share of ever-growing number of Chinese tourists

2011-01-26T08:04:00.001+07:00

Express hub for Singapore

2011-01-26T08:00:00.000+07:00

The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore and Changi Airport Group are set to develop a new express air cargo hub.

The hub will have direct airside access, provide a specialised cargo and logistics infrastructure, and strengthen Singapore’s position as a gateway to air express cargo markets such as in Southeast Asia, South Asia and Oceania.

The aviation authority allocated some 80,000 square metres of land for the development. Changi Airport Group will manage the development and operations of the new facility, which is targeted to be operational in the first half of 2012.

Passenger terror as another Qantas jet fault causes plane to plummet 25,000ft mid-flight

2011-01-26T07:53:00.002+07:00

Hawker 850 XP Captain 1 yr Asia

2011-01-24T09:34:00.000+07:00

Company profile

	Holland Aviation Consult

Holland Aviation Consult

Job details

Job title:	Hawker 850 XP Captain 1 yr Asia
Job Post for:	Pilots
Job type:	Full-Time
Aircraft Type:	Hawker 800/800XP,Hawker 900/900XP

Job location

Location:	Asia
Other Location:

Job Description

Description:	ACASS Canada Company Profile ACASS is a dynamic company enjoying tremendous international growth. We are a leading provider of corporate aviation support services, specializing in crew support and pilot placement for an elite client base located in all regions of the world, mainly in America, Europe, the Middle East, Russia and Africa. Description We are actively seeking Contract Captains for a 1 year placement based in Asia. We are offering the following expenses: accommodations/living allowance and ground transportation. Airfares will be in economy class. ACASS is a dynamic company enjoying tremendous international growth. We are a leading provider of corporate aviation support services, specializing in crew support and pilot placement for an elite client base located in all regions of the world, mainly in America, Europe, the Middle East, Russia and Africa. Requirements: Minimum 4000 total flight hours Minimum 2000 PIC hours Minimum 500 PIC hours on type 12 months current on the Hawker 850 XP At least 3 take-offs and landings on type within the last 90 days Minimum 1 year validity on passport Applicants who do not meet these minimum requirements will not be contacted. If you meet the above requirements, please upload your resume (Word or PDF) and fill out an application on our website at http://www.acass.com/en/crew-support/pilot_application. Inquiries may be directed to dklement@acass.ca
Status:	Approved
Publish date:	19-01-2011 12:50:56
Premium job:	No
Employer:	Holland Aviation Consult

Outsourcing important safety and maintenance operations to the lowest bidder

2011-01-21T07:42:00.000+07:00

Who’s Fixing Your Plane

~~~
See also :
Safety First? All Signs Point to No
NEIL GENZLINGER
NYT, January 17, 2011
http://tv.nytimes.com/2011/01/18/arts/television/18frontline.html

Singapore To Build New Air Cargo Express Hub

2011-01-20T11:35:00.002+07:00

Boeing secures $19 billion jet order from China

2011-01-20T11:25:00.000+07:00

By Christopher Hinton, MarketWatch

NEW YORK (MarketWatch) — Boeing Co. secured a 200 commercial aircraft order from China worth $19 billion on Wednesday, helping the manufacturer head off market gains by its European rival Airbus.

China to build new airport in Beijing to serve as Asia hub

2011-01-19T14:06:00.001+07:00

BEIJING (Kyodo) -- China unveiled plans Sunday to build a new airport in Beijing in a bid to turn the Chinese capital into Asia's aviation hub.
The planned airport, proposed as part of a five-year Beijing economic plan, would be located in southern Beijing and able to handle 40 million travelers a year.
Capital International Airport, currently the main gateway to Beijing with three terminals, handled 70 million travelers last year, making it the second busiest airport in the world after Atlanta airport in the United States.
The two Beijing airports would have a combined capacity of 120 million travelers a year by 2015, making Beijing "an international aviation hub and the gateway to Asia," the 2011-2015 economic blueprint said.
The economic proposal was submitted to the opening session of the Beijing municipal legislature on Sunday.
China's fast-paced economic growth has fueled air travel both for tourism and business.
Last year, Chinese air travelers totaled a record 267 million, and the number is projected to exceed 300 million this year.
Apart from Beijing, China has been adding new airports in other population centers.
Beijing city authorities are building access roads to the new airport with the travel time from the city center projected at 30 minutes.
To ease chronic traffic congestion in Beijing, the five-year plan calls for adding 200 kilometers of expressways, expanding the expressway network in the capital to 1,100 km.
The plan also calls for expanding Beijing's subway network by 336 km to 660 km.
The five-year economic plan is expected to be approved by the Beijing municipal congress before it closes on Friday.

(Mainichi Japan) January 17, 2011

Korean court orders Cambodian plane crash payout

2011-01-19T13:58:00.002+07:00

Posted Date: Monday, 17-Jan-2011

A South Korean court on Friday ordered a Cambodian airline to pay 3.2 billion won (US$2.8 million) in compensation to families of passengers killed in a 2007 plane crash near Bokor Mountain in Kampot province.PMT Air’s Russian-made Antonov An-24 crashed in June 2007 on its way from the northwestern tourist hub of Siem Reap to the beach resort of Sihanoukville.

All 22 people aboard were killed, including 13 tourists from South Korea, three Czechs, a crew of five Cambodians and one Uzbek pilot.Nuon Sary, deputy police chief of Cambodia’s Kampot province, said at the time that the plane appeared to have hit the mountain in bad weather.Eleven families of the South Korean victims filed suit in 2008 seeking 4.5 billion won in compensation.

They claimed the accident was caused by human error and mechanical defects.Sar Sareth, president of PMT, said today the company had been following the case but was unaware of the court order.“I haven’t received any information about the Seoul court order about compensation, and the company has been considering compensation and waiting to see the proceedings for the victims,” Sar Sareth said.

He added that he was waiting on his boss in Russia before hanging up the phone.Him Sarum, cabinet chief of the State Secretariat of Civil Aviation, said today that PMT Air ceased operations in 2008.“The company said that it has asked its insurance company to compensate the victims,” he said.Heang Sophorn, 39, said she filed a complaint to PMT seeking compensation for the death of her husband, Fuch Chandara, who was one of the pilots killed in the crash, but has received no word yet.

“Four other families of the plane crash victims and I have not received compensation or information since we filed complaints to PMT seven days after the death of my husband,” Heang Sophorn said.More than 289,000 South Korean tourists visited Cambodia in 2010, according to the Ministry of Tourism, up 46 percent from 2009 arrivals. A total of 2.5 million visitors came to Cambodia last year, it said.

Shortly after the incident, some Korean media outlets printed an alleged transcript of the final moments of conversation between the plane’s pilot and the control tower in Sihanoukville.“We are flying at an altitude of 2,000 feet,” said the pilot.“You are flying too low. Given your current location, you should move to an altitude of 4,000 feet,” said the control tower.“It’s no problem; I am familiar with this area,” said the pilot, before communications allegedly blacked out.

Source = phnompenhpost

Singapore Highlights Record 40 Million Passengers At Changi Airport

2011-01-14T22:04:00.006+07:00

Speech by Mr Raymond Lim, Minister for Transport and Second Minister for Foreign Affairs at Changi Airport Group’s Annual Airport Celebration 2011, Swissotel Merchant Court Hotel, 12 January 2011.
Mr Liew Mun Leong, Chairman of Changi Airport Group, Mr Lee Seow Hiang, CEO of Changi Airport Group, Ladies and Gentlemen:
Good evening. I am pleased to be here this evening and be a part of Changi’s Annual Airport Celebration.
2010 in Review
2010 had been a good year for the aviation industry. Global passenger traffic rose in tandem with improving economic conditions, and airlines worldwide reported better bottom lines not seen for many years.
Changi Airport also enjoyed its best showings in its history. In terms of passenger traffic, Changi handled a record number of passenger movements, surpassing the key milestone of 40 million for the first time.
Just as important is that Changi Airport continues to be well regarded by air travelers and members of the aviation industry. In 2010, Changi Airport added a further 25 best airport awards to its already impressive list of over 340 awards since its opening in 1981.
Awards won last year include the prestigious ‘Best Airport in the World’ award from leading UK travel publication ‘Business Traveller’, which Changi has won for 23 consecutive years, Skytrax’s ‘World’s Best Airport’ award, and the ‘Best International Airport Award’ from Condé Nast Traveler.
These awards reinforce Changi’s reputation as the world’s “Most Awarded” airport, and one that Singaporeans can truly be proud of.
Service Transformation – Becoming more Customer Centric
Service excellence will continue to be a hallmark of the Changi Experience. This is evidenced by Changi Airport’s improved score of 73.7 points in the 2010 Customer Satisfaction Index of Singapore, which is above the average of 68.7 points for the transportation and logistics industry.
It is good that Changi Airport Group continues to enhance the Changi Experience when it embarked on the Customer-Centric Initiative, or CCI, that includes a number of innovative service projects to create a personalised, stress-free customer experience.
Indeed, the task of raising customer service levels is a particularly challenging one for Changi Airport. To provide everyone with a sense of the magnitude of this task: CAG, the airport operator, employs about 1,300 staff. But the airport community, which provides many of the essential services and facilities, has a total workforce of over 28,000.
Collaborating with over 200 companies and agencies, and coordinating the efforts of tens of thousands of “Changi Ambassadors” to deliver a single, consistent Changi Experience to all customers is no easy task. Your challenge is aptly summarised by the tagline “Many partners, many missions, One Changi”.
Today, we celebrate the achievements of Changi’s customer service champions– 18 winners of this year’s Changi Airport Service Awards. Though you come from diverse backgrounds, through your exemplary acts of service, each of you has helped to deliver an airport experience that has left a positive and lasting impression on customers.
I congratulate you on your well deserved awards. And to the Changi Airport community, I would like to say a big thank you for your tireless efforts in helping Changi to maintain its status as the world’s best airport.
Key Milestones in Singapore’s Aviation History
This year’s Annual Airport Celebration also marks two significant milestones in Singapore’s aviation history.
In 1911, an aircraft piloted by Mr. Joseph Christiaens made a demonstration flight at the old race course (now Farrer Park). Though seemingly insignificant at that time, this event marked the birth of civil aviation in Singapore, and this year, we celebrate the first centennial of civil aviation in Singapore.
Coincidentally, 2011 is also the year in which we celebrate Changi Airport’s 30th Anniversary.
When Terminal 1 opened its doors in 1981, it served 8.1 million passengers. In the space of 30 years, Changi’s traffic has increased fivefold. Indeed, Changi has grown to become more than just a gateway into Singapore – it is now also a major gateway to Asia, and one of the world’s busiest international airports.
Looking Ahead
Looking ahead, 2011 looks set to be another exciting year, and Changi is well positioned for continued growth and to further strengthen its status as a premier air hub.
On this note, I wish you all the best.
Thank you.

Boeing's reach is woven into China's aviation industry

2011-01-14T22:04:00.003+07:00

Employees work on the wings of a Boeing 737 in Kansas. Li Xing / China Daily

David Langridge believes his job is taking him "around the world" without getting on board an airplane.

A driver with Boeing Commercial Airplanes, Langridge takes guests of the world's largest commercial aircraft manufacturer between their hotels and Boeing's sites in the suburban cities of Everett or Renton.

There, the guests - pilots, mechanics, engineers and airline managers - work with Boeing staff members to get their new aircraft inspected, receive training, improve their skills in aircraft maintenance or develop expertise in airport management.

Many of his guests from around the world are Chinese.

"I feel like going around the world (with them)," Langridge said.

China is a frequent destination for Boeing's top commercial executives.

James F. Albaugh, executive vice-president of the Boeing Company, has visited China three times since he became president &CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes in September 2009.

"I'd like to think we (Boeing and China) are partners," Albaugh said in a recent exclusive interview with China Daily. "We worked with China to develop its aviation industry, aviation infrastructure, and we continue to depend on them as they, I hope, depend on us."

There is the confidence in the growth of China's market for Boeing's airplanes, despite competition from Airbus in Europe and China's efforts to expand its high-speed railways and build its own regional and large aircraft.

Albaugh was told during his first visit that China needed to buy 200 airplanes a year. But he disagreed. "In my view, there is going to be a lot more than that, close to 300," he said.

Having gone through the economic cycles and business challenges over nearly six decades, Randy Tinseth, vice-president of marketing of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, said air travel still managed to grow about 5 percent a year due not only to the strong link between air travel and the economy but also to people's curiosity and their need to travel.

Since he visited China for the first time in the early 1990s, Tinseth has made more than 30 trips, seeing the dramatic changes in Shanghai skyline and experiencing "more complicated" driving on the road in Beijing.

Today, Boeing has 31 customers in China flying about 870 Boeing airplanes. Moreover, Tinseth reckoned that about 190 million Chinese fly in Boeing airplanes.

Two months ago, he announced in Beijing that his company forecasted that China would need 4,330 new commercial airplanes valued at $480 billion over the next 20 years.

In short, 20 years from now, more than 40 percent of all travel will begin and end within the Asia-Pacific market, Tinseth said, and China is about 40 percent of that demand. "This is our idea of the important role that Asia as well as China will play," he said.

"We cannot underestimate the power of tourism, both domestic and outside China. I know in the 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-2015), tourism will be raised in terms of importance," he said.

Tinseth said he and his team are aware of China's ambitious plan to develop a high-speed rail system. Boeing sees it as both competition and complementing.

His research team examined the high-speed rail development plan. They concluded that high-speed rail would attract a lot more passenger flow between two cities within 800 kilometers.

Travelers are likely to debate whether to ride or to fly when cities are 800 to 1,200 km apart.

But they believe that most passengers would favor air travel if the distance goes beyond 1,200 km, as personal wealth grows and time becomes more important, Tinseth said.

"There are challenges in all types of transportation," he said, noting that some high-speed rail terminals are located outside downtown areas. "Airlines have to work together with railroads."

But Boeing's footprints in China go far beyond selling airplanes.

"There is not a plane we built that doesn't have parts from China in it," Albaugh said.

China Daily

TransAsia Airways to start flights to Chongqing in March

2011-01-14T22:03:00.006+07:00

2011/01/13 14:34:13

Taipei, Jan. 13 (CNA) TransAsia Airways, one of Taiwan's international carriers, said Thursday it will begin flights to Chongqing City in southwestern China in March.

The airline will operate two flights per week to the Chinese city, starting from March 3, as business links across the Taiwan Strait continue to grow.

Currently, TransAsia Airways offers 32 flights a week to a number of destinations in China, including Shanghai, Hangzhou, Tianjin, Fuzhou, Xiamen, Changsha, Wuhan and Hefei.

In addition to its China routes, TransAsia Airways also operates 48 flights per week to three other overseas destinations -- Busan and Jeju in South Korea and Macau.

The company said it also plans to launch flights to Singapore, Japan, and Bangkok in Thailand this year to boost its bottom line through expansion as the global economy is recovering.

TransAsia Airways said it is aiming to raise its net profit to NT$1.5 billion (US$51.32 million) for 2011 from an estimated NT$900 million in 2010.

In the first nine months of last year, the carrier posted NT$723 million in net profit, up 50.6 percent from a year earlier because of growing demand as the global airline business rebounded strongly from the worldwide financial crisis.

TransAsia Airways has ordered eight new planes -- two Airbus A330-300s and six A321-200s -- to meet cross-strait air travel demand and enhance its competitiveness in the long term.

The carrier now has a fleet of 16 aircraft, including two Airbus A320s, five A321s, and nine ATR72s.

The company has been listed in the emerging market since November, paving the path for a public listing on the Taiwan Stock Exchange or the over-the-counter (OTC) market.

Under local securities regulations, a company has to be listed as an emerging stock for no less than six months before it can go public on the main board or the market.

(By Chao Hsiao-hui and Frances Huang)

VMA-211 Avengers head to Japan

2011-01-14T22:03:00.001+07:00

1/13/2011 By Pfc. Sean Dennison , Marine Corps Air Station Yuma

MARINE CORPS AIR STATION YUMA, Ariz. — More than 70 Marines from Marine Attack Squadron 211 and Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 13 left the air station Jan. 4 to attach to the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit in Japan for deployment. The Marines will join approximately 70 others who’ve already departed for Japan with eight of the squadron’s AV-8B Harriers in December.
The Wake Island Avengers’ last deployment was in 2009, also with the 31st MEU.
Sailing aboard the USS Essex, the Yuma Marines are slated to travel to locations such as Thailand and the Philippines, participating in international joint-service exercises like Golden Fang and simulated noncombatant evacuation operations.
"We learn the capabilities that participating nations have, learn to work with each other in a joint service environment and provide theater security," said Sgt. Maj. Robert Pullen, VMA-211 sergeant major, who is deploying with the squadron for the first time.
Though Marines will perform the same duties on ship as they do stateside, they must do so while interacting with different service branches and while using more limited resources.
"This lets (the squadron) view the big picture of how different services operate together, so they can become better Marines, more well-rounded in their jobs," said Pullen.
For Marines who haven’t deployed, the MEU is an exciting prospect for both new locales and a more dynamic working environment.
"I’m excited to go on my first deployment," said Lance Cpl. Colin Klingler, VMA-211 operations specialist. "I want to experience the different cultures."
"I’m looking forward to getting into some shenanigans," Lance Cpl. Tyler Kissell, VMA-211 administration clerk, added jokingly.
A first deployment isn’t an experience shared exclusively by Marines; Avenger spouses will also contend with having their significant others away at sea for the first time.
"It didn’t hit me until we pulled away after dropping him off and my son asked, ‘Where’s Daddy going?’" said Doorly Winegar, VMA-211 spouse, whose husband is currently overseas. "But I’m so proud he’s able to do this. He has an opportunity to serve his country. I wouldn’t trade it in for the world."

Russia 'terrified' over Viktor Bout trial, lawyer claims

2011-01-11T08:04:00.000+07:00

The Kremlin is "terrified" that America's forthcoming trial of Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout will expose his links to top Russian officials and Moscow's secret deals with controversial regimes around the world, it has been claimed.

Russian arms trafficking suspect Viktor Bout (C) in U.S. custody after being flown from Bangkok to New York Photo: AP

Thailand's Don Mueang local flights to be moved to international airport

2011-01-11T08:00:00.000+07:00

Airports of Thailand Plc (AoT) plans to close the domestic terminal at Don Mueang Airport and move flight operations to Terminal 1 (T1).

The domestic terminal sees fairly light traffic these days, with only Nok and Orient Thai offering regular domestic services.

The relocation means that Nok Airlines and Orient Thai Airlines, the only scheduled carriers operating through the century-old airport, will move in April.
This paves the way for AoT to develop the site around the domestic terminal into an aircraft maintenance centre in the future, said airport general manager Prateep Wichitto.
AoT can also cut costs as T1 was only handling a couple of chartered international flights each month.
The two budget airlines together operate 30 to 40 point-to-point domestic flights per day through the domestic terminal.
AoT is earmarking 19 million baht to redecorate the interior of T1 and upgrade the air-conditioning to facilitate the relocated operations.
The two carriers' executives indicated they would bear the moving costs by themselves, though they said it was too early to know the figures.
Mr Prateep said T1 was connected with the parking building so there would be no inconvenience.
The relocation may form part of a redevelopment of Don Mueang, though the government remains indecisive about the airport's role.
There is a debate about whether the airport should be reactivated for international flights to compete with Suvarnabhumi, Thailand's main airport in Samut Prakan.
Officials have called for Don Mueang to be made into a maintenance centre for small and medium-sized aircraft, a landing gear maintenance centre for narrow-bodied aircraft, an aircraft parts stock management centre, a flight simulator facility, an international free-trade zone or a private jet/air taxi terminal. However, no decision has been made on the issues.

Crystal Thai Airlines Set to Launch

2011-01-11T07:59:00.000+07:00

Crystal Thai Airlines is set to launch this month and join Thailand’s already comprehensive network of both domestic and international based airlines.
The new carrier which will operate Airbus A320 and A330 aircraft will initially start operating services in January between Bangkok, Incheon(South Korea), Bhutan and Colombo in Sri Lanka using the A320 aircraft set in an all economy configuration.
Later in March 2011 A330 operations will commence with flights from Bangkok to Dubai and will have both business and economy seating.
The companies web site CrystalThaiAir.com which is not yet fully operational, also lists other destinations including Phuket, Cochin(India), Mumbai and Clark(Phillipines).
According to Aviation Week the airline will commence operations on 30th January on the Bangkok to Seoul Incheon route which seems to be a priority with a company spokeman saying:

“Many Thai people want to go to Korea, and many Koreans travel to Thailand.”

A stated objective of the company is to become the third largest carrier in Thailand which I presume is somewhere behind Thai International Airways and Bangkok Airways but ahead of Air Asia. Heady ambitions for this fledgling airline and it will be interesting to see where the company is in 18 months time.
Given the stated date for commencing flight operations it would certainly be handy if the online booking system were operational . In the meantime however you can contact Crystal Thai Airlines as follows:
Telephone: +662-631-7771 +662-631-7772
Address: 222, 19A Fl. Voravit Building, Surawong Rd., Sipraya, Bangrak, Bangkok 10500, THAILAND
Airport Office Address:
Room No.G2-090B, 2nd Floor CONCOURSE-G Building, Suvarnabhumi Airport
E-mail: info@crystalthaiair.com

Defunct Airlines of Thailand: Thai Airways Company, Thai Sky Airlines, Air Siam, Air Andaman, Thai Air Cargo, Thaijet, Thai Pacific Airlines

2011-01-07T08:40:00.002+07:00

Chapters: Thai Airways Company, Thai Sky Airlines, Air Siam, Air Andaman, Thai Air Cargo, Thaijet, Thai Pacific Airlines. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 24. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher’s book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Thai Airways Company or Thai Airways (TAC; Thai: ) was the domestic flag carrier of Thailand. Its main base was the Domestic Terminal at Don Mueang International Airport: DMK (former name: Bangkok International Airport: BKK). Its head office was located in Pom Prap Sattru Phai, Bangkok. In 1988 Thai Airways merged to become Thai Airways International (Thai: ). Siamese Airways Company Limited was the domestic flag carrier of Thailand on March 1, 1947, according to a cabinet resolution. The first squadron had Douglas DC-3, Beechcraft C45, L-5 Sentinel, Rearwin, Fairchild. The first flight was Bangkok-Phitsanulok-Lampang-Chiang Mai. And after 2 days, It opened Chiang Mai-Mae Sariang-Mae Hong Son. The first International flight had opened on December 1947, flight Bangkok-Songkhla-Penang. The Government of Thailand had a resolution on November 1, 1951, merged with Pacific Overseas Airline (Siam) Limited (POAS), and changed name to Thai Airways Company Limited (TAC) (Thai: (.)). It also called Thai Airways. Thai Airways established the international flag carrier in 1960, Thai Airways International Company Limited (THAI; Thai: ), as a joint venture between Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) with the Scandinavian carrier initially providing a 30% share capital of two million Baht. Thai Airways Flight 231 bought Avro 748 in 1963, Boeing 737-200 in 1977, Short 330 in 1982, Short 360 and Airbus A310-200 in 1985. On April 1, 1988, Thai Airways Company Limited (TAC) merged with Thai Airways International, under the cabinet resolution, single national airline of the Kingdom of Thailand, as authorised by Gen…More: http://booksllc.net/?id=313825

China 'leaks' sneak peek of first stealth aircraft going for a test run

2011-01-06T07:56:00.003+07:00

Big Brother really can see everything: American Air Force surveillance drone will track movement across an entire town

2011-01-06T07:55:00.002+07:00

By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 8:46 PM on 3rd January 2011

A revolutionary new American Air Force drone will be able to track movement of insurgents in Afghanistan across entire towns.
Named Gordon Stare, it is set to be used in the country within the next few months and will be able to transmit live video of movement.
The new system will use a series of nine cameras on the remote controlled aircraft and will be able to send up to 65 images at any one time.

Revolutionary: The new Gorgon Stare surveillance system will be mounted on MQ-9 Reaper drones and track insurgents' movements across entire towns

Ground staff will be able to receive real-time broadcasts of the clips, and able to transfer and store data for further analysis at a later date.
The system will be deployed on board the MQ-9 Reaper drone that currently undertakes surveillance using a single mounted camera that relays information to analysts on the ground.
Major General James O. Poss, the American Air Force's assistant deputy chief of staff for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance said the new tool will have benefits in the search for terrorists in the country.
Major General Poss told the Washington Post: 'Gorgon Stare will be looking at a whole city, so there will be no way for the adversary to know what we're looking at, and we can see everything.'
'With the new tool, analysts will no longer have to guess where to point the camera.'
However critics of the system say that the huge amount of information the new drone will receive will be of limited value if they cannot match it with ground intelligence.
They also add that the military does not have the manpower to go through imagery the drones will provide.
Gorgon Stare has been in development for around 18 months and its release coincides with a huge increase in aerial surveillance in Afghanistan, which has doubled since January 2010.

USA - Florida's Miami-Dade police buy drones

2011-01-05T08:02:00.000+07:00

A A A Comments (8) By Tim Elfrink Thursday, Dec 9 2010

In places such as Kabul, Gaza, and Baghdad, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) hovering over homes, following suspects, and tracking enemies of the state are a daily reality.

Will Iran flights provide new property buyers in Phuket?

2011-01-05T08:00:00.000+07:00

Jan 04, 2011 | Comments 0

The announcement by Iran’s Mahan Airlines of weekly – likely to grow quickly to twice weekly – direct flights between Tehran and Phuket opens some intriguing possibilities for property investment on the island. While Iran is demonized politically for its nuclear programme and human rights, the reality is that Cyprus, a tourist destination similar to Phuket for example, is legislating to allow Iranians investors permanent residency and encouraging them to buy property. In Iran itself thousands of foreign firms, mainly Chinese and European, have established agents to invest directly in the housing market. They are being encouraged to buy mid to high end properties at a minimum of EUR350,000 (USD467,000). The 52.17 per cent increase in Iranian arrivals to Thailand from January to July 2010 underscores Iranian interest in Thailand. The Mahan Air direct flights, started after this survey period, with a 243 seat Airbus 300-600 aircraft, will only boost these numbers further. Another incentive for airlines like Mahan Air has been Phuket International Airport’s cutting landing fees from November 1, 2010 to airlines who introduce services on new routes to Phuket. Mahan Air is Iran’s first private airline, operating since 1992 to destinations in the Middle East, Far East, Central Asia, and Europe out of its Tehran base.

About the Author:
Alastair Carthew is a journalist, writer, broadcaster and public relations consultant living on Phuket. He previously worked for Air New Zealand and Star Alliance in senior management roles.
PH: +66 76317929
Mobile: +66 817500448
Email: alastair.carthew@staralliance.com

Thailand's aviation business to grow by 8-12% in 2011

2011-01-05T07:59:00.001+07:00

BANGKOK, 3 January 2011 (NNT) - The Airports of Thailand (AOT) has estimated that the aviation business would grow by 8-12% in 2011, compared to last year’s, as a result of global economic recovery and more Chinese tourists traveling in the region.

According to Kongsak Hiranpruek, the Chairman of the Airline Operators Committee (AOC), many foreign travelers are expected to resume their planned visit to Thailand in 2011. The AOC represents international airlines operating out of Suvarnabhumi International Airport.

He further stated that the only worrying factor was domestic political problems given gatherings of certain groups were still going on quite often after the emergency had been lifted. Contrary to what had been claimed, the increasing oil prices would not have that much impact on the industry, said Mr Kongsak.

Many airlines have been urging the government to decide on the use of Don Muang Airport, suggesting that as Thailand is a single-airport country, Don Muang should be used as a repair center for private and chartered planes and small jets without delay.

Quiet start for remote check-ins on bANGKOK'S NEW Airport Rail Link

2011-01-05T07:48:00.002+07:00

Published: 5/01/2011 at 12:00 AM
Newspaper section: News

Remote airline check-in services have entered operation at Makkasan station on the Airport Rail Link line.

Bangkok Airwaysand Thai Airways International staff open their remote check-in counters at Makkasan station on the Airport Rail Link service that connects inner Bangkok with Suvarnabhumi airport.Ahandful of passengers used the service onits first day yesterday. SOMCHAI POOMLARD

While only a handful of travellers took advantage of the service on the first day yesterday, Transport Minister Sohpon Zarum promised to increase the convenience of checking in at the station.
The check-in counters served 11 air passengers and handled four bags as of yesterday evening.
Yesterday also saw an increase in the fares for the Airport Rail Link. The Express Line fare has risen from 100 baht to 150 baht, while fares on the City Line, with stops en route, are no longer offered at the flat 15-baht rate, but at a new progressive rate of 15-45 baht.
Mr Sohpon, who inspected the remote check-in counters yesterday, said the facilities were safe and air passengers need not worry about their luggage.
Bangkok Airways and Thai Airways International will operate the check-in counters at the Makkasan station.
The minister said he would increase the number of passenger buses and taxis at Makkasan station, while officials would be expected to note flight schedules so the number of public transport vehicles could match the expected flow of passengers to and from the airport. The Airport Rail Link, operated by the State Railway of Thailand (SRT), runs from 6am to midnight.
Mr Sohpon said ministry officials would study the service hours to decide whether they should be increased.
The minister has ordered the SRT to improve facilities and the decor of the stations on the Airport Rail Link and to publicise the remote check-in services at Makkasan station.
Lek Klinvibul, ground customer service director of Thai Airways International, said THAI's check-in services operated from 8am to 9pm. Passengers could check in and have their baggage loaded between three and 12 hours before their flights.
The service is expected to appeal more to foreign backpackers.Transport officials said a footbridge would be built to link Makkasan station and Phetchaburi station, which is part of Bangkok's subway system, by April or May.
Ratchaprarop, Hua Mak and Phaya Thai stations on the Airport Rail Link will be equipped with escalators by the middle of the year.

Flying Machines, Amazing at Any Angle

2011-01-04T11:00:00.002+07:00

Snow hits Cambodia tourism

2010-12-31T16:04:00.002+07:00

Thursday, 30 December 2010 15:00 Soeun Say

Photo by: AFP

Snow still covers approaches to New York airport John F Kennedy International Airport.

THE Kingdom’s tourism industry is suffering the fallout of the giant snowstorm that blanketed the northeastern United States, according to government and private sector officials.

The impact was likely to be extensive, coming in peak tourism season, but it is difficult as yet to tell how many would-be tourists were forced to stay home, said Minister of Tourism Thong Khon.

As many as 1.2 million airline customers may have been affected by almost 8,000 flight cancellations as the storm that hit three days ago closed major airports in the US.

Passengers were being forced to make new plans, sometimes without being able to reach airlines by phone or online for help.

Thong Khon said the storm had kept many North American visitors at home, he added that the Ministry of Tourism was closely observing the issue.

“It has happened too fast to know the impact [at this time],” he said.

Ho Vandy, co-chairman of the Tourism Working Group, confirmed that Cambodia has been impacted by the fallout from the American storms – even though there are no direct flights from the United States.

“We were still affected because many tourists entered Cambodia on direct flights from Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore,” he said.

Many tourists had seen their flights cancelled due to the storm, but he could not say how many were affected.

“We will check one by one with travel agents to figure that out,” he said.

Figures from the Ministry of Tourism released last week show the US as the fifth largest source of tourists to Cambodia, with 131,458 American arrivals in the first eleven months of this year.

Earlier this year, the domestic tourism sector faced fallout from cancelled flights follow the European ash cloud, Thong Khon said at the time.

Piyasvasti battles Thai Airways’ beasts

2010-12-31T15:58:00.000+07:00

BANGKOK — Some years ago Thai Airways International ran a beautifully crafted television advertisement featuring a young Thai woman in elegant silk dress who bowed and made a hands-joined “wai” greeting. Once upon a time, she began, Thai was a small airline, but it made up for it by its warmth and superior standards. It grew, and here she extended her hands wider and wider as if encompassing …
Read more in the The Japan Times

Singapore Air New CEO May Exit Virgin as Asia Competition Grows

2010-12-31T15:57:00.002+07:00

Singapore Airlines Ltd. ’s Goh Choon Phong , who takes over as chief executive officer tomorrow, may shed the last major remains of the carrier’s global expansion strategy as he confronts rising competition in Asia. - Read more on Bloomberg

Aviation Museums you should visit in Washington, D.C.

2010-12-31T15:56:00.002+07:00

AIR AND SPACE/DOWNTOWN "Beyond: Visions of Our Solar System," through May 2. Open indefinitely: "The Wright Brothers and the Invention of the Aerial Age." "Explore the Universe." "How Things Fly." "America by Air." "Apollo to the Moon." "Early Flight." "Flight Simulator Zone." "Milestones of Flight." "Sea-Air Operations." "Space Race." "Moving Beyond Earth." An interactive exhibition that explores recent advances made in human spaceflight, including the space shuttle and space station. "Barron Hilton: Pioneers of Flight Gallery." The museum's exhibit of aviation and rocketry in the 1920s and '30s reopened with additional artifacts, such as Anne Lindbergh's telegraph key and hands-on activities for kids. Open from 10 to 7:30 on Friday and Saturday. Open daily 10 to 5:30. Sixth Street and Independence Avenue SW. 202-633-1000. www.nasm.si.edu. Free.

AIR AND SPACE/DULLES Open indefinitely: "Business Aviation." "Commercial Aviation." "Human Spaceflight." "Rockets and Missiles." "Sport Aviation." "Vertical Flight." "World War II Aviation." Open from 10 to 6:30 through Saturday. Open daily 10 to 5:30. Udvar-Hazy Center, 14390 Air and Space Museum Pkwy., Chantilly. 202-633-1000. www.nasm.si.edu/UdvarHazy. Free.

Australia too competitive: THAI

2010-12-31T15:55:00.000+07:00

Thai Airways International (THAI) has said it is steering away from the Australian market because competition is too fierce.
The airline said that while they are keen to increase connections to Auckland, dealing with Australia is a “competitive headache”, the Australian reported.
“Australia is not all that profitable for us,” THAI chief executive Piyasyasti Amranand said.
“We have many flights to Australia but I think the problem is the competition...from other airlines.
“This is probably where you really see the impact of Middle Eastern Airlines on our operations.”
Mr Amranand added that its proposed alliance with Tiger Airways could assist the airline improve its operations down under.
If the alliance resolves its current issues with the Thai government, the head said Thai Tiger could be set up as a low-budget carrier within the month.
“Hopefully, it will be in operation sometime in the second quarter of 2011 because (in) the regional market we’re losing out a lot, I think, to the low-cost airlines,” he said.
According to the news source, with only six million on the 65 million people living in Thailand having flown, Thai is also hoping the alliance would attract the untapped market.
"Obviously, the first time they will not be flying Thai Airways, they will be flying low-cost airlines because they need something cheap," Mr Amranand said.

Air Berlin requires Head of Marketing & Sales at its Bangkok base

2010-12-30T08:51:00.001+07:00

Air Berlin PLC & Co. Luftverkehrs KG

URGENTLY REQUIRED !!!

Air Berlin PLC & Co. Luftverkehrs KG is Germany´s second largest airline and the sixth largest in Europe. We serve Thailand for more than 30 years with daily flights to our hubs Berlin, Dusseldorf and Munich. As airberlin is increasing its presence in Thailand we are searching for additional staffs to join our young and highly motivated team in Bangkok.

Head of Marketing & Sales Thailand

Join date: Able to start immediately
Base : Bangkok

Qualifications:-

Thai nationality only

Min. 3 years senior sales experience for an airline in Thailand

Excellent Thai / English spoken and written

German language highly appreciated

Very good knowledge of the Thai market

Leadership abilities

Knowledge of Germany and Europe is an advantage

Interested candidates are invited to write in with full resume, stating present and expected salaries, and enclosing a recent photograph to the address below :

Go Vacation Thailand

Khun Nicha Minkhuntod / HR and Administrative Manager

Human Resources Department

849 Vorawat Building
7th Floor Silom Road
Bangrak, Bangkok 10500
Telephone: 0-2267-1202-4 Fax: 0-2267-1128

E-mail : recruitment@go-vacation.com
Website : www.go-vacation.com

Career Level	Middle
Yr(s) of Exp	3 years
Qualification	(N/A)
Industry	Tourism/Travel Agency
Job Function	Transportation & Logistics > Airline Marketing / Public Relations > Management Sales, CS & Business Devpt > Sales Management Sales, CS & Business Devpt > Others
Location	Bangkok Silom MRT Station, Lumphini, Pathum Wan, Bangkok 10500, Thailand Enlarge Map
Salary	Not Specified
Employment Type	Full Time, Permanent

Lao Airlines' new aircraft touches down in Vientiane

2010-12-30T08:49:00.002+07:00

Phonsavanh Vongsay
Vientiane Times
Publication Date : 27-12-2010

Lao Airlines' fourth ATR72-500 made its debut at Vientiane's Wattay International Airport on Friday (December 24) afternoon, after a two night, three day flight from France where it was manufactured.
The plane arrived at about 4pm, after Avions de Transport Regional (ATR) of France officially presented the aircraft to Lao Airlines in France on Tuesday (December 21), according to a press release from Lao Airlines.
The aircraft was purchased under an agreement between the two parties signed earlier this year. It will be mainly used on international routes and will replace older planes in the fleet.
The ATR72-500 has a total weight capacity of about 22.5 tonnes, including the weight of the aircraft, cargo and up to 70 passengers.
The four planes will facilitate the development of the air transport market and tourism. They have special facilities for VIP guests.
In the past Lao Airlines flew two ATR72-200 that were 1 tonne lighter. “However, these aircraft were recently returned to their place of manufacture in France,” said Lao Airlines' administration and planning department director Noudeng Chanthaphasouk.
The company decided to buy the four aircraft because the government was concerned about the adequacy of domestic air transportation routes.
They will enable Lao Airlines to add new sectors and help boost economic development.
Lao Airlines made the purchase after experiencing increased demand for charter flights from tourists and government officials.
The purchase of the new aircraft is part of a project to improve and expand Lao Airlines and is supported by various organisations.
Lao Airlines is also buying two ARJ21-700 90-seat jet aircraft from the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China Ltd. The two parties signed a purchase agreement in Vientiane in January this year.
“We will receive the two aircraft by the end of 2012,” Noudeng said.
“They will help Lao Airlines to provide a better service and enable us to expand our services to more countries.”
The new planes will also play an important role in transporting the growing numbers of tourists, especially in 2012 when more arrivals are expected under the ‘Visit Laos Year' campaign.
Lao Airlines now has eight aircraft - four MA60 and four ATR72-500 - which fly on domestic and international sectors.
The airline offers flights between Vientiane and Luang Prabang, Xieng Khuang, Oudomxay, Luang Namtha, Bokeo, Savannakhet and Champassak provinces.
International destinations include Cambodia, China, Thailand and Vietnam.
Lao Airlines is the national flag carrier of Laos formerly known as Lao Aviation.

Once upon a time we called them “Flight Stewardesses”, nowadays they are referred to as Flight Attendants

2010-12-28T10:48:00.000+07:00

Opinion

'Age before beauty'
CTALK By Cito Beltran (The Philippine Star) Updated December 27, 2010 12:00 AM Comments (9)

Once upon a time we called them “Flight Stewardesses”, nowadays they are referred to as Flight Attendants. Once upon a time they were mostly females, nowadays there are as many males as there are females. Once upon a time they were mostly young, pretty and charming, nowadays the “young once” are struggling to keep their jobs and their dignity.
While flying somewhere between Bangkok and Manila on Philippine Airlines, I found myself reflecting on the on-going struggle of PAL management and their flight crews regarding the concept of “early retirement”.
Presumably, the issue is water under the bridge since the Department of Labor has ruled against the early retirement age idea of PAL. Unfortunately, a government ruling does not tell “us” the passengers; what to do with our long established ideas of what “Stewardesses” or Flight Attendants are suppose to look like or how young they are suppose to be.
A government decision does not make us realize that our notion or expectations about age and looks have actually become leaving breathing biases that blinds us from appreciating the real purpose, service and value of a “Flight Attendant”. In fact we never even consider that all of us add to the “customer expectations” and collective bias “that flight attendants should be young”.
Ever since the “dancing FA’s” and the controversy about early retirement age, I have heard more and more people speak out against sexist policies of the airlines. But no one among the politically correct anti-sexist activist would openly admit that privately, they all harbor a bias that turns them off when they see an “old” or non-sexy flight attendant.
While on board PR-730 to Bangkok, I could not help but notice one of three senior FA’s who I assumed was a very senior purser doing a performance audit. True to form, my long established expectation of what a flight attendant was “suppose to look like” automatically kicked in. it was not long before I began to pay special attention and make a biased assessment of the person in terms of age, looks and whether she was fit to perform the duties of an FA.
Half way through my unsolicited critical assessment, I realized that this person was performing a difficult job and I was assessing her based on absolute bias for her age and appearances because the airline industry had brain washed us a long time ago that FA’s were supposed to be “Hotties”.
As I watched the senior FA, I saw a professional who brought value and quality to the service. She had empathy that broke down barriers, public relations skills that made people appreciate the crew and she still had the core strength that allowed her to perform physically demanding work.
Like other flights, I have always appreciated the service and the warmth of Filipino Flight Attendants. It is their warmth and sincerity that makes our travel a pleasure, not their age. Their able and constant attention puts us at ease, not their vital statistics. It is their caring face that tells us we chose the right airline to fly, and not just another pretty face in shorts to drool at.
There are no diplomas for experience, it requires living through them and that takes time. It comes with age, so does wisdom and good judgment.
So the next time you’re on a plane and you see a much “older” flight attendant, try to remember, she’s the one who will serve your food, tidy up the toilet, address your needs and in case of an unforeseen landing or medical emergency she might even save your life.
So the next time the bias starts acting up, just remember the “A” in FA stands for “Attendant” not “Age”.

* * *

If the Philippines lag behind in terms of tourist arrivals, it is not because of slogans or airports.
Bangkok has a huge international airport jammed and packed with tourists who immediately complain about the long lines and slow processing at their immigration counters because people get stuck at a choke point between two public areas. So it’s not about the looks, it’s about the service and convenience.
Thailand has a huge airport because it was a necessary requirement when the country made the decision to prioritize tourism as a priority program. The Philippines must first decide if Tourism will be a priority program instead of prioritizing the airports in the hope of attracting tourists.
In terms of destinations our first and usual mistake is making “Manila” or Metro Manila as the port of destination or gateway for tourists. Sorry but what we call tourists spots in Metro Manila are just places of historical or cultural interests mostly for Filipinos. They are not designed or developed to meet the needs or concerns of a FOREIGNER.
In comparison to Bangkok, Metro Manila would have an equal number of “potential” tourist spots. But the difference is that Thailand invested time and money to make the city and the country attractive and convenient for tourists. By attractive we mean accessibility, affordability and safety.
In the Philippines, NAIA 1 remains the same, Fort Santiago looks the same, Intramuros has had been developing but not for purposes of tourism, Divisoria has become worse, and Roxas blvd has gone from static to deteriorated, and as well know Luneta is now linked with hostage taking than tourism. From Marcos to Aquino, our tourist spots have remained physically and visually the same.
In the mean time, our real destinations are left to private sector development and promotion because they are outside Imperial Metro Manila. Once again what we have, is a need to redefine our perspective and priorities. More than our “Smile” we need a product to sell.

IATA: Thailand's 'Green Tax' could hurt travel

2010-12-28T10:47:00.000+07:00

The international airline industry is up in arms against Thailand's plan to impose a hefty tax on air travellers, warning it would be counterproductive for a country that relies heavily on tourism.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) said a proposed 15% tax on ticket prices would discourage airlines to operate to Thailand and drive away travellers.
"We think it is absolutely counterproductive," said Jeff Poole, who oversees industry charges, fuel and taxation issues at IATA, told the Bangkok Post.
IATA, which represents 230 airlines, will soon formally raise its objection to the Thai government when it completes a paper on impacts to the overall economy from the "green tax."
The Thai cabinet last October agreed in principle to impose the air travel tax as part of a new environmental tax on polluting industries, products and services, starting in 2012.
"[Fifteen percent] is incredible high by any standard. We normally see a few percent in other countries, to which we strongly object, " said Mr Poole.
"Airlines always have a choice as to where they fly, and if it is more expensive to operate in one country or one airport compared to others, airlines will move their services to other locations where they can make a better financial recovery," he said.
From the travellers' perspective, if it costs a lot more to fly to Bangkok than to Kuala Lumpur or somewhere else in Asia, they will make a choice, he added.
IATA believes many other counties impose green taxes mainly for revenue purposes, even if they are doing so in the name of the environment.
Mr Poole cited the adverse effect of a similar tax imposed and later revoked by the Dutch government. "When they introduced the tax people just drove over the border to Germany and flew from other airports."
According to IATA, the Netherlands in 2009 collected 312 million in departure taxes but the impact cost the Dutch economy 1.2 billion.
Some other European countries are using departure taxes mainly to raise badly needed money, it said.
In June, Germany agreed to impose a new departure tax to raise $3.1 billion a year. The new UK air passenger duty is expected to raise 2.5 billion and an Austrian departure tax 90 million. These taxes can be 3-5% of the price of a ticket, IATA said.
"Aviation can help drive economic growth, but not if we are beaten to death with new taxes," IATA director-general Giovanni Bisignani said a media briefing in Geneva on Dec 14.
Next year, IATA will launch a major communication initiative in Europe to educate governments on the social and economic benefits of the aviation industry, he said.

The air transport industry generates 31.9 million jobs globally and aviation's global economic impact was estimated at $3.55 billion in 2007, equivalent to 7.5% of world GDP, according to IATA.

Thailand's air force receives Saab aircraft

2010-12-20T08:53:00.000+07:00

15:49 GMT, December 17, 2010 At a ceremony in Linköping on December 13 FMV handed over a Saab 340 Erieye AEW and a Saab 340 for transport and training to the Royal Thai Air Force. It is the first elements of the integrated air defense system that Thailand has bought from Sweden.

This is the first delivery from the agreement FMV signed with Thailand in 2008. Per Nilsson, who is responsible for the Thailand project at FMV, signed shipping documents, together with Air Marshal Songtam Chokkanapitag from the RoyalThai Air Force. Gunnar Jonsson, who is project manager for the 340-part of the project,handed over the logbooks.

The agreement of 2008 between FMV, as a representative of the Swedish state, and Thailand, covers six Gripen aircraft (4 Jas 39D and 2 Jas 39C) with associated equipment and services, a Saab 340 aircraft with airborne radar surveillance system, a Saab 340 for transport and education and an integrated Command and Control system with data links.

The agreement contains, in addition, an extensive logistical support, training for Thai pilots and technicians as well as simulators. Sweden will also help as advisors in Thailand during the introduction of the Gripen and the Erieye system in the Thai Air Force.

Total solution. The equipment, together with the commitment to train pilots and technicians as well as bilateral agreements for the development of advanced data link and transfer of technology, form a comprehensive solution. Deliveries of the remaining system components will occur during the first quarter of 2011.

In November 2010 FMV signed a new agreement with Thailand, which covers six Gripen fighters of the latest C version, along with an additional Saab 340 with Erieyeradar and the Swedish missile RB 15F. Delivery of the components of the defense system will take place during 2012 and 2013.

As part of the contract, Sweden will transfer the latest technology in advanced military aircraft to Thailand. The purpose of this is through long-term partnership develop the aerospace and defense skills in Thailand. This will also serve as a base for industry in Thailand in terms of future development.

EXCLUSIVE – Qantas flight QF32 flight from the cockpit - A380 engine failure

2010-12-14T11:32:00.001+07:00

On 4 November Qantas flight QF32, an Airbus A380 outbound from Singapore, ran into serious problems when a turbine on its Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engine suffered an uncontained failure. We caught up with one of the five pilots onboard, who describes how the crew professionally dealt with the incident, the sequence of events, and how the most dangerous period was after they had landed.

http://www.aerosocietychannel.com/aerospace-insight/2010/12/exclusive-qantas-qf32-flight-from-the-cockpit/

GRAPHIC ANALYSIS ON THE VIDEOS REGARDING UNIDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECTS FILMED OVER KUMBURGAZ, TURKEY, BETWEEN 2007 AND 2009

2010-12-14T08:24:00.000+07:00

Thailand's U-Tapao Airport To Upgrade for International Flights

2010-12-12T15:45:00.000+07:00

Pattayas' Utapao International Airport is aiming to draw more regular international flights following its million expansion is completed in 2013.
Work is currently scheduled to begin in 2011 and will feature building a new terminal which will hold 1,500 passengers. The current capability is 400 passengers.
The existing 3,5km runway and apron for 49 aircraft is not planned to be upgraded as they can already accommodate all types of aircraft.
Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA) committee member Thongyoo Suphavittayakorn is reported to have said the upgraded airport would attract flights from Pattaya's key markets - Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), India, South Korea and China.
Lao Airlines launched a new twice-weekly service from Vientiane to Utapao in November, while Bangkok Airways already operates domestic flights to Koh Samui to Utapao and Phuket to Utapao services.

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