Asian aviation briefs
THAI sacks Piyasvasti
Thai Airways International (THAI) has fired its President, Piyasvasti Amranand. Thailand’s former Energy Minister, Piyasvasti has led the national carrier since October 2009, and helped post record profit in 2010. The airline also achieved a 490% jump in net profits in the first quarter of 2012, but THAI’s Board of Directors is reported to have said that “communication problems” led to his dismissal.
The Thai government has denied having any influence on the decision to remove Piyasvasti.
Singapore airport launches city shuttle service
Singapore’s Changi Airport has also announced the launch of a new free shuttle bus service for passengers. The bus service will offer direct access to the airport’s Terminal 3 from Bedok MRT station in eastern Singapore. The service will run hourly from 11.30am to 9.30pm.
The new service will run in addition to the existing shuttle bus between Sengkang MRT station and Changi Airport.
AirAsia to stop KL-Solo flights
AirAsia is withdrawing from the Kuala Lumpur-Solo route. The low-cost carrier had operated the route since December 2005, but the daily flights will come to an end on 2 September 2012.
The airline said the pull-out was due to its group-wide realignment plan, intended to strengthen the operations of AirAsia Indonesia. “More connectivity will be allocated for routes between Kuala Lumpur and other destinations in Indonesia soon,” an AirAsia statement said.
Air Austral to cut Sydney services
Air Austral, the airline based on the Indian Ocean island of Reunion, is cutting its Sydney flights from late October 2012. The carrier said that as part of a network restructuring plan, services to both Sydney and Noumea in New Caledonia would cease operating. It added however, that it is “in discussions with an airline operating already in the Australian market… enabling it to continue serving travellers from Australia to Reunion”.
Air Austral currently operates twice weekly flights to Sydney.
Indonesia ends search for Sukhoi victims
Indonesia’s emergency services have ended the search for survivors of the Sukhoi air crash. The move effectively confirms that all 45 people onboard the Russian Sukhoi Superjet 100 aircraft died when it crashed on the slopes on Mount Salak, West Java, on 9 May. The search for the aircraft’s flight data recorder however, will continue. The cockpit voice recorder was retrieved last week and is currently being examined in Jakarta.
Local media reported that Russian investigators have also now pulled out of the area.
VietJet Air launches summer uniforms
VietJet Air has launched a new summer uniform for its cabin crew. The new low-cost carrier’s flight attendants will wear the new attire on the recently-launched route connecting Hanoi with the resort destination of Nha Trang.
“The holiday atmosphere will begin once passengers step on board with flight attendants dressed in beach holiday attire,” VietJet Air said in a statement.
Finnair selects GSA in Vietnam
Finnair has selected Bien Dong Travel to be its general sales agent (GSA) in Vietnam. While the carrier doesn’t currently operate flights to Vietnam, its Business Director for Southeast Asia, Retteri Kostemaa, was reported saying that Finnair is considering launching a direct route to either Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City from Helsinki in the near future. The airline is also considering codeshare partnerships with local carriers.
Iraqi Airways planning to relaunch with Asia flights
Iraq is planning to relaunch its national carrier in 2013, and intends to offer flights to destinations in Asia. The Iraq Civil Aviation Authority (ICAA) has said that Iraqi Airways will receive the first for 40 Boeing aircraft next year as it resumes services to and from Baghdad.
“We want to expand our fleet and operate routes to Europe, Malaysia and India. We want to operate just like any other regional airline,” Nasser Hussein Bandar, the head of ICAA, told UAE-based newspaper The National.
Iraqi Airways grounded flights in 2010 due to financial and legal issues.