Tag Archives: BKK

Mandala Airlines to be shut down on July 1, Tigerair pulls the funding

Tigerair Group (Singapore), which controls 35.8 percent of the Mandala Airlines (Tigerair Mandala) stock, has decided to stop funding the loss-making Indonesian carrier. The company issued this statement:

PT Mandala Airlines deeply regrets to inform customers that its airline (operating under the brand-name of Tigerair Mandala) will cease operations from July 1, 2014.

Customers who hold a flight booking with flight designator “RI” should note the following:

All Mandala flights from now to June 30, 2014 will operate as scheduled.

The last flight to be operated will be RI 545 on July 1, 2014, HKG-DPS departure time 0235.

All other flights operated by Mandala on July 1, 2014 and thereafter will be cancelled.

As a gesture of goodwill, the Tigerair Group will assist all affected customers with either a flight transfer to a TR flight if seats are available, or a refund for tickets booked for travel on July 1 or thereafter. Tigerair has no legal obligation or responsibility to do so. All legal obligations and responsibilities still rest with Mandala.

The Board and staff of Mandala wish to thank all customers for their support and sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused.

Mandala Airlines originally started operations in February 1970 and was resurrected on April 5, 2012 under the assistance of Tigerair (Singapore).

Read the full report from Bloomberg Businessweek: CLICK HERE

Copyright Photo: Richard Vandervord/AirlinersGallery.com. Mandala Airlines’ Airbus A320-232 PK-RMP (msn 5073) with the Tigerair tail arrives at Bangkok.

Tigerair Mandala:

Tigerair (Singapore):

SEAir (Tigerair Philippines) to change its name to Go Air, Inc.

SEAir-South East Asian Airlines (Tigerair Philippines) (Manila) has been approved by the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) to change its corporate name to Go Air, Inc. The SEAir name is being returned to the original owner according to the Business Mirror.

Read the full report: CLICK HERE

Cebu Pacific Air (Manila) acquired the low-fare airline from Tigerair and a decision is pending on the future operating name. The Tigerair brand is likely to be discontinued in the Philippines.

Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing/AirlinersGallery.com. The Tiger stripes will soon be gone from SEAir aircraft. Airbus A319-132 RP-C4319 (msn 3757) arrives in Bangkok.

SEAir:

Japan Airlines to start charter flights to Rome and Milan from Haneda Airport on July 2

Japan Airlines-JAL (Tokyo) has announced it will operate charter flights departing from Tokyo (Haneda) to Rome and Milan (Malpensa) starting on July 2, 2014. The charter flights will be operated with Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners.

Schedule:

JAL-Japan Airlines:

SriLankan Airlines to join the Oneworld alliance on May 1

SriLankan Airlines (Colombo) will become a full member of oneworld®, offering the alliance’s complete range ofservices and benefits with effect from Thursday May 1, 2014 – as the first carrier from the Indian subcontinent to become part of any global airline groups.

The national airline of Sri Lanka received clearance to board oneworld, the world’s leading quality airline alliance, after successfully completing a thorough review of its readiness conducted by Cathay Pacific Airways, which is sponsoring its entry into the alliance, with the oneworld central team.

Its addition to oneworld will come a month after the alliance welcomes TAM and US Airways on board, on March 31, concluding the group’s biggest yet expansion program.

SriLankan will bring two new destinations on to the oneworld network – Sri Lanka’s new Hambantota International and India’s Tiruchirapalli.

SriLankan already code-shares with oneworld members Malaysia Airlines and S7 Airlines with code-share agreements with a number of other oneworld partners at an advanced stage of discussion.

Copyright Photo: Jay Selman/AirlinersGallery.com. The Airbus A340s will be phased out and replaced by newer A330s by late 2015. The company also has seven A350-900s on order. Airbus A340-311 4R-ADB (msn 033) completes its final approach at Bangkok.

SriLankan Airlines:

How long will Tigerair continue to invest in Mandala Airlines?

Mandala Airlines (Tiger Airways Indonesia) (Jakarta) continues to lose money. As we previously reported, the airline was resurrected on April 5, 2012 as a joint venture between Tigerair (Singapore) (49%) and Saratoga Capital (51%) under the Tigerair brand. According to this report by Jakarta Post, Saratoga will continue to support the Indonesian carrier. There are unconfirmed reports that Tigerair will leave the joint venture.

Mandala suspended nine routes last month as it tries to cut its losses. The airline blamed high fuel costs.

Read the full report: CLICK HERE

Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing/AirlinersGallery.com. Airbus A320-232 PK-RMQ (msn 5335) approaches the runway at Bangkok. Under the joint venture, Mandala removed its very colorful Mandala logo on the tail and instead adopted Tiger stripes on the tail. It is still operating under the Mandala name but under the Tigerair low-fare business plan.

Mandala Airlines:

Current Tigerair routes:

Jet Airways starts Hyderabad-Abu Dhabi service on March 1

Jet Airways (Mumbai) launched a new daily nonstop service from Hyderabad to Abu Dhabi staring on March 1, 2014.

Jet Airways flight 9W 550 departed Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport at 2025 and arrived in Abu Dhabi International Airport at 2310 (LT). On the return leg, the flight 9W 549 will depart Abu Dhabi at 1045 (LT) and arrive in Hyderabad at 1610.

Jet Airways currently operates a daily flight each from Delhi, Kochi and Chennai and 11 flights a week from Mumbai to Abu Dhabi.

The airline will deploy Boeing 737-800 aircraft on the new route.

Jet Airways:

Thai to retire the last Airbus A300 on July 31

Thai Airways International (Bangkok) is currently now planning to retire its last Airbus A300-600 on July 31, 2014 (moved up from October 25, 2014) per Airline Route. The airline is operating the type of flights from the Bangkok hub to Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Khon Kaen and Phuket.

Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing/AirlinersGallery.com. Airbus A300B4-622R HS-TAZ (msn 787) arrives at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi International Airport (BKK).

Thai:

Bangkok Air orders six ATR 72-600 turboprops

Bangkok Airways (Bangkok Air) (Bangkok) and ATR today announced a contract for the sale of six firm ATR 72-600 aircraft and two options. Bangkok Airways has been operating ATR aircraft for two decades and currently operates a fleet of eight ATR 72-500s. The first new ATR 72-600s will be delivered later this year, allowing Bangkok Airways to start renewing its fleet.

Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing/AirlinersGallery.com. ATR 72-212A (ATR 72-500) HS-PGF (msn 700) named “Hua Hin” arrives back at the Bangkok (Suvarnabhumi) base.

Bangkok Air:

Ukraine International to launch service to New York (JFK) on April 25

Ukraine International Airlines (Kiev) despite the current political turmoil in the Ukraine, will launch its first ever nonstop service from Kiev (Boryspil International airport) to New York (John Kennedy International Airport) on April 25, 2014. Starting June 23, 2014, Kiev – New York nonstop scheduled flights will be operated daily.

Flight schedule :

Flight	Destination	Days	Departure *	Arrival*
PS231	Kiev – New York	1234567	11:00	14:20
PS232	New York – Kiev	1234567	00:30	17:20

*Local time

The new route will be operated with Boeing 767-300 aircraft in a three-class cabin layout – Business, Premium Economy, and Economy.

Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing/AirlinersGallery.com. UIA’s ex-United Boeing 767-322 ER UR-GEA (msn 25280) arrives in Bangkok.

Ukraine International Airlines:

Boeing to work with Etihad Airways and others to develop a sustainable aviation biofuel in the United Arab Emirates

Boeing (Chicago), Etihad Airways (Abu Dhabi), Takreer, Total and the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology today announced they will collaborate on a new initiative to support a sustainable aviation biofuel industry in the United Arab Emirates.

BIOjet Abu Dhabi: Flight Path to Sustainability will engage a broad range of stakeholders to develop a comprehensive framework for a U.A.E. biofuel supply chain. This initiative will focus on research and development and investments in feedstock production and refining capability in the U.A.E. and globally.

Etihad Airways showed the promise of this homegrown effort yesterday with a 45-minute demonstration flight in a Boeing 777 powered in part by U.A.E.-produced sustainable aviation biofuel. The biofuel was partially converted from plants by Total and refined into jet fuel by Takreer, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. (ADNOC). U.A.E. is now among a handful of countries that have produced and flown on their own aviation biofuel, which emits at least 50 percent less carbon dioxide than fossil fuel over its lifecycle.

Boeing and Etihad Airways are also among the founding partners of the Sustainable Bioenergy Research Consortium, hosted by the Masdar Institute in Abu Dhabi. The consortium has been researching and developing salt-tolerant plants that would be raw material for the same refining processes used to produce renewable fuel for the Etihad Airways flight.

The flight and BIOjet Abu Dhabi announcement lead into Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week and the World Future Energy Summit. These activities and Masdar Institute’s aviation biofuel research are aligned with the Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030, which seeks to develop sustainable energy sources to diversify the U.A.E. economy and increase workforce opportunities for Emiratis.

Etihad Airways is an airline industry leader in supporting the development of lower-carbon renewable fuels. A member of the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Users Group (SAFUG), the airline operated the Gulf region’s first biofuel flight in January 2011 with a Boeing 777 delivery from Seattle to Abu Dhabi powered by a blend of petroleum-based and certified plant oil-based jet fuel.

Boeing collaborates with airlines, research institutions, governments and other stakeholders to develop sustainable biofuel supply chains around the world, including the United States, Middle East, China,Brazil, Europe and Australia.

Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing/AirlinersGallery.com. Etihad Airways’ Boeing 777-3FX ER A6-ETG (msn 39681) with special “Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2014 Formula 1” emblems arrives in Bangkok.

Etihad Airways: