Oceanic Aviation #3

Happy New Year Oceanians

Some news from FJ which you may or may not already be aware of, beginning in May, FJ will commence twice weekly SUV-SYD with 737-700 equipment as well as a SUV-APW operated with ATR 72 equipment to be operated by Fiji Link/Pacific Sun.

The Victorian Government has also made a deal with JQ, keeping them at AVV until at least 2015.

Interesting regarding the victorian government and Avalon. What did they both want? Did JQ want MEL slots or what?

JQ wanted to leave AVV due to unprofitable services. As part of an $11 million rescue package, AVV services are to remain open, with the Victorian Government providing $5.5 million along with Jetstar and Linfox contributing $2.75 million each.

China Airlines has been named as the first customer of Air New Zealand's Skycouch first introduced in 2011. 

Qantas will be flying the cast and crew of Modern Family to Australia in February with an episode to be filmed in Australia over a 2 week period.

Air Tahiti Nui are also for the first time in their history having a thrice weekly all year around service linking Papeete with Auckland. 

Congratulations to TN, I assume NZ has not dropped their existing 2x weekly frequencies?

As for the skycouch, I wonder if more airlines will adopt it in future years.

Old news, but this is a nice image showing the location of Auckland's planned third runway.

Expected around 2070.

"Qantas has started 2014 facing even tougher times as the second of the world's leading credit rating agencies downgraded the beleaguered airline to 'junk status'."

hahahahahahah

granted, why anyone would invest in airlines, ever, for any reason other than ego, is beyond me.

NZ Herald is also indicating an Air NZ A320 leaving Melbourne declared a mayday before returning to Melbourne, fuel leak/engine troubles.

Well if you invested in Spirit in its early stages on the stock exchange, you'd be piss ass rich right now. Anyhow, more good news in the Pacific with Fiji Airways announcing an order for an additional A330-200, along with 2 more 737-800s and a further 2 ATR72-600.

So, VH-EBQ has begun the process of becoming a Qantas A330, with -EBR soon to follow as Jetstar take on more 787s.

Qantas are also axing its 35 ground handling staff at Hobart, with contractors to be hired instead. Qantas are to also stop flying 737s from the mainland, with these operations handed over to the 717s of QantasLink. That said, MEL-HBA will receive an extra daily return flight.

Surprise:

A new partnership between Star Alliance members Singapore Airlines and Air New Zealand will see Air New Zealand recommencing daily flights to Singapore using upgraded 777-200ERs from December 2014. As a result, we will see the axing of the 5x weekly SQ282. That said, Singapore Airlines are said to operate their A380s on the daily SQ286 during peak periods. Interesting times... first NZ-CX now NZ-SQ

I'm sure a number of you who read this thread know that the CEOs of Etihad and Air New Zealand have taken up a seat on the board of Virgin Australia. 

ZQ-ZQH, a JetConnect 737-800 was operating QF161 Sydney-Wellington when it diverted to Christchurch yesterday afternoon due to weather.

VH-OQE operated the Qantas A380 flyover of Sydney on Australia Day as QF6601.

VH-OEJ, a Qantas 747-400ER a Perth-Perth Antarctic scenic charter on Australia Day as QF2906. It operated QF577 (normally an A330-200) the previous day in order to reach Perth.

VH-QPG, a Qantas A330-300 operated a Melbourne-Papeete charter on the 25th January.

VH-EBI, a Qantas A330-200 operated an extra Sydney-Tokyo rotation as QF25/26 on 25th January.

ZK-OKP, an Air New Zealand 777-300ER operating NZ6 Auckland-Los Angeles diverted to Nadi due to medical emergency on Australia Day.

ZK-NCI, an Air New Zealand 767-300ER operated Auckland-Osaka Kansai charter as NZ1921 on Australia Day and returned overnight as NZ1920, flying Osaka Kansai-Christchurch-Auckland

ZK-TLC, a Toll operated 737-300F of Airwork flying Brisbane-Honiara (i think) suffered a collapsed gear at Honiara on 25th January. As a result, an incoming Solomon Airlines flight was diverted to Vanuatu. The frame was delivered US Air in 1988 and then to US Airways in 1997. It was returned to its lessor in March 2006 and was subsequently converted to a freighter and delivered to Airwork in late August, 2007.

Nothing better than a broken 737 being stuck on an island with minimal infrastructure for fixing planes

[not that I know much about Honiara]

Jetstar Asia have managed to eek a bottom line profit of S$2.5m compared to S$2.1m in the previous year.

VS have announced that they're axeing HKG-SYD effective 5th of May, no word yet as to if VA will pick up the route once they got more A332s

Additionally TK have also axed plans to enter the Australian market with their IST-Asia (probably SIN or BKK)-SYD flights going on the backburner

On a happier note, TG are going to 788 BKK-PER flights effective 1st July

VS have announced that they're axeing HKG-SYD effective 5th of May, no word yet as to if VA will pick up the route once they got more A332s

Not surprising seeing as they were consistently the cheapest nonstop carrier on the route. 

Not surprising seeing as they were consistently the cheapest nonstop carrier on the route. 

However slightly surprising seeing as there had been an increase in the number of passengers flying with them all the way from SYD-LHR, but yeah I'm guessing the CX/QF duopoly meant they weren't making enough on the SYD-HKG part.

CX are moving all ADL and MEL services to non-stop from next month,

Hockey is apparently considering giving QF a government-backed debt gaurentee

ADL to be reduced to 4x weekly though, and its on 31 March which is a bit more than next month.

EK is also introducing its codes on to various Jetstar services ex Australia, New Zealand and Singapore.

EY is seeking to increase its stake in VA (again) from 19.9% to 22.9%.