Thai Airways plans new unit, modernises fleet

With last year’s flooding only the latest challenge to Thai Airways’ bottom line, the carrier is pressing ahead with plans to set up a new regional unit and to modernise its fleet, writes Andrzej Jeziorski. It has not been an easy couple of years for airlines in Thailand, which have had to face not only a global recession, but a political crisis that hurt tourist demand and closed airports, then – more recently – months of heavy rainfall that caused widespread flooding and shut down Bangkok’s secondary airport, Don Muang.

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Engine maintenance in Asia big business

With Asia expected to lead growth in air traffic over the next two decades, the region’s MRO providers are expanding engine maintenance capabilities to tap that segment of the market, writes William Dennis. Aircraft engine maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) is the largest segment of the global MRO market and a highly competitive sector for the Asia-Pacific region’s commercial aviation industry. While dedicated MRO service providers are set to benefit from massive expansion in airline fleets over the next two decades, engine makers themselves are also making efforts to expand their share of the market with after-sales support packages.

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Manufacturers Airbus leads 2011 orders, deliveries

ontinuing concerns about the global economy have not stifled growth in demand for new aircraft, with Airbus and Boeing together collecting about 2,500 new orders and completing more than 1,000 deliveries in 2011, writes Ian Goold. Just hours after Boeing announced plans late last year to close down its plant in Wichita, Kansas, which dates back to the 1920s when it was the Stearman Aircraft factory, the city authorities were on the phone to rival Airbus, discussing possible expansion of the European company's facility there.

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MAS cuts deeper in restructuring drive

Malaysia Airlines (MAS) is considering reducing its workforce as it continues to scale down its network as part of a drive to turn its business around. Chief Executive Officer Ahmad Jauhari Yahya says retrenchments are under consideration, while the MAS Employees Union has said in local press reports that senior airline official intend to cut the workforce. In the meantime, Malaysia’s flag carrier is continuing to slash unprofitable services, refocusing efforts onto its most promising markets.

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Industry Round-Up

Updates from AJ Walter, AgustaWestland, Bombardier, HAECO

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ATM Towards a Seamless Asian Sky

Late last year, major aviation organisations approved the formation of a group to map out a path towards seamless air traffic management across the Asia-Pacific region, writes Andrzej Jeziorski. In early September, the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s (ICAO’s) Asia-Pacific planning group approved the formation of a new team to map out a path towards Seamless Asian Skies (SAS), maximising the efficiency of civil aviation in the region.

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