With an increasing travel demand Air China the mainland's international carrier will be adding 12 new routes covering Europe and North America by the end of 2009.
Flights from Beijing to Berlin and Istanbul will begin in March with the route to Warsaw being added in October next year. Nine more routes will follow in 2009.
With the possibility of new planes and business trips & holidays being more affordable, China Southern, China Eastern, Hainan Airlines and Shanghai Airlines will add 27 overseas routes in 2009.
By that time the country may well become the world's biggest recipient of visitors.
China Southern will be adding flights from Beijing to Newark and from Guangzhou to Moscow from July next year with another 3 routes planned in 2009.
The only route from Shanghai to Los Angeles will be launched by China Eastern next year.
Showing posts with label China Airlines. Show all posts
Showing posts with label China Airlines. Show all posts
Wednesday, 12 September 2007
Tuesday, 4 September 2007
Singapore Airlines set to buy China Eastern
Top Chinese carrier China Eastern is set to be purchased by Singapore Airlines in a US$918mil deal.
The plan was approved by the Chinese government last month after talks which lasted a year.
SIA the world's second biggest airline will be able to compete with Hong Kong carrier Cathay Pacific Airways better which owns over 17% of the flag carrier Air China.
“This is not a one-off financial investment – it's a strategic move for Singapore Airlines,” SIA chairman Stephen Lee said.
The plan was approved by the Chinese government last month after talks which lasted a year.
SIA the world's second biggest airline will be able to compete with Hong Kong carrier Cathay Pacific Airways better which owns over 17% of the flag carrier Air China.
“This is not a one-off financial investment – it's a strategic move for Singapore Airlines,” SIA chairman Stephen Lee said.
Friday, 24 August 2007
Update on China Airlines fireball
Japanese investigators of the China Airlines plane that burst into flames say that the fuel tank had been pierced.
"We spotted a hole in a fuel tank," the transport ministry's investigative division said in a brief statement.
"We suspect that oil leaked from this hole and spilled from the right wing to the outside."
It’s believed that a bolt in the aircraft’s structure perhaps pierced the tank. The black box has now been recovered and is being analysed to find out the pilots’ conversations.
China Airlines have meanwhile apologised to customers and is going to give compensation. They have also painted over their logo on the wreckage to minimise ay bad publicity. Chairman Philip Wei has also offered his resignation.
"We spotted a hole in a fuel tank," the transport ministry's investigative division said in a brief statement.
"We suspect that oil leaked from this hole and spilled from the right wing to the outside."
It’s believed that a bolt in the aircraft’s structure perhaps pierced the tank. The black box has now been recovered and is being analysed to find out the pilots’ conversations.
China Airlines have meanwhile apologised to customers and is going to give compensation. They have also painted over their logo on the wreckage to minimise ay bad publicity. Chairman Philip Wei has also offered his resignation.
Thursday, 23 August 2007
Are Airlines sacrificing safety for money?
The China Airlines accident couldn’t have happened at a worst time, the jet was packed with holidaymakers in the peak season of the vacation period.
It’s amazing that all passengers onboard escaped alive even if it was just by a hair’s breadth.
Ground workers have reported seeing fuel leaking from the right engine as the aircraft was taxiing to its parking spot. They alerted the pilots who at once began the evacuation procedure.
Once everyone had evacuated using emergency slides an explosion fired out on the left hand side engine.
It’s now serious questions are being asked. Where and how did the fuel leak happen, did the pilots notice the leak and if not why not, were the fuel tanks already damaged and been ignored?
This especially brings about a very important issue I have talked about before, have safety inspections been compromised in favour of money making? Investigations into this incident will be looking at the airline’s daily maintenance processes.
Nobody who wasn’t onboard the aircraft can imagine the terror and panic filling the cabin. Some have said the smoke that filled the inside whilst they were still evacuating started to take over the plane. It could have been a totally different result had the evacuation process taken longer than it did.
The designs of all aircraft are designed specifically so that all passengers can be evacuated in 90 seconds even with all the seats filled.
The investigation will most likely look at whether the crew did carry out proper evacuation procedures despite the evacuation going well in the accident.
This particular airline hasn’t had a good safety record to say the least. A China Airlines Airbus crashed on landing in 1994 at Nagoya Airport killing 264 people onboard. Four years later another Airbus went down in a residential area, in 2002 a 747 crashed in the Taiwan Straits.
China Airlines need to finally learn an important lesson and review its current operations and safety management. How many more lives are to be lost on their aircraft?
It’s amazing that all passengers onboard escaped alive even if it was just by a hair’s breadth.
Ground workers have reported seeing fuel leaking from the right engine as the aircraft was taxiing to its parking spot. They alerted the pilots who at once began the evacuation procedure.
Once everyone had evacuated using emergency slides an explosion fired out on the left hand side engine.
It’s now serious questions are being asked. Where and how did the fuel leak happen, did the pilots notice the leak and if not why not, were the fuel tanks already damaged and been ignored?
This especially brings about a very important issue I have talked about before, have safety inspections been compromised in favour of money making? Investigations into this incident will be looking at the airline’s daily maintenance processes.
Nobody who wasn’t onboard the aircraft can imagine the terror and panic filling the cabin. Some have said the smoke that filled the inside whilst they were still evacuating started to take over the plane. It could have been a totally different result had the evacuation process taken longer than it did.
The designs of all aircraft are designed specifically so that all passengers can be evacuated in 90 seconds even with all the seats filled.
The investigation will most likely look at whether the crew did carry out proper evacuation procedures despite the evacuation going well in the accident.
This particular airline hasn’t had a good safety record to say the least. A China Airlines Airbus crashed on landing in 1994 at Nagoya Airport killing 264 people onboard. Four years later another Airbus went down in a residential area, in 2002 a 747 crashed in the Taiwan Straits.
China Airlines need to finally learn an important lesson and review its current operations and safety management. How many more lives are to be lost on their aircraft?
More misery for China Airlines
To add to the bad luck of China Airlines another of its jets nearly ended its routine flight in disaster.
The aircraft had to make an emergency landing in Japan after it ran out of fuel. The pilots had to ask for permission to land at Kansai International Airport en-route to central Japan from Taipei.
Fortunately the plane landed safely with no injuries to anyone onboard.
After refuelling the plane resumed its journey to Chubu International Airport, China Airlines weren’t available for comment at this time.
The aircraft had to make an emergency landing in Japan after it ran out of fuel. The pilots had to ask for permission to land at Kansai International Airport en-route to central Japan from Taipei.
Fortunately the plane landed safely with no injuries to anyone onboard.
After refuelling the plane resumed its journey to Chubu International Airport, China Airlines weren’t available for comment at this time.
Wednesday, 22 August 2007
Airlines - Is Flying the Safest Way to Travel?
Following the recent incident involving China Airlines, and although, miraculously no-one was seriously injured, do you think that flying is still the safest way to travel? Have your say in the poll on the right.
Tough times ahead for China Airlines
China Airlines are preparing themselves for turbulent times ahead following the latest incident in Japan where a Boeing 737-800 burst into flames shortly after landing at Okinawa.
Johnson Sun China Airlines spokesman has said that their cash flow will be seriously affected despite having other aircraft to carry on their operations.
Sales in flight bookings with the airline will also drop until public faith has been restored. Sun also said that total losses from the accident had not yet been established.
A Boeing 737-800 jet is normally worth $70-$80 million but it’s not known how much China Airlines paid for the aircraft or how much compensation the insurance companies will pay out.
"Although TFMI is the lead underwriter, its exposure is limited," Taiwan Ratings said in a statement. "The expected net loss is equivalent to 1 percent to 2 percent of the insurer's total shareholders' funds plus special reserves at the end of June," it said.
Tuesday, 21 August 2007
Airline Explosion Investigation
Investigators involved with the China Airlines explosion in Japan yesterday are looking into the fact that the fire could have been caused by a fuel leak.
Japanese officials could reach no immediate conclusion to the cause of the explosion and Hiromi Tsurumi said: “We are investigating a possible fuel leak in the engine area. We want to know how the fuel could have leaked and how it could have caught fire.”
The US Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board along with Boeing sent investigators to the scene. On Wednesday efforts will begin by a team of Japanese, Taiwanese and US experts to uncover the cause of the accident.
Speculation is focussing on the possibility of a big fuel leak near the plane’s right engine and also the chance of loose parts or objects being sucked into the engine causing the sparks.
The pilots were the last ones out of the giant fireball after waiting for all passengers to be evacuated first. The crew have been praised by the airline for their bravery and the well-organised evacuation procedure.
Captain Yu Chien-Kuo was seen jumping from the cockpit window only a second after Co-Pilot Tseng Ta-Wei.
“Our pilots were the last to depart,” Mr. Sun said. “They told the flight attendants to execute an evacuation and help passengers escape within the shortest possible time.”
“They did what they should have and acted with great bravery,” he said. The aircraft was evacuated within three minutes.
It’s come to light that this particular aircraft had experienced a problem with its sensor on one of the wings earlier this month. This has been denied that it is related to the fire.
While the aircraft was in the air, air traffic control had received no distress signals from the pilot.
The investigation continues.
Japanese officials could reach no immediate conclusion to the cause of the explosion and Hiromi Tsurumi said: “We are investigating a possible fuel leak in the engine area. We want to know how the fuel could have leaked and how it could have caught fire.”
The US Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board along with Boeing sent investigators to the scene. On Wednesday efforts will begin by a team of Japanese, Taiwanese and US experts to uncover the cause of the accident.
Speculation is focussing on the possibility of a big fuel leak near the plane’s right engine and also the chance of loose parts or objects being sucked into the engine causing the sparks.
The pilots were the last ones out of the giant fireball after waiting for all passengers to be evacuated first. The crew have been praised by the airline for their bravery and the well-organised evacuation procedure.
Captain Yu Chien-Kuo was seen jumping from the cockpit window only a second after Co-Pilot Tseng Ta-Wei.
“Our pilots were the last to depart,” Mr. Sun said. “They told the flight attendants to execute an evacuation and help passengers escape within the shortest possible time.”
“They did what they should have and acted with great bravery,” he said. The aircraft was evacuated within three minutes.
It’s come to light that this particular aircraft had experienced a problem with its sensor on one of the wings earlier this month. This has been denied that it is related to the fire.
While the aircraft was in the air, air traffic control had received no distress signals from the pilot.
The investigation continues.
China Airlines Jet bursts into flames after landing
Today at Naha Airport on the Japanese island of Okinawa a China Airlines aircraft burst into flames.
There were 165 people onboard all of whom managed to escape. Some only just made it when the plane exploded just seconds before they had evacuated.
Television pictures showed flames and smoke pouring out the 737-800 and even showed the pilot jumping out the cockpit window.
The Airline has said the cause of the explosion is not yet known but some reports have said that the left engine of the plane caught fire.
"Everything was normal, including take-off and landing, until the pilots were told the airplane was on fire," China Airlines spokesman Johnson Sun said.
"Then the crew on board immediately took the due procedure to evacuate all the passengers."
The plane had embarked on a routine flight from Taipei to Okinawa but after only 8 minutes after landing on the Japanese island black smoke and fire was seen coming from the plane.
The aircraft had actually broken in two after the fire was put out. There were 8 members of crew onboard the flight and all eight are reported to be safe despite reports that two had to be taken to hospital.
China Airlines have a reputation for being one of the unsafest airlines in the world and this recent incident will only add fuel to that belief.
During the 1990s the airline had several crashes and in 2002 one crashed into the sea near Penghu with 225 passengers onboard.
There were 165 people onboard all of whom managed to escape. Some only just made it when the plane exploded just seconds before they had evacuated.
Television pictures showed flames and smoke pouring out the 737-800 and even showed the pilot jumping out the cockpit window.
The Airline has said the cause of the explosion is not yet known but some reports have said that the left engine of the plane caught fire.
"Everything was normal, including take-off and landing, until the pilots were told the airplane was on fire," China Airlines spokesman Johnson Sun said.
"Then the crew on board immediately took the due procedure to evacuate all the passengers."
The plane had embarked on a routine flight from Taipei to Okinawa but after only 8 minutes after landing on the Japanese island black smoke and fire was seen coming from the plane.
The aircraft had actually broken in two after the fire was put out. There were 8 members of crew onboard the flight and all eight are reported to be safe despite reports that two had to be taken to hospital.
China Airlines have a reputation for being one of the unsafest airlines in the world and this recent incident will only add fuel to that belief.
During the 1990s the airline had several crashes and in 2002 one crashed into the sea near Penghu with 225 passengers onboard.
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