Air Berlin, Germany’s second largest airline, will launch direct flights from Dusseldorf to Beijing and Shanghai starting in May.

Xu Shengli, an official from the Beijing office of the Berlin Tourism Board, said the two services were an initial step to expand China-Germany flights and more direct flights would be launched in 2008.

At present, four cities — Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Hong Kong — have direct air connections with Frankfurt and Munich.

An increasing number of Chinese tourists have visited Germany since it won Approved Destination Status in 2003. From January to August this year, Chinese tourists spent more than 600,000 days in Germany, up 1.7% over the same period in 2006.

The German National Tourist Board predicts the figure will reach 1 million days in 2008.

Air China, the nation’s largest airlines company, expects the new schedule that the Beijing Capital International Airport will adopt in 2008 will help the air carrier gain an even bigger market share in the airport.

Zhang Lan, vice president of Air China, said that from next April, the Capital Airport will add 200 flights everyday to its schedule and will put aside 60% of them for Air China.

Moreover, Air China will join hands with the Star Alliance to integrate resources to enhance the utilization of the T3 terminal of the Capital Airport, which will start operation before the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

Ms. Zhang forecasts that the natural growth of China’s air transport market will reach 17.91% in 2008, while the coming Olympics will bring additional increase of 5% to 6%. Now, Air China is busy in clinching key customers for the game.

When joining Star Alliance on December 12, 2007, Air China expects to get vigorous support from the global largest airlines union, which covers 853 cities in 157 countries — about 26% of the world’s airlines market.

However, Air China still has problems with inflight crew and punctuality with complaints reaching an unacceptable level. This is something Ms. Zhang says is being attended to.
Source: Trading Markets

The warning by IATA that the sands of time are running out on the pilot shortage problem is especially important for China in that it has the fastest expanding aviation market and, potentially, the biggest future problem from a severe shortage of pilots.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA), the apex body of all leading airlines of the world, has warned airlines of a severe pilot shortage unless a concerted effort is made to change training and qualification practices to produce out more pilots every year.

According to IATA’s new estimates the global airline industry will need 17,000 new pilots annually due to expected industry growth and retirements.

Increasing retirement age of pilots to 65 may help but it can’t be the only solution according IATA.

Giovanni Bisignani, IATA Director General and CEO, said, ‘It’s time to ring the warning bell. We must re-think pilot training and qualification to further improve safety and increase training capacity.’

He told the FAA International Safety Forum that industry is concerned because ‘There are no global standards for training concepts or regulation. Pilot training has not changed in 60 years — we are still ticking boxes with an emphasis on flight hours.’

IATA supports the competency-based approach of multi-crew pilot licensing (MPL) training programs. Unlike traditional pilot training, MPL focuses from the beginning on training for multi-pilot cockpit working conditions. It also makes better use of simulator technology.

Europe was among the first regions to adopt MPL and Australia and China are moving ahead with implementation. In China, IATA is working with the government to develop the syllabus and incorporate MPL into national regulation.

But even with this effort there will be shortages. Which means that in the ever-contentious relationships between flight crew and management the pilots will start to get the upper hand. Which, inevitably, means increases in salaries and thus in air fares.

Grand China Airlines, the nation’s fourth-biggest, is flying. It comes after the merger of four air carriers, including Shanghai-listed Hainan Airlines, in a bid to compete with the top three national players in a market that continues to boom.

Grand China has started flights from Beijing with the first from the northeastern port city of Dalian. It plans to add flights gradually ahead of next year’s Beijing Olympic Games in August.

Preparations for the new carrier started in July, 2004, by consolidating operations of Hainan Airlines, Xinhua Airlines, Chang’an Airlines and Shanxi Airlines under a newly established parent group called Grand China Airlines.

The parent company is 48.6% held by the Hainan provincial government. United States financier George Soros owns 18.6% of the venture, while HNA Group, parent of Hainan Airlines, holds 32.8%.

Grand China is planning to use Beijing Capital International Airport as its base and perform both international and domestic passenger and cargo air transport business. The air carrier will also lease three Boeing 737-800 aircraft from Hainan Airlines,

The number of Chinese mainland airline passengers is expected to grow by an average of 14.5% per year to reach 270 million in 2010.

Air China, China Southern Airlines and China Eastern Airlines are the biggest three airlines on the Chinese mainland. Air China has nearly half of the air-travel market in Beijing. Grand China Airlines is in with a chance but it has major competition. (Note our illustration shows a hostess on Hainan Airlines but as that is part of the new airline its use is excusable.)
Source: Shanghai Daily

Air China, the official carrier of the Beijing Games, wants the cream of its flight attendants speaking fluently in English and giving customers a welcoming smile.

The airline has launched a new round of nationwide recruiting to find 300 attendants aged 19 and 25 to serve on popular flights next year.

More than 800 people, mostly students from flight attendant schools who will graduate next year, showed up on the first day of the preliminary stage in Beijing, while more than 5,000 people have applied for the dream job in other cities including Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chengdu. The final 300 will be decided in Beijing.

Air China said the standard height for female applicants should be between 164cm and 172 cm, while the standard for male applicants is 174cm to 180 cm. All applicants have to be unmarried. Apart from the normal criteria for flight attendants, applicants are tested on etiquette and communication.

Candidates with good spoken English will have an advantage over others.

Looks are not mentioned. But it is undoubtedly a major criteria.
Source: China Daily