Archive for the 'inflight services' Category

Air China’s former chairman Li Jiaxiang has proposed the creation of a super-carrier via his company’s acquisition of smaller rivals. His view is that China should create a state holding company which would control the assets of its top three airlines. His thought being that this would make them better able to compete with global rivals.

Under this plan, recounted to the the 21st Century Business Herald, the holding company would control the assets of China Southern Airlines , China Eastern Airlines and Air China.

The move would forge a closer partnership among the three carriers and enable them to better compete in the global markets.

He added that his firm, Air China, was seeking RMB30 billion to 40 billion ($4.22-5.63 billion) cash injection from the government to boost its capital base.

Aggressive aircraft orders in recent years have pushed debt ratios at major Chinese airlines above 90%, increasing their operating costs.

All three major carriers last year sought cash injections from the government, according to local media reports, but have not yet received a response.

None of which remotely attends to the real problems of the industry.

Passengers judge airlines by promptness and the quality of the inflight service. Promptness requires integration between several authorities but it can be done.

In flight service is something else again. The writer has been on no Chinese airline where the inflight service has been remotely acceptable by international standards.

There seems to be an idea among the cabin crew that they take care of one safety demonstration, one meal (normally served in a slapdash fashion), a clearing away of the debris and then disappear to an undefined space from when they emerge for landing.

No international traveler would take a long haul flight on a Chinese airline by choice. Amalagamating them will not touch the problem.

What is needed is a most stringent test when hiring the staff and a weeding out of the passenger-unfriendly practices which are deeply embedded.
Source: Reuters and agaonizing personal research.

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

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

China will be the largest market for new commercial airplanes in the next 20 years, according to Boeing’s latest market forecast. Boeing said China will acquire 3,400 new planes worth US$340 billion in that time. In addition, China will continue to lead all domestic air travel markets with a passenger-kilometer growth rate of 8.8%.

Following the anticipated surge in passenger traffic for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, the China domestic market will grow nearly fivefold by 2026 to become slightly larger than today’s intra-North American market.

With the continued high rate of growth for China air travel and air cargo markets, China’s fleet will nearly quadruple to 4,460 aircraft by the end of the forecast period in 2026.

Single-aisle airplanes such as the Boeing 737 will be the largest category with total new airplane deliveries reaching 2,200. Intermediate twin-aisles such as the Boeing 787 Dreamliner (mocked-up interior seen here) and 777 will see approximately 750 airplane deliveries. When combined, the single-aisle and intermediate twin-aisle market will make up 90% of China’s total delivery dollars.
Source: China Civil Aviation Report

Cathay’s first Boeing 777-300ER aircraft has two huge General Electric engines which give it fuel efficiency. Nowadays, with the price of fuel, that is desperately important.

The delivery of Cathay’s first 777-300ER last month also means a better sleep for long haul passengers. First and business-class seats, but of course, electronically recline into fully flat beds. But economy class provides seats that recline within a fixed shell to boost space.

The story is that Cathay had research showed passengers want more comfort, privacy and control over their immediate living area. One would have thought a chat with any ten passengers would have brought precisely the same result.

Cathay’s investment coincides with the fact that the total number of travellers passing through Chinese airports rose 17% last year and is expected to grow by 14% annually through 2010.

Eleven airlines, including Cathay, now serve the Vancouver-to-Asia market. Canadians’ visits to China surged 56% in 2006.
Cathay predicts that, by 2020, China will have 12 million aircraft movements a year - up 400% from today.
Boeing forecasts that Asia-Pacific air traffic will expand at 6.3% a year for the next 20 years.
Of the 8,350 new jets Asia will need during this period, China alone is expected to account for about 3,000 new aircraft deliveries.

The illustration is the Boeing 787 Dreamliner Engineering flight deck simulator in Seattle.
Source: Canada.com