CX°/KA°/LD | Swire Group: Cathay Pacific/Dragonair/Air Hong Kong

[hkskyline]

Cathay denies claims of shortage in cockpits
The Standard
Thursday, October 27, 2011

Cathay Pacific Airways yesterday dismissed claims of a pilot shortage, saying its ongoing recruitment drive is in line with its expansion plans.

A spokeswoman said 112 pilots are expected to join this year, while 43 have resigned, retired or leaving for other reasons.

This leaves a net growth of 69 pilots - excluding the 44 trainees who have become full-fledged pilots over the last three months.

However, this is still a far cry from the 250 pilots that chairman Christopher Pratt has said he hopes to hire this year.

The airline currently employs about 2,500 pilots.

The spokeswoman said that, when looking into the airline's recruitment progress, the number of cadet pilots under training should also be taken into consideration.

She said there are 143 cadet pilots who will be joining Cathay after completing their training, which takes 10 to 60 weeks, depending on ability and performance.

The recruitment drive comes amid growing complaints from pilots who claim they are being asked to work excessive hours.

According to a captain, pilots are assigned "field reserve" days, in which they have to show up at work ready to replace a colleague who cannot fly due to sickness, tardiness or other reasons.

There are also "home reserve" days when pilots are allowed to do their own thing, but should be prepared to answer a call to work when the "field reserve" pilots have been used up.

The captain told The Standard there have been complaints that "home reserve" pilots are being used excessively.

"It is like being a military pilot, where you can be called to fly on a moment's notice, leaving you with little personal time to relax and not think of work," he said.

"If the scheduling department was more efficient, there should be little to no utilization of home reserve crew members."

He said this inefficiency has led to a more disgruntled flight crew.

Another pilot said that while he hasn't heard of massive resignations recently, Cathay is running short of pilots.

Yet another claimed that many pilots in the United States and Britain are planning to move to Hong Kong to work for Cathay Pacific, as some airlines in the two countries are suffering.

He added that many are reportedly willing to accept lower salaries just to secure jobs.

But none of them have made an application yet, he said.

[Kaitak747]

B747-8F with special livery

[YU-AMC]

CX@YYZ

Originally Posted by YU-AMC

CX B777 to HKG (B-KPH)

Sneaking out on a Rwy 24R












oFF TO HKG

[Vrooms]

Source:http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/gener...ntas%20Jetstar

Cathay Ready To Use Hong Kong Law To Block Qantas Jetstar
Nov 9, 2011
By Leithen Francis

Cathay Pacific Airways has warned that it will lobby the Hong Kong authorities to stop any “franchised low-cost carrier” that tries to start in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong law states that designated Hong Kong carriers must be incorporated in Hong Kong and their principal place of business must be in Hong Kong, Cathay CEO John Slosar told Aviation Week. Principal place of business refers to where a company’s head office is located, where its records are kept and where its management sits. Slosar says this law effectively rules out any “franchised low-cost carrier” from basing itself in Hong Kong.

Slosar was responding to reports in Australia and Hong Kong that Jetstar was speaking to Hainan Airlines Group (HNA) about establishing a joint-venture, low-cost carrier in Hong Kong. Slosar declined comment on the accuracy of the reports.

HNA is the major shareholder in Hong Kong Airlines and Hong Kong Express. It has effectively merged these two businesses and manages them as one, but each still has its own air operator certificate (AOC). That means, in theory at least, HNA could use the Hong Kong Express AOC to establish a low-cost carrier. Jetstar has not said whether the news reports are true, although its group CEO, Bruce Buchanan, issued a statement to staff saying there is no way Jetstar is relocating its headquarters from Melbourne to Hong Kong.

The discussions between Jetstar and HNA also reportedly included Jetstar parent Qantas Airways and the topic of whether Hainan Airlines may want to join Oneworld. Qantas is a member of Oneworld, as is Cathay.

Industry executives say Cathay is vehemently opposed to having Hainan join Oneworld. When Aviation Week spoke to Slosar, he declined to give his opinion on whether Hainan would be welcome. He says there is enough room in Oneworld for another Chinese carrier, but Cathay’s first choice would be Air China. Cathay and Air China have an extensive code-share arrangement that gives Cathay access to many markets in China and also provides it with Air China passengers that connect to Cathay’s international passenger network. “We would love to have Air China in Oneworld, but I don’t think that’s on the cards,” says Slosar. Air China is a member of Star Alliance. Under the current arrangement, Air China really gets the best of both, says Slosar.

Cathay also faces the problem of slot constraints at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA), where the airport’s runways are very heavily used. Despite this problem, Hong Kong’s government has yet to decide if the airport will get an additional runway. First, the government wants to consult with Hong Kong residents and perform an environmental impact study. Slosar says the Hong Kong Airport Authority has completed the community consultation period and is due to issue a report at the end of this year or early next year. He says the environmental impact study has yet to be completed.

When asked if Cathay may in the future have to look at transferring some cargo operations to Shenzhen or Macau to free up slots for more Cathay passenger services at HKIA, Slosar says, “Probably, but it’s not something on the cards at the moment.”

The Hong Kong Civil Aviation Department has given several presentations to reporters showing how it plans to increase slots at Hong Kong Airport through greater efficiency. Slosar says Cathay still has opportunities to build its network and frequencies using the current runways.

Industry executives say the fact that Hong Kong has slot constraints is the main reason that Cathay has not entertained the idea of establishing a low-cost carrier. The slots are too valuable to give to low-margin traffic when they could be used by a premium, full-service carrier that helps reinforce Hong Kong’s position as a business hub for the Asia-Pacific region, say the executives.

Cathay, however, has said publicly that it has refrained from establishing a dedicated low-cost carrier because it feels it can compete effectively on price and capture price-conscious consumers using its widebodies.

[hkskyline]

Source : http://pic.feeyo.com/posts/548/5484528.html

[Vrooms]

Is that special livery new? Never seen it before.........

[hkskyline]

Originally Posted by Vrooms

Is that special livery new? Never seen it before.........

This is a special livery for Dragonair's 25th anniversary and has been out for months now. More information on Dragonair's website.

[Vrooms]

thanks for the info very nice livery!

[hkskyline]

Dragonair Celebrates Senior Citizens' Day With Special Fares
31 October 2011
Press Release

(HONG KONG) To celebrate Senior Citizens’ Day on 20 November, Dragonair will once again offer senior citizens in Hong Kong and Macau a special 20 per cent discount on Economy Class and Business Class tickets to a number of popular destinations, including Kaohsiung, Hanoi and Kota Kinabalu, etc.

This is the fifth consecutive time for the airline to offer special discounts to the elderly, with many eligible seniors taking advantage of the discounts over the past few years to enjoy a well-deserved holiday or meet with family and friends overseas.

All Hong Kong and Macau residents aged 65 or over can enjoy the 20 per cent discount on published or market fares for Economy Class and Business Class tickets from Hong Kong to selected Dragonair destinations. Tickets must be issued between 1-21 November 2011 for travel between 1 November 2011 and 31 March 2012, with blackout periods applying over the Christmas and Chinese New Year periods.

Details of the 2011 seniors’ promotion will be available at www.dragonair.com.hk from 1 November. Travellers can also call Dragonair at 3193 2222 or contact their local travel agent for information and booking.

[Vicvin86]

[Kaitak747]

http://www.airliners.net/photo/Singa...31af9e38fe1521

[Vrooms]

what's going on in the first pic?

[hkskyline]

^ HAECO's 60th anniversary last year.

More info : http://www.haeco.com/company_update/index.html

[hkskyline]

Cathay Pacific releases combined traffic figures for October 2011
14 November 2011
Press Release

Cathay Pacific Airways today released combined Cathay Pacific and Dragonair traffic figures for October 2011 that show a rise in passenger numbers well below the increase in capacity. Cargo and mail tonnage once again showed a year-on-year decline.

Cathay Pacific and Dragonair carried a total of 2,381,008 passengers last month – up 3.8% on the same month last year – while the passenger load factor fell by 3.1 percentage points to 80.1%. Capacity for the month, measured in available seat kilometres (ASKs), was up by 10.3%. For the year to date, the number of passengers carried increased by 2.3% compared to a capacity hike of 9.3%.

The two airlines carried 135,998 tonnes of cargo and mail in October, a year-on-year drop of 17.5%. The cargo and mail load factor was down by 8.9 percentage points to 66.2%. Capacity, measured in available cargo/mail tonne kilometres, fell by 4.7%, while cargo and mail tonne kilometres flown were down by 15.9%. For the year to date, tonnage has dropped by 7.7% while capacity is up by 8.1%.

Cathay Pacific General Manager Revenue Management James Tong said: “Our passenger traffic held up quite well in October but the growth could not keep pace with the increase in capacity, which accounts for the drop in load factor. Demand in the premium cabins continued to be robust, in what is traditionally the peak month for business travel, but the outlook is very uncertain. In the Economy cabin we are seeing increasing pressure on yield, particularly on long-haul routes. Our business to Japan continues to recover and we will revert to a full schedule in November.”

Cathay Pacific General Manager Cargo Sales & Marketing James Woodrow said: "The airfreight industry remained weak overall in October, with our key Hong Kong and China markets continuing to be soft. It looks unlikely that we will see the usual year-end peak. We continue to look for opportunities in new markets. The recently launched freighter services to Bengaluru, Chongqing and Chengdu have been well received and on 15 November we are launching a twice-weekly service to Zaragoza – our first time to fly to Spain.”

[hkskyline]

Tuesday, October 11, 2011
The Daily Star
Dragonair eyes expansion
Country manager of the airline talks about his plan in Bangladesh

Hong Kong-based Dragonair plans to expand services in Bangladesh that is experiencing a rapid economic growth and increased business travel. The airline is keeping a close eye on the Bangladesh market with a plan of a future expansion of services, says a senior official of the carrier.

Rapid economic growth in Bangladesh, fuelled in part by a booming readymade garment industry, has led to increased business travel to and from the country. Multinational firms also continue to strengthen their local presence.

Hong Kong is playing an increasingly important role in the development of Bangladesh and is quickly establishing itself as a key hub for its business.

With an ease of access, world class infrastructure and proximity to major Asian markets, many international buyers and trading houses choose to base their regional offices in Hong Kong. This in turn has created a rising demand for business travel to and from Dhaka.

To meet the growing demand, Dragonair, the sister airline of Hong Kong-based carrier Cathay Pacific, has expanded its services in Bangladesh.

The airline recently doubled its weekly flights between Hong Kong and Dhaka from its levels in 2005, with business travellers and students being the primary targets.

“We now have six flights a week, operating on the Airbus 330 aircraft and are offering approximately 300 seats per flight between Dhaka and Hong Kong,” says Nick Hays, manager for Bangladesh, Bhutan and East India at Dragonair.

“We are constantly monitoring the market and evaluating opportunities to enhance and expand our services. At the same time, we are working closely with relevant authorities who govern traffic rights,” he adds.

Dragonair, the second largest airline in Hong Kong after Cathay Pacific, started operations in Dhaka in 1989. Its network covers 33 destinations across the Asia-Pacific region, including 17 in Mainland China.

The airline operates an average of 80 flights a day throughout the Asia-Pacific region.

Hays, an English literature graduate from Durham University in the UK, says: “Hong Kong is well positioned as a world-leading hub for air travel, logistics, finance and tourism, offering excellent connectivity both within Asia and globally.”

At the airline's Hong Kong hub, passengers can connect to Cathay Pacific and travel to more than 140 cities around the globe, he says.

Dragonair was founded in 1985, with a single aircraft; its first destination was Kota Kinabalu in Malaysia. Today it has grown into an airline with a fleet size of 32 aircraft.

In the early years, Dragonair primarily provided regular charter flights within the region, such as Beijing, Shanghai, Phuket, Dhaka and Kathmandu.

In 1990, Cathay Pacific became one of the shareholders of the airline. In response to market demand and rising passenger volumes, Dragonair converted all of its charter flights to regular flights in 2000. The airline became a wholly owned subsidiary of Cathay Pacific in 2006.

Hays, who also has experience in the shipping industry, says: “Bangladesh's aviation market has displayed strong growth in the past decade and all indicators point to this trend as the propensity to travel increases.”

Around four million people travel by air to and from Bangladesh annually for different purposes. Of this figure, nearly 50,000 students travel to Australia, Europe and North America each year, the British-born airline manager says.

“As a result, we see a number of international carriers entering the market to cater to the growing demand,” he adds.

The airline recently organised a trip to Hong Kong and South Korea for company stakeholders, including journalists, to show its operations.

Dragonair, winner of the "World's Best Regional Airline" award at the annual World Airline Survey run by Skytrax in 2010 and 2011, provides quality services and products to customers, says Hays.

Passengers can enjoy a wide range of quality services and products onboard, such as inflight meals featuring Asian specialty dishes, a wide range of video and audio channels, an extensive inflight shopping catalogue as well as the world class levels of service, says the manager.

The airline, with around 2,600 employees across the network, also offers visa assistance services to its passengers in Bangladesh.

A round-trip Dragonair flight from Dhaka to Hong Kong, a distance of nearly 3,000 miles, costs Tk 57,000 for economy and around Tk 98,000 for business class.

This winter, the airline will offer an enhanced schedule for the convenience of its passengers. Out of its weekly flights, three will fly directly to Hong Kong instead of making a stop-over in Kathmandu to cut travel time, says Hays.

[Vrooms]

Has anyone flown the boeing 777 out of SG before? Is it fitted with regional economy still?? Normally i fly the A330 out of SG..........................

[hkskyline]

Originally Posted by Vrooms

Has anyone flown the boeing 777 out of SG before? Is it fitted with regional economy still?? Normally i fly the A330 out of SG..........................

You can check the online schedules and note the code for the older configuration type (773/777).

[Vrooms]

Originally Posted by hkskyline

You can check the online schedules and note the code for the older configuration type (773/777).

Thanks Both of my flightS are 773....The seats aren't the shell seats right??

[hkskyline]

Originally Posted by Vrooms

Thanks Both of my flightS are 773....The seats aren't the shell seats right??

The older Y is not the shell-type.

I suspect it'll be this kind of seat (Airbus) :

[hkskyline]

HKG-CAN
Source : http://pic.feeyo.com/posts/548/5488661.html