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

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image hosted on flickr

_P233841 by OLYMPUSH, on Flickr

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Cathay Pacific to restart New Delhi-Bangkok service from Feb 14
PTI
New Delhi, Feb 8:

Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific Airways has said that it will reintroduce daily flights from here to Bangkok from mid-February.

The daily flights from New Delhi will begin operations from February 14, the company said in a statement today.

This will be a full service flight, with a bigger seat capacity in business and economy class, it said, adding that the airline aims at catering to the corporate and MICE travel to Thailand.

The airline had discontinued services to Bangkok temporarily from December 11, 2011, keeping in mind the fog period and replaced this flight with a second direct service flight to Hong Kong.

It operates through offices in Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai and Bengaluru with its sister airline Dragonair.

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Source : http://pic.feeyo.com/posts/556/5561493.html

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Cathay Pacific releases combined traffic figures for January 2012
13 February 2012
Press Release

Cathay Pacific Airways today released combined Cathay Pacific and Dragonair traffic figures for January 2012 that show growth in passenger numbers compared to the same month last year due to the Chinese New Year effect, while cargo and mail tonnage showed another significant year-on-year decline.

Cathay Pacific and Dragonair carried a total of 2,511,043 passengers in January – a year-on-year rise of 11.9% – while the passenger load factor rose by 0.6 percentage points to 81.9%. Capacity for the month, measured in available seat kilometres (ASKs), was up by 8.7%.

A total of 116,250 tonnes of cargo and mail was carried by the two airlines last month, a drop of 19.5% compared to the same month in 2011. The cargo and mail load factor was down by 7.9 percentage points to 59.9%. Capacity, measured in available cargo/mail tonne kilometres, fell by 6.7%, while cargo and mail tonne kilometres flown saw a decline of 17.6%.

Cathay Pacific General Manager Revenue Management James Tong said: “Year-on-year comparisons are distorted by the fact that the Chinese New Year holiday fell in January this year compared to early February in 2011. Passenger traffic over this year’s holiday peak was particularly strong on the Mainland China, Korea and Southeast Asia routes, though long-haul routes also performed well due to the timing of the Lunar New Year break. However, declining yield in the Economy cabin remains an area of concern.”

Cathay Pacific General Manager Cargo Sales & Marketing James Woodrow said: "Apart from a modest pre-Chinese New Year rush, the cargo markets were generally soft throughout January and were particularly weak during the holiday and post-holiday period as factories in Mainland China ceased operations. Our key markets remain soft and we have been cutting capacity aggressively to match demand on trunk routes to North America and Europe.”

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Tue, Feb 14, 2012
Dragonair recruits from Taiwan for first time
PROSPECTS:The airline said Taiwan was included in its recruitment drive this year as Taiwanese are known for their language and customer service skills
Taipei TimesStaff Writer, with CNA

Interviewees check their make-up during a break in the first round of interviews held by Hong Kong-based Dragonair in Taipei yesterday. About 3,000 hopefuls are vying for 50 flight attendant positions at the international airline.
Photo: Chien Jung-fong, Taipei Times

About 3,000 hopefuls will be interviewed over the course of three days as Dragonair, an international airline based in Hong Kong, looks to fill 50 flight attendant positions, the carrier said in Taipei yesterday, the first day of interviewing.

Hong Kong Dragon Airlines Ltd (港龍航空), which operates as Dragonair, said it is recruiting staff from Taiwan for the first time.

Of the 3,000 hopefuls, a total of 1,500 people will be selected to attend a second interview later this month, the company said.

The 50 that make the final cut will receive training in June and begin working in August, the second-largest airline in Hong Kong said, adding that the starting salary is about US$2,063 a month.

According to Josephine Hsieh (謝仁仁), Dragonair’s communications director, Taiwanese are known for their good customer service skills and excellent language abilities, which is why the airline has included Taiwan in its expansion plans this year.

Dragonair, which has about 30 service hubs around the world, said about 30 percent of the interviewees are male and everyone that is hired is required to move to Hong Kong.

Anna Majchrzak of Poland, 24, who met her Taiwanese husband in Germany and has been studying Chinese at National Taiwan Normal University for four years, was very interested in becoming a flight attendant.

“It is a perfect job for me since I enjoy being able to serve people,” Majchrzak said, while displaying her university grades to prove her Chinese ability.

“A flight attendant held my hand to calm me down when I experienced turbulence for the first time as a kid. Ever since that day, I have wanted to become a flight attendant,” applicant Chen Mei-ju (陳美儒) said.

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Source : http://pic.feeyo.com/posts/556/5567467.html

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LCQ4: Ocurrence cases of Cathay Pacific Airways
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Government Press Release

Following is a question by the Hon Lau Wong-fat and a reply by the Secretary for Transport and Housing, Ms Eva Cheng, in the Legislative Council today (February 15):

Question:

The aircraft of Cathay Pacific Airways (CX) has been involved in various incidents (including engine failure, cracking of the cockpit windshield and smoke in the cabin, etc.) one after another recently. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(a) of the details of the incidents involving CX aircraft in the past two years;

(b) whether it has looked into the reasons why recently the number of incidents involving CX aircraft has increased rapidly; and

(c) of the measures taken by the regulatory authorities in respect of the recent increase in aircraft incidents?

Reply:

President,

Our reply to Hon Lau Wong-fat's question is as follows:

(a) and (b) The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has promulgated very stringent standards on aviation safety. All the relevant legislation of Hong Kong, including those on mandatory occurrence reporting, is in line with the requirements of ICAO.

In accordance with ICAO requirements, the Administration has set out the details of the mandatory occurrence reporting mechanism in the Air Navigation (Hong Kong) Order 1995 (Cap 448, sub. leg. C), which requires that all holders of Air Operator's Certificate shall make a report on any reportable occurrence to the Civil Aviation Department (CAD) within 96 hours of the occurrence. Under the mandatory occurrence reporting mechanism, reportable occurrences include damage to aircraft, injury of person (including flight and cabin crews), multiple systems or equipment malfunction, false fire alarm, and communication system malfunction, etc.

The objectives of the mandatory occurrence reporting mechanism and the requirement for the local airlines to report the details of occurrences are to equip CAD with the detailed information of the occurrences, so as to facilitate analysis and to formulate necessary follow-up and improvement measures, and to prevent recurrence.

Regarding aircraft accidents and serious incidents, CAD will conduct detailed investigation in accordance with the requirements in local legislation and the Convention on International Civil Aviation. CAD will also publish the details of the occurrences to the public.

In 2010 and 2011, the Cathay Pacific Airways reported a total of 454 and 341 cases of mandatory occurrences to CAD, amongst which 156 and 98 reports were related to mechanical problems on airframe or avionics systems. The rest of the cases were related to flight operations, including in-flight turbulences leading to bodily injury (including flight and cabin crews), bird strikes, false alarms, unruly passengers, and incidents relating to cargo handling.

CAD has examined all reported cases and concluded that none of them has any direct or immediate effect on flight safety. According to the results from CAD's examination, amongst the cases relating to mechanical problems mentioned above, 126 cases (or 80%) in 2010 and 89 cases (or 90%) in 2011 were classified as presenting low or no risk to aviation safety. However, these might cause flight service disruption such as flight delay. In this connection, the airlines concerned had made effective measures and arrangements as necessary. The rest of the cases did not constitute immediate safety issues and the airlines concerned had already conducted detailed examination on the aircraft according to CAD's requirements within the prescribed timeframe, so as to ensure aviation safety.

Compared with 2010, the number of mandatory occurrence cases reported by the Cathay Pacific Airways in 2011 has reduced by 113 cases (or about 25%). From the statistics, there is no indication that there is any rapid increase in the number of aircraft occurrence.

(c) In 2010 and 2011, CAD received a total of 642 and 519 cases of mandatory occurrence reports respectively. About 35% (411 cases) were related to mechanical problems while about 65% (750 cases) involved flight operations issues.

Upon receipt of the reports, CAD would collect detailed information relating to the incident in accordance with CAD's established procedures, and whenever necessary, approach the relevant airlines and maintenance organisations for further details. CAD would also conduct assessment according to ICAO's safety management system, to determine the course of follow-up actions required, and consider if the incident is an individual case or there is any adverse trend which may warrant more comprehensive analysis.

CAD will also make recommendations on the improvement measures to be implemented by the airlines. Under normal circumstances, airlines are required to report the details of the occurrence within six months, and to provide details of the occurrence and follow-up actions taken by the airlines and related persons such as the maintenance organisations and improvement measures suggested by the airlines. CAD will follow up the cases proactively and closely liaise with the airlines to ensure all the improvement measures are implemented effectively.

To prevent recurrence, CAD would perform an overall analysis on all the reported occurrences regularly. Whenever necessary, recommendations on improvement measures would be made to the airlines and the maintenance organisations to ensure aircraft and passenger safety.

CAD would perform aircraft inspections according to established procedures, such as document examination in regard to design approvals, component installation and system testing; and to conduct on-site surveys of aircraft modifications and maintenance procedures. This is to ensure that aircraft and the associated components comply with the required airworthiness standards.

CAD would also conduct random inspections and checks on the fleets of local airlines, to ensure that the stringent international standards on airworthiness are met. In fact, aircraft structure and components have to undergo regular maintenance, inspection and testing in accordance to the aircraft maintenance schedule approved by CAD, before the Certificate of Airworthiness with one-year validity is granted.

In conclusion, an aircraft, irrespective of its age, must be maintained in accordance with the required schedule to ensure compliance with the required maintenance and safety standards.

CAD has performed a review and analysis on the reported cases of the Cathay Pacific Airways. The result of the analysis does not indicate any safety issues of the aircraft of the airline.

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Source : http://pic.feeyo.com/posts/556/5568539.html

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Cathay Pacific Says Cargo Slowdown May Stretch Into Second Half

Feb. 14 (Bloomberg) -- Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd., the largest international air-cargo carrier, said a freight slowdown may continue into the second half after it reported a 10th consecutive decline in monthly volumes.

The airline doesn’t see “much sign of a pickup” in the next few months, Chief Executive Officer John Slosar told reporters yesterday in Singapore, where he was attending a conference. “I would hope in the second half of this year things start to look better, but that will very much depend on the economy.”

The Hong Kong-based airline, which gets about 30 percent of sales from cargo, has pared freight capacity to North America and Europe as job concerns and waning consumer confidence deter shoppers from buying Asian-made goods. Carriers are also contending with a possible slowdown on long-haul travel demand and a 12 percent rise in fuel costs in the past year.

“I think there will be pressure, particularly for long- haul operations,” Singapore Airlines Ltd. CEO Goh Choon Phong said at the conference, which coincides with this week’s airshow. Travel demand in Asia has continued growing so far, which has shielded the airline, he said.

Cathay Pacific fell 1.3 percent to HK$15.52 in Hong Kong trading yesterday. The airline has dropped 22 percent in the past year, compared with an 8.5 percent decline for the benchmark Hang Seng Index. Singapore Airlines has fallen 23 percent in Singapore in 12 months.

Profit Decline

Globally, airlines’ profits will probably drop to $3.5 billion this year from an expected $6.9 million in 2011, according to the International Air Transport Association. That represents a profit margin of 0.6 percent.

The industry could slump to losses of more than $8 billion, if the European debt crisis sparks a recession, IATA said in December. European governments have stepped up efforts to tackle deficits, with Greek lawmakers passing an austerity plan paving the way for a financial bailout.

The European crisis has already hit airlines, causing Spanish carrier Spanair SA and Hungary’s Malev Zrt. to halt operations. Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker said it may spark a wider slump that will hit global airline traffic.

“There will be a strong recession,” he said. “We will be affected by at least 5 percentage points in loss of passenger numbers,” he said.

Apple IPad 3

Cargo demand may receive a boost later in the year with the introduction of new electronics devices, including Apple Inc.’s planned iPad 3. The products help airlines because manufacturers ship chips and other parts between Asian factories before sending the finished goods to consumers spread around the world.

“With new products coming to the market, hopefully that will spur some shipments,” said Singapore Air’s Goh. The carrier hopes to see a cargo “upswing” from the middle of the year, he said.

Cathay Pacific’s cargo traffic, or volume multiplied by distance, plunged 18 percent in January from a year ago as the earlier Lunar New Year added to the effect of a demand slump. China’s New Year holiday began on Jan. 23 this year, compared with Feb. 2 last year. Factories in the country generally close for at least a week around this time.

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Source : http://pic.feeyo.com/posts/556/5569561.html

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Jobs galore as Dragonair set for roaring year
The Standard
Thursday, February 23, 2012

Dragonair is set to spread its wings with a large- scale recruitment of cabin crew and pilots despite a gloomy economic outlook.

The airline - a wholly owned subsidiary of Cathay Pacific - will be hiring 450 cabin crew, 40 first officers and 35 cadet pilots this year.

First up will be the bolstering of cabin crew numbers that is marked down for March 3 and 4.

When completed, the entire recruitment drill will bring staff levels up to about 2,000 cabin crew and about 500 pilots.

Chief executive Patrick Yeung Wai-tim also said yesterday that six more Airbus orders - four A320s and two A330s - will join its current fleet of 32 aircraft. This is the biggest fleet expansion since 2006. But he did not say how much it will cost.

"Economic growth in the mainland may be relatively unstable, but we are still seeing growth [in passenger volume] in cities such as Beijing and Shanghai," he said.

"Hong Kong is located at the focal point of the mainland so this is an advantage."

Passenger volume for last year was up 7 percent on 2010, he added.

The airline will also resume flights to Taichung, Guilin and Xian in the second quarter and is looking at new destinations in Thailand, Korea and Japan.

Yeung said more than 3,000 people attended a cabin crew recruitment in Taiwan two weeks ago though the airline is only planning to hire 25 there.

The airline is recruiting in Taiwan because many of its passengers are mainlanders who speak Putonghua, he said.

Yeung is confident the airline will be able to get sufficient pilots even though many airlines are experiencing a shortage.

This is because three airlines, including one in Turkey, have recently shut down operations so their pilots will be looking for jobs.

The airline will finish renovating all its aircraft and update them with internet access, better seats and in-flight entertainment by the start of 2014. But Yeung said the airline has no plans to increase fares.

Starting from March 12, Cathay Pacific will double its daily flights to Beijing to two, while those of Dragonair will be cut from eight to seven.

Yeung denied the move is an indication that Cathay is encroaching into the "home turf" of Dragonair

"Resources are limited. We need to find out what to do in order to get the best benefits."

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Source : http://pic.feeyo.com/posts/557/5570998.html

[deasine]

Just In, New Y+ Seats:













And here's the new Y.















Sources:
All Images from CX Facebook Page

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I'm honestly really disappointed with these seats.

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Premium Y looks just like the old regional J!

[siamu maharaj]

Only the front seats have a nice footrests. And looks like the economy seats slide out a bit more than most seats.

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Originally Posted by siamu maharaj

Only the front seats have a nice footrests. And looks like the economy seats slide out a bit more than most seats.

They recline and slide, so that it can achieve the same recline angle without having to reclining so far back.

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Source : http://pic.feeyo.com/posts/556/5561464.html

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Flying start for Cathay with new-seats rush
The Standard
Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Cathay Pacific Airways (0293) said it has secured bookings for more than 1,000 premium economy seats so far even though its new cabin class will only be available from April 1.

"The fare will be 50 to 80 percent higher than economy class, which we think is suitable for bosses of some small and medium enterprises," chief operating officer Ivan Chu Kwok-leung said as the carrier took delivery on Sunday of the new Boeing 777-300ER - its first aircraft featuring the new cabin. Business class fares are about four times more than economy.

In the new planes, there will be between 26 and 34 premium economy seats in a cabin located in front of economy. Seats are wider and feature a deeper recline than economy- class seats. Unlike business-class seats, which allow passengers to lie down, premium economy also provides a footrest.

Passengers booking premium economy will have priority check-in, larger pillows, headsets and additional snacks and drinks. They will also have a baggage allowance of 25 kilograms, instead of just 20.

Initially, the new seats will be available on some long-haul routes such as Sydney, Toronto, Vancouver and New York from April, and London from May.

Forty-eight aircraft will offer premium economy class by the end of this year and 87 in late 2013.

Many aircraft will be revamped with all seats offering iPod/iPhone connectivity.

But there will be 18-22 fewer seats in each aircraft because premium economy seats take up more space.

Chu said the cargo business will pick up in the next half.

Cathay and Dragonair carried a combined 116,250 tonnes of cargo and mail last month, down 19.5 percent from a year ago.

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Source : http://pic.feeyo.com/posts/557/5576119.html