Tag: Kong (Page 4 of 5)

HK Bellawings Exercises Options, Adds More Global 7500 Jets

May 23, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

David Coleal, President, Bombardier Aviation and HK Bellawings’ President, Mr. YJ Zhang

May 21, 2019 • Geneva Business Aircraft Press Release

• Two Global 7500 business jet options exercised are part of initial agreement signed in May 2018 at the European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (EBACE) in Geneva
• Letter of intent for five new Global 7500 aircraft reinforces flagship status as the largest and longest range business jet, ideally suited for the Greater China region
• HK Bellawings Jet Limited becomes operator managing China’s largest fleet of Global 7500 aircraft

Bombardier is pleased to announce that Hong Kong aircraft management company HK Bellawings Jet Limited has signed a letter of intent (LOI) for five new Global 7500 business jets and has also exercised options for two Global 7500 business jets, as part of the initial agreement signed in May last year. This news comes as the industry flagship Global 7500 aircraft is showcased for the first time at the European Business Aviation Conference & Exhibition (EBACE) in Geneva.

“The Global 7500 aircraft continues to demonstrate its unrivalled performance and smooth ride, all the while delivering uncompromising value to customers under any conditions, at any time, without the need for tailwinds,” said David Coleal, President, Bombardier Aviation. “HK Bellawings’ experienced and professional team is a perfect fit for the Global 7500 aircraft’s superior performance and we are thrilled that they have chosen our flagship to expand their growing fleet of business jets.”

“Today marks a step forward towards our goal of becoming the premier Asian private jet operator. We are very impressed with Bombardier’s Global 7500 aircraft since its entry into service less than six months ago,” said HK Bellawings’ President Mr. YJ Zhang. “Its unmatched performance and range is ideally suited for our customers in the Greater China region. As the operator that will manage one of the world’s largest fleet of Global 7500 aircraft, HK Bellawings Jet will further expand its business scope and continuously pursue higher goals.”

Winner of the 2019 Aviation Week Grand Laureate Award and a Red Dot award for design, the Global 7500 jet offers Bombardier’s signature smooth ride and a spaciousness that is unique among business jets. Featuring a full-size kitchen and four true living spaces, the aircraft sets the benchmark for the most exceptional cabin interior. The Global 7500 aircraft’s range of 7,700 nautical miles is the longest in business aviation. This business jet can connect the cities of Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong non-stop to the cities of New York, London or Milan, and also fly nonstop from Singapore to Vancouver.*

Established in 2014, HK Bellawings Jet Limited is a distinguished business jet management company dedicated to providing a diverse array of professional, highly efficient and comprehensive business aviation services and solutions, which include business jet management, aircraft maintenance, travel concierge service, aircraft acquisition service, and business aviation consultancy. They operate a fleet of Challenger and Global business aircraft.

HK Bellawings Firms Order for Four More Global 7500 Jets

April 15, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

Fleet operator continues to confirm orders after signing letter of intent for multiple Global 6500 and Global 7500 aircraft in May 2018
HK Bellawings Jet Limited will become operator managing China’s largest fleet of Global 6500 and Global 7500 aircraft
Flagship Global 7500 business jet making its airshow debut at ABACE
Long-range, large-cabin Global 5500 and Global 6500 aircraft on track to enter service this year

Bombardier is pleased to announce that Hong Kong aircraft management company HK Bellawings Jet Limited firmed up an order for four Global 7500 business jets. This news comes as the flagship Global 7500 aircraft arrives at the Asian Business Aviation Conference & Exhibition (ABACE), its first airshow since entering service.

“We are proud to announce this firm order as the Global 7500 aircraft makes its public debut at ABACE, one of the world’s most important aerospace exhibitions,” said Khader Mattar, Vice President of Sales for the Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific and China, Bombardier Business Aircraft. “Our flagship jet has been causing a sensation since entering service less than four months ago, and this order underscores that this aircraft, with its unparalleled range and four true living spaces, is ideal for the Greater China region.”

HK Bellawings first announced their intent to purchase up to 18 Global 6500 and Global 7500 aircraft, for a potential value of $1.14 billion US, in May 2018 at the European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (EBACE) in Geneva. Hours earlier, Bombardier had stunned the industry by launching two new long-range, large-cabin business jets, the Global 5500 and Global 6500 aircraft.

In September 2018, HK Bellawings firmed up its order of four Global 6500 and two Global 7500 business jets, for an approximate value of $370 million US, based on current list prices for typically equipped aircraft. Today, HK Bellawings and Bombardier are pleased to confirm that four more
Global 7500 aircraft are now part of that firm purchase, bringing the total of firm aircraft orders to 10. This latest announcement represents a value of approximately $291 million US, based on current list prices.

“We are thrilled to offer our customers access to the unparalleled Global 7500 aircraft as part of our unmatched fleet,” said HK Bellawings President Mr. YJ Zhang. “The Global 6500 and Global 7500 aircraft align with HK Bellawings’ rapid development to be a one-stop business aviation solution. As the operator that will manage one of the world’s largest fleet of Global 6500 and Global 7500 aircraft, HK Bellawings Jet will further expand our business scope and continuously pursue higher goals.”

The Global 7500 aircraft’s range of 7,700 nautical miles is the longest in business aviation. This business jet can connect the cities of Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong non-stop to the cities of New York, London or Milan, and also fly nonstop from Singapore to Vancouver.*

About Bombardier

With over 68,000 employees across four business segments, Bombardier is a global leader in the transportation industry, creating innovative and game-changing planes and trains. Our products and services provide world-class transportation experiences that set new standards in passenger comfort, energy efficiency, reliability and safety.

American Airlines and China Southern Launch Frequent Flyer Partnership

March 21, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

Despite repeated claims from all sides that China Southern has no interest in joining the Oneworld alliance, American Airlines and Asia’s largest carrier are moving forward with a frequent flyer partnership. The new arrangement announced Wednesday will allow American’s AAdvantage and China Southern’s Sky Pearl Club members the ability to earn and redeem miles on each other’s flights.

Mileage earning for passengers will go into effect March 21, and online availability is planned for later this year. In the meantime, phone reservations agents at American are already reporting the ability to book China Southern flights through Sabre, its booking system. An earn chart, which shows how China Southern fares will earn miles in American’s loyalty program, has also been posted to American’s site.

American and China Southern’s partnership comes at a time in which Oneworld has been cool on formally pulling the Asian carrier fully into the alliance — though it’s not clear which side the hesitation is coming from. At Oneworld’s 20th anniversary in February, Ron Gurney, CEO of Oneworld shared that the alliance had “no plans” to add the carrier in full. Instead, he suggested that China Southern might join Oneworld as a Connect partner, a new type of “alliance light” that allows passengers to connect onto partners and still earn benefits.

The relationship announced between American and China Southern on Wednesday is more thorough than that. In addition to the ability to earn and spend miles reciprocally, loyalty members can book flights directly through the other carrier’s website and still reap benefits. In other words, the relationship is almost like having an alliance partner without having China Southern in the alliance.

To be clear, many expected some sort of deeper relationship to bear fruit after American bought a stake in China Southern in 2017. Only a year after that investment, China Southern bowed out of the Skyteam alliance, leading many to speculate that it planned to join Oneworld. Ever since Gurney’s comments and the big push around Oneworld Connect, however, that enthusiasm seems to have faded.

That doesn’t mean that China Southern may not eventually end up joining Oneworld. Both airlines and alliances have famously been coy about when new members are coming onboard and China Southern will need to tread lightly in the back yard of Cathay Pacific, another major Oneworld carrier based out of Hong Kong. At the very least, AAdvantage members anxious to fly deeper into China will now get minimal frequent flyer benefits. Other Oneworld passengers will have to wait.

Story by Grant Martin

Cathay Pacific in Talks to Buy Stake in HK Express Airways

March 5, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

HONG KONG/SINGAPORE (Reuters) – Hong Kong flagship carrier Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd said on Tuesday it is in “active discussions” about an acquisition involving budget airline Hong Kong Express Airways Ltd, although an agreement has yet to be reached.

Such a deal would give Cathay exposure to the growing budget-travel market at a time when a lack of slots at Hong Kong International Airport has constrained its ability to follow peers like Singapore Airlines Ltd and Qantas Airways Ltd and set up its own budget brand.

The Hong Kong carrier has instead shifted some destinations from its main brand to its regional carrier, Cathay Dragon, as part of a transformation plan designed to cut costs and increase revenue. It has ordered 32 Airbus SE A321neos for Cathay Dragon.

Cathay said it had decided to go public about the discussions in response to media reports suggesting it may be in talks to acquire shares in Hong Kong Express Airways Ltd and full-service sister carrier Hong Kong Airlines Ltd from cash-strapped Chinese conglomerate HNA Group Co Ltd.

It did not detail the potential value of the transaction, nor the size of the stake it would hold. It said it would issue an additional statement when appropriate.

An analyst last year estimated to Reuters that HK Express could be worth about $300 million.

HNA and HK Express did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

A person with knowledge of the matter said the companies appeared close to reaching an agreement and noted Cathay’s parent Swire Pacific Ltd had historically taken majority stakes when making investments.

Cathay is not interested in Hong Kong Airlines because it has both similar routes and full-service positioning, the person said.

A second person with knowledge of the matter said Cathay had signed an exclusivity period for discussion but other parties remained interested in HK Express if a deal could not be reached.

Both sources spoke on the condition of anonymity as discussions are confidential.

ANTITRUST

Given Cathay’s dominance of Hong Kong’s aviation market, a deal could attract scrutiny from the competition regulator.

Some analysts have also expressed doubts about the likely benefits of any deal. Daiwa analyst Kelvin Lau said he did not see much value from the acquisition as the two airlines flew similar routes, but also because Cathay would need to undertake significant reform to add a budget wing.

Jefferies analyst Andrew Lee however said in a note to clients it would be “positive for Cathay Pacific” as it would give the airline greater access to a different passenger segment in the low-cost market.

FLYING HIGH

News of Cathay’s interest in HK Express comes just weeks after Hong Kong’s flagship carrier projected its annual profit at more than double analyst estimates, sending its shares surging nearly 9 percent.

Shares of Cathay have risen more than 19 percent so far this year, compared with an 8 percent fall in 2018. The airline’s shares jumped more than 3 percent on Tuesday morning.

Cathay has faced repeated questions from investors over the last few years about its failure to set up a budget carrier.

Chief Executive Rupert Hogg has said it would be difficult to do so until a third runway was completed at Hong Kong International Airport in 2024, opening up more slots.

“Our home-based airport is full at the moment, or largely full, and so it’s not a perfect place to develop a model from scratch,” he told CAPA Centre for Aviation last May.

HK Express operates a fleet of 25 A320 family aircraft to regional destinations around Asia, according to plane tracking website FlightRadar24.

Embattled HNA Group is more than a year into the process of unwinding a $50 billion acquisition spree that at its peak netted the company stakes in banks, fund managers, hotels, property and airlines, among other assets.

(Reporting by Donny Kwok in Hong Kong and Jamie Freed in Singapore; Additional reporting by Kane Wu in Hong Kong; Editing by Anne Marie Roantree and Stephen Coates)

VietJet to Sign Major Boeing Deal During Trump-Kim Summit

February 22, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

HANOI (Reuters) – Fast-growing Vietnamese budget airline VietJet Aviation JSC is expected to sign a major jet deal with Boeing Co on the sidelines of next week’s Trump-Kim summit, according to sources familiar with the matter.

U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will hold their second summit in the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi on Feb 27-28.

Holding a signing ceremony during Trump’s visit would help emphasise strengthening economic and military ties between the United States and Vietnam.

VietJet, while not government-owned, increasingly uses state visits to showcase major plane orders balanced between Boeing and Airbus SE. It signed a deal to buy 100 Boeing 737 MAX narrowbody jets when former U.S. President Barack Obama visited Hanoi in 2016.

The airline is likely to finalise next week a separate provisional deal agreed last year at the Farnborough Airshow to buy another 100 Boeing 737 MAX jets worth almost $13 billion at list prices, sources said on condition of anonymity due to an expected announcement by VietJet.

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration declared last week that Vietnam complied with international aviation standards, in a move that would allow Vietnamese carriers to fly there for the first time and codeshare with U.S. airlines.

VietJet said last week it planned to purchase widebody jets capable of U.S. flights to open routes to cities with large Vietnamese communities in the United States, such as in California.

It might be too early for VietJet to place a widebody order, said one of the sources.

Another source briefed on the matter said the deal for 100 737 MAX jets was already on Boeing’s books, having been firmed up earlier and listed as an unidentified customer.

Boeing declined to comment. VietJet did not respond immediately to a request for comment.

VietJet finalised a deal in November with Airbus for 50 A321neo jets during a visit to Hanoi by French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe that had also been announced provisionally at the Farnborough Airshow.

VietJet operates 385 flights daily within Vietnam and to places such as Japan, Hong Kong, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, China, Thailand, Myanmar and Malaysia.

However, industry analysts have questioned whether the airline will take delivery of all the aircraft on order as the aerospace industry reaches the peak of an extended growth phase.

(Reporting by James Pearson in Hanoi; Additional reporting by Tim Hepher in Paris; Writing by Jamie Freed; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman)

Macau Police Investigate Suspected Murder at Sands Casino

February 18, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

HONG KONG, Feb 18 (Reuters) – Police in the world’s biggest gambling hub of Macau are investigating what they suspect is a rare murder in a five-star casino resort after a Chinese man was found stabbed in his bed, broadcaster TDM reported on Monday.

Murder cases have been rare in the Chinese territory since Portugal ceded control of what had been a colonial backwater on the heel of China’s southern coast 20 years ago.

The suspected murder took place in Sands China’s Conrad Macau hotel, TDM reported, citing police. It comes as slower mainland growth, a weaker yuan and a simmering trade war with the United States threaten to derail Macau’s growth.

The 41-year-old victim, an active gambler from the mainland, had been stabbed. The case was being investigated and no further details were available, TDM said.

Macau police and Sands China did not respond to requests for comment. The company is controlled by U.S. billionaire Sheldon Adelson’s Las Vegas Sands.

Macau is the only place in China where casino gambling is legal. Casino revenues shrank in January for the first time in more than two years.

Violent crime in Macau has often been linked to its junket operators – the middlemen who bring China’s wealthiest to the gambling tables. Slower growth and tighter regulations have made it hard for many small junket companies to stay in business.

Criminal gangs known as triads, which are known to operate in Macau, are typically involved in extortion, money laundering, murder and prostitution.

(Reporting by Farah Master Editing by Robert Birsel)

Airbus Helicopters sees strong sales increase in 2018

January 23, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

Gross orders up 18 percent to 413 units
First orders for the next-generation H160
Increasing share of the military market

Marignane, 23 January 2019 – Airbus Helicopters delivered 356 rotorcraft and logged gross orders for 413 helicopters (net: 381) in 2018 (up from 350 gross orders in 2017), maintaining its lead in the civil & parapublic market while reinforcing its position in the military market thanks to key successes with international campaigns. The company also booked 148 orders for light twin-engine helicopters of the H135/H145 family and secured 15 orders for the next-generation H160. At the end of last year, the overall backlog increased to 717 helicopters.

“Our commercial performance in 2018 demonstrates the resilience we have developed as a company to help us navigate what remains a challenging environment,” said Bruno Even, Airbus Helicopters CEO. “Even though the civil & parapublic market remains at a low level worldwide, we have managed to maintain our global leadership thanks to our wide and modern portfolio of products and services and our international footprint. Meanwhile, we have increased our market share in the military sector by securing major contracts with leading armed forces worldwide, with best-in-class solutions. These positive trends give us the means to prepare the future and continue our transformation, with innovation at our core and customer loyalty at heart.”

In 2018, Airbus Helicopters delivered the first of 100 H135s for China in Qingdao, where a dedicated final assembly line will serve the growing demand of the Chinese market for civil & parapublic helicopters. Meanwhile, Hong Kong Government Flying Service took delivery of the first H175s in public services configuration.

Last year also proved successful for the Super Puma family which demonstrated its versatility by being selected in key military campaigns, while attracting new civil & parapublic customers with repurposed H225s previously operated on the oil & gas market. Likewise, 2018 proved to be a very positive year for the NH90, which attracted orders for 28 units in Qatar while being selected by Spain in the frame of a follow-on order for 23 units.

Key programme milestones were achieved in 2018, including the power-on and ground testing of the CityAirbus electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) technology demonstrator, ahead of a maiden flight expected early 2019. The first H160 in serial configuration entered flight trials in 2018, while the VSR700 unmanned aerial system demonstrator performed its first unmanned flights at the end of the year.

Footnote:
The Full-Year 2018 net orders and backlog represent the contractual view. The Full-Year 2018 backlog value will be measured under IFRS 15 and will reflect the recoverable amount of revenues under these contracts. The FY 2017 backlog will not be restated.

Story and image from http://www.airbus.com

Cathay Pacific Again Sells First-class Tickets at Economy Rates

January 14, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

From BBC News

A group of lucky Cathay Pacific customers have scored first-class seats at economy prices, in the second fare blunder by the airline this month.

Tickets on trips from Hong Kong to Portugal were sold on the airline’s website for $1,512, instead of $16,000 usually charged for a similar journey.

The carrier said it would honour the tickets as it investigates the cause of the error.

It extends a recent run of blows to the firm including a huge data breach.

The mispriced fares were available on Cathay Pacific’s website on Sunday.

First-class flights from Lisbon to Hong Kong – via London with a connecting flight – were offered for $1,512 (£1,177), according to the South China Morning Post.

A similar first-class journey through Frankfurt would cost $16,000.

In a statement, the Hong Kong carrier said it would honour the tickets.

“We are looking into the root cause of this incident both internally and externally with our vendors,” it said.

“For the very small number of customers who have purchased these tickets, we look forward to welcoming you on board to enjoy our premium services.”

Just two weeks ago the airline made the same blunder.

Lucky flyers made off with business-class seats on flights from Vietnam to New York for about $675 return. They should have cost $16,000.

At the time, the carrier acknowledged its “mistake” and again, said it would welcome the passengers onboard.

Cathay Pacific to honour $16,000 fares sold for $675

Airlines have a mixed history of honouring tickets sold in error.

Singapore Airlines, for example, honoured tickets sold for less than half price in 2014. But United Airlines cancelled transatlantic tickets sold for less than $100 by a “third party software provider” the following year.

A challenging year

The latest stumble extends a bad run for Cathay Pacific.

In October, the firm was the subject of a data breach in its IT systems, jeopardising the personal information of up to 9.4 million passengers.

Huge data hack hits Cathay Pacific

A month earlier, it had to send one of its planes back to the paint shop after spelling the airline’s name “Cathay Paciic” on the side of a jet.

Those missteps come as the airline tries to return to profitability after posting its first ever back-to-back annual loss in March.

Cathay Pacific has struggled against competition, particularly from low-cost Chinese carriers covering Hong Kong, mainland China and South East Asia.

Image from http://www.cathaypacific.com

Airbus Loses 2018 Jet Order Race to Boeing

January 9, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

PARIS (Reuters) – Europe’s Airbus lost out to Boeing in 2018, breaking a five-year winning streak against its U.S. rival for the number of jet orders, slumping to its lowest share of the $150 billion jet market in six years, data showed on Wednesday.

Airbus posted 747 net 2018 orders, down 33 percent from the previous year, including 135 for the A220 jetliner which it took over from Canada’s Bombardier in July. Boeing beat Airbus for the first time since 2012 with 893 net orders.

Airbus delivered 800 jets, up 11 percent, including 20 of the small A220 model, leaving Boeing as the world’s largest planemaker by manufacturing volume for a seventh straight year.

Although Boeing missed its delivery target and Airbus had previously lowered its target due to strains on the industry’s global supply chain, strong demand for passenger jets expanded total deliveries by 8 percent, the fastest pace in six years.

Planemaking chief Guillaume Faury welcomed the deliveries, which set a company record, and a “healthy order intake,” with waiting lists for many new jets stretching for up to 7 years.

Insiders say the quest for new business has, however, been overshadowed in the past year by industrial problems, management changes and morale problems coinciding with a corruption probe.

A resurgent Boeing has been cashing in on greater availability and declining costs for its 787 Dreamliner, while struggling to contain its European rival in the lucrative segment for large narrowbody jets just above 200 seats.

The order figures underscore Airbus’s decision to take over the lightweight but loss-making Bombardier CSeries aircraft, generating 135 orders worth $12 billion at list prices.

Without that boost, Airbus took just 41 percent of the core market in which it competes with Boeing, the lowest since 2009.

Highlighting the pressure Airbus has been facing recently in the market for large, high-margin wide-body jets, the European company was outsold three to one by Boeing for a second year.

However it reached a targeted production rate of 10 aircraft a month for its wide-body A350, which competes with the 787 and larger 777, at the end of the year, company officials said.

Airbus also trimmed the order list for its slow-selling A380 superjumbo, officially cancelling an order for 10 from Hong Kong Airlines four years after Reuters first reported that the airline had axed the deal, triggering financial negotiations.

The world’s largest airliner is mostly dependent on Dubai’s Emirates as Airbus slows production to a trickle in the hope of a future upturn, though many airlines are for now backing smaller jets.

(Reporting by Tim Hepher, Editing by Dominique Vidalon and Elaine Hardcastle)

Image from http://www.boeing.com

China’s ICBC Firms Up Order for 80 Airbus Jets

January 7, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

PARIS (Reuters) – China’s ICBC Financial Leasing has firmed up an order for 80 Airbus (AIR.PA) A320-family jets worth $8.8 billion (£6.9 billion) at list prices, industry sources said on Monday.

The move is part of a buying spree from Asian lessors in the final hours of 2018 as Japanese-owned SMBC Aviation reached agreement for some 65 Airbus jets and Hong Kong-based China Aircraft Leasing (CALC) ordered 50 737 MAX from Boeing (BA.N).

Airbus declined comment. ICBC was not immediately available for comment.

(Reporting by Tim Hepher; Editing by Sudip Kar-Gupta)

Image from http://cn.linkedin.com

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