AirAsia, Jetstar unite to suppress costs, shape next-generation narrowbody
Jetstar and AirAsia have announced an alliance that will “bring together the Asia/Pacific region’s leading LCCs.”
Key to the agreement, which the airlines said was the first of its kind, is “a joint specification for the next generation of narrowbody aircraft,” according to AirAsia CEO Tony Fernandes. AirAsia and Jetstar also will look into joint procurement of aircraft. The existing combined fleets, plus orders and options, equate to nearly 400 planes, making the pair an extremely powerful voice in shaping the A320 and 737 replacements (ATWOnline, Jan. 5).
Jamaican investigators offer 1st update on American Airlines crash
An American Airlines jet that overshot the runway and broke into pieces chose a more difficult approach according to investigators.
In its first update into the Dec. 22 crash, the Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority said air traffic controllers suggested that Flight 331′s pilots maneuver the plane into a headwind to land, which would have slowed its speed. But the crew members “repeated their request” to land on the rain-slicked runway from the north, where a stiff tailwind boosted their speed.
Airline standings: can one airline claim a championship?
The Wall Street Journal’s Scott Carmichael has been keeping a “scorecard” of airline rankings in different areas. He says it’s useful because “It gives travelers a sense, or confirms their perception, of which airlines are winning and which are lagging, and it keeps pressure on airlines to pay attention to customer service.”
This year’s scorecard has much the same result as last year’s: Southwest Airlines is on top and American Airlines trails the pack. There are some new developments: United Airlines gets the title of “most improved,’’ for example. You can find this year’s Middle Seat Scorecard here.
What’s particularly interesting is how the pack has clustered closer together because the guys on the bottom have worked to improve, closing the gap.
(Photo: superciliousness/Flickr Creative Commons)
