NZ/SQ alliance approved

Finally 4 months after the Singapore authorities approved the alliance, the New Zealand Government has given its approval to the new alliance between Star Alliance partners Air New Zealand and Singapore Airlines for flights on the AKL-SIN route.

The alliance will see Singapore Airlines hand over its evening flight (SQ281/282) 08:45-22:45AKL/ 23:50-06:40+1SIN which is currently 5x weekly, to NZ who will operate it as a daily 772ER service.  SQ will hold onto their morning flight (SQ285/286) 21:10-10:50+1AKL 12:10-19:00SIN which operates with a 773ER.  This will be up gauged seasonally to operate with SQ's A380.

With the addition of the A380 to the SIN-AKL route, AKL will host 4x A380 on the ground each day with EK already operating 3x A380 to AKL.

Charles Spillane, Auckland Airport's acting general manager aeronautical commercial, says the new alliance will bring substantial capacity growth and improved connectivity.
"This alliance between Air New Zealand and Singapore Airlines demonstrates the commitment that both airlines have to growing connections between Singapore and New Zealand and we congratulate them on this," said Spillane.

Read more on the reaction to the alliance's approval via The New Zealand Herald HERE 

End of the 737 'classic' era at QF

Qantas have rounded out the 737 'classic' era (737-300 & 400 models) with Boeing 737-476 VH-TJS named Jabiru flying the final service of the type on Sunday 23-February-2013 as QF819 CBR-MEL.

VH-TJS was ordered by Australian Airlines and delivered new to them in early 1993 and was transferred to Qantas when the airline merged later that year.  It has flown for the National airline ever since.

While the retirement of VH-TJS and the Qantas Boeing 737-400 fleet see's the end of the era for the fleet on scheduled RPT service by the major carriers, the 737-300s & 400s continue to fly on in Australian skies.

There are 11 737-300s and 2 737-400s that still regularly popup around the traps.

Qantas subsidiary Express Freighters Australia (a former joint venture with Australia Post as Australian Air Express) operates a fleet of 4 Boeing 737-376(SF) in Qantas Freight colours, which cross the night skies flying freight between the Capital cities.  All four of these aircraft flew with Qantas domestically and also with Jetconnect the New Zealand subsidiary of Qantas before being converted to freighters.

Airwork NZ Limited operate a fleet of freighters in Australia on behalf of Toll Holdings this comprises 3x Boeing 737-3B7, 1x Boeing 737-3S1 & 1x Boeing 737-4Q8, these aircraft also fly in New Zealand.  Airwork has a further Boeing 737-476 ZK-JTQ which operates in Australia on charter, recently for Alliance Airlines on FIFO work.  This aircraft was also formerly Qantas & Jetconnect.

The other carrier that keeps the 'classics' in the Australian skies is Air Nauru which operates a fleet of 3 aircraft on scheduled services to Nauru, as well as FIFO and government charter work.

NZ+VA alliance to be extended***

&

The ACCC has given tentative approval for the extension to the alliance between Air New Zealand and Virgin Australia for their joint trans-tasman services.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has signalled in a draft ruling that it will approve the tie-up for another three years - two years less than the airlines were seeking.

Further to the shorter approval length the ACCC will seek to impose capacity conditions on eight routes, this will prevent the two airlines from reducing current capacity on these routes including two highlighted by the ACCC Melbourne-Christchurch and Sydney-Dunedin.

The airlines will also have to provide performance data to help the ACCC decide whether their alliance has had an ''adverse effect on competition more generally''.

As expected the airlines will push for the ACCC to extend the approval to the 5 year term they originally sought as well as pushing for the capacity conditions to be dropped.  Despite the tentative approval from the ACCC the alliance is still subject to approval or rejection by the New Zealand Department of Transport, although I expect them to agree with and approve the ACCC decision and conditions.

Read more on the renewal via brisbanetimes.com.au HERE

YBBN spotting pt2

Some more of the pics I like from my spotting trip on tuesday

I'm kicking off today with an international flavour

Etihad Airways Airbus A330-243 A6-EYF departing YBBN for Abu Dhabi via Singapore

Air Niugini Boeing 767-336 P2-ANA as ANG4 departing YBBN for Port Moresby

Thai Airways Boeing 777-3D7ER HS-TKC departing YBBN as TK474 to Bangkok

Now moving back to an Australian focus

Tiger Airways (Australia) Airbus A320 VH-VNB departing YBBN as TT435 to Melbourne

 I'm not sure what it is about the TT birds, but I find them amazingly photogenic

Jetstar Airbus A321 looking gorgeously golden int he late afternoon sun, while also looking equally patchy is seen departing YBBN as JQ817 to Sydney

Alliance Airlines Fokker F100 VH-XWM is seen departing YBBN as UTY2366 to Rockhampton

And finally Qantas Boeing 767-336 VH-ZXF is seen departing YBBN as QF537 to Sydney

EK look towards RTW on an A380 via QF on the pacific

In an interview with Bloomberg, Emirates president Tim Clark has shown his desire for a round the world route operating with A380 aircraft, with Qantas on the LAX-SYD leg.

Avgeeks will know how protective the ACCC and Australian Government are with the Pacific route, with only Australian or American based & owned airlines being allowed rights to the route, with the singular exception of Air New Zealand.  In the past Singapore Airlines have sought approval to operate on the SYD-LAX routing but have been denied.

Mr Clark said he was sure that the upcoming alliance between the airlines could be expanded to the pacific to accommodate this, but Emirates would only push for this expansion if Qantas boss Alan Joyce and his executive team fully backed the idea.

Mr Clark said a tie-up across the Pacific Ocean was left out of the discussions for the current Emirates-Qantas alliance because “the trans-Pacific is Qantas territory.” Still, the regulator’s initial approval doesn’t prevent the carriers from exploring the option, he said.
The companies could also link their routes into Dallas, the hub for American Airlines, Mr Clark said. Emirates has pursued a code-share agreement with American, which hasn’t made progress as the US company examines a merger proposal from US Airways and goes through Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings, he said.

 It will be interesting to see the Qantas response to this proposal from Emirates and whether they are open to code sharing with Emirates on what is one of their most prestigious and financially rewarding routes.  It will also be interesting to see how the Australian Government and the ACCC will respond to any request to add this route to the current or future alliance agreements.

I suspect that the fact that the route will still be flown on QF metal wearing QF colours with QF benefiting from the flights, that there would be less resistance than if EK were seeking to fly the route with their own metal and benefiting from the profits of such a flight.  But time will tell if the two airlines want to pursue this route, and if they do whether the ACCC want to give them the opportunity to do so.

Read more of the bloomberg interview via the Brisbane Times HERE

ACCC give conditional approval to QF/EK alliance

The ACCC has conditionally approved the tie up between Qantas and Emirates.

The two airlines had been seeking a ten year alliance to operate flights from Australia, Europe & Africa through the Dubai hub, joint marketing in intertwining the two frequent flyer programs and reciprocal access to lounges and priority benefits.  However one of the conditions imposed in the ACCC ruling is this deal will only be approved for five years.

In handing down his decision, ACCC Chairman Rod Sims said "The considers that the alliance is likely to result in material, although not substantial, benefits to Australian consumers."
Sims pointed out that while "the alliance is likely to result in some public detriments through its effect on competition where Qantas and Emirates currently offer overlapping services. In most of these regions there are factors which are likely to mitigate the public detriment, including continuing competition from a number of established airlines."
The ACCC also flagged a potential drawback for trans-Tasman travellers, saying that "on overlapping routes between Australia and New Zealand the ACCC is concerned that the alliance may have an increased ability and incentive to reduce or limit growth in its capacity in order to raise airfares. Therefore, the ACCC is proposing a condition to restrict the ability of the alliance in this regard."

Now that the ACCC has given draft approval for Australian flights all eyes are being turned towards New Zealand transport minister Gerry Brownlee who will decide if Qantas & Emirates are able to form an alliance on the trans-tasman network.

Read more on the ACCCs decision and how it will impact Qantas, Emirates and travelers from any of the following sources
Brisbane Times HERE
Australian Business Traveller HERE, HERE or HERE
Australian Aviation HERE