Airline News - Asia / Pacific.

U.S. hopes to negotiate open-skies pact with China. The U.S. will send officials to Beijing in April for the first bilateral talks with China regarding a possible open-skies agreement. Mar 21, 2006

Air India, Indian Airlines 

Prospect of a merger between state-run Indian Airlines and Air India gained momentum with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh signing off on development of a strategy for the combination, according to Indian Express. The newspaper reported that Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel briefed Singh yesterday and outlined scenarios including merger. Mar 24, 2006

Air New Zealand 

Air New Zealand last Thursday night embarked on what was the most ambitious ever make-over by an airline. More than 5,000 staff in airports and offices around the world embarked on a 24-hour synchronized changeover from the old to the new Zambesi-designed uniforms. A further 180 crew onboard 13 flights operating over the scheduled time, including crew from Air New Zealand's inaugural Boeing 777 service from Narita, also embarked on a mid-flight changeover. As to its success reports are still coming in. At the same time, the airline worked throughout the night to install new greenstone colored walls featuring a fern-like extension of the koru (Maori love symbol) behind check-in counters at Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch airports, and removed desks at the entrance to Koru lounges in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Sydney and Los Angeles. The rest will follow over the next two years. http://www.airnewzealand.co.nz Mar 26, 2006

China Airlines

China Airlines will launch thrice-weekly Taipei-Abu Dhabi-Vienna service from April 25 aboard an A330-300. Flights to Vienna currently are direct. It also will add two frequencies to its thrice-weekly Seattle route from April 26 using A340-300s. Three of the five flights will continue to Houston. Mar 23, 2006

China Southern

China Southern Airlines selected Rolls-Royce Trent 700s to power 10 A330s in a $600 million deal that includes a support package. Delivery of the new aircraft will occur in 2007 and 2008 and will add to the carrier's fleet of four Trent-powered A330s. Rolls said the Trent 700 has won a 42% share of the combined firm and option A330 business and holds the entire market in mainland China and Hong Kong. Mar 20, 2006

Garuda Indonesia

Garuda Indonesia will introduce 737-800s on its daily Perth-Bali-Jakarta service beginning March 26, replacing dash 400s. The carrier said the route will be among the first to use the new aircraft because of Western Australia's importance to the Bali tourist trade. Mar 21, 2006

Jet Airways

Jet Airways will introduce a second daily flight on the London Heathrow-Mumbai route from July 10. Jet also operates a daily Delhi-London service using A340-300s leased from South African Airways. Mar 24, 2006

Malaysia Airlines

Industrial action is brewing at Malaysia Airlines over the government's recent decision to allow AirAsia to take over most of the national carrier's loss-making domestic routes. MAS unions are threatening picket-line action, which may escalate. The unions fear that up to 7,000 staff may lose their jobs. The move to allow AirAsia access to all MAS routes has been on the table for more than 18 months as the LCC posts solid profits while MAS struggles to find blue skies. Unions representing MAS employees are asking for time to turn the company around and claim they are victims of previous management's mistakes. Mar 24, 2006

Qantas

Qantas denied reports that it intends to outsource its A330 heavy maintenance permanently, saying it always has used outside providers when operating a new aircraft type and eventually will bring the work to Australia. It currently operates 14 A330s. Engineering Executive GM David Cox said Qantas is negotiating with several vendors, including SR Technics, regarding checks scheduled for later this year, but "we are already looking at onshore options for the longer-term future of our A330 work." The carrier's 767 MRO base in Brisbane is a likely location if expected efficiency improvements are achieved "in coming years." It announced the closure of its 747 base in Sydney earlier this month. Mar 20, 2006