For the aviation fans

[Robbie Stewart]

But surely getting newer more economical aircraft for the long hauls would make business sense, even if they are short term leased?

 

Not that decisions are being made by common business sense there or in any other SOE .. in my opinion, the abyss will just get deeper as long as BEE is the criteria for employing people and appointing contractors, which inevitably ends up in cronyism, corruption, and a host of other destructive issues.

 

I would start by frog-marching most if not all of the management on a one way trip out of the building, and start from scratch, and get the right people to do the jobs, regardless of colour, creed or gender,,

 

 

 

And besides that A350 is a lovely bird, must be a treat to fly.

 

 

Good luck with that...if the CEO even threw in the towel, I am not hopeful that this will make one dent in the dismal hole SAA finds itself in at present.

 

It would be lekker to see the National Colours on the A350. it could be construed as  a "Moment of National Pride", only if we all knew someone's pockets aren't being greased properly because of it...

[kosmonooit]

That's why he quit as far as I can figure - the top level of the organisation is vrot and he can't get anything done.

 

I wonder how far the Pilots Association is going to take it - they have threatened to strike. Perhaps that might be a good thing, Something has to substantially change, the procession of CEO's, CFO's etc is a charade.

Edited June 28, 2019 by kosmonooit

[Long Wheel Base]

Expect a massive backlash from Joe Public if that happens. I am all for it if it means saving on maintaining the upkeep of those horrifically expensive A340-600's which are long in the tooth anyway. But I am afraid Joe Public will not see it that way.

Yeah look you 100% right, Joe Public won't be happy. BUT if who ever does our media statements does it properly then Joe Public will understand. So basically what we doing is sending some of the A340-600s back early(before the lease is up) and because we doing that Airbus make us lease more aircraft from them to make up the loss of income from the A340-600 lease. These 2 A350s are "rejected" planes from some Chinese airline. Our initial contract with Airbus said we were going to be getting 18(I think it was 18) A320s from them. We cancelled that after the 6th one arrived so we were then forced to take 2 "rejected" A320s(funny enough they were also from a Chinese airline). These 2 were a very different config to the rest of our A320 fleet but we kept them for a few years and then Airbus were happy to take them back. So it's not like we just leasing more aircraft for the fun of it. But despite our money problems, the A350 will cost a lot less to operate and maintain than the A340-600.

Hope that makes sense????

[Lotus]

Looking forward to this.

 

Edited June 28, 2019 by Lotus

[Karooryder]

Yeah look you 100% right, Joe Public won't be happy. BUT if who ever does our media statements does it properly then Joe Public will understand. So basically what we doing is sending some of the A340-600s back early(before the lease is up) and because we doing that Airbus make us lease more aircraft from them to make up the loss of income from the A340-600 lease. These 2 A350s are "rejected" planes from some Chinese airline. Our initial contract with Airbus said we were going to be getting 18(I think it was 18) A320s from them. We cancelled that after the 6th one arrived so we were then forced to take 2 "rejected" A320s(funny enough they were also from a Chinese airline). These 2 were a very different config to the rest of our A320 fleet but we kept them for a few years and then Airbus were happy to take them back. So it's not like we just leasing more aircraft for the fun of it. But despite our money problems, the A350 will cost a lot less to operate and maintain than the A340-600.

Hope that makes sense????

 

They should get you into the Press Room LWB! Makes 100% sense and if Joe Public understands the leasing game the A350 acquisition (which is apparently a done deal) might even add to positive public sentiment...   

[Long Wheel Base]

They should get you into the Press Room LWB! Makes 100% sense and if Joe Public understands the leasing game the A350 acquisition (which is apparently a done deal) might even add to positive public sentiment...   

LOL nah I like my job. The rumor doing the rounds here is that the first A350XWB arrives end August and will be put into service early September. The strong rumors are 2 but some people are saying 6 in total with 2 being the ones to cover the shortfall of the A340-600 lease. We currently have 9 A340-600 of which 2 have been grounded for probably at least 6 months due to the fact that we can't afford to fly them. Mechanically there is nothing wrong with them. We have cut some less economical routes so in theory we don't need as many aircraft so if we replace 9 A340-600 with 6 A350XWB then we will be "saving" a lot. Maybe saving is the wrong word, using less money is a better description. 

[NotSoBigBen]

Boeing’s 737 Max software outsourced to $9-an-hour Indian programmers

 

https://mybroadband.co.za/news/software/311845-boeings-737-max-software-outsourced-to-9-an-hour-indian-programmers.html

[SwissVan]

Good luck with that...if the CEO even threw in the towel, I am not hopeful that this will make one dent in the dismal hole SAA finds itself in at present.

 

It would be lekker to see the National Colours on the A350. it could be construed as  a "Moment of National Pride", only if we all knew someone's pockets aren't being greased properly because of it...

 

 

Yeah look you 100% right, Joe Public won't be happy. BUT if who ever does our media statements does it properly then Joe Public will understand. So basically what we doing is sending some of the A340-600s back early(before the lease is up) and because we doing that Airbus make us lease more aircraft from them to make up the loss of income from the A340-600 lease. These 2 A350s are "rejected" planes from some Chinese airline. Our initial contract with Airbus said we were going to be getting 18(I think it was 18) A320s from them. We cancelled that after the 6th one arrived so we were then forced to take 2 "rejected" A320s(funny enough they were also from a Chinese airline). These 2 were a very different config to the rest of our A320 fleet but we kept them for a few years and then Airbus were happy to take them back. So it's not like we just leasing more aircraft for the fun of it. But despite our money problems, the A350 will cost a lot less to operate and maintain than the A340-600.

Hope that makes sense????

 

A350-900's

 

 

[kosmonooit]

New Beijing International Airport - wow!

 

 

 

 

Searching for the Architect I got

 

"The new Daxing airport, designed by the late architect Zaha Hadid and her Chinese partners,"

 

https://www.architectmagazine.com/project-gallery/beijing-new-airport-terminal-building-6506

 

https://www.architectmagazine.com/firms/zaha-hadid-architects

[kosmonooit]

New SAA A350s will go some way to lift spirits of all concerned but really if Cde Zukisa was serious about an "unmatched and consistent customer experience" she would immediately have all the cabin staff reapply for their jobs, on merit.

[MrJacques]

Russian fighter jet & helicopter aerobatic squads amaze crowds at Army-2019 expo:

 

https://www.rt.com/russia/463068-aerobatic-russia-jet-helicopter/

[DJR]

New Beijing International Airport - wow!

 

..............architect Zaha Hadid ............

She is one of the current "gods" of modern architecture.

Edited July 1, 2019 by DJR

[DJR]

But the first guy to drag airport architecture into the modern era, was Eero Saarinen, with the TWA Flight Centre, in 1962!

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TWA_Flight_Center

[DJR]

Airports used to look like this:

[DJR]

Saarinen made it look like this! In a design he did during the 1950s! That was completed in the early 1960s! The building still looks right up there with modern designs like that of Hadid! More than half a century later!

[kosmonooit]

Love a lovely designed airport! 

 

That TWA Terminal @ JFK has been refurbished and reopened as a hotel - there is a Lockheed Constellation there as a Cocktail Bar.

 

Edited July 1, 2019 by kosmonooit