Layovers - Air Travel podcast

SHOW NOTES

Guest

Don Hunter. Chief Officer Airport Operations at Oman Air since 2010. Prior to that, MD Dnata Philippines and Vice President Operations Dnata Dubai. Managing director of Menzies Macau in 2007-2008. General Manager Airport Services Virgin Atlantic in 2004-2007. Cathay Pacific Airways in 1986-2004, posts included General Manager Kai Tak, Managing Director Hong Kong Air Terminal Services, and MD Hong Kong Airport Services, General Manager Africa and Airport Manager San Francisco. 10 years as commissioned officer in the Royal Air Force.

News of the week

The story of the HKG transfer, by Don Hunter

• Hong Kong Prepares to Switch Its Airports in Seven-Hour Stretch - WSJ
• Final Hour at Kai Tak Airport! - YouTube (video)
• BBC News | Asia-Pacific | Hong Kong's flying start
• Chek Lap Kok Airport | Projects | Foster + Partners
• Closure of Kai Tak Airport | Gwulo: Old Hong Kong
• Site Preparation for the New Hong Kong International Airport - Craig S. Covil - Google Books
• INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS - Problems Continue to Mount at New Hong Kong Airport - NYTimes.com
• BBC News | Asia-Pacific | Hong Kong airport inquiry
• Human Error Causes System Glitches That Embarrass New Asian Airports - WSJ
• Report of the Commission of Inquiry on
  the New Airport (PDF)

Other future airport switches

• Hamad International Airport reports record passenger numbers in 2015 | Qatar is Booming
• Norman Foster Designs the Fabulous Future Mexico City Airport — Layovers
• New Istanbul Airport on target to open in 2017 – Turkish Airlines boss - Airport World Magazine
• How Berlin’s Futuristic Airport Became a $6 Billion Embarrassment - Bloomberg Business

The rise of the Middle Eastern airlines

We've discussed about this topic in all our episodes so far. Of note, check episode 005 MUC on the origins of the Gulf airlines, 004 GVA on the US versus Middle-East debate, 008 SIN on Lufthansa's low cost strategy or 014 DXB where we talk about Emirates.

The future of flying in Africa

• What Air Zimbabwe’s one-passenger flight says about African airlines’ woes - Quartz
• Africa's soaring low-cost airline industry - CNN.com
• Ethiopian Airlines Flying High As Other Carriers Sink - allAfrica.com
• Fly Africa - English

Low costs and the legacy airlines

• The Unfriendly Skies of Legacy Carriers - WSJ
• Low-cost versus legacy airlines - FT.com
• Legacy vs low-cost carriers: Spot the difference | The Economist
• Rise of the low-cost airline | Business Destinations – Make travel your business

We've also discussed the low cost model in various past episodes, including 008 SIN when we discussied RyanAir potential long haul low cost offering.

New modular fares and the Malaysia Airlines relaunch

• Malaysian flagship has green light for relaunch - Business Traveller Asia
• Delta announces five-tiered seating plan - CNN.com
• From Super-Lux to Raw Unbundled, Etihad Introduces 8 New Fare Tiers – Skift

BA keeps its 747 alive

• British Airways just can’t kick its 747 habit

Check our various past episodes about our discussions on the future of the A380.

A different ranking of best and worst airports in the world

• What Are the Worst Airports in the World?

The Shoreham Airshow disaster

• 2015 Shoreham Airshow crash - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
• Shoreham Air Show, England - Plane Crash - YouTube (video - warning: graphic footage)

Airport of the week

JNB

• Airports Company South Africa - O.R. Tambo International Airport
• SOUTH AFRICA: CONCORDE 002 ARRIVES IN JOHANNESBURG FOR TESTS AND DEMONSTRATIONS.