5-Star Airlines and Airports Part II

I have been to many airports around the world: the Americas, Europe, Australia and Asia. But the Asian Airports come out best because of the unique blend of Western technology and Asian cultural diversity that results in providing a certain personal touch in dealing with passengers that pass through its systems. All the three 5-Star Airports and five of six 5-Star Airlines evaluated by SKYTRAX are Asian. In the last article, I have featured Cathay Pacific-Hong Kong and Singapore Airlines and Changi.

Asiana Airlines and Inchon International

Asiana Airlines was established in February 17, 1988 and started to operate in December of the same year, with first flights to Busan. This was part of government policy to create a second Flag Carrier for Korea. As a Legacy Airlines, Asiana has the three travel classes: First, Business and Travel and uses three colors: yellow, blue and red, also used by the flight attendants, to put distinction among the three travel classes.

SKYTRAX awarded Asiana the five-star ranking on April 18, 2007 and on February 17, 2009, Air Transport World chose ASIANA as Airline of the Year. At the same time, world renowned Incheon International Airport has been modernizing and adding more accolades to its being one of only three five-star Hubs in the world.

Malaysian Airlines and Kuala Lumpur International

Malayan Airways Limited flew for the first time in April 2, 1947, from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur, using a twin-engine Airspeed Consul, carrying the first 5 paying passengers. MAL became Malaysian Airlines in 1963 when Malaya, Singapore, Sabah and Sarawak formed the Federation of Malaysia. Its home base has always been Kuala Lumpur International Airport and its secondary hub is at Kota Kinabalu.

In 1997, the airline flew the world’s longest non-commercial, non-stop flight from Boeing Field in Seattle to Kuala Lumpur, flying eastward passing the European and African continents and breaking the Great Circle Distance Without Landing record for an airliner on a Boeing 777-200ER longer than the record held by the Boeing 777-200LR. Since then, Malaysian Airlines developed into what it is today.

Kuala Lumpur International Airport or KLIA, is only one of only two capital city international airports in the world (the other one is Singapore Changi) that has a Budget Terminal or a terminal for Low Cost Carriers. While Singapore’s Budget Terminal is home to Tiger Airways, KL’s Budget Terminal is home to Air Asia. So like Changi, KLIA has a complete spectrum of services available for all the classes of airlines around the world ( a type of service that we want to have, to a much smaller extent, in Mactan Cebu, where we now host all the 5-Star Airlines we are presenting, including the domestic low cost carriers).

Qatar Airlines and Doha International

Founded in 1993, Qatar is the youngest and the only airlines outside of Asia to have a 5-star ranking. Being the Flag Carrier of QATAR, it flies out of Doha International and operates a hub and spoke network, linking over 80 international destinations. Qatar Airways has also plans to add two more destinations in India this year, using the Airbus 321s, and by October, Melbourne and Sydney using the Boeing 777-200LR.

The first phase of the New Doha International Airport is supposed to open early 2009 with a capacity of 12 Million passengers yearly. When all the phases are completed, I am sure this airport will have a five-star ranking like its flag carrier.

Next issues, we see developments of the Philippine carriers and their airports.

The Aviation Society of the Philippines

Last time, we announced the holding of the first aviation summit in the afternoon of July 1 at the PAF Aerospace Museum. Here we will launch the Aviation Society of the Philippines, which aims to be the foremost proponent for the advancement of aviation in the Philippines. It aims to do this by:

-raising the general state of knowledge and consciousness of Filipinos on aviation history, technological developments in order to harness the power of aviation for national development.

-helping recognize the contributions, achievements, and excellence in aviation industry.

-being the aero club of the Philippines, fostering fellowship among aviators and air minded men and women

Some 100 to 120 leaders from the different sectors of aviation in the country will converge to listen to heads of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines and the Civil Aeronautics Board; leaders of military, commercial and general aviation; and deans of the aviation academe discuss their situation and the future. ...the dream continues