Four Corners
Our columnists from the four corners of the globe bring us the latest from the US, a look back in time from Oz, an update from Japan and we welcome Zafar Siamwala with good news from India
japan Back to Narita Tim Zandbergen
manager sales and marketing TFK Corporation
“It is still to be seen whether Narita and Haneda can co-exist and co-prosper”
aUSTRaLIa Flying in the sixties Pat Osborne
sales director Alpha Flight Services Australia
I picked up a classic piece of airline memorabilia a few weeks ago at an antique market in Sydney – it’s a menu card from a 1960s era BOAC long haul flight when aircraft used to make numerous stops. The card is beautifully designed with coloured sketches of a propeller- driven aircraft with a backdrop of an exotic resort. It all looks glamorous, calming and adventurous. The meal and drinks service
“I reckon flying
long haul BOAC in the sixties would have been a very memorable experience”
44
www.onboardhospitality.com
was of particular interest, with a very limited choice in both areas and although the essentials were available it was clear that simplicity was paramount. We tend to call it comfort food, the basic meat and fish dishes as well as some daring Indian dishes that would have
added to the mystique of flying in those days. I am writing this article from my
Business seat in an Airbus A380. It’s 10pm and I’m heading home to Sydney. The attentive crew have offered me the dinner menu and wine list. I’ve decided not to watch a movie – far too distracting when trying to concentrate on writing this article! Instead I’ve opted for the UK top ten singles of the 70s. Sadly I know the words to nearly all of them, - The Bay City Rollers, Bye Bye Baby....... I have the comfort of knowing
that world class chefs, some of them with celebrity status, have designed my meal and that a panel of world class wine experts have selected my
‘drop of red’ from vineyards around the globe. Whilst contemplating the choice of starters, main meal and desserts from my A380 menu I think back to those fortunate few who, in the sixties, could afford to take that two and a half day BOAC flight to the other side of the world at what was then an enormous cost. My choice of meal and wine took
some time but I had plenty of that, and an hour or so later it was time to get tucked into my flat bed, fluff up my pillow and fall asleep thinking how good life is. But you know what? I reckon long
haul BOAC in the sixties would have been a very memorable experience. But got to go, - Rod Stewart is “Sailing” and I’m sleeping.
Tokyo International Airport (Haneda) is getting ready to commence international operations. The move will have far reaching consequences on the Japanese and greater Asian aviation industry. Narita International Airport, which currently handles the majority of international passenger traffic to and from Japan, as well as being a major connecting point for air traffic between Asia and the Americas, is doing its best to retain its pivotal role. However, it is still to be seen whether Narita and Haneda can co-exist and co-prosper, as is the question of whether they can be run in an integrated way. This question is of even greater urgency now that major competition comes
increasingly from South Korea’s Incheon, Shanghai’s Pudong and Singapore’s Changi airports. Narita is taking a number of measures to retain its supremacy: • Slashing landing fees by 21 percent on average (though still very high) • Extending Runway B to 2,500m to accommodate heavy aircraft (i.e. B747s) • Strengthening domestic network • Refitting double-decker jetbridges to accommodate A380 aircraft • Constructing new taxiways to speed up aircraft turnarounds • New rapid links to Tokyo with a high speed rail line with speeds of 160km/h and a new expressway • Building terminals for low-cost carriers and business jets
• Quick helicopter links to Tokyo • Negotiations over its current night curfew (no flights 11pm-6am) with local municipalities In addition, Narita has other advantages such as a large backlog of airlines wishing to use it, record traffic levels, and being the main international hub of Japan`s flag carrier Japan Airlines as well as All Nippon Airways and Nippon Cargo Airlines. It also serves as an Asian hub for Delta Air Lines and as a focus city for United Airlines and Vietnam Airlines. Its future position vis a vis Haneda and other regional airports, though, will not be seen for a number of years to come, and as we all know many things can change in a short time.
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