AirlineRatings.com named Taiwan’s EVA Airways (EVA)(TPE: 2618) one of the ten safest airlines in the world for 2015.

AirlineRatings.com said that Australia’s Qantas Airways (ASX: QAN) is the top of the list with its fatality-free record in the jet era. Qantas became the winner of the chart out of nearly 450 carriers monitored by AirlineRatings.com.

In addition to Qantas and EVA, the other nine jetliners are Air New Zealand (NZE: AIR), British Airways (OTCMKTS: BAIRY), Cathay Pacific Airways (HKG: 0293), Emirates Airlines, Etihad Airways, Finnair (HEL: FIA1S), Lufthansa (ETR: LHA), and Singapore Airlines (SGX: C6L). These airliners were listed alphabetically.

Qantas was chosen to be the world’s safest airline because it “has amassed an extraordinary record of firsts in aviation safety and operations” over its 94-year history and “is now accepted as the world’s most experienced airline,” AirlineRatings.com said.

It also said that Qantas has been a leader in a number of areas for the aviation business, including the development of the flight data recorder and using satellite technology for automatic landings and real-time monitoring of its aircraft engines.

Meanwhile, no major US airliners managed to break into the top ten list of the chart. Alaska Airlines (NYSE: ALK) and JetBlue Airways (NASDAQ: JBLU), however, were included in a ranking of the world’ safest budget carriers.

“The AirlineRatings.com top ten are always at the forefront of safety innovation and launching new planes and these airlines are a byword for excellence,” AirlineRatings.com said.

AirlineRatings.com said that its rating system evaluated a wide range of factors which are related to audits from aviation’s governing bodies and lead associations as well as government audits. Its editorial team also examined every jetliner’s operational history, incident records and operational excellence to come up with the chart of the world’s top ten safest airlines list.

The rating system, meanwhile, was also endorsed by the International Civil Aviation Organization under the United Nations. In an earlier safety ranking chart that was released by Germany-based Jet Airliner Crash Data Evaluation Center, EVA checked in the fifth on the chart, while Air New Zealand occupied the top position, followed by Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Emirates, British Airways, Tap Portugal, Etihad Airways, Air Canada (TSE: AC) and Qantas.

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EVA Airways launches new route to Osaka from Kaohsiung

EVA Airways (EVA)(TPE: 2618) said on Dec. 3 that a new route between Kaohsiung and Osaka will be launched since Feb. 5, 2015.

EVA said that the route will be based on daily flights with A321-200s which will be capable for 184 passengers onboard. The airlines said that the new route will help boost its business in southern Taiwan.

“The introduction of services between Greater Kaohsiung and Osaka is the outcome of the company’s successful development in the market of southern Taiwan,” EVA said in a press release.

In 2013, EVA launched its flights between Kaohsiung and Tokyo, which has seen an average passenger load reach more than 80% and the evidence of the robust demand from the region.

CDH purchases China’s top battery maker from P&G

Procter and Gamble (P&G)(NYSE: PG) sold off a 78.8% stake in Fujian Nanping Nanfu Battery Co to Beijing-based CDH Investments Fund Management, the China Economic Review reported on Dec. 5.

It was also the first time for P&G to sell a brand to a Chinese buyer.

In August, P&G announced that it would divest the company of 100 product lines, accounting for 10% of sales. CDH said that it purchased China’s top alkaline battery maker for “nearly” US$600 million.

Last month, P&G said that it would sell the Duracell battery brand to Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK.A) for US$4.7 billion in stock.

Taiwan ranked 19^th on World Bank’s Logistics Performance Index: MOEA

Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) said on Dec. 5 that Taiwan has been ranked 19^th on World Bank’s latest Logistics Performance Index, following Singapore, Japan and Hong Kong in Asia.

MOEA said that a total annual revenue for the industry is around US$47 billion. Among 160 countries or areas, Taiwan is ranked 19^th and is the fourth in Asia.

Renegotiation of RQFII quota to be shelved: FSC

Taiwan Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) said on Dec. 4 that a program to allow Taiwan to invest RMB in China is unlikely to be disentangled from a trade deal and the issue would be left out of talks set for later this month.

China lifted its bans against Taiwanese investors to repatriate RMB to the nation’s onshore markets as part of a broader services trade agreement that was signed in June 2013. FSC said that the Renminbi Qualified Foreign Institutional Investor (RQFII) program would not be on the agenda o a cross-strait meeting of financial regulators in Beijing between Dec. 24 and Dec. 27.

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As the China Airlines (CAL)(TPE: 2610) recently introduced its new fleet of Boeing 777-300ER jetliners to its Pacific services, the aircraft itself and the twist of decision making on plane purchases between the airlines and its rival EVA Airways (EVA)(TPE: 2618) became highlighted.

CAL possesses 10 Boeing 777-300ERs, while four of them leased from GE Capital Aviation Services and another six were purchased as brand new aircraft from Boeing Commercial Airplanes (NYSE: BA). CAL plans to commission these new 777s for flights over the Pacific Ocean and destinations between Taipei and European cities.

“This is an important milestone for us because it will increase our business and elevate our flight services,” said Sun Hung-hsiang (孫洪祥), chairman for CAL.

CAL’s new 777-300ER has 40 seats in the business cabin, 62 premium economic seats and 256 economic seats with the new “family couch” design. A total of 358 passengers can be hosted at the same time onboard the new jetliner.

The family couch targeted towards families on the go. (Photo: China Airlines)

The “family couch” occupies a total of 30 economic seats within 10 rows. These seats can be adjusted to be flat sofa beds.

Sun said that the new 777-300ERs were planed to be commissioned for flights between Taipei and Los Angeles since Dec. 1, joined by Taipei-New York flights next February, Taipei-San Francisco next September and Taipei-Frankfurt next November.

The Boeing 777 series are regarded as one of the successful two-engine aircraft for long-distance flights. To compare with its competitors, including MD-11, A330-300, A340-300 and A350, the maximum weight for a 777 is 11% less, the total amount of CO2 that would be generated per flight is 22% less, while a 777 eats at least 20% less of the fuel than a 747.

Catching up to the competition

Local rival EVA Airways (TPE: 2618) also has the same plane in its fleet. EVA’s first four 777-300ERs were purchased in 2000 and the airline possesses a total of 18 of them today. Meanwhile, CAL decided to purchase 747-400s in 2003 to replace older 747s they bought between 1991 and 1994, while the airlines also bought a number of A340-300s and A330-300s. Although EVA relied on relatively more economic aircraft for business, the airlines has also suffered from the massive increases in the price of oil over a short period of time and lost $61.2 million in 2007,  as the average price for gas increased 34% between 2007 and 2008. In August 2008, EVA made public its latest financial report which said that the company lost more than $1.6 billion during the second quarter in that year.

China Airlines’ new business class. (Photo: China Airlines)

During the same period, CAL reportedly to lose approximately US$7 million during the fourth quarter of 2008, while most of the cost came from expenses on fuel and related maintenance projects for the fleet, which also became an important trigger for CAL to re-consider its policy for purchasing its next generation aircraft.

In addition to decreasing regular flights and increasing ticket prices, EVA also dismissed half of its staff members in Los Angeles in 2008, while newly-recruited cabin crews were told to postpone their boarding date.

Choices for the sky

A former CAL technician who wished to remain anonymous said that CAL decided to purchase four-engine aircraft for long-distance flights instead of the two-engine 777s because the decision makers were not confident on the performances of two-engine models for long-distance flights such as the Pacific, but the reason was never confirmed.

The former CAL technician said that in addition to 777s, there is still a great chance for CAL to continue its procurement on Boeing’s next generation 747-8I.

“It is a tough choice for CAL between 777s and 747s because to compare with them, 747 is a gas guzzler but hosts more passengers onboard, while 777 is a lot newer, gas efficient, and easy to maintain,” he said.

In the long-run, he said, CAL is planning to replace 747s with 777s while A350s will replace A340s. A330s and Boeing 737s will remain in services for those flights that are shorter than six hours.

The latest statistics showed that CAL hosted an average amount of 15 million passengers a year, which is ranked 18^th among global competitors. Approximately 29.59% of its annual income came from its cargo business, while the total volume of its cargo is ranked 5^th among other competitors.

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