Malaysia Airlines disclosed that its RASK rose 2% year-on-year during the quarter ended 30 September, despite strong competition and adverse currency movements. The airline states that load factor during the quarter was steady at 77.5%, while passenger revenue increased by 3.5%. No figure for revenue was provided, nor were any other financial metrics included in its disclosure. Malaysia Airlines group CE Izham Ismail says the airline is seeing some progress on its turnaround plan, but still faces a number of challenges ahead. “Moving forward, we will be renewing focus on yield with clearer customer segmentation and improved revenue management practice. Revenue is improving but we need to step this up to address rising costs from fuel and forex volatility,” he adds. <br/>
oneworld
A semi-retired Russian 3-star general oversaw the cross-border movements of a rocket launcher used to bring down a passenger jet in 2014 over eastern Ukraine, killing all aboard, an investigation by a team of reporting outlets has found. The reporting team, made up of McClatchy news in the US and investigative websites Bellingcat (based in London) and The Insider (based in Moscow), identifies the general as Nikolai Fedorovich Tkachev. His identification is potentially a breakthrough in a case that has frustrated Dutch and other investigators who have struggled for years to identify voices on a key phone intercept. They may now be closer to decoding the chain of command that brought down the unsuspecting Malaysia Air Flight 17 travelling above 30,000 feet. <br/>
Snow caused chaos for air passengers Sunday, with flights diverted, delayed and cancelled at Heathrow. While roads were closed and power supplies affected around the country, the disruption at Britain's main airport was blamed on planes having to be de-iced before take-off, resulting in a lack of 'parking space' for incoming flights. At the west London airport, passengers complained of being trapped on a British Airways plane on the ground for more than 4 hours with no information from the airline. Four British Airways flights headed for Heathrow had to be diverted to Newcastle, 300 miles away. The de-icing process is believed to have affected both outgoing and incoming flights, with planes not able to land because other aircraft were still in the stands. <br/>