More carmakers caught in headlights of VW engine-rigging scandal

More carmakers caught in headlights of VW engine-rigging scandal
Volkswagen has admitted it installed illegal software into 11 million 2.0 liter and 3.0 liter diesel engines worldwide (AFP Photo/Josh Edelson)

Volkswagen emissions scandal

Iran's 'catastrophic mistake': Speculation, pressure, then admission

Iran's 'catastrophic mistake': Speculation, pressure, then admission
Analsyts say it is irresponsible to link the crash of a Ukraine International Airline Boeing 737-800 to the 737 MAX accidents (AFP Photo/INA FASSBENDER)

Missing MH370 likely to have disintegrated mid-flight: experts

Missing MH370 likely to have disintegrated mid-flight: experts
A Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 commercial jet.

QZ8501 (AirAsia)

Leaders see horror of French Alps crash as probe gathers pace

"The Recalibration of Awareness – Apr 20/21, 2012 (Kryon channeled by Lee Carroll) (Subjects: Old Energy, Recalibration Lectures, God / Creator, Religions/Spiritual systems (Catholic Church, Priests/Nun’s, Worship, John Paul Pope, Women in the Church otherwise church will go, Current Pope won’t do it), Middle East, Jews, Governments will change (Internet, Media, Democracies, Dictators, North Korea, Nations voted at once), Integrity (Businesses, Tobacco Companies, Bankers/ Financial Institutes, Pharmaceutical company to collapse), Illuminati (Started in Greece, with Shipping, Financial markets, Stock markets, Pharmaceutical money (fund to build Africa, to develop)), Shift of Human Consciousness, (Old) Souls, Women, Masters to/already come back, Global Unity.... etc.) - (Text version)

… The Shift in Human Nature

You're starting to see integrity change. Awareness recalibrates integrity, and the Human Being who would sit there and take advantage of another Human Being in an old energy would never do it in a new energy. The reason? It will become intuitive, so this is a shift in Human Nature as well, for in the past you have assumed that people take advantage of people first and integrity comes later. That's just ordinary Human nature.

In the past, Human nature expressed within governments worked like this: If you were stronger than the other one, you simply conquered them. If you were strong, it was an invitation to conquer. If you were weak, it was an invitation to be conquered. No one even thought about it. It was the way of things. The bigger you could have your armies, the better they would do when you sent them out to conquer. That's not how you think today. Did you notice?

Any country that thinks this way today will not survive, for humanity has discovered that the world goes far better by putting things together instead of tearing them apart. The new energy puts the weak and strong together in ways that make sense and that have integrity. Take a look at what happened to some of the businesses in this great land (USA). Up to 30 years ago, when you started realizing some of them didn't have integrity, you eliminated them. What happened to the tobacco companies when you realized they were knowingly addicting your children? Today, they still sell their products to less-aware countries, but that will also change.

What did you do a few years ago when you realized that your bankers were actually selling you homes that they knew you couldn't pay for later? They were walking away, smiling greedily, not thinking about the heartbreak that was to follow when a life's dream would be lost. Dear American, you are in a recession. However, this is like when you prune a tree and cut back the branches. When the tree grows back, you've got control and the branches will grow bigger and stronger than they were before, without the greed factor. Then, if you don't like the way it grows back, you'll prune it again! I tell you this because awareness is now in control of big money. It's right before your eyes, what you're doing. But fear often rules. …

Sunday, December 28, 2014

Flamboyant AirAsia Boss Confronts First Major Crisis

Jakarta Globe, AFP & Reuters, Dec 28, 2014

AirAsia Group chief executive Tony Fernandes, left, talks with Indonesia
 AirAsia chief executive Sunu Widyatmoko during a news conference at the
Juanda International Airport in Surabaya on Sunday. (Reuters Photo/Beawiharta)

Kuala Lumpur. Malaysian mogul Tony Fernandes, who transformed a floundering carrier into Asia’s biggest budget airline, faces his first major crisis after an AirAsia plane went missing on Sunday with 162 people on board.

AirAsia is credited with starting a revolution in the skies of Southeast Asia and has seen spectacular growth under Fernandes’ low-cost, low-overheads model despite intense competition.

The ebullient tycoon is one of Asia’s most visible entrepreneurs, carving out an image that has seen him frequently compared to colorful Virgin Group chairman Richard Branson.

Fernandes maintained an image of calm on Sunday even as his company plunged into its first major crisis after an Indonesia AirAsia passenger jet went missing in bad weather en route from Indonesia to Singapore.

“Thank you for all your thoughts and prayers. We must stay strong,” he tweeted as he left for Surabaya, where most of the passengers are from. “My only thought [sic] are with the passengers and my crew.”

This incident caps a disastrous year for Malaysian aviation which saw beleaguered rival Malaysia Airlines suffer two air tragedies in rapid succession.

Indonesia AirAsia is 49 percent owned by Malaysia-based AirAsia Bhd., with local investors holding the rest.

“This is my worst nightmare. But there is no stopping,” Fernandes said on his Twitter feed, which has nearly 1 million followers.

“I as your group CEO will be there through these hard times. We will go through this terrible ordeal together and I will try to see as many of you.”

AirAsia Group chief executive Tony Fernandes walks in front of family members
 of passengers on board missing Indonesia AirAsia flight QZ8501, at a news
 conference in Juanda International Airport in Surabaya on Sunday.
(Reuters Photo/Beawiharta)

Unblemished safety record

The AirAsia group of airlines has had a virtually unblemished safety record until Sunday compared with competitors like Malaysia Airlines and Indonesian carriers such as Lion Air and Garuda Indonesia which have lost several planes in crashes over the last decade.

“Tony Fernandes and AirAsia are highly regarded with the aviation industry. The airline is highly successful and had an excellent safety record,” said John Strickland, director at London-based JLS Consulting.

Southeast Asian carriers Lion Air and AirAsia have led an aircraft buying binge and placed record orders worth tens of billions of dollars with Boeing and Airbus as they race to get people flying in a region forecast to overtake the United States as the biggest aviation market.

AirAsia was built up from two planes in 2001 to an airline industry titan that operates more than 180 jets in just over a decade.

With 475 aircraft ordered or delivered, AirAsia has emerged as the biggest Asian customer of Airbus. The orders have been so large they have earned a footnote in the world’s largest trade dispute between Airbus and Boeing over mutual accusations of illegal subsidies.

The airline has been feted by European politicians as it became one of the largest single export customers for European industry and helped secure thousands of jobs.

Over the last few months, AirAsia’s profits have taken a knock due to a grueling price war in its home market and it has had to defer some plane orders, with signs of over capacity in some Southeast Asian markets.

Defying naysayers

A former record industry executive who acquired the then-failing airline in 2001, Fernandes is ranked 28th on the Forbes list of Malaysia’s richest with an estimated net worth of $650 million.

The tycoon, a flamboyant spirit in Asia’s staid business world who favors blue jeans and caps over power suits, has made a habit of defying naysayers.

He took over loss-making AirAsia shortly after the September 11 attacks in the United States sent the global aviation industry into a tailspin, and was given little chance of succeeding.

He bought the airline, its two aircraft, and 40 million ringgit ($13.4 million) in debt for the token sum of one ringgit, mortgaging his house to pour money into the carrier.

But with his motto “Now everyone can fly”, he turned it into a growing force in the aviation industry, with profits mounting and its route system expanding worldwide.

Fernandes, who is of Indian-Portuguese descent and married with two children, struck a deal with F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone in 2011 for a majority stake in Premiership football team Queens Park Rangers.

Entrepreneurial spirit

Endau Analytics aviation analyst Shukor Yusof said his entrepreneurial spirit would survive Sunday’s apparent tragedy.

“This incident will not dampen Fernandes’ business spirit. This is such an unfortunate incident. AirAsia remains a strong budget carrier. I think the people will rally behind AirAsia,” he told AFP.

The airline, which now has more than 120 A320s and is one of the biggest customers for the European aircraft maker Airbus, is expecting nearly 360 new aircraft to be delivered by 2026.

AirAsia, which has some of the lowest unit costs in the world, has raked in business awards and accolades over the years, while expanding aggressively.

In 2013 it was ranked as Asia and the world’s best low-cost airline for the fifth time in a row.

After Sunday’s apparent disaster, AirAsia swiftly replaced its distinctive bright red logo on its social media pages with a grey background.

Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 disappeared on a regular flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing in March with 239 passengers and crew, and in July, MH17 was shot down over troubled Ukraine killing all 298 on board.

News of the missing plane comes at the end of a disastrous year for the country’s airlines. Malaysia Airlines lost two aircraft this year.

Fernandes has had a long-running war of words with flag carrier Malaysia Airlines and has pushed hard for landing rights and butted heads with the Malaysian government over securing new routes.

AFP & Reuters

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