I49 Air and Space Transport

Macquarie seals $5.1b aircraft deal

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Original article by Joyce Moullakis
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 23 & 27 : 5-Mar-15

Australian-listed Macquarie Group will partially finance the acquisition of an aircraft fleet via a $A500m capital raising. The group will pay $US4bn ($A5.1bn) for the fleet of 90 passenger airplanes, which were sold by the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board and Terra Firma. Macquarie’s aircraft leasing business has made a number of acquisitions in recent years, and now boasts a fleet of 220 aircraft

CORPORATES
MACQUARIE GROUP LIMITED – ASX MQG, TERRA FIRMA CAPITAL PARTNERS LIMITED, CANADA PENSION PLAN INVESTMENT BOARD, MACQUARIE AIRFINANCE LIMITED, SUMITOMO MITSUI FINANCIAL GROUP INCORPORATED, ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND GROUP PLC, MORGAN STANLEY AND COMPANY INCORPORATED, AWAS AVIATION CAPITAL LIMITED, ARNHEM INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, BOEING COMPANY, AIRBUS SAS, DEALOGIC (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD, AIRLINE BUSINESS, GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, GENERAL ELECTRIC CAPITAL AVIATION SERVICES, AERCAP HOLDINGS NV, BOEING CAPITAL CORPORATION, QANTAS AIRWAYS LIMITED – ASX QAN, AIR FRANCE SA, ETIHAD AIRWAYS, AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL GROUP INCORPORATED

Air New Zealand facing renewed threat of trans-Pacific competition

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Original article by Jamie Freed
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 20 : 2-Mar-15

There is speculation that United Airlines and American Airlines may commence services between New Zealand and North America. Air New Zealand has been the sole carrier to offer flights from Auckland to the US and Canada since 2012, when Qantas withdrew from the route. Air New Zealand CEO Christopher Luxon recently indicated that the carrier is ready for competition on the route

CORPORATES
AIR NEW ZEALAND LIMITED – ASX AIZ, QANTAS AIRWAYS LIMITED – ASX QAN, UNITED AIR LINES INCORPORATED, AMERICAN AIRLINES INCORPORATED, AUCKLAND AIRPORT, EXPEDIA AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, QANTAS FREQUENT FLYER LIMITED

Qantas on target for $1b profit

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Original article by Jamie Freed
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 12 : 27-Feb-15

Qantas has reported a 2014-15 interim net profit of $A204m, compared with a loss of $A235m in the first half of 2013-14. The carrier’s underlying result for the half-year rose from a loss of $A252m to a pre-tax profit of $A367m. Qantas is now tipped to achieve a full-year underlying profit of around $A1bn, following a loss of $A646m in 2013-14. CEO Alan Joyce says the airline’s focus remains on debt reduction, but adds that it could resume paying dividends at some stage

CORPORATES
QANTAS AIRWAYS LIMITED – ASX QAN, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, VIRGIN AUSTRALIA HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX VAH, MACQUARIE EQUITIES LIMITED, TRANSPORT WORKERS’ UNION, FIJI AIRWAYS, JETSTAR AIRLINES PTY LTD

Toll rivals say JP sale poses sovereign risk

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Original article by Jenny Wiggins
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 13 & 18 : 23-Feb-15

One Global Logistics MD James Sparke has warned of potential sovereign risk issues associated with government-owned Japan Post’s takeover bid for Toll Holdings. Meanwhile, Toll CEO Brian Kruger does not expect any of the group’s customers to enforce the "change of control" provisions of their contracts if the $A6.5bn takeover bid proceeds. The deal requires approval from the Foreign Investment Review Board

CORPORATES
TOLL HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TOL, JAPAN POST, ONE GLOBAL LOGISTICS PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. FOREIGN INVESTMENT REVIEW BOARD, AUSTRALIAN DEFENCE FORCE, UNITED STATES NAVY, CHEVRON CORPORATION, ORICA LIMITED – ASX ORI, BARRICK GOLD CORPORATION, WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW, NIKE INCORPORATED, OFFICE DEPOT INCORPORATED, FISHER AND PAYKEL APPLIANCES HOLDINGS LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, ARCHER DANIELS MIDLAND COMPANY, GRAINCORP LIMITED – ASX GNC, HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES COMPANY LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE, AUSTRALIA POST, STAR TRACK EXPRESS PTY LTD, LINCOLN INDICATORS PTY LTD

Roy Morgan announces 2014 winners of Customer Satisfaction Awards

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 19-Feb-15

Roy Morgan Research announced the winners of its fourth annual Customer Satisfaction Awards on 18 February 2015. The awards recognise outstanding levels of customer satisfaction, as judged by more than 50,000 consumers and 12,000 business decision-makers throughout 2014. The 37 award categories cover sectors such as banking, insurance, superannuation, automotive, travel and hospitality, retail, telecommunications and utilities. Roy Morgan Research CEO Michele Levine says the awards have earned a reputation as the most accurate and reliable measure of customer satisfaction in Australia

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, LEXUS AUSTRALIA, P&N BANK, GREATER BUILDING SOCIETY LIMITED, PEOPLE’S CHOICE CREDIT UNION, DEFENCE SERVICE HOMES INSURANCE SCHEME, ESSSUPER, PLUM FINANCIAL SERVICES LIMITED, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, CBHS FRIENDLY SOCIETY LIMITED, INSURANCELINE HOLDINGS PTY LTD, BENDIGO AND ADELAIDE BANK LIMITED – ASX BEN, NRMA LIMITED, REST SUPER PTY LTD, AUTOBARN PTY LTD, GUARDIAN CHEMISTS, SUSSAN-SUZANNE GRAE, MICHEL’S PATISSERIE, DAVID JONES LIMITED, TARGET AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, THE REJECT SHOP LIMITED – ASX TRS, THE GOOD GUYS, TRUE VALUE HARDWARE LIMITED, CRUST PIZZA, GULL PETROLEUM PTY LTD, BETTS AND BETTS PTY LTD, BETTS KIDS, SPORTSPOWER, ALDI STORES SUPERMARKETS PTY LTD, APPLE INCORPORATED, SOUTHERN PHONE COMPANY LIMITED, INTERNODE SYSTEMS PTY LTD, AMAYSIM AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, QANTAS AIRWAYS LIMITED – ASX QAN, SINGAPORE AIRLINES LIMITED, ACTEWAGL, RED ENERGY PTY LTD

Japan Post pays up big for Toll

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Original article by Jenny Wiggins, Sarah Thompson
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 14 : 19-Feb-15

Directors of Australian-listed logistics group Toll Holdings and analysts have backed a takeover bid by Japan Post. The offer of $A9.04 per share values the deal at $A6.5bn, and data from Dealogic shows that it will be Japan’s biggest investment in Australia. Japan Post will be the world’s fifth-largest logistics group if the deal proceeds. Toll shares closed 47 per cent higher at $A8.95 on 18 February 2015. Toll expects the deal to be approved by regulators

CORPORATES
TOLL HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TOL, JAPAN POST, DEALOGIC (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD, CIMB SECURITIES INTERNATIONAL (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD, DEUTSCHE POST AG, UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE, UNITED PARCEL SERVICE INCORPORATED, FEDERAL EXPRESS CORPORATION, DB SCHENKER AG, LA POSTE, KUEHNE & NAGEL INTERNATIONAL AG, JAPAN OIL GAS AND METALS NATIONAL CORPORATION, CHEVRON CORPORATION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE, AUSTRALIA. FOREIGN INVESTMENT REVIEW BOARD

Qantas brings new dimension to flight

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Original article by Jamie Freed
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 10 : 30-Jan-15

Qantas will team up with Samsung to provide passengers on some flights with a virtual reality experience. First-class passengers on selected A380 flights on the Pacific route will be able to view videos using virtual reality headsets and Samsung Galaxy smartphones. Qantas marketing executive Olivia Wirth says the airline will gauge feedback to decide whether to extend the new service to other passengers

CORPORATES
QANTAS AIRWAYS LIMITED – ASX QAN, SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, KAKADU NATIONAL PARK

Falling dollar a plus for Qantas: Joyce

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Original article by Steve Creedy
The Australian – Page: 17 : 28-Jan-15

Qantas Airways has started the process of phasing out fuel surcharges, which will now be folded into the base fare. CEO Alan Joyce says the exact date for the complete removal of the levy cannot yet be given. Qantas has gained an additional $A30m during the first six months of 2014-15 due to the recent crude oil price fall. Joyce also notes that an Australian dollar foreign exchange rate of between $US0.70 and $US0.80 is optimal for the carrier, as fuel costs are higher but revenue generated overseas is worth more

CORPORATES
QANTAS AIRWAYS LIMITED – ASX QAN

Qantas pressed to drop fuel surcharge as Virgin makes first move

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Original article by Jamie Freed
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 23-Jan-15

Virgin Australia is to remove the fuel surcharge from its US flights and instead make the charge part of the base fare. The drop in the crude oil price has prompted the carrier to reduce fares to Los Angeles from Melbourne and Sydney. It is more complicated for Qantas Airways to dismantle fuel surcharges than it is for Virgin. A Qantas official maintains that its existing fares are already "some of the cheapest in years". Macquarie Equities’ Sam Dobson says Virgin’s decision makes Qantas "increasingly likely" to act on fuel surcharges

CORPORATES
QANTAS AIRWAYS LIMITED – ASX QAN, VIRGIN AUSTRALIA HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX VAH, EMIRATES AIRLINES, MACQUARIE EQUITIES LIMITED, MACQUARIE BANK LIMITED – ASX MBL, FLIGHT CENTRE TRAVEL GROUP LIMITED – ASX FLT, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION

Qantas workers to vote on EBA

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Original article by Steve Creedy
The Australian – Page: 17 : 14-Jan-15

Qantas Airways has informed the market that a new enterprise bargaining agreement (EBA) has been approved by 130 staff after negotiations with the United Voice union. A majority of 61% voted for the deal, which includes a moratorium on wage rises for 1.5 years. However a far larger number of employees, represented by the Transport Workers Union (TWU), will vote on their EBA in February 2015. The TWU has been very vocal in the past in its criticism of Qantas CEO Alan Joyce, but has agreed to a similar wage freeze to be followed by increases of 3% per annum

CORPORATES
QANTAS AIRWAYS LIMITED – ASX QAN, TRANSPORT WORKERS’ UNION, UNITED VOICE