Bradley Perrett covered China, Japan, South Korea and Australia. He is a Mandarin-speaking Australian.
Before joining Aviation Week in 2006 he was a macroeconomics, politics and aerospace journalist with Reuters. Perrett holds a bachelor’s degree in law from Macquarie University, Sydney. He left Aviation Week in 2020.
AirAsia expects its Thai operations to produce its first profit this year on a near 25% increase in passengers, and will mark this success with the launch of a second base for the country and new services to China and India. The Southeast Asian budget carrier also plans to further concentrate its Indonesian division’s network on international services and add new services to its AirAsiaX long-haul network.
China’s bankrupt East Star Airlines may fly again after announcing a plan to take in new capital. A little-known investor, Shanghai Yujie Industry Co., proposes to lead an investment of 500 million yuan (US$73 million) by entities that are not currently shareholders in East Star, which the Civil Aviation Administration ordered to stop flying in March amid financial and operational troubles. East Star is based in the central Chinese city of Wuhan. The local court handling the bankruptcy has approved the new investment.
Deferral of an order for a second batch of Saab Gripens is forcing the Thai air force to extend the life of some of its Northrop F-5E and F-5F light fighters. Seven of the 12 aircraft will continue in operation, the air force tells the Bangkok Post. The air force has ordered six Gripens but has been unable to order a second batch of six, because of a budget cut. It expects to take delivery of the Swedish fighters in 2011. When and whether the air force will be able to order the second batch is unclear.
