SkyTender - Dispensing drinks in a trolley

In 2007, competition in the Indonesian airline industry was at one of the hottest stages, and investors for start-up carriers were asking for innovative cabin service. My client start-up at that time wanted to provide free flow soft drinks along with tea and coffee, but not end up with the galleys overfilled with cans and bottles.

The SkyTender

One crazy night I thought up of the "all-in-one drinks dispenser on a trolley." The idea involved a specially modified serving trolley carrying disposable cups, and cramming a drinks dispenser into it. Despite the investor's desire for innovation, this "great idea" I had was met with great opposition. "You're crazy Gerry! It'll never happen!"

That start-up carrier didn't take off, two later ones also innovation but also told me I was crazy about the "all-in-one drinks dispenser trolley." The last time I was told that, was November 2010. I gave up on the idea, especially after I decided to join an equally crazy and innovative company where I still am today.

My work sends me to interesting events such as airshows, seminars, etc, on many things related to aviation. The most interesting event happens every year, the Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX) in Hamburg. This year, AIX was a busy one for me and I had to do with making the most out of the little time browsing for the latest innovation. I was about to rush out of AIX on the last day to catch my flight when I ran into this:

The SkyTender on it's debut in 2011

I could not help myself stopping and having a look. I stared at it for 5 minutes with my jaws dropped. After 5 years of thinking, "maybe I am crazy afterall," seeing that contraption made my innovative mind go crazy! Look at it! It was exactly how I wanted it!

Touch the drink you
want and presto!

So I asked for a quick demo. Of course, they'd pour me a drink first! Unfortunately, they didn't make me an apfelschorle, but after 5 years of thinking I was crazy, I'm not complaining !

Want a drink? Chose from 12 drinks and press the button.

But I had to ask, can it make apfelschorle? Answer was a very quick, "YES!" Soft drinks, juices, hot drinks, cold drinks... so apart from the 12 drinks you can choose from, it can mix and match up to 30 combinations, hot or cold.

The dispensing head can lower itself flush with the trolley top for storage in the galley. Neat!

The system itself is an amazing contraption. It is a modular design. Various canisters, including the CO2 for soda. If the CO2 canister loses pressure, anything with soda disappears from the selection screen until pressure is restored, so passengers don't have to deal with flat soda drinks. Water is stored in cylinders. The syrups and concentrates are stored on the dispensing head, in boxes. This enables crew to check use by dates or last refill dates to ensure they're not dishing out expired stuff or poison! The dispensing head itself, has I think, 12 spouts, so no mixed tastes there!

To me, this SkyTender is an amazing device. It met all my requirements that came into my head in 2007. The CEO of the company that makes it, SkyMax, told me that there are already several soft drink dispensing solutions out there, but they're mainly bringing a bar single dispensing head with selectors and a single spout. Ewww! He found it very interesting that I thought of a requirement for SkyTender 5 years ago, but he was not surprised at the reaction I faced. 

SkyMax's SkyTender was the last thing I saw at AIX 2012, but I left AIX 2012 with some relief in my mind. I may be crazy, but it's good crazy! Crazy innovations can always be put to work and realized, given time and the right business case. What I learnt from AIX 2012 was that the airline industry need crazy people like me, or like the person who said it to answer my question in public, Panasonic Avionic's VP Global Communications Services, David Bruner. I'll have to get the right quote of what he said...

Here's a longer video on the SkyTender, however, it's only in German. This was taken immediately after the little demo session for me.

More info on the SkyTender can be found at http://www.skymax.eu

The Merpati Question Part 2: Predators vs Pigeons

The plight continues...

It is almost a year since I wrote "The Merpati question: How do you rescuscitate a dead pigeon" and Merpati is now coming up to its 50th anniversary.

Whilst the turnaround at the prime state owned carrier Garuda, is now beginning to finally produce profits, Merpati remains in limbo. I wonder how much more things can go wrong there...

The CEO's rant at the parliament's 6th commission last year of "Look at Air Asia. One should look and ask if any regulations have been violated. (If not, then) The regulations should be reviewed. There is no way for anyone to operate the A320 profitably on short haul!" seems to have been followed by Merpati planning to add A320s to its fleet middle of this year. Bizarre!

Then in October last year, state oil company Pertamina refused to supply fuel on credit to Merpati, citing fuel debts of $62.15 million. Fuel supply was restored when the state's Asset Management Company (PT Perusahaan Pengelola Aset) guaranteed restructuring of the debt worth $63.39 million.

Is the MA-60 the current flagship
of Merpati?

In February, they also signed an MOU with COMAC for 40 ARJ21-700 at the Singapore Air Show. If the deal goes ahead, this would be the biggest order for the type outside China. However, it appears that COMAC didn't want the signing to be well publicized outside China and Indonesia, asking for the journalist present not to publicize it. However, the signing made news allover Indonesia. It all sounds strange, but after all, Merpati is also the largest operator for the AVIC MA-60, and many still question the decision to go for that aircraft type.

Then, came the video for Merpati's upcoming 50th Anniversary, uploaded on 4th April 2012.

In short, I think the video meant:

"We screwed up in the past, so we now have to make it better. We're sorry, and change, is the only way for Merpati to survive. So, we've got comfortable MA-60s now, so what we have to do is to fill it with passengers with no excuses! So let's get to work." The video ends with a quote, "Doing the impossible!"

Garuda could end up operating the
Dash8-Q400

The talk on whether or not Merpati should be saved continue as we speak. Much of the principle business question is, "what role should be filled by Merpati, as a state owned company." But before a consensus short list of answers can be gained, a major threat to Merpati's future came today with Garuda's announcement published in Flightglobal, that it plans to buy either the ATR72 or Bombardier Q400 for low-density routes in eastern Indonesia.

A Wings Air ATR72 about to land
at Denpasar's Airport, Bali

While this plan will bring Garuda in direct competition with Lion Air group's ATR operations under Wings Air, citing the words "to serve low-density routes in eastern Indonesia" means Garuda intends to attack Merpati's bread and butter market (whatever is left of it)!

So, as Merpati's 50th anniversary is coming up, the giant mythical eagle, the Garuda, plans to attack the pigeon and the pigeon (a.k.a. Merpati) still hasn't recovered from the ATR onslaught of Lion, which coincidentally was announced near Merpati's 45th anniversary, 5 years ago.

Is the pigeon able to defend itself from the eagle and the lion? Could it be better to simply stop feeding steroids to the pigeon and just cook it while it still has value? Or is it better to continue feeding it, only to be eaten alive by the eagle and the lion?

Is KLM going to Solo City (SOC)?

Whilst browsing the Indoflyer forums, I came across this topic about KLM wanting to open flights to Solo. In that topic, there was a link to an article by SoloPos.com, which stated that the Solo City (SOC) airport operator Angkasa Pura 1 (AP1), wanted to attract KLM to open direct flights there, and that the information was revealed in a meeting between AP1 SOC and the Indonesian Travel Agents Association (ASITA).

OK, being in the historic part of Central Java, one could understand why KLM might be interested, especially since Solo is next to the more famous Jogjakarta.

But something is funny or not right when you read:



"Saya dapat informasi bahwa KLM itu ingin terbang ke Bandara Ngurah Rai, Bali. Tapi, katanya di Ngurah Rai itu sudah penuh. Maka, kami mencoba menawarkan untuk masuk ke Solo, nanti dari Solo ke Bali bisa menggunakan maskapai domestik,” terang Usman.



GM AP1 Adi Soemarmo (Solo) Abdullah Usman said, "I received information that KLM wants to fly to Bali and that Bali airport is full. We are giving them an offer to fly to Solo, and the Solo-Bali connection can be provided by a domestic carrier."

He then went on further: 

"I also received information today that Pacific Royale will open the Solo-Bali route. I confirmed this with the Directorate General of Air Transportation, and (discussed) how to synchronize the plans of KLM and Pacific Royale."


Here is the problem:
1. KLM is already flying to Bali on a daily basis (KL835/836) using their Boeing 777-300ER
2. KLM is a member of SkyTeam.
3. Garuda is committed to join SkyTeam.
4. Pacific Royale, hasn't even started flying when I wrote this article.


Isn't obvious that even if KLM end up flying to Solo (which I think is unlikely) that KLM would ask Garuda to provide domestic connections rather than Pacific Royale?


So, who's pulling legs here? AP1? ASITA? KLM? Pacific Royale? Or... SoloPos?


I could forgive everyone if the article was written on 1st April 2012, but I do wish these people would use Google more often! Otherwise, this could be another case of truth gone bad because it wasn't conveyed correctly.

Is this why Garuda picked the CRJ1000NG?

When Garuda finally selected the CRJ1000NG over the E190 in February, many were surprised. The initial reason for the selection was "reasons other than technical," and obviously this raised many eyebrows.

The E190 offered better cabin volume, better cabin height, and very good economics. Economics however has been at the center of the CRJ vs Ejets debate by proponents of both sides, with CRJ1000NG claiming better economics. But having known the Airbus vs Boeing debates, we know that the cheapest costs may not always be the best because cost is only one part of the equation, the other being revenue potential. So why would an airline so focused at improving the passenger experience select a cramped little aircraft with a smaller cabin volume and space per passenger, and smaller baggage hold volume per passenger when compared with the E190? Bear in mind that this aircraft is also to replace the ageing 737-500!

If my memory serves me right, at the recent IAFS Airlines Day seminar, Garuda admitted that the CRJ1000NG selection has raised concerns about comfort amongst its Frequent Flier airline dialogue group (consisting of a small group of the airline's most frequent flier customers). So why? Garuda pointed out that more point-to-point opportunities were very big reasons why, favourable delivery slots has been cited, but someone from Embraer who also attended the seminar quickly pointed out to me that there are only two other CRJ1000NG operators in the world (Iberia group's Air Nostrum, and Air France group's Brit Air), and the CRJ family customer base in Asia is much smaller than the Ejets, and that the selection can quickly become a very big mistake (the Embraer guy even said even waiting for the 737-600/-700 or A318/319 (due to delivery slots), or even waiting for the C-series might actually be better if Garuda was so adamant in not selecting the Ejets).

I left the seminar wondering why... perhaps this video is the real reason why...

Ridiculous? Well, of course, but this IS Indonesia, and if the real reason why they chose the CRJ1000NG is because one can push it back after engine start with pure muscle power, I would not be surprised. After all, the aircraft would be sent to places where Garuda might never have had any previous jet presence whatsoever.


If you cannot see the humour in this parody, well, sorry!

Mandala is back, as a ghost of its past

Today Mandala returned to the skies. The return was celebrated in Jakarta's Terminal 3 today. While I am happy to see Mandala return, I feel something is missing... Mandala itself.

Let's look at the big board used as the stage background of the celebration. It doesn't say "return" or "comeback", but, "first flight".

"Penerbangan perdana" = maiden flight
Mandala's history seems to have been erased.
Photo by Capt D.A.

The Mandala brand itself is limited to the name only. "Book on TigerAirways.com".

As noted in the previous blog entry "Mandala returning and buries its legend", the Mandala livery is definitely gone.

The livery, Tiger Tail with Mandala titles
Photo by: Capt. D.A.

It is now confirmed that the cabin crew livery has no resemblance to the old Mandala, except for small embroidered words "Mandala".

Tiger Uniform for Mandala FAs, where are the "Mandala" lettering?

It seems that the only reason that the name Mandala is kept is for it's AOC only as the DGCA refused to accept the name change.

So, Mandala returned in name, no body, no spirit. It is a ghost remaining in this world by its AOC only. But I hope this little Tiger survive!