Greater Bay Airlines launches flight to Surabaya on 23 September 2026

 Report, photo copyright by : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA

Greater Bay Airlines (GBA) launches scheduled flight from Hong Kong to Surabaya on 23 September 2026.

On 23 September 2026, according to schedules, GBA flight HB211 departs from Hong Kong for Surabaya at 6.15 pm, touches down in Surabaya at 10 pm before leaving Surabaya for Hong Kong at 10.45 pm under flight HB212 and arriving in Hong Kong at 4.30 am.

GBA flies to Surabaya with its B737-800 aircraft four times a week.

Akasa Air launches flight to Hanoi from Mumbai on 4 September 2026

 Report, photo copyright by : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA

Akasa Air has announced the launch of its first scheduled flight to Vietnam. On 4 September 2026, it begins its maiden flight to Hanoi from Mumbai.

According to schedules, Akasa Air flight QP625 takes off from Mumbai for Hanoi at 5.35 am, touches down in Hanoi at 12 pm local time on 4 September 2026 before leaving Hanoi for Mumbai at 1.30 pm and landing in Mumbai at 5.10 pm under flight QP626.

Akasa Air flies to Hanoi with its 737 MAX 8 (B737-8) aircraft on Fridays, weekends and Mondays.

Hanoi is Akasa Air's second destination in Southeast Asia after Phuket.

China Airlines launches flight to Naha from Taichung on 21 July 2026

 Report, photo copyright by : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA

China Airlines launches scheduled flight from Taichung to Naha, Okinawa, on 21 July 2026.

On 21 July 2026, according to schedules, China Airlines flight CI310 departs from Taichung for Naha at 10 am, touches down on Naha at 12.40 pm before taking off from Naha for Taichung at 1.40 pm under flight CI311 and arriving in Taichung at 2.10 pm. 

China Airlines flies between taichung and Naha daily with its A321neo aircraft.

Flydubai brings forward inaugural flight date to Don Mueang to 1 July 2026

 Report, photo copyright by : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA

Flydubai has brought forward its inaugural flight to Don Mueang from 15 September 2026 to 1 July 2026.

According to adjusted schedules, Flydubai flight FZ1333 takes off from Dubai for Don Mueang at 1.35 am, touches down in Don Mueang at 11.25 am before leaving Don Mueang  for Dubai at 11.50 pm on 2 July 2026 and landing in Dubai at 3.25 am local time under flight FZ1334.

Flydubai flies to Don Mueang daily with its 737 MAX 8 aircraft.

Belavia launches charter flight to Danang on 10 May 2026

 Report, photo copyright by : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA

Belavia Belarusian Airlines is expanding its charter flight route network. On 10 May 2026, it is slated to launch its first scheduled charter flight from Minsk to Danang, Vietnam.

According to VariFlight, Belavia flight B28177 departs from Minsk for Danang at 5.50 pm on 10 May 2026 and touches down in Danang at 8.30 am on 11 May 2026.

The schedule of outgoing flight B28178 is not known at the meantime.

Belavia Belarusian Airlines plans to operate scheduled charter flights every 9 to 12 days to Danang with its A330-200 jet. 

Danang is Belavia's second destination in Vietnam after Phuquoc.

Vietnam Airlines cancels flights to Phuket; inaugural flight to Phuket deferred

 Report, photo copyright by : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA

Due to the continuing closure of the Strait of Hormuz that has stopped supplies of oil to Asia and surges in the price of fuel, Vietnam Airlines has decided to cancel its planned flights from Ho Chi Minh City to Phuket. The intended inaugural flight to Phuket from Ho Chi Minh on 2 July 2026 (after postponing from 2 April 2026) has been deferred until further notice.

Vietnam Airlines has recently informed the public that domestic flights in Vietnam will have either to be reduced or suspended because of Vietnam's low stockpile of oil as a result of Iran's grip on the Strait of Hormuz. 

Vietnam does not buy oil from Iran and the U.S.

T'way Air cancels Jeju flight to Changi, reduces Incheon flight frequency to Changi

 Report, photo copyright by : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA

South Korean airline T'way Air has revealed that it is cancelling scheduled 737 MAX 8 flights from Jeju to Changi for one month from 2 July 2026 to 2 August 2026.

Furthermore, between 28 June 2026 and 22 July 20256, T'way Air's A330-300 will operate three weekly flights, instead of daily flights.

The route reduction and suspension are due to the increasing cost of aviation fuel that have eroded the airline's earnings from the exorbitant passenger flights.

Prior to the above adjustments, T'way Air's Jeju and Incheon flights are popular with Singaporeans and Koreans.

Ethiopian Airlines connects Hanoi with Suvarnabhumi from 30 March 2026

 Report, photo copyright by : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA

Since 30 March 2026, Ethiopian Airlines has connected Hanoi with Suvarnabhumi with its 787-9 Dreamliner. Hanoi is linked to Dhaka before 30 March 2026 while Ethiopian Airlines maintains its non-stop schedule to Dhaka from Addis Ababa under flight ET680.

According to schedules, Ethiopian Airlines flight ET608 departs from Suvarnabhumi for Hanoi at 1 pm on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, touches down in Hanoi at 2.30 pm before leaving Hanoi for Suvarnabhumi at night at 11.20 pm and arriving in Suvarnabhumi on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at 12.50 am under flight ET609.

Ethiopian Airlines' Suvarnabhumi-Hanoi flight is an extension of its route from Addis Ababa to Suvarnabhumi with flight ET608 leaving Addis Ababa on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays for Suvaranbhumi at 10.40 pm local time and landing in Suvarnabhumi at 12 pm.  On Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, flight ET609 takes off from Suvarnabhumi for Addis Ababa at 1.55 am and touches down in Addis Ababa at 6.05 am.

Of note, flight ET608/ET609 is previously the return flight code for Ethiopian Airlines' Addis Ababa=Suvarnabhumi=Hong Kong route sectors.

Nowadays, Ethiopian Airlines flies non-stop from Addis Ababa to Hong Kong before flying onward to Manila under flight ET644, that is scheduled to depart from Addis Ababa for Hong Kong at 11.45 pm and arrive in Hong Kong at 2.55 pm on the next day.

At 12.25 am, flight ET645 takes off from Hong Kong for Addis Ababa at 12.25 am and lands on Addis Ababa at 6.15 am.

Flights to Hong Kong from Addis Ababa are operated daily.

Vietjet Air leases 10 more C909 aircraft, plans route expansion to Enshi, Guilin

 Report, photo copyright by : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA

Vietjet Air announces on 23 April 2026 that it has signed a finance lease agreement with SPDB Financial Leasing for 10 Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) C909 narrow-body passenger aircraft.

Vietjet Air did not disclose the specific financial terms of the agreement, which will enable it to expand its C909 flight operations. Previously, Vietjet Air had already partnered with Chengdu Airlines to operate two C909 aircraft on domestic routes to Con Dao through a wet leasing arrangement.

Vietjet Air stated that this agreement will allow COMAC-manufactured aircraft to operate on Vietnam-China routes.

Vietjet Air is preparing to launch five new routes to China, connecting Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City with Chinese cities such as Hangzhou, Enshi, Guilin and Huangshan.

Vietjet Air currently operates a fleet of 135 aircraft, mostly Airbus models, and has ordered nearly 600 aircraft from Boeing and Airbus, including narrow-body and wide-body aircraft.

Bangkok Airways reduces flights to Changi, suspends flights to Male

 Report, photo copyright by : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA

Bangkok Airways has amended its summer flight schedules to Changi and Male. 

Instead of suspending flights to Changi from July 2026, Bangkok Airways is reducing its flight frequency to the Singapore airport from Samui from 17 flights a week to 14 weekly flights.

Previously, Bangkok Airways announced it was suspending flights to Changi from 1 July 2026 to 30 September 2026.

As for its flights from Suvarnabhumi to Male, the capital of the Maldives, Bangkok Airways is withdrawing its four weekly flights to Male from 8 May 2026 till 30 September 2026.

Bangkok Airways is also reducing domestic flights to Krabi and Phuket from Samui, from Suvarnabhumi to Trat and Phuket and from Utapao to Phuket.

Recently, many Asian airlines have either reduced flight frequencies within Asia or suspended flights due to the continuous surge in fuel prices and fuel scarcity as a result of the closure of the Straits of Hormuz. 

Both Iran and the U.S. have blocked the Straits of Hormuz to commercial vessels delivering oil to the rest of the world and experts have warned that if the situation continued with no peace agreement signed between both countries, many airlines in the world may be forced to reduce their operation scales or close down operations.