Mandalay's first airline to launch domestic flights on 5 March 2014

Report by : Gan Yung Chyan 
                / KUCINTA SETIA
Distributed to All Press & Travel Professionals

The domestic airline industry of Myanmar continues to boom. On 5 March 2014, Mandalay's first airline, Mann Yadanarpon Airlines, will launch domestic flights from Yangon to Nyaung U, Mandalay and Heho in Myanmar, according to its Facebook.

On 5 March, Mann Yadanarpon Airlines flight code 7Y111 departs from Yangon for Nyaung U at 5.50 am, arrives in Nyaung U at 7.10 am before departing from Nyaung U at 7.25 am for Mandalay and arriving in Mandalay at 7.55 am.

On the same day, 7Y112 launches its first Mandalay flight for Heho at 8.10 am before touching down in Heho at 8.40 am. It returns to Yangon from Heho at 8.55 am, touching down in Yangon at 10.05 am.

The domestic flights of Mann Yadanapon Airlines are operated by the airline's self-purchased ATR 72-600 aircraft. The airline took delivery of its first ATR 72-600 aircraft, registered "XY-AJO" from the Head Office of ATR in Toulouse, France on 8 December 2013. Its second aircraft is scheduled to arrive by late January.

Named after Yadanarpon, one of the ancient royal names of Mandalay, Mann Yadanarpon Airlines is the third entirely-private airline after Golden Myanmar Airlines and FMI Air Charter. Its other planned domestic destinations include Naypitaw, Bhamo, Myitkyina, Putao, Homalin and Kalay, to name some. Besides covering all domestic airports of Myanmar gradually, the new airline plans to launch regional flights from Yangon to Chiang Mai, Suvarnabhumi and Phuket in the medium term.


Web-site : www.airmyp.com
Chairman : U Than Oo
Director : Daw Nang Pia Yee

XiamenAir to introduce B787 Dreamliner in 2014

Report by : Gan Yung Chyan
                 / KUCINTA SETIA
Distributed to All Press & Travel Professionals


To mark 30 years of flight services in 2014, XiamenAir will introduce its first B787 Dreamliner on its domestic and international routes later in the year. It will also update its cabin crew uniforms.

In line with the forthcoming addition of the B787 Dreamliner to its fleet, XiamenAir has re-configured the seat arrangements on its entirely fleet since 27 December 2013. For example, seats DEF have now been coded JKL with the Economy seats now starting from Row 41 instead of Row 1. This arrangement is to prevent any seat mismatching when there is a sudden change of aircraft type from a B737 to a bigger aircraft such as B787 Dreamliner before a flight service.

XiamenAir says with the new configuration of seats, the airline aims to reduce transit timings, achieve express transit in order to align its domestic services with international flight markets.

For more information, please refer to www.xiamenair.com.cn (in Chinese only).

Wat Preah Chedey Borapaut : Ode to Phnom Penh

Pictures/Poem by : Gan Yung Chyan
                            / KUCINTA SETIA

Where there are lions, there is a hill

A marvellous temple looks over

The skies attract all to here.

Penh protects children to heal

Remove stains and pains

Erect districts and boulevards of fame

At the crossroads of east and west

Happiness comes to the city after years.

Children flock to the hill

Houses established on the quay

Embracing the future

Daun Penh sparkles forever

Even postmen and ibises hold the key

Years of works, peace and faith.

Born on this hill is Phnom Penh

Oriental's charm and fortune

Reumoks serve the banks day and night

A city is a bliss to see

Plains of rumduls smiling in the wind

Anchoring are boats in serenity

United in harmony and happiness;

The right city to celebrate the new year.

  

Inflight Review : Cambodia Angkor Air on 30 - 31 December 2013

Inflight Review by : Gan Yung Chyan
                            / KUCINTA SETIA
Distributed to All Press Media & Travel Professionals

Routes : Bangkok Suvarnabhumi - Phnom Penh - Suvarnabhumi.

Airline : Cambodia Angkor Air.

Aircraft : The Airbus A321 aircraft has bigger legroom than an Airbus A320 aircraft. It is quieter than the A320 aircraft when it lands on the tarmac. 


Inflight Service : Service is excellent. The air hostesses and air stewards are passionate about their work though busy. They speak competently in English, Khmer and Chinese.

Inflight Magazine : Angkor is the official inflight magazine of Cambodia Angkor Air and is free for passengers. It has tough covers which ensure the magazine is not damaged easily. Information about Cambodia Angkor Air, Cambodia's tourist destinations, tourism and cultures are helpful to passengers who wish to learn more about the airline's background and Cambodia.

Safety Demonstrations : Adequate. Safety Card is always in used condition.

Postcard / Stationery : Aircraft postcards and stationery items are not available onboard or its offices, including the Head Office. Cambodia Angkor Air issues state arrival forms to passengers.

Sky Shop : There are no duty-free items for sale onboard Cambodia Angkor Air flights. This ensures that fares of Cambodia Angkor Air are kept budget and affordable. 

Onboard Meals and Refreshments : Onboard meals and refreshments are free. There is only one standard hot meal on each flight to and from Suvarnabhumi, Guangzhou and Shanghai, complete with healthy main meal, dessert, fresh fruit slices and drinks. On Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Silhanoukville and Siem Reap flights, lunchboxes showing the airline's Airbus A321 aircraft are distributed. There are no hot meals on Hanoi and domestic flights.

Surcharge :  There are no inflight surcharges.

Booking : Electronic tickets booked on Cambodia Angkor Air official web-site are issued via Sabre Virtually There web-site or at sales offices upon payment confirmation via cash, debit cards or credit cards. Terms and conditions are forwarded by Sabre on behalf of Cambodia Angkor Air via email for online bookings. Unlike Thai Airways International, Cambodia Angkor Air accepts Singapore bank-issued debit card payments. Budget fares are refundable under certain conditions.

Overall Impression : A full-service airline that meets the needs of budget travellers and business travellers. Everyone will like Cambodia Angkor Air's inflight service.

Status of local ticketing address : No off-line ticketing office in Singapore yet. However, Cambodia Angkor Air plans to launch scheduled flights to Singapore, Seoul-Incheon, Tokyo and India from Siem Reap and Phnom Penh by 2015 and 2016. Singapore will be the next new destination of the airline after Shanghai, which it started to fly to on 26 December 2013. It has branch offices in Bangkok, Guangzhou and Siem Reap  besides its Head Office in Phnom Penh. It has GSAs in Dubai and India.

Web-site : www.cambodiaangkorair.com.

Lucky Air begins twice-weekly international flight services to Singapore from Kunming via Guiyang on 25 January 2014

Report by : Gan Yung Chyan
               / KUCINTA SETIA
Distributed to All Press & Travel Professionals

Lucky Air, the Kunming-based domestic airline subsidiary of Hainan Airlines, has launched its first international flight service from Kunming to Singapore via Guiyang on 25 January 2014.

On 25 January (Saturday), Lucky Air flight code 8L9895 departs from Kunming at 8.40 am and transits in Guiyang, the capital of Guizhou Province, China, at 9.45 am, allowing passengers for Guiyang to alight before leaving Guiyang at 11.15 am for Singapore and arriving in Singapore Changi Airport Terminal 2 at 3.20 pm.

1 hour 30 minutes later, flight 8L9896 departs from Singapore for Guiyang at 4.50 pm, arriving in Guiyang Longdongbao International Airport at 8.55 pm. At 10.25 pm, it departs for Kunming Changshui International Airport at 10.25 pm, arriving in Kunming at 11.30 pm.

According to Changi Airport, the flights are operated by Lucky Air's A320 aircraft on Saturdays and Tuesdays every week.

Subject to regulatory approval, the scheduled Singapore-Guiyang flight link is Changi Airport's first direct new China flight connection to Guizhou Province, the gateway to the famed Huangguoshu Waterfalls and other scenic destinations of Guizhou and southwest China, this year. Guizhou is home to various minority tribes of China, in particular the Miao tribe.

Lucky Air has neither dedicated travel agents nor branch office in Singapore. It does not accept individual ticket bookings from Singapore. All group ticket bookings in China are issued in Kunming and Guiyang. Group ticket bookings in Singapore are issued by Hainan Airlines on behalf of Lucky Air. Contact Hainan Airlines Singapore Branch Office at 62143029 for more information.

Lucky Air plans to set up its own branch office in Singapore in the future.

SilkAir to fly to Kalibo and Mandalay by June 2014

Press Release by SilkAir

Edited by : Gan Yung Chyan / KUCINTA SETIA

Subject to applicable approvals, SilkAir will offer thrice-weekly same-day services to Kalibo in the Philippines through circular-routing flights with Cebu from 27 May 2014, and thrice-weekly same-day circular flights between Mandalay in Myanmar and Yangon from 10 June 2014. 

Kalibo will be SilkAir’s third destination in the Philippines after Cebu and Davao while Mandalay will be the airline’s second destination in Myanmar after Yangon. The new services will be operated with Airbus A319 and A320 aircraft, featuring both Business and Economy Class cabins.

“As the regional wing of Singapore Airlines, SilkAir plays a role to extend the Singapore Airlines Group network by seeding and developing emerging destinations. We are excited to be adding both Kalibo and Mandalay to our network and are confident that they will be well received,” said SilkAir Chief Executive, Mr Leslie Thng.

The two new services will be conveniently connected via Singapore to more than 90 cities in the joint Singapore Airlines – SilkAir network.

Kalibo is the capital of Aklan province and gateway to the idyllic Boracay island, which is located off the northwestern tip of Panay. The island is known for its stunning white sandy beaches and crystal clear waters. Besides soaking up the sun on its beautiful beaches, Boracay also offers a wide array of land and sea activities.

The second largest city in Myanmar, Mandalay is the centre of culture and religion in the country. The city is home to the magnificent royal palace as well as many other attractions built during the Konbuang Dynasty. Bagan, long considered one of the world’s greatest archeological sights, is also accessible through Mandalay.

The two new services will be introduced during the Northern Summer operating season, between 30 March 2014 and 25 October 2014. 

For flight schedule information, visit SilkAir at www.silkair.com.

Cebu Pacific Air plans to own Tigerair Philippines

Report by : Gan Yung Chyan

                  / KUCINTA SETIA

Distributed to All Press & Travel Professionals

Cebu Pacific Air is buying the Philippine unit of Singapore-based Tigerair.

Transport Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya confirmed the buyout offered by Cebu Pacific on 2 January 2014 to the Philippine aviation blog The Exciting Centennial of Philippine Aviation, on-line partner of Sayacinta - Airpost.

On the negotiating table is the majority share of Southeast Asia Airlines (SEAIR), operator of Tiger air Philippines headed by Tomas B. Lopez. The remaining 40 per cent share is owned by Roar Aviation II Pte Ltd. of Singapore, the holding unit of Tigerair.

The negotiation sale when completed will be the second dual-brand strategy implemented by Tigerair after successfully negotiating similar deals with Virgin Australia.

The consolidation would see both Cebu Pacific Air and Tigerair Philippines working together in slot assignments and/or reallocation of flight entitlements to maximize their operations at Ninoy Aquino International Airport, Manila.

Cebu Pacific operates from Terminal 3 while Tigerair Philippines operates at Terminal 4.

Tigerair Philippines operates a fleet of 5 Airbus A320 aircraft. It plans to launch flights from Manila and Cebu to Tokyo Narita, Osaka and Seoul, destinations which are currently served by Cebu Pacific Air, on behalf of Tigerair in early 2014.

Meanwhile, Singapore Airlines has acquired a further 7.3% interest in Tiger Airways Holdings, parent company of Tigerair, increasing its stake from 32.7% to 40%.  Cebu Pacific's fleet is maintained by Singapore Airlines subsidiary SIA Engineering.