HK Express inaugurates Asia's first budget flight to Zhengzhou on 26 September 2014

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

Hong Kong's low-fare airline, HK Express, inaugurates Asia's first budget flight to Zhengzhou from Hong Kong on 26 September 2014. Passengers travelling to Hong Kong can consider cheap onward flights between Hong Kong and Zhengzhou the largest industrial city of north-central China three times a week, other than Kunming and Ningbo which HK Express flies to.

On 26 September 2014, HK Express flight UO1302 departs from Hong Kong at 5.05 pm for Zhengzhou, arriving in Zhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport at 7.25 pm. It departs for Hong Kong on 27 September at 11.25 am under flight UO1303 and touches down in Hong Kong International Airport Terminal 2 at 2 pm on 27 September.

HK Express flies between Hong Kong and Zhengzhou on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays three times a week using its Airbus A320 aircraft. Fares start from 99 Hong Kong Dollars and are on sale between now and 28 March 2015.

Zhengzhou is the gateway to the World Geopark of Song Mountain where the UNESCO World Heritage site of Shaolin Temple is located. It is also the birthplace of Huangdi, recognised as ancestor of Chinese people. Other historical sites include Zhongyuan Tower and Henan Museum which exhibits dinosaur fossils, prehistoric human remains up through the Modern Eras and it is of proximity to Kaifeng, the hometown of Bao Zheng.

Jetstar Pacific opens direct daily flights from Ho Chi Minh City to Singapore on 27 October 2014

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

Jetstar Pacific, formerly Pacific Airlines, is launching direct daily flights to Singapore from Ho Chi Minh City with effect from 27 October 2014.

On 27 October, Airbus A320 flight BL655 departs from Ho Chi Minh City for Singapore at 7.05 am, arriving in Singapore at 10.05 am. It leaves for Ho Chi Minh City under flight BL656 at 11.15 am from Changi Airport Terminal 1, touching down in Ho Chi Minh City at 12.15 pm.

The inaugural flight of Jetstar Pacific allows passengers from Singapore to connect to Jetstar Pacific's domestic destinations such as Phu Quoc, Nha Trang, Danang, Vinh, Hanoi, Hai Phong and Buon Ma Thuot on the same day or return to Singapore on the same day after a few hours of shopping in Ho Chi Minh City.

At a later stage, Jetstar Pacific will begin direct flights between Hanoi and Singapore.

Seats of Jetstar Pacific flights can be booked at www.jetstar.com or paid at Singapore post offices.

Tigerair and Cebu Pacific Air integrate their flight networks while Tigerair Philippines begins flights to General Santos and Cagayan de Oro

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

Tigerair Philippines, the new Cebu Pacific Air subsidiary, will add four new domestic destinations in November 2014 as it expands its route network in the Philippines.

Tigerair Philippines launches flights from Manila to Davao and General Santos on 20 November 2014, using Airbus A320 aircraft after it receives airframe from its parent Cebu Pacific Air.

The airline will also launch a twice a week flights from its Cebu hub to Davao and Cagayan de Oro on 29 November 2014.

Meanwhile, Cebu Pacific Air and Tigerair have completed the implementation of their interline agreement which will create the third biggest flight network from the the Asia Pacific region next to Air Asia Berhad of Malaysia and Lion Air of Indonesia. 

Tigerair Singapore and Cebu Pacific Air announced plans to enter a strategic alliance on 8 January 2014 to improve their competitiveness amidst the looming ASEAN Open Skies in 2015. 

The interline agreement extends to all their networks, opening up a wide array of new destinations for their respective passengers.

The airline alliance will bring new destinations in Australia, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Korea, Japan, Malaysia, Myanmar, Maldives and Thailand.

Tigerair will market and sell domestic Cebu Pacific flights on its website from 23 July 2014 while Cebu Pacific Air will sell Tigerair seats on the website of Cebu Pacific from September 2014.

MIAT Mongolian Airlines commences regular commercial twice-weekly scheduled flights to Singapore from 24 September 2014

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

Changi Airport has confirmed that MIAT Mongolian Airlines, the national airline of Mongolia,  is inaugurating regular twice-weekly commercial scheduled MIAT Mongolian Airlines' flights between Ulaanbaatar, the capital and largest city of Mongolia, and Singapore from 24 September 2014 (Wednesday). The airline has postponed its first Saturday scheduled flight on 20 September 2014 to 27 September 2014.

MIAT Mongolian Airlines will operate on the new route with a brief layover in Beijing on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

The inaugural twice-weekly scheduled flights from 24 September end MIAT Mongolian Airlines' era of annual charter flights between both cities that span twenty years.

According to Abacus flight booking system, MIAT Mongolian Airlines flight OM231 departs from Ulaanbaatar for Singapore on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 6.15 am with a brief layover of 1 hour in Beijing at 8.30 pm. It leaves Beijing for Singapore at 9.30 pm and arrives in Singapore Changi Airport Terminal 3 at 3.45 pm.

Changi Airport's first outbound Saturday scheduled Mongolian flight for Ulaanbaatar under flight OM232 takes off at 6.45 pm on 27 September, transits in Beijing at 1.10 am on 22 September before departing for Ulaanbaatar at 2.10 am and touching down in Ulaanbaatar at 4.30 am.

On 24 September 2014 (Wednesday), the inaugural Ulaanbaatar-bound scheduled flight OM232 departs from Singapore at 6.25 pm with a brief layover in Beijing at  1.40 am before taking off for Ulaanbaatar at 2.40 am, arriving in Ulaanbaatar at 4.10 am.

The Wednesday and Saturday flights of OM231 and OM232 are operated by MIAT Mongolian Airlines' newly-acquired Boeing B737-800 aircraft. Subject to passenger demands and operation requirements, the airline may deploy a Boeing B767-300ER aircraft for future flights on the routes.

Tickets for travel from 24 September are available for sale at MIAT and major online booking websites.

MIAT Mongolian Airlines initially began charter flights between Ulaanbaatar and Singapore via a refueling stop in Guangzhou on 11 June 1994 using a Boeing B727-200 aircraft.

The civil aviation authorities of Singapore and Mongolia signed the bilateral Air Services Agreement in May 1993 which allow the airlines of Mongolia and Singapore to operate twice-weekly services between Mongolia and Singapore. Before September 2014, the airlines of both countries have yet to start direct flights.

Besides MIAT Mongolian Airlines, private Mongolian airline Hunnu Air has plans to operate long-haul direct flights between Ulaanbaatar and Singapore as early as 2015 using an Airbus A330 aircraft, which it has yet to operate on its Paris flights.

Happy 30th Birthday, XiamenAir!

Sayacinta - Airpost and Kucinta Setia forward our best wishes to XiamenAir on the occasion of its 30th birthday Anniversary on 25 July 2014. We wish XiamenAir continuous Prosperity in the coming years.

On 25 July, XiamenAir begins its third daily flight between Xiamen and Singapore.

Scoot begins flights to Don Mueang from 1 September 2014

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

Passengers considering travel to Bangkok with Scoot  should take note that with effect from 1 September 2014, Scoot will fly from Changi Airport Terminal 2 to Don Mueang International Airport of Bangkok, the home base of Thai budget carrier Nok Air, using its Boeing B777-200 aircraft, under a commercial agreement with Nok Air.

Under the agreement, Scoot is selling Nok Air tickets on its web-site and offering connection flights to other cities and towns of Thailand from Singapore, such as Phitsanulok, Nan, Loei, Lampung, Phuket and Chiang Mai on Nok Air's route network via Don Mueang. On a reciprocal basis, Nok Air will sell Scoot's Singapore tickets on its web-site. These activities will form a feeder base for eventual air travel with NokScoot, the proposed joint-venture long-haul airline formed by Scoot and Nok Air and based in Don Mueang.

On 1 September, Scoot flight TZ302 departs from Singapore at 6.05 pm for Don Mueang, arriving in Don Mueang at 7.25 pm before taking off for Singapore at 8.45 pm, touching down in Changi Airport Terminal 2 at 11.55 pm.

The last Suvarnabhumi flight of Scoot operates on 31 August 2014.

With Scoot's change of airport to Don Mueang, the average price of a budget return air ticket on the Singapore-Suvarnabhumi-Singapore routes is expected to be more expensive than before as Suvarnabhumi provides the fastest traffic access to the city centre of Bangkok.

Inflight Review : Garuda Indonesia

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

Routes : Singapore - Cengkareng (Jakarta)-Singapore on 19 July 2014.

Airline : Garuda Indonesia in new livery.

Aircraft : The Boeing B737-800 aircraft has spacious legroom. Each seat including Economy Class seats has a pillow. Passengers travelling with Garuda Indonesia need not bring inflight pillows onboard.

Inflight Service : Service is excellent. The air hostesses and air stewards are cheerful and passionate about their work though busy throughout the one hour plus flight. They speak competently in Indonesian, Malay and English.

Safety Demonstrations : Adequate. 

Inflight Magazine : Colours is the official inflight magazine of Garuda Indonesia and is free for passengers and customers interested in Garuda flights. One can get it onboard or from sales and ticketing offices of Garuda. Information about Garuda Indonesia, its hubs Jakarta, Medan, Bali, Balikpapan and Makassar and other Indonesian destinations in Garuda's route network are comprehensive and helpful to travellers who wish to learn more about the airline's background and destinations. It is the best marketing tool of Garuda Indonesia and the best reference material on Indonesian tourism.

Postcard / Stationery : The cabin crew confirm several times that the Head Office of Garuda Indonesia has never issued aircraft postcards showing Garuda aircraft in their new livery to operations and inflight service departments. The aircraft have no postcards for five years. The Head Office staff cannot find the so-called "sets of 8 different Garuda new livery aircraft postcards". It is a mystery as the airline has never produced sets of new livery aircraft postcards while they are reported to be available in Europe. Onboard stationery are only free note papers and pens. Customs and immigration cards are issued onboard or during check-in in Singapore Changi Airport T3.

Sky Shop : There are duty-free items for sale onboard all flights.  

Onboard Meals and Refreshments : Onboard meals and refreshments are free and there is a large variety of meals to choose from during online booking or booking at sales and ticketing offices. I particularly like the kosher meals prepared by Strogel Kosher Catering in Antwerp, Belgium, for Garuda Indonesia. They are not oily and are nutritious.

Surcharge :  Passengers during online check-in have a pay a surcharge if they want to sit at the emergency rows.

Booking : Electronic tickets are issued at all web-sites of Garuda Indonesia. However I suggest not to book on the Singapore web-site of Garuda Indonesia. There have been problems in purchase completion. It is best to try on the Indonesian web-site of Garuda Indonesia at www.garuda-indonesia.com or pay the same online fares at sales and ticketing offices of Garuda Indonesia. Just inform the ticketing staff about online payment problems. Garuda staff will not charge passengers based on walk-in rates.  There is Manage Booking function. Passengers can choose seats after 11.35 am one day before departure. Garuda Indonesia accepts international bank-issued debit card payments. Discounted fares are not refundable. Any change to flight itineraries under discounted fares warrant a surcharge of 130 Singapore Dollars per way.

Ground service in Singapore : Excellent. Keep it up. ********
Ground service in Cengkareng including response of Garuda City Center to passengers' requests and enquiries : Lousy.  Staff cannot speak in English well . They ought to learn to speak in English proficiently. They do not know what a postcard is.**

Overall Impression : A full-service airline that meets the travel needs of families, budget travellers and business travellers in all markets but does not meet needs when it comes to sufficient airline memorabilia. Garuda Indonesia won the Skytrax award for the Best Economy Seat 2013 as passengers at all classes can select to view travel information, movies, trailers, provide feedback to the airline just by clicking the screen behind each seat. Excluding the legendary postcards, everyone will like Garuda Indonesia's inflight service to an extent.

Singapore Web-site : www.garudaindonesia.com.sg.

Airport Review : Changi Airport Terminal 3

Airport Review by : Gan Yung Chyan
                              / KUCINTA SETIA
Distributed to Everyone

Changi Airport Terminal 3 is the best Terminal for departures in Changi Airport. It has clear-marked signs indicating where to eat, shower and board. Skytrains link T3 to T1, T2 and boarding lounges. The pictures below show what a boarding lounge of this unique terminal looks like.

The boarding lounge concept of Changi Airport T3 is unique to Southeast Asia. Passengers can take snapshots of aircraft taxiing easily at any gate within the lounge.

Changi Airport T3 has yet to reach its full-utilization capacity. It is not as crowded as T2 and T1. The most crowded terminal at any time of the day is T2 where more budget airlines like Tigerair, Scoot, IndiGo, FireFly and Lucky Air operate flights to.

Sayacinta - Airport journalist went on the T3 maiden flight to Cengkareng (Soekarno-Hatta International Airport), Jakarta with Garuda Indonesia on 19 July 2014.

XiamenAir declines to comment on its purchasing deal of a majority stake in Hebei Airlines

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

XiamenAir, which celebrates its 30th Anniversary in July 2014, has signed a purchasing deal of a 99.23 per cent stake in Hebei Airlines, the northern Chinese airline founded by the aviation-inexperienced Jizhong Energy Group in Shijiazhuang, on 16 July 2014. It leaves the balance stake to Shenyang Zhongrui Company Limited the parent company of Northeast Airlines, the previous identity of Hebei Airlines.

However, as of 20 July today, XiamenAir declines to comment on how it actually intends to restructure the loss-suffering Hebei Airlines.

Aviation industry observers comment that XiamenAir aims to expand its market share in the northern Chinese market with assistance from Hebei Airlines since it does not have enough slots at the already-saturated Beijing Capital International Airport. Once the new Beijing airport goes into operation in a few years' time, Hebei Airlines will be one of the main airlines operating in the new airport. Currently, XiamenAir has a branch company in Beijing.

On the contrary, a Chinese journalist of Straits City Press reported yesterday that the majority shareholder in XiamenAir, China Southern Airlines Group Company Limited, has the majority say in the way Hebei Airlines will be managed.

A sales manager of China Southern commented that Hebei Airlines may go the LCC way, meaning that it may return to the low-cost model that its predecessor Northeast Airlines operated under but this time with the support of the full-service airlines XiamenAir and China Southern to counter competition from 9 Air, the proposed low-cost subsidiary of Juneyao Airlines based in Guangzhou, China United Airlines in Beijing-Nanyuan and Spring Airlines in Shijiazhuang.

China Southern holds the majority stake of 51 per cent in XiamenAir while Jizhong Energy Group has a 1.46 billion yuan stake (15 per cent) in XiamenAir. The remaining stake in XiamenAir belongs to Xiamen Jianfa Group.

If China Southern would not intervene in the restructuring process of Hebei Airlines, Hebei Airlines will be the second Chinese airline to be restructured as a subsidiary of Xiamen Airlines, after Fujian Airlines, since 1994.

Hebei Airlines started flight operations on 29 June 2010 with Northeast Airlines EMB145 aircraft initially on routes from Shijiazhuang to Qinhuangdao, Guilin, Shanghai, Chengdu and Hohhot. In October 2010, it leased 2 Boeing B737-700 aircraft and later 1 B737-800 aircraft from Xiamen Airlines. Flights are almost handled by Xiamen Airlines' cabin crew, operated by Xiamen Airlines' pilots, and these aircraft maintained by Xiamen Airlines' technicians and engineers.

To date, Hebei Airlines has many flights originating from Fuzhou and Xiamen among its more than 40 weekly flights in China operated with a fleet of 1 Airbus A320-200 aircraft, 2 ERJ-145 aircraft and the Boeing jets to cities such as Guiyang, Xi'An, Ningbo, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Zhuhai and Dalian. It plans to begin international flights to Hong Kong, Macau , Taipei and as far as Tokyo and Seoul-Incheon from Shijiazhuang from 2015.

FireFly launches flights from Senai to Ipoh four times a week from 15 September 2014

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

FireFly, Malaysia's community airline, is launching scheduled flights from Senai to Ipoh four times a week from 15 September 2014.

On 15 September, flight FY2252 departs from Senai for Ipoh at 10.20 am, arriving in Ipoh at 11.45 am before taking off from Ipoh at 12.05 pm, touching down in Senai at 1.30 pm under FY2253. The flights on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays are expected to meet southern Malaysians' demands for direct flights from Johor to Ipoh without connecting via Singapore as well as relieving the shortage of air tickets for direct flights to Ipoh from Singapore for Singaporeans and lowering the Singapore-Ipoh-Singapore air ticket prices.

FireFly operates twice daily flights between Singapore and Ipoh.

Besides the proposed Senai-Ipoh-Senai services, FireFly is also launching thrice-weekly flights from Penang to Krabi on 16 September 2014.

For further flight information and schedules, visit www.fireflyz.com.my.

Vietnam Airlines launched Danang's first flight to Tokyo on 16 July 2014

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

HO CHI MINH CITY, 18 July 2014- Vietnam Airlines launched Danang's first flight to Japan on 16 July 2014. On that day, Vietnam Airlines departed from Danang at 11.10 am for Tokyo-Narita, arriving in Tokyo-Narita at 6.30 pm before leaving Tokyo-Narita at 3.25 pm on 17 July for Danang, touching down in Danang at 6.45 pm.

Vietnam Airlines is operating the new route  four times a week, on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays using its own Airbus A321 aircraft.

On Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays, another Vietnam Airlines flight departs for Tokyo-Narita at 10.40 am, arriving in Tokyo-Narita at 6 pm.

Besides the Danang-Tokyo Narita-Danang services, Vietnam Airlines also launched daily flights from Hanoi to Tokyo-Haneda on 1 July 2014 using Airbus A321 aircraft. Flights depart for Tokyo-Haneda from Hanoi at 8 am, arriving in Hanoi at 3.05 pm, departing for Hanoi at 4.35 pm and touching down in Hanoi at 8 pm.

Vietnam Airlines also flies to Osaka, Fukuoka and Nagoya from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. With the new routes, Vietnam Airlines' route network has expanded to 95 routes comprising 55 international flights to 29 international destinations and 40 domestic flights to 21 domestic destinations.

- Source : Vietnam Airlines. Edited by Gan Yung Chyan / KUCINTA SETIA

VietJet Air flew to the wrong airports

Hanoi - A VietJet Air flight with nearly 200 passengers onboard landed in a wrong airport some 140 kilometers away from their destination on Thursday (10 July 2014).

The hour-long flight was supposed to take the passengers from Hanoi to the Central Highlands resort town of Da Lat, but it somehow ended up in Cam Ranh Airport near the central beach town of Nha Trang.

It is not clear when VietJet Air realized it had made the mistake, but when the passengers arrived at Cam Ranh, the low-cost carrier arranged another flight to take them to the right destination.

Photo: Trung Hieu

It also sent another airplane to pick more than 200 passengers who had been waiting at Hanoi’s Noi Bai airport to board a Hanoi-Nha Trang flight.

Dinh Viet Son, director of the Northern Airports Authority, said on Friday that they have summoned related parties to investigate the causes of the “rarest” incident that has ever happened in Vietnam’s aviation history.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam has also ordered VietJet Air to submit all its schedules and plans for the flight in question to detect mistakes, if any.

“It is a serious mistake. Responsible people will definitely be punished strictly,” he said.

A spokesman of VietJet Air today told the press that the flight’s pilot had had to change course because he deemed Da Lat’s wind conditions at the time not suitable for landing at Lien Khuong airport. He therefore had asked for permission to land at Cam Ranh to wait for the weather to get better, the spokesman said.

Last month 59 passengers of VietJet Air were almost sent to a flight bound for Hanoi from Nha Trang, instead of their destination Ho Chi Minh City.

The mistake was discovered when the passengers were in a jet bridge to board the wrong aircraft. 

Cam Ranh airport’s authority at the time blamed the incident on poor communication between ground service staff and the airline’s staff.

Last year, VietJet Air transported more than 100 passengers from Nha Trang to Hanoi without carrying their luggage. The passengers could not retrieve their belongings, which were left at Cam Ranh airport by mistake, until the next day. - Trung Hieu, Thanh Nieh News. Edited by Gan Yung Chyan / KUCINTA SETIA

Malaysia grows dragonfruits

Report by : Gan Yung Chyan
                 / KUCINTA SETIA
Distributed to Everyone

Dragonfruit (in Singapore English) or dragon fruit (in Malaysia English) is known in its motherland Mexico as pitaya (American English). There are red, white and yellow varieties. Countries in Asia that grow dragonfruits include Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Taiwan, Israel and now Malaysia. The nearest dragonfruit plantation to Singapore is at Desaru Fruit Farm.

 
 

Malaysia's only chocolate musuem shop

Johor Tourism Report by : Gan Yung Chyan
                                       / KUCINTA SETIA
Distributed to Everyone

Johor tourism has long received a boost with the opening of Malaysia's only chocolate museum shop located near the Causeway. This museum shop known in the commercial brand of CacaoRich managed by Guan Chong Berhad exhibits and sells chocolate products manufactured in Pasir Gudang, Johor, that are exported to 70 countries excluding Singapore.

CacaoRich sells unique chocolate variants like Tomato Chocolate, Durian Chocolate and Sesame Chocolate and sugar-free cocao powder. Tomato chocolate is the unique product of Johor while durian chocolate are available seasonal. Travellers and walk-in to buy these products.

CacaoRich is the pride of Johor as Johor endeavours to become the chocolate manufacturing hub of Southeast Asia.

To visit the museum shop, contact GCB Marketing Sdn. Bhd. for directions.

Address : 19A, 19B-B2, Jalan Ah Siang, Tanjung Puteri, 80300 Johor Bahru, Johor
Outlet Manager : Michelle Tay Lee Shein
Email : michelletayls@gmail.com, www.gcbfoods.com, www.favorich.com

Summer Flight Suspension Notice : Lao Airlines

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

Due to operational requirements, Lao Airlines has suspended a majority of summer flights between Vientiane and Singapore this year. The airline will only operate flights to Singapore during the period of Singapore National Day, which is between 6 August and 10 August 2014, as well as flights on 13 July and 27 July.

Lao Airlines' flights on 13 July and 27 July are already full.

Lao Airlines will resume winter scheduled flights between Vientiane and Singapore from 29 October 2014, plying the route on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. For further information, please visit Lao Airlines Singapore Facebook.

Ruili Airlines commences scheduled domestic flights

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

Ruili Airlines, Yunnan Province's newest airline, has commenced commercial flights to Chengdu, Wenzhou, Nanchang, Beihai (13 June), Xi'An (15 June) and Hefei by late June 2014. Its first flight is a ceremonial flight to Mangshi Airport of Dehong in Yunnan Province from Kunming Changshui International Airport on 18 May 2014 to launch domestic flights. The new Yunnan carrier plans to launch flights to Lijiang, Tengchong, Xishuangbanna, Shenzhen, Nanjing, Shanghai, Huhhot and Urumqi in the coming months. In the long-run, it plans to launch flights to Beijing, Tianjin, Hong Kong, Suvarnabhumi, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore from Ruili via Kunming Changshui.

Ruili Airlines, named after the city of Ruili in the far west of Yunnan Province on the border with Myanmar, was founded with a start-up capital of 96 million US Dollars by Yunnan Jingcheng Group in Ruili with an operational base in Kunming Changshui and uses a fleet of Boeing B737-700 and B737-800 jets. It received its first B737-700 aircraft in May 2013. It received its Air Operator Certificate from CAAC in May 2014.

Personnel of Ruili Airlines are sourced from Sichuan Airlines and Civil Aviation Flight University of China.

Ruili Airlines is one of five active Yunnan airlines in China today. The other four Yunnan airlines are China Eastern Yunnan Airlines, Lucky Air, Kunming Airlines and Ying'An Airlines. 

Urumqi Airlines to launch its first flight on 15 August 2014

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

Today's China civil aviation market is witnessing emergence of new airlines that are related to Hainan Airlines' parent company HNA Group.

According to reliable sources in China, Urumqi Airlines otherwise known in full as HNA Urumqi Airlines will launch its first flight on 15 August 2014. This was announced by HNA Group, the parent company of Hainan Airlines, at a press conference in Urumqi on 27 June 2014.

Urumqi Airlines will initially operate domestic routes in China including duplicating routes of China Xinjiang Airlines with rights to open regional direct flights from Urumqi to Hong Kong, Macau and across the Straits of China to Taipei. It also plans to launch flights to Bishkek, Tashkent, Almaty, Astana, and as far as to Moscow and Europe eventually.

HNA Urumqi Airlines was first established and registered in Gaoxin District of Urumqi as Urumqi Airlines by Hainan Airlines Xinjiang Branch General Manager Zhang Jingsheng on 15 May 2014 as a joint-venture between HNA Group which holds a 70 per cent stake and Urumqi Urban Construction Investment Co Ltd taking up the remaining stake of 30 per cent in the new carrier.

Initially, flight operations will be handled by professional and technical staff from HNA Group. The Boeing B737 fleet of Urumqi Airlines will be leased from Hainan Airlines.

Besides Urumqi Airlines, HNA Group is also in progress to launch partial municipality-owned Fuzhou Airlines, Heilongjiang Airlines and Guilin Airlines while one of its subsidiairies Tianjin Airlines plans to launch Guangxi Airlines in Nanning.

Besides the above city-based and municipal airlines, HNA Group has stakes in Lucky Air, Capital Airlines, Hong Kong Airlines and HK Express.