Air Koryo launched domestic scheduled flight to Orang

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

Air Koryo, the national flag carrier of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, has launched its only domestic scheduled flight from Pyongyang to Orang, the airport of North Korea's Orang County located in North Hamgyong Province known for its exports of Matsutake mushrooms, other agricultural produce and fishing.

Interested customers can now book a domestic trip online with Air Koryo for twice-weekly scheduled flights to Orang from Pyongyang on Tuesdays and Fridays. 

According to Air Koryo, its Antonov AN-148 aircraft departs from Pyongyang for Orang at 10 am, arrives in Orang at 11 am under flight JS4101 before departing from Orang for Pyongyang at 1.30 pm and touching down in Pyongyang at 2.30 pm under flight JS4102.

Air Koryo's current international flights from Pyongyang to Beijing, Shanghai-Pudong, Shenyang and Vladivostok are operated by its Tupolev TU-204 aircraft. It has cancelled flights to Suvarnabhumi, Kuwait and Kuala Lumpur due to insufficient passenger demand for its scheduled flights. 

For instance, there is no passenger on Air Koryo's final flight to Suvarnabhumi via Shenyang from Pyongyang on 27 April 2016. 

Air Koryo resumed flights to Suvarnabhumi in January 2016 via Shenyang after withdrawing flights from Kuala Lumpur.

Despite the reduction in international flight services, Air Koryo has modified its company name font in Korean and English as it aims to project its image as a passenger-friendly airline according to its web-site www.airkoryo.com.kp. Its web-site was previously unaccessible for two years.

Rated by Skytrax as the world's only one-star airline, Air Koryo maintains branch office presence in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenyang, Vladivostok, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and Kuwait.

Air Koryo's current address in Kuala Lumpur : 20-114, Level 20, Menara Safuan, No. 80, Jalan Ampang, 50450 Kuala Lumpur. Tel : 603-20263440.

Vietnam Airlines launches scheduled flight from Danang to Shijiazhuang on 23 May 2016

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

Vietnam Airlines launches thrice-weekly scheduled flights from the central Vietnamese city of Danang to Shijiazhuang, the capital of Hebei Province, China, on 23 May 2016.

On 23 May 2016, flight VN526 departs from Danang for Shijiazhuang at 2.55 pm, arrives in Shijiazhuang at 8 pm before leaving Shijiazhuang at 9 pm and touching down in Danang at 12.05 am under VN527.

Flights are operated by Vietnam Airlines' comfortable Airbus A321 aircraft on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Vietnam Airlines is the first Southeast Asian airline to fly to Shijiazhuang, providing passengers with ease of direct express rail transport access from Shijiazhuang Zhengding International Airport to Beijing.

The Armenian Church in Singapore re-opens after years of conservation

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

The Armenian Church in Singapore has re-opened its doors on 7 May 2016 after years of conservation. 

Founded in 1835 as the Armenian Church of Saint Gregory the Illuminator and gazetted as a prime national monument of Singapore in July 1973, Singapore's oldest church has a path leading to its Memorial Garden. 

Along the path are three sculptures depicting Jesus's sufferings along Via Dolorosa. The Memorial Garden is a mini-Armenian cemetery of famous deceased Armenians of Singapore. Anyone can find the tomb of Singapore's most famous Armenian, Agnes Joaquim, here.

The Armenian Church is located along Hill Street near Bras Basah in the Museum Planning Area of Central Singapore.

If you have not entered the Armenian Church, you have not visited Singapore.

Chang An Airlines resumes independent flight operations in the name of Air Changan on 9 May 2016

Report by : Gan Yung Chyan

                  / KUCINTA SETIA

Distributed to All Press & Travel Professionals

Chang An Airlines, that received its Air Operator Certificate from CAAC Northwest Regional Administration on 5 April 2016 in the name of Air Changan, resumes independent flight operations on 9 May 2016. 

On 9 May 2016, Air Changan's first independent flight 9H8303 departs from Xi'an for Zhuhai at 9.30 am, arrives in Zhuhai at 12.05 pm before leaving Zhuhai for Xi'an at 1.10 pm and touching down in Xi'an at 3.50 pm under flight 9H8304.

Later at 3.40 pm on 9 May 2016, Air Changan's second flight 9H8307 leaves Xi'an for Haikou at 3.40 pm, touches down in Haikou at 6.40 pm before taking off for Xi'an at 8.10 pm and returning to Xi'an at 11.05 pm under flight 9H8308. 

According to the Call Centre of Air Changan in Xi'an, tickets are currently sold on its web-site www.airchangan.com and over phone conversations. Tickets are not available at external ticketing platforms such as Ctrip and Tuniu, and travel agents.

Air Changan's new daily flights from Xi'an to Haikou and Zhuhai mark the revival of the former Chang An Airlines, which was first launched in 1992 and later merged with Hainan Airlines in 2000. They end years of Chang An Airlines providing aircraft support and capacity to Hainan Airlines.

Air Changan initially operates a fleet of five Boeing 737-800 aircraft from its headquarters in Xi'an Xianyang International Airport. It operates domestic routes in China before flying abroad, with a key focus on cities along the former Silk Road in Central Asia and beyond.

Air Changan becomes the seventh Chinese airline with an operating base in Xi'an, following China Eastern Airlines, Hainan Airlines, China Southern Airlines, Tianjin Airlines, Joy Air and Shenzhen Airlines. It is the second new Chinese domestic airline to launch scheduled passenger flights this year after Jiangxi Air.

In September 2015, Hainan Airlines' parent company HNA took an additional 21.9 per cent stake in Chang An Airlines through a 1.01 billion yuan share purchase, raising its stake to 83.3 per cent.

ITE & MICE Hong Kong 2016 marks 30th Anniversary with more new official pavilions

Press Release : TKS Exhibition Services Ltd
Edited by : Gan Yung Chyan
                 / KUCINTA SETIA
Distributed to All Press & Travel Professionals

Co-locating leisure and MICE travels offer buyers more choices on destinations, venues and contractors etc!  Featuring some 600 international exhibitors (85% from abroad) from around 50 countries and regions,  ITE & MICE 2016, which combines the 30th ITE (leisure) and the 11th ITE MICE will be held from 16 to 19 June 2016 at Halls 1A to 1E of the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre. It promotes In-depth, Affluent FIT and Theme Travels (eg. cruise, wellness, photography, overseas wedding, sport, eco-tourism and driving tour, etc).

Admission on trade days (16-17 June) requires registration, and related professionals and trade are invited to pre-register online to apply for free admission, or buy tickets and register at entrance.  

EXHIBITOR UPDATE

Repeating official pavilions with substantial expansion this year include Finland, Indonesia, Switzerland, and Zagreb of Croatia etc. New official pavilions / stands this year come from Andalucía of Spain, Myanmar, Penang from Malaysia, Slovakia, Sri Lanka, Solomon Islands from the South Pacific, Ulaanbaatar of Mongolia, and some more. New destinations with only independent exhibitors (long haul) come from Iceland, Spain, United Kingdom and Russia, and new exhibitors also in repeating pavilions. Overall, pavilions of China (mainland), Japan, Taiwan, Macau, South Korea and Hong Kong are among the largest in scale, with the larger ones taking over 60 stands.

TRADE SEMINAR UPDATE

On 16-17 June, some 20 seminars covering Destinations and Travel Products, Travel Technology, Market Trends, MICE and Corporate Travels, etc will take place. Below are partial Trade / MICE Seminar Highlights:

• Designing Theme Travel (Life Style & Outdoor) Products
• HKWMA - “Destination Wedding, and the New Trend” to share how to plan a celebrity style castle wedding, and providing trendy personal services such as marriage proposal etc.
• Innovations in Tourism
• Family Travel Market
• ACTE - “The Myth of The Low Cost Carrier” to explore the latest trends in low cost carriers and to discuss the pros and cons of LCC usage by corporations
• How to make your Event / Function /Seminar an unprecedented success?
• Adopting New Technologies for Today's Event Industry
• Sustainable Tourism and Corporate Social Responsibility, etc

Thus, ITE & MICE facilitates visitors to explore new themes / new ideas / new products especially for FIT / affluent travelers. 

For more details of the Expo, please visit www.itehk.com or contact the Organizer TKS Exhibition Services Ltd at (852) 31550600 or email to travel@tkshk.com