MIAT Mongolian Airlines on its 60th Anniversary plans direct flights to Singapore by 2018

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

July 2016 is the special month for MIAT Mongolian Airlines as it celebrates its 60th Anniversary of flight operations linking Ulaanbaatar, the gateway to Mongolia, with the world. In this month, the airline has announced the following flight plans:-

MIAT Mongolian Airlines is poised to restore flights to Singapore by flying direct from Ulaanbaatar by 2018 using one of its B767-300 long-haul jets after suspending indirect flights to the Lion City via Beijing in March 2015. 

MIAT Mongolian Airlines will introduce destinations in Australia via Singapore either in code-sharing basis with Singapore Airlines and via Hong Kong in code-sharing arrangement with Cathay Pacific.

The new flights will be possible as soon as the new Khushigiin Khundi International Airport is opened to replace the current airport in Ulaanbaatar, Chinggis Khaan International Airport. MIAT Mongolian Airlines will be the primary customer of the new airport that is located in Sergelen Sum, Tov Province, 52 km south of the city centre of Ulaanbaatar. The new airport also known as New Ulaanbaatar International Airport will be able to handle 12 million passengers annually. 

Currently, flights to Singapore from Ulaanbaatar are operated by Air China on behalf of MIAT Mongolian Airlines via Beijing. Tickets can be purchased on Zuji and other online flight ticket platforms. 

MIAT plans to foster economic ties between Russia and China by introducing new flights linking Ulaanbaatar with Russia Far East and northern China. Therefore, flights to Irkutsk and Ulan-Ude  could be resumed while new destinations in China could be introduced.

To achieve success in the above plans, the airline has expanded its sales channels in order to make Mongolia more accessible by operating interline and code-share flights with international airline partners and participation in major international travel expositions such as ITB Berlin and JATA.

To become more competitive and better serve its passengers, MIAT has diversified its revenue sources by offering services such as aircraft maintenance, ground handling and inflight duty-free shops, following industrial trend by implementing projects based on IT platforms.

MIAT Mongolian Airlines first started flight operations in 1956 using 5 Soviet-made AN-2 passenger planes. Currently, it flies non-stop to Moscow, Beijing, Incheon, Tokyo-Narita, Berlin, Frankfurt and Hong Kong. It also offers direct charter flights to Suvarnabhumi, Sanya, Dubai, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

Since 1956, MIAT has progressively aimed to provide reliable and efficient flights. The international airline safety reviewer www.airlineratings.com has recently ranked the airline's safety quality with 7 stars, on par with Singapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific.  It is the only airline in Mongolia certified by the International Air Transport Association Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) and has successfully passed it five times consecutively without findings of safety lapses.

HK Express launches the first international low-cost flight to Chiang Rai on 25 November 2016

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

HK Express is introducing the world's first international scheduled low-cost point-to-point flight to Chiang Rai from Hong Kong on 25 November 2016. 

On 25 November 2016, HK Express flight UO3750 departs from Hong Kong for Chiang Rai at 2 pm, arrives in Chiang Rai at 4.05 pm before leaving Chiang Rai at 4.35 pm and returning to Hong Kong at 8.05 pm under flight UO3751.

HK Express flies between Hong Kong and Chiang Rai twice a week, on Mondays and Fridays using its Airbus A320 aircraft. Prior to 25 November, passengers have to fly with HK Express to Kunming from Hong Kong for a full-service flight of China Eastern to Chiang Rai.

Low fares from 78 Hong Kong Dollars one-way are now on sale on HK Express' web-site www.hkexpress.com from 28 July to 31 July 2016 for travel to Chiang Rai between 25 November 2016 and 25 March 2017.

Besides Chiang Rai, HK Express plans to launch a future flight to Luang Prabang, the UNESCO heritage town of Laos, from Hong Kong without any stopover in Vientiane. The date will be advised in due course.

New flights in Changi Airport, two new cargo airlines added in June 2016

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

       

Singapore Changi Airport handled 4.84 million passenger movements in June 2016, a 3 per cent annual increase. Aircraft movements were 2.9 per cent higher at 29,350 arrivals and departures, while cargo shipments rose 7.8 per cent to reach 163,070 tonnes, compared to the same period last year.

In June 2016, the main regions driving growth are North America, North East Asia and South West Pacific. Among Changi’s top ten country markets, China (+16%) and Australia (+7%) led the gainers, with Guangzhou, Melbourne and Perth registering double-digit increases.

Singapore Airlines raised its Sydney flight frequency from 31 to 35 flights per week, while Qantas added twice weekly services to 9 flights a week to Perth.

Since launching its Amritsar route in end May 2016, Scoot has increased its frequency on the new route from three flights a week to four flights a week.

For the first half of 2016, 28.8 million passengers passed through Changi Airport, 8 per cent higher than the corresponding period last year. Growth was broad-based across all its top ten country markets – with double-digit increases recorded for China, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam.

Aircraft movements rose 4.7 per cent to 177,810 while airfreight movements improved 4.2 per cent to reach 950,250 tonnes for the past six months.

Part of the increase in airfreight movements have to be attributed to two new cargo airlines that started operations in Changi Airport in June 2016.

Suvarnabhumi-based Thai cargo airline K-Mile Air commenced "K-Mile Asia" cargo services between Suvarnabhumi and Singapore five times a week.

Silk Way West Airlines launches its first direct cargo flight to Singapore from Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, on 23 June 2016 using its B747-8F aircraft. Now, the Azerbaijan Airlines' cargo subsidiary is operating twice weekly services between Singapore and Azerbaijan, with stopovers in Kuala Lumpur and Dubai.

As at 1 July 2016, more than 100 airlines operate at Changi Airport, connecting Singapore to some 330 cities in about 80 countries and territories worldwide. With more than 6,800 weekly scheduled flights, an aircraft takes off or lands at Changi roughly once every 90 seconds.

Sources : Changi Airport Group, Scoot, K-Mile Air and Silk Way West Airlines

SilkAir launches direct flight to Fuzhou on 21 November 2016

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

SilkAir launches its first direct scheduled flight to Fuzhou from Singapore on 21 November 2016. Its flights to Fuzhou operated by one of its Boeing B737-800 aircraft are on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.

On 21 November 2016, SilkAir flight MI990 departs from Singapore for Fuzhou at 10.35 am, arrives in Fuzhou at 3.05 pm before leaving Fuzhou for Singapore at 4.15 pm and touching down in Singapore at 9 pm under flight MI989.

The new route to Fuzhou will be SilkAir's fifth new destination in two years after routes to Cairns, Male', Vientiane and Luang Prabang were opened in May 2015, October 2015 and October 2016 respectively.

SilkAir currently has a fleet of 4 Airbus A319, 11 A320 and 14 B737-800 aircraft.

Khiri Travel introduces itineraries to undiscovered Jaffna in northern Sri Lanka

Press Release : Khiri Travel Edited by : Gan Yung Chyan                  / KUCINTA SETIA Distributed to All Press & Professionals

Khiri Travel has launched pioneering 4-day/3-night trips to Jaffna in northern Sri Lanka. The groundbreaking travel experiences are now available in an area still healing its wounds after a civil war that lasted until 2009. With the area now peaceful and returning to normal, Khiri Travel says the time is right to start sharing the historical, cultural and culinary attractions of the area with guests who will travel by train, bicycle, jeep and catamaran. Visitors can now easily combine Jaffna peninsula with existing mainstream tourism sites in Sri Lanka, as the Queen of Jaffna train departs from Anuradhapura in the country’s ‘Cultural Triangle,’ which is well known to tourists. “Our aim is to share the wonderful seafood, curry, architecture, beaches and friendliness of the Jaffna people with guests who share a passion for discovery,” says Khiri Travel Sri Lanka General Manager Gonzalo Gil Lavedra, who inspected the area and created the trip. “We are providing an itinerary that is not only groundbreaking in terms of the destination and experience, but has been designed with the people of Jaffna in mind,” he says. On the first day, guests travel three hours by train from Anuradhapura to Jaffna, passing the dry landscape of the Vavuniya dotted with the occasional village. Much of the conflict took place here. In Jaffna town centre, guests stay in a new four-star hotel. After a delicious Tamil lunch, visitors ride bicycles to see a fort, churches, parks, temples, statue of the last king of Jaffna, the last king’s minister’s house, and more. On the 2nd day guests wear a shalve or veddi to enter the Nallur Hindu temple where they receive a cultural history orientation and can try some Hatha Yoga moves. The guide will elaborate on Jaffna’s culture, the scars of war, similarities and differences with South Indian culture, and the considerable effects of migration and exile on the Jaffna region. After a lavish prawn curry lunch served on a banana leaf, guests visit temples and local attractions, with plenty of time to relax on Casuarina Beach. The 3rd day includes a 24-hour round trip by catamaran to Delft Island, an hour offshore from Jaffna. The island features exquisite beaches, wild horses, a huge baobab tree, a Dutch fort, pigeon cage, coral structures and more. A special seafood lunch will be prepared by a local family. Guests overnight in a private cabin on the catamaran. “If there is a place in Sri Lanka that has remained hidden, it is Delft island,” says Gil Lavedra. “With its unique people, coral walls, fort, feral horses, food, temples and lovely beaches, I could go on and on. But the best way is for the clients to see it for themselves.” On day 4, guests enjoy breakfast on board the catamaran and take a last dip in the sea at Delft before sailing back to Jaffna. Guests arrive in Jaffna around midday for lunch. In the afternoon they continue their onward Sri Lankan itinerary, which can include, for example, the newly accessible attractions of Trincomalee in northeast Sri Lanka, famed for its beaches and surf. No special visas or permissions are needed to visit the Jaffna peninsula. “The area is perfectly safe,” says Gil Lavedra. “The time is right for tour operators to add Jaffna to their Sri Lanka itineraries.” For further information on Khiri Travel’s itineraries in the Jaffna area email sales.srilanka@khiri.com. Foodie Moments in Jaffna with Khiri Travel Day 1: Lunch in a Jaffna family’s home: For an appetiser, special kool (traditional soup) will be served. Ingredients are palmyrah root flour, water, crabs, prawns, cuttlefish, fish, dry fish, long bean, ash plant, eggplant, gram, dry chilli, saffron, pepper, garlic, tamarind, coconut scraps, drumstick leaves and salt. Sounds delicious? Wait till you try it. For the main course pittu bread (made out of rice flour and coconut meat) is presented with crab curry, fried prawns, cuttlefish, mashed omelet mixed with dry fish, dhal curry with fish and plain gravy. This is the real deal, a true Jaffna feast. Mangoes and jack fruit are available in season. At other times, sweet Jaffna papaya and bananas fill the gap. Day 2: Lunch at a village house:  Fried cuttlefish, Jaffna prawn curry, toasted crab, fish masala, mashed brinjal, drumstick curry, and fish gravy. The ripaste is served on banana leaf as per local custom. Day 3: Seafood lunch on Delft Island: A special lunch will be arranged at a local home on Delft Island to sample the diversity of seafood and get the real flavour of isolated island life surrounded by the sea. Jaffna rice, fish curry, fried fish, gravy, two or three vegetable curries with poppadoms, and fried neemtree flower are served. Fruits such as mangoes, papaya and banana will be offered depending on season. Palmyrah toddy is available. Don't go crazy on it. It’s alcoholic. It is lighter than arrack but will sure give you a buzz.

Scoot launches direct flight to Shenyang and indirect flight to Dalian via Qingdao on 30 October 2016

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

Scoot is launching direct long-haul flight from Singapore to Shenyang on 30 October 2016 while it is introducing indirect flight to Dalian via Qingdao on the same day.

On 30 October 2016, Scoot B787 flight TZ166 departs from Singapore for Shenyang at 3.30 am, arrives in Shenyang at 9.45 am before leaving Shenyang at 11.35 am and touching down in Singapore at 6.45 pm under flight TZ165.

From 30 October 2016, the direct flight to Qingdao from Singapore is extended to link with Dalian only. At 1.55 am, flight TZ168 leaves Singapore for Dalian via Qingdao, transits in Qingdao at 7.50 am before taking off from Qingdao at 9.20 am and arriving in Dalian at 10.30 am. 

At 1.10 pm, flight TZ167 departs from Dalian for Singapore via Qingdao, transits in Qingdao at 2.20 pm before leaving Qingdao at 3.55 pm and returning to Changi Airport Terminal 2 at 10.30 pm. 

Scoot's direct flights to Shenyang are on Sundays and Wednesdays while its flights to Qingdao and Dalian are on Sundays and Tuesdays.

Inflight Review : SriLankan Airlines

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

Airline : SriLankan Airlines. 

Routes : from Singapore to Colombo, with connecting flights from Colombo to Dubai, Male, Bengaluru, Gaya, Kunming etc.  It also flies to Hong Kong, Chengdu, Guangzhou and Tokyo. Services operated by Mihin Lanka are in code-sharing arrangements with SriLankan Airlines. SriLankan Airlines' Singapore to Colombo route is in code-sharing arrangement with Mihin Lanka and operated by SriLankan's Airbus A330 aircraft.****

Aircraft : The A330 seat legroom of SriLankan Airlines is spacious. Inflight entertainment is available. ****.

Baggage Requirements : Standard requirement. A carry-on baggage measuring 115 cm in total is accepted. ****

Safety Demonstrations : Adequate.  *****

Inflight Service / Entertainment / Onboard Meals and Refreshments : Sri Lankan Airlines offers AVOD inflight entertainment on its aircraft. The A320, A321 & A330-200 equipped with the RAVE ZODAIC Inflight Entertainment. The new A330-300 and the A350XWB on order will have the latest Thales AVANT Inflight Programme. SriLankan offers onboard wifi connectivity with new Airbus A330-300 fleet in partnership with OnAir. It is South Asia's first airline to have on-board WiFi capability.

There is a dedicated menu onboard each sector flight. Meals, refreshments and beverages are free. Two rounds serving.** 

Postcard / Stationery : There are no aircraft postcards. The barf bags are collectibles. ** 

Inflight Magazine  : Serendib. Incheon's location was depicted in Hainan Province by error by the inflight magazine publisher. It has rich travel and tourism information on Sri Lanka fortunately. Hardcopies are available on board and at Changi Airport office of the airline on a complimentary basis.****

Sky Shop : Available. ****

Surcharges :  No. ****

Bookings : At all SriLankan Airlines' offices, agents and web-sites. Zuji charges the same fares as SriLankan Airlines but customers will not be able to select seats online unless they enter SriLankan Airlines web-site to select seats. ***

Check-In and Departures : Check-in at the relevant airports three hours before international departures. Flights may not depart on time.**

Ground service in  response  to passengers' requests and enquiries : The branch office of SriLankan Airlines is located in CPF Building, Tampines, opens on weekdays only. Call 31580580 in Singapore and you will be directed to the Colombo Call Centre of the airline where you can make enquiries or perform tele-transactions without going to Tampines. IDD call charges are not incurred. If you want to get travel and tourism information on Sri Lanka, better to visit its Changi Airport office at Terminal 1. Its airport office opens from 9.30 am to 12.30 pm and from 2.30 pm to 6.30 pm daily.*****

Overall Impression :  There is room for improvement for SriLankan Airlines in terms of customer service, marketing and ticketing services. Overall, SriLankan Airlines is a four-star airline in terms of inflight service. It is a five-star airline in terms of ground handling service. **

** Poor / two-star
*** Good / three-star
***** Very good / five-star
****** Excellent / six-star (the highest category)

Siam Air and two other Thai airlines have suspended flights

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

Siam Air has suspended all its international flights to Singapore and southern China after operational reviews. Flights to Singapore were suspended again since April 2016 till end of October 2016 while it suspended its scheduled flights to Guangzhou and Hong Kong from 14 July 2016. It earlier stopped flights to Changsha but it will try to continue operating its weekly flights to Zhengzhou and Macau from Don Mueang. 

Siam Air suspended flights to Singapore twice, once in January due to over-competition and another in April shortly after announcing flight resumption by error on 1 June 2016, because its commercial ticketing partnership with Orient Thai Airlines ceased suddenly in April 2016 and it has to return the B737 aircraft deployed on the route to the leasing firm. 

The flight suspensions of Siam Air have unusually created a mayhem among the travel trade industry and tourists of China as they leave hundreds of Chinese tourists stranded in Don Mueang. China Aviation Daily mentions that Siam Air, which has 2 B737-300 and 2 B737-800 aircraft is the third Thai airline to suspend flights this year after Orient Thai Airlines and City Airways.

Orient Thai Airlines was forced to cancel flights to Hong Kong and China after it was found to have faulty aircraft and insufficient pilot qualifications. City Airways a low-cost airline which started operations in September 2012 and suspended all flights in March 2016 due to security breaches and violation of aircraft maintenance protocols has returned all leased aircraft.

With the exits of City Airways and Orient Thai Airlines, Siam Air struggling to keep itself airborne, the remaining smaller private Thai airlines without any airline partner, R Airlines and New Gen Airways, are bringing hope to travelers. 

R Airlines, formed in 2012, launched flight to Macau on 24 January 2013. It has a fleet of 1 A320-200 and 1 A321-200 aircraft. It now flies from Utapao to Wuhan, Taiyuan and is approved by CAAC to fly from Phuket to Chengdu later this year.

New Gen Airways which started operations in January 2014 has B737-400 and B737-800 aircraft. It has higher safety record than Orient Thai Airlines and City Airways. It is the first airline in Asia to operate the B737-800 with the Split Scimitar Winglets in June 2016 that are assured to reduce flight turbulence better than other winglets and enhance flight safety. It flies to many cities in China from Don Mueang and Krabi including Wuhan, Guiyang, Nanchang, Zhangjiajie, Hangzhou, Guilin and Tianjin.

Air Changan launches daily flights to Hohhot, Xining and Guiyang

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

Passengers of Tigerair and XiamenAir will be delighted to know that Air Changan, the Xi'an Xianyang-based low-cost subsidiary of Hainan Airlines, launches new flights to Hohhot, Xining and Guiyang using its B737-800 jets on a daily basis.

On 10 July 2016 today, Air Changan flight 9H8319 departs from Xi'an Xianyang for Hohhot, the capital of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in China at 8.05 pm, arrives in Hohhot at 9.40 pm before leaving Hohhot at 10.25 pm and touching down in Xianyang at 12.05 am on 11 July 2016 under flight 9H8320.

On 11 July 2016, Air Changan flight 9H8317 leaves Xianyang for Xining, the capital of Qinghai Province in China, at 7.25 am, touches down in Xining at 8.50 am before departing from Xining at 9.40 am for Xianyang before arriving in Xianyang at 11..05 am under fight 9H8318.

On 11 July 2016, another Air Changan B737-800 takes off from Xi'an Xianyang for Guiyang at 7.35 am under flight 9H8313, arrives in Guiyang at 9.25 am before embarking on the return voyage from Guiyang at 10.25 am and arriving in Xianyang at 12.15 pm under flight 9H8314.

Besides Hohhot, Xining and Guiyang, Air Changan also flies from Xianyang to Haikou, Zhuhai and Guilin.

Except Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays, Tigerair flies four times a week on evenings directly to Xi'an Xianyang from Singapore while XiamenAir flies daily from Singapore to Xi'an Xianyang via Hangzhou for passengers to board Air Changan's flights to the six destinations mentioned above.

Chengdu Airlines officially announces it is a LCC

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

Following the deployment of China's first ARJ21-700 aircraft on its Chengdu to Guangzhou route, Chengdu Airlines today officially announces that it has now become a low-cost airline operating both Airbus A320 and ARJ21-700 jets.

Prior to this development, Sayacinta - Airpost has already noted that Chengdu Airlines has reduced a number of frills onboard its flights, for example, removing hardcopies of its official Chengdu Airlines Inflight Magazine from its domestic flights.

The pictures below show what it is like onboard a Chengdu Airlines domestic Airbus A320 flight.

China Eastern launches daily scheduled flights from Singapore to Shenyang via Nanjing from 11 July 2016

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

China Eastern Airlines launches daily scheduled flights from Singapore to Shenyang via  Nanjing from 11 July 2016 to compete with Scoot's non-daily flights to Nanjing and Shenyang.

On 10 July 2016, the China Eastern Airbus A320 flight MU2827 departs from Shenyang for Singapore at 4.30 pm via Nanjing, transits in Nanjing at 7 pm for other Singapore-bound passengers to board before leaving Nanjing at 8.10 pm and arriving in Singapore Changi Airport Terminal 3 at 2 am on 11 July 2016.

On 11 July 2016, flight MU2828 leaves Changi Airport Terminal 3 for Shenyang via Nanjing at 3 am, transits in Nanjing at 7.20 am before embarking on the return journey to Shenyang at 8.10 am and touching down in Shenyang at 10.20 am.

China Eastern has been increasing the number of Chinese destinations that it flies to from Singapore since two years ago. Last year, it launched scheduled flight to Lanzhou via Kunming from Singapore. Although passengers now have more choices of Chinese destinations to fly to from Singapore, they should exercise prudence in selecting their desired flights.

China Eastern air fares are some of the exorbitant prices in the international travel market but they do not mean that their international flights and ground handling services are on par or better than the best Chinese airline XiamenAir. 

Lately, a Singaporean passenger complained online that her free online seat reservations were automatically cancelled by the Shanghai Head Office of China Eastern 72 hours prior to flight departure without reason although she had paid for more than one return ticket. She was further infuriated by the fact that the Singapore office of China Eastern cannot do anything to reinstate the seat reservations for her family members and her.