JC International Airlines flies to Ho Chi Minh City and Don Mueang from 13 May and 6 June 2017

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

JC International Airlines, the Cambodian full-service airline subsidiary of Yunnan JingCheng Group and Kunming-based Ruili Airlines, begins four times-weekly flights from Siem Reap to Ho Chi Minh City from 13 May 2017 using one of its first two Airbus A320 aircraft, and daily flights from Phnom Penh to Don Mueang Airport of Bangkok on 6 June 2017 from 8 US Dollars one-way using its third Airbus A320 aircraft, a formerly Air Berlin-operated aircraft.

On 13 May 2017, JC International Airlines flight QD601 embarks on its maiden flight from Siem Reap to Ho Chi Minh City at 7.45 pm, arrives in Ho Chi Minh City at 8.55 pm before departing from Ho Chi Minh City to Siem Reap at 10 pm and arriving in Siem Reap at 11 pm under flight QD602. All one-hour flights start from an exorbitant 115 US Dollars! Flights operate between both cities on Fridays, Saturdays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

On 6 June 2017, JC International Airlines flight QD681 departs from Phnom Penh for Don Mueang at 6.05 am, arrives in Don Mueang at 7.05 am before leaving Don Mueang for Phnom Penh at 8.05 am and touching down in Phnom Penh at 9 am under flight QD682.

JC International Airlines' web-site www.jcairlines.com indicates the online discount of 150 US Dollars applies for purchasing a round-trip Ho Chi Minh City ticket while the online discount of 38 US Dollars applies for purchasing a round-trip Don Mueang ticket. For example, a round-trip ticket to Don Mueang/Phnom Penh after discount costs 66.10 US Dollars while a round-trip ticket to Ho Chi Minh City costs less than 167 US Dollars before credit card surcharge. 

Customers departing from Don Mueang can also connect to JC International Airlines' domestic flights to Siem Reap in Phnom Penh from 18 US Dollars one-way .

Before 6 June, there are no direct Cambodian flights from Phnom Penh to Bangkok after Cambodia Angkor Air suspended scheduled flights to Suvarnabhumi two years ago. All Cambodia Angkor Air flights to Thailand operate directly to Siem Reap only.

JC International Airlines' flight tickets are also available for sale on the Chinese on-line ticketing portal of Ctrip.

Don Mueang is JC International Airlines' fourth foreign destination after Macau, Ho Chi Minh City and Taoyuan.  It commenced direct flight to Siem Reap on 18 March 2017 followed by services to Sihanoukville and charter flight from Siem Reap to Macau. The airline started to fly between Phnom Penh and Taoyuan on 13 May 2017 with scheduled flight departing for Taoyuan at 3.05 pm under flight QD668, arriving in Taoyuan at 7.10 pm and scheduled night flight departing from Taoyuan for Phnom Penh at 8.10 pm  and touching down in Phnom Penh at 11 pm under QD667 six times a week with a seventh flight operating via Siem Reap according to Travel Daily Asia. 

Travel Daily Asia reported that JC International Airlines plans to receive its fourth and fifth Airbus A320 aircraft in October and December 2017 this year. The airline plans to expand its route network to cover Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and cities in China by December 2017.

XiamenAir launches scheduled flight to Los Angeles on 27 June 2017

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

According to XiamenAir, it is launching direct scheduled flight from Xiamen to Los Angeles on 27 June 2017. It will fly three times a week between both cities with one of its B787 Dreamliner aircraft.

On 27 June 2017, XiamenAir flight MF829 departs from Xiamen for Los Angeles at 8 pm, arrives in Los Angeles at 6 pm American local time before leaving Los Angeles at 12.15 am on 28 June 2017 and touching down in Xiamen at 5.30 am local time under flight MF830.

The outbound flights from Xiamen for Los Angeles are on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays while flights leave Los Angeles for Xiamen on Wednesdays, Fridays and Mondays.

Following flights to Los Angeles, XiamenAir plans to launch weekly flights from Xiamen and Fuzhou to Kalibo, gateway to Boracay in the Philippines, in July 2017. On 10 April 2017, it started scheduled flight to Cebu from Quanzhou and on 18 April 2017 launched flight from Fuzhou to Cebu.

China's first low-cost flight to Moscow Domodedovo takes off on 12 June 2017

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

Lucky Air today announced that it is launching twice-weekly low-cost long-haul flight from Kunming Changshui International Airport to Moscow Domodedovo International Airport on 12 June 2017. 

According to a media report in Kunming, during the first month of June, Lucky Air's first Airbus A330-300 will depart from Kunming for Moscow on Mondays and Fridays. The flight from Moscow to Kunming will take off on Tuesdays and Saturdays. This frequency will increase to three times from July 2017 with an inclusive day of service operation on Wednesdays/Thursdays.

On 12 June 2017, Lucky Air flight 8L9503 departs from Kunming Changshui for Moscow Domodedovo at 10.55 am, arrives in Moscow at 3.05 pm before taking off from Moscow at 5.05 pm and touching down in Kunming Changshui at 6.30 am local time on 13 June 2017 under flight 8L9504.

The Kunming Changshui-Moscow Domodedovo route is China's first low-cost link with Russia. Passengers of West Air, Urumqi Air, HK Express, Eastar Jet and other airlines from Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Hong Kong, Incheon, Taipei, Yangon and Bangkok may connect with this Lucky Air flight in Kunming to reach Moscow.

The first China-Moscow Domodedovo full-service flight is launched by Capital Airlines from Qingdao on 31 May 2017, followed by Tianjin Airlines from Chongqing and Tianjin on 7 June 2017. 

IndiGo starts daily flight between Bengaluru and Singapore on 30 June 2017

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

IndiGo is inaugurating daily flight between Bengaluru and Singapore on 30 June 2017 using its Airbus A320 aircraft.

On 30 June 2017, IndiGo flight 6E73 departs from Bengaluru for Singapore at 9.20 pm, arrives in Singapore Changi Airport Terminal 2 at 4.30 am on 1 July 2017 before leaving Singapore for Bengaluru at 5.30 am and touching down in Bengaluru at 8 am under flight 6E58.

ITB China 2017 opens today in Shanghai

Press Release by : Messe Berlin and ITB China
Edited by : KUCINTA SETIA
Distributed to All Press & Travel Professionals

Shanghai, 10 May 2017 – The first edition of ITB China, ITB China 2017, takes place from 10 to 12 May 2017 in Shanghai. Dr. Martin Buck, Senior Vice President, Messe Berlin; Eduardo Santander, Executive Director, European Travel Commission; Rungang Zhang, Secretary General & Vice President of China Tourism Association and Jane Sun, CEO, Ctrip.com officially opened the first edition of ITB China during a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and Convention Centre.

Around 600 companies, destinations, organisations and travel service provider from nearly 70 countries and territories will be represented in China’s new three-day business to business travel trade show. ITB China will take place annually on the grounds of the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and Conference Centre in a partnership with TravelDaily China, China’s leading online news portal and event organiser for the travel industry. The 12,000 square metres area of exhibition space has been sold several months ahead of the event. ITB China is the Chinese off-shoot of annual ITB Berlin, the World´s Largest Travel Trade Show ®, and its sister show, ITB Asia, in Singapore.

The inaugural event has attracted around 600 exhibitors among which 28% are offering MICE products, 34% leisure, 31% Corporate and 7% travel technology solutions. More than one third of the exhibitors made their way from all over Asia and China to the first ITB China while around 40% come from European countries, 10% from the Middle East and some 10% from the Americas.

Dr. Christian Göke, CEO, Messe Berlin, said, “This is an opportune timing for the tourism industry to seize the prospects offered by China’s vibrant economic growth. ITB China has come at the right time. Our new marketplace for China’s travel industry creates an international platform with a strong focus on Chinese buyers and sellers and covers everything the industry has to offer – MICE, NTOs, business travel, tour operators, OTA’s and travel tech companies.”

Top-quality buyers present

ITB China’s exhibitors will engage with 600 top-quality buyers from China. They are coming from all over the country to visit ITB China in Shanghai and represent more than 180 different Chinese companies eager to discover the product range of the show’s exhibitors. The list of confirmed buyers companies contains some of China’s biggest travel industry players, such as Ctrip, Caissa, Utour, Alitrip and many more.More than 10,000 buyer-seller appointments have been pre-scheduled before the event. In addition, ITB China expects some 100 international trade buyers adding the event’s buyers numbers up to around 700 from more than 300 companies.

Strong inaugural partner line-up

Europe is ITB China’s partner destination and sets the focus on showcasing the variety of the continent’s touristic products. A dedicated Europe Pavilion will feature a multitude of national presences paired with strong individual attendances of major European destinations.

Eduardo Santander, Executive Director, European Travel Commission said: "European destinations acknowledge the need to remain competitive in China. Only through deeper cooperation with Chinese authorities and an increased commitment of the European tourism sector supporting targeted joint public-private marketing initiatives like the partnership with ITB China, Europe will succeed in fostering more travellers from China.”

The European presence on the show floor is flanked by The World Bridge Tourism project (WBT), which is co-located with ITB China 2017. The WBT is a project jointly organized by the European Travel Commission (ETC) and the European Tour Operators Association (ETOA) matching 150 European tourism suppliers from all over Europe with the corresponding number of Chinese travel product buyers. The Europe Pavilion and the World Bridge Tourism are projects supported by the European Union as preparatory actions towards the EU-China Tourism Year in 2018.

China Eastern Airlines, being one of China’s top three airlines, is ITB China’s official partner Airline and has granted exclusive air fares to ITB China’s attendees. However, China Eastern does not exhibit at ITB China.  Airlines exhibiting at ITB China 2017 include Austrian Airlines, Alitalia, Finnair, Etihad Airways, Shanghai-based Yangtze River Airlines and Shanghai office of Hainan Airlines. New Belgium yet-to-be-launched long-haul low-cost airline Air Belgium with plans to fly from Brussels to Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Tokyo is also exhibiting at ITB China 2017.

The strong partner line-up is rounded up with the Jin Jiang International Hotels, one of the world’s biggest hotel chains, being ITB China’s official partner hotel will have its brands presented on the ITB China show floor.

Powerful conference programme

Attendees of ITB China 2017 can look forward to an exciting conference programme. The ITB China Conference is the platform where newest trends and innovation of Chinese and the global travel industry are presented. It runs parallel and will be jointly organised with TravelDaily China. One of the highlights is the speech of Mr. Rungang Zhang, Vice-Chairman and Secretary General of CTA- China Tourism Association, China’s biggest travel industry association. The impressive keynote line-up on the opening day of the conference will be furthermore enriched by a keynote held by Mr. Friedrich Joussen, the CEO of TUI Group. An exclusive CEO interview of Ms. Jane Sun, CEO of Ctrip, will be held by the founder of Phocuswright Inc., Mr. Philip Wolf providing in-depth insights on China’s biggest online travel agency.

Meeting place for digital community: eTravel World China

The eTravel World China is connecting established, start-up online focussed and travel technology companies with buyers looking for the best technology solutions:Trade visitors can find out more about innovative products and apps for tour operators, the hospitality industry and destinations at the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and Conference Center. Globally renowned companies such as Amadeus, Expedia and Booking.com and many more are among the confirmed participants presenting their wide product range to ITB China’s attendees.

The exhibition segment is flanked by a dedicated Online Travel and Travel Technology Day (May 11) at ITB China Conference providing attendees with exclusive developments on this area. In addition, companies have the chance to present their newest travel solutions to the audience at destination showcase slots to be held at a separate on-floor presentation area.

About ITB Berlin and ITB Asia

First launched 51 years ago, ITB Berlin is recognised as the most successful trade show for the global travel industry. Some 10,000 exhibitors from more than 180 countries regularly attend this event. Every year in October for the last eight years Messe Berlin has successfully organised ITB Asia in Singapore. Boasting 760 exhibitors from 73 countries, ITB Asia in Singapore has established itself as one of the leading travel trade shows in Asia. As the second show in Asia, ITB China will take place in Shanghai, one of the leading industrial cities in the People’s Republic of China, and with a population of around 23 million one of world’s largest cities. In contrast to ITB Asia, which reflects tourism in Asia as a whole, ITB China focuses entirely on the Chinese travel market.

About ITB China and the ITB China Conference

ITB China 2017 will take place from Wednesday to Friday, 10 to 12 May, at the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and Convention Centre. ITB China is a three-day business to business travel trade fair that focuses exclusively on the Chinese travel industry. The ITB China Conference will take place parallel with the show and is co-organised by the leading conference organiser TravelDaily (www.traveldaily.cn).

More details are available at www.itb-china.com

Lao Airlines suspends flights to Singapore until November 2017

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

Lao Airlines has suspended scheduled flights to Singapore from Vientiane and Luang Prabang until further notice due to competition from SilkAir on the routes to Vientiane and Luang Prabang. 

Lao Airlines comments, "We are now temporary closed this route (service to Singapore)".

Lao Airlines plans to resume flights to Singapore in November 2017, fly to Hong Kong, Taipei and Tokyo in the near future.

For further information, visit www.laoairlines.com.

MEGA Maldives Airlines suspends flights to Hong Kong, Macau, Koror, Kuala Lumpur, Colombo, India and China

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

MEGA Maldives Airlines temporarily suspends commercial flight operations from 2 May 2017 until further notice as part of its restructuring and recapitalization efforts. Its other management and administrative functions will continue as per normal.

Since 2016, MEGA Maldives Airlines has been involved in the complex process of restructuring the company with the aim of recapitalizing and upgrading to meet the level of product and service requirements its passengers deserve. This process would involve securing new investments, bringing changes to the ownership structure of the company, and a review of its fleet strategy with a view to acquire newer, and more suitable aircraft for the many markets we serve. It would also involve the complete retraining of MEGA’s flight crew and a renovation of its facilities.

It is the airline's ambition that once the restructuring process is completed, MEGA Maldives Airlines will be able to fly again soon with newer, more reliable aircraft – keeping customers and the Maldives at the heart of its business model.

MEGA Maldives Airlines was established in 2010 with the intention of expanding direct air connectivity between the Maldives and emerging market destinations. Since its establishment, it has carried over 1.1 million passengers  to over 5 destinations world-wide including Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai-Pudong, Koror, Macau, Kuala Lumpur, Colombo, Delhi and Mumbai.

For further information, visit www.megamaldivesair.com.