Scoot launches inaugural scheduled flight to Harbin from Singapore on 1 December 2017

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

Scoot, short for the new official name Scoot Tigerair Pte Ltd since 25 July 2017, launches thrice-weekly scheduled direct flight from Singapore Changi Airport Terminal 2 to Harbin Taiping International Airport on 1 December 2017 using one of its B787-800 Dreamliner aircraft.

On 1 December 2017, Scoot flight TR154 departs from Singapore for Harbin at 2 am and arrives in Harbin at 8.50 am. At 10.15 am, flight TR155 takes off from Harbin for Singapore at 10.15 am and touches down in Singapore at 5.50 pm.

Scoot will operate services on the new route to Harbin on Sundays, Tuesdays and Fridays.

With the new route to Harbin, passengers from Singapore need not transit in Guangzhou, Beijing, Tianjin, Incheon, Jinan, Shenyang or Narita for external flights to Harbin.

Passengers arriving in Harbin can fly onwards with other airlines to Irkutsk, Novosibirsk, Shijiazhuang, Hailar, Hefei, Heihe, Hohhot, Lianyungang, Yanji, Yekaterinburg, Krasnoyarsk, among other cities.

Scoot's Economy Class fare on the Singapore-Harbin route starts from 808 Singapore Dollars while ScootBiz fare begins from 1058 Singapore Dollars one-way. Fare promotion to celebrate launch of the new route is not yet available.

For further information and updates, visit www.flyscoot.com.

Shandong Airlines launches flights from Urumqi to two Chinese cities on 2 September 2017

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

Shandong Airlines, the Jinan-based subsidiary of Air China, launches flights from Urumqi to Shijiazhuang and Changchun on 2 September 2017 using its newest B737-800 aircraft (registered B-1442) that it received upon delivery from Boeing on 25 August 2017.

On 2 September 2017, Shandong flight SC8781 departs from Urumqi for Shijiazhuang at 6.50 am, arrives in Shijiazhuang at 10.25 am before leaving Shijiazhunag for Changchun at 11.10 am and arriving in Changchun at 1.05 pm.

At 5.20 pm, flight SC8782 leaves Changchun for Shijiazhuang at 5.20 pm, touching down in Shijiazhuang at 7.25 pm before departing for Urumqi at 8.15 pm and arriving in Urumqi at 12.20 am on 3 September 2017.

The flights are operated on a daily basis.

The B737-800 (B-1442) is the fourteenth new aircraft of Shandong Airlines this year. Shandong Airlines has a fleet of 112 aircraft now.

Chongqing Airport T1 closes down on 29 August 2017

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

Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport Terminal 1 (T1) for international flights closes down on 29 August 2017. All international flights from Hong Kong, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Suvarnabhumi, Don Muenag, Denpasar, Doha, Dubai, Nha Trang, Incheon, Narita, Taipei Taoyuan, Kaohsiung, Helsinki, Osaka etc to Chongqing now land at the newly-opened Terminal 3 (T3). 

A large number of domestic flights are also now operating at Terminal 3. These domestic airlines include China Southern, China Eastern, Chongqing Airlines, Hainan Airlines, Kunming Airlines, Lucky Air, Fuzhou Airlines, Tianjin Airlines, Tibet Airlines, Donghai Airlines, OKAir, Ruili Airlines, Shandong Airlines, XiamenAir, Loong Air and Air China.

The domestic airlines that remain operating at Terminal 2 (T2) are Sichuan Airlines, West Air, China Express Airlines and Spring Airlines.

Chongqing T3 is also site for an integrated land transport system centre. All long-distance coaches to Chongqing Airport now terminate at T3 while at T2, tourists can immediately access to Chongqing MTR. There are airport shuttle bus services linking the terminals in these routes T3-T2-T1-T3. Passengers can access to the buses at T2 Domestic Exit Gates 4, 7 and at T3 Level 1 Exit Gate 9. Every five minutes, there is a shuttle bus ride.

With the closure of T1, the headquarters of Chongqing Airlines next to T1 remains open.

For more travel information, visit Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport web-site http://www.cqa.cn.

Heritage Review : Bangladesh Military Museum, Dhaka

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

If there is one country in Asia that promotes national defence as part of the country tourism, it is Bangladesh. The capital of Bangladesh, Dhaka, alone has three military museums including the Liberation War Museum and Bangladesh Military Museum. The latter is the largest military museum of the city.

Bangladesh is an independent country since 26 March 1971. To document the military forces' heritage of the country, Bangladesh Military Museum was opened in 2004. It is situated beside the Novo Theatre, Dhaka's Science Centre, in Bijoy Sharani under the Shere-e-Bangla Nagar Thana area, and both tourist attractions are managed by the Bangladesh military forces.

Bangladesh Military Museum consists of two storeys. The ground floor displays old cars used by the military, artillery, machine guns and other military items.

The other floors showcase the ancient military, nursing costumes of Bangladesh, military heritage at the time of struggles for independence including military emblems, portraits of past military commanders, artefacts related to signing the decreed for independence, artefacts related to the Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord, emphasis on international peace-keeping activities, of which Singapore, Bangladesh and other countries are contributory countries.

There are 26 different model tanks but I only saw a few model tanks and model ships outside the museum.

Bangladesh Military Museum can do more to promote peace and understanding in Bangladesh and maybe South Asia and Southeast Asia. There ought to be a room showcasing films related to the struggle for independence, past leaders of Bangladesh, a documentary library for researchers and activities to let the tourists learn more about the country. There is potential to display how far Bangladesh has done to fight against terrorism.

Opening hours of Bangladesh Military Museum are from Saturdays to Thursdays (10 am to 6 pm) and Fridays (3 pm to 6 pm). It is closed on Wednesdays. Free admission.

The artefact photographs on Bangladesh Military Museum are published in this report, copyright by Kucinta Setia and permission sought from the museum for the photography to carry out. Please contact Aviation & Travel News Department, Kucinta Setia, at asianperu@gmail.com beforehand if you wished to use the pictures published in this review. 

Kazi Travels can arrange tours to Bangladesh Military Museum from tourist hotels in Dhaka. Contact Kazi Travels at Facebook.

US-Bangla Airlines, Regent Airways, Biman Bangladesh Airlines, Scoot Tigerair and Singapore Airlines fly to Dhaka from Singapore with the earliest flight by US-Bangla Airlines.

Vistara launches daily flight to Varanasi from Delhi on 10 October 2017

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

Vistara, the Indian full-service subsidiary of Singapore Airlines, launches daily scheduled flight to Varanasi, the abode of Lord Shiva, from Delhi on 10 October 2017.

On 10 October 2017, Vistara flight UK721 departs from Delhi for Varanasi at 2.25 pm, arrives in Varanasi at 3.45 pm before leaving Varanasi for Delhi at 4.20 pm and touching down in Delhi at 6.05 pm under flight UK722.

Passengers on this route have the options to connect to other Indian cities including Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Amritsar.

Singapore Airlines' KrisFlyer members can earn KrisFlyer miles on Vistara's flights.

China Express Airlines received its first Airbus A320

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

China Express Airlines has received its first Airbus A320 and its first revenue service will be operated from Chongqing on 26 August 2017.

Tibet Airlines launches direct flight from Xi'an to Kathmandu on 26 August 2017

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

Tibet Airlines launches scheduled direct flight from Xi'an to Kathmandu on 26 August 2017. Flights depart between both cities on Saturdays, Tuesdays and Thursdays using Airbus A319 aircraft.

On 26 August 2017, Tibet Airlines flight TV6019 departs from Xi'an for Kathmandu at 8.55 am, arrives in Kathmandu at 12.40 pm before leaving Kathmandu for Xi'an at 1.40 pm and arriving in Xi'an at 7.25 pm under flight TV6020.

Xi'an is Tibet Airlines' second Chinese city to link with Kathmandu through direct flights after Chengdu.

To celebrate the launch of flight from Xi'an to Kathmandu, Tibet Airlines has introduced budget fares during the first month of travel. Round trip air fare from Kathmandu to Xi'an starts from 100 Chinese Yuan Renminbi (20.38 Singapore Dollars) while round trip air fare to Kathmandu from Xi'an costs from 399 Chinese Renminbi (81.33 Singapore Dollars).

For further information, call Tibet Airlines 24-Hour service hotline at 4008-0891-88.

Vietjet Air launches scheduled flight to Jakarta on 20 December 2017

Press Release by : Vietjet Air
                             c/o Media Services HK
Edited by : Gan Yung Chyan
                  / KUCINTA SETIA
Distributed to All Press & Travel Professionals

Vietjet Air today announced the launch of a new international route connecting Ho Chi Minh City with the Indonesian capital of Jakarta. The announcement ceremony was witnessed by high-ranking dignitaries from Vietnam and Indonesia on the official visit of His Excellency Mr. Nguyen Phu Trong, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam to Indonesia. The new route will meet the increasing demand for travels between the two countries andboost regional trading and integration.

The Ho Chi Minh City-Jakarta route, a three-hour journey, will operate daily from 20 December 2017. The Ho Chi Minh-Jakarta flight departs from Ho Chi Minh City at 8.40 pm and arrives in Jakarta at 11.40 pm local time. The return flight takes off at 1.40 am on 21 December 2017 and lands in Ho Chi Minh City at 4.40 am.

Online ticket sales will be announced in due course by Vietjet.

Mr. Dinh Viet Phuong, Vietjet’s Vice President, said, “Since its inception, Vietjet has been developing friendly and professional flight services in operating key international routes, helping connect Vietnam’s main business and tourism hubs with foreign destinations, including Jakarta. With its mission of making air travel approachable and possible for everyone and building a future in the air, Vietjet’s new route from Ho Chi Minh City to Jakarta will boost ties between these two economic, cultural and financial hubs, thus helping to boost regional trading and integration.”

Jakarta is famous for its own distinctive multicultural style, amazing cuisine and colourful tourism attractions. It also serves as a gateway to the country, which offers the world “Consistency in Diversity”. The Indonesian archipelago boasts UNESCO-listed world heritages such as Borobudur and Prambanan, Komodo National Park, Ujung Kulon National Park and Sumatra rainforest and, of course, breathtaking ‘paradise’ islands, such as Bali, one of the world's most incredible beach destinations.

In turn, Ho Chi Minh City will be the country’s doors to Indonesian visitors travelling in Vietnam, which also boasts UNESCO-listed world heritages and incredible beaches. The capital city of Hanoi is an incredible historic city with a rich culture and unique atmosphere. Other cities and destinations include the former imperial capital, Hue, a wonderful, romantic destination, the city of Danang, where there are stunning beaches and the wonderland of Quang Binh province, home to the largest caves in the world. As the country’s largest economic, financial and modern tourism hub, Ho Chi Minh City is a destination in its own right, one that visitors will find is as sweet and charming as it is dynamic and entertaining.

With its high-quality services, special low-fare tickets and diverse ticket classes, Vietjet offers its passengers enjoyable flights with a dynamic and friendly flight crew, comfy seats, delicious hot meals, special surprises as part of the inflight activities and amazing ticket fares during the daily “12 pm, It’s time to Vietjet” promotion.

Flight Schedules of SilkAir's Hiroshima flights with effect from 30 October 2017

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

SilkAir has started selling Hiroshima tickets. Its first flight from Singapore to Hiroshima is on 30 October 2017. Flights will be operated using its newly-acquired aircraft, B737 MAX 8, on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

On 30 October 2017, SilkAir flight MI868 departs from Singapore to Hiroshima at 1.45 am, arrives in Hiroshima at 9.30 am before leaving Hiroshima at 10.25 am and arriving in Singapore at 3.40 pm under flight MI867.

All-in one-way Super Economy Saver fare starts from 551 Singapore Dollars.

United Airlines launches daily non-stop flight from Los Angeles to Singapore on 27 October 2017

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

United Airlines launches daily non-stop flight between Los Angeles and Singapore on 27 October 2017 using its B787-900 Dreamliner aircraft.

On 27 October 2017, United flight UA37 departs from Los Angeles for Singapore at 8.55 pm, arrives in Singapore on 29 October 2017 at 6.50 am before leaving Singapore on 29 October 2017 at 11 am and touching down in Los Angeles at 10.05 am on the same day under flight UA38.

The estimated flying times are 17 hours 55 minutes west bound on the way to Singapore and 15 hours 15 minutes east bound on the way to Los Angeles, according to United Airlines.

With the launch of non-stop service between Los Angeles and Singapore, United Airlines will terminate the Chicago-Singapore, Hong Kong-Singapore routes on 27 October 2017, Singapore-Hong Kong route on 28 October 2017 and Singapore-Chicago route on 29 October 2017.

Los Angeles is United Airlines' second American destination that will be directly connected to Singapore after San Francisco from 27 October 2017. 

United Airlines inaugurates the first San Francisco-Singapore route service on 1 June 2016 using its B787-900 Dreamliner aircraft. It has a fleet of 21 B787-900 aircraft with an additional order of 3 more aircraft to be delivered through 2017.

JC International Airlines has postponed inaugural flight to Singapore

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

JC International Airlines has postponed its inaugural flight to Singapore on 29 August 2017 until further notice. The airline is believed to need more time to submit the necessary protocol documents to Changi Airport for the launch of flight.

The airline is refunding customers who have bought the Singapore flight tickets on its web-site and on Ctrip.com.

JC International Airlines will keep customers updated on the fresh inaugural flight date to Singapore on Facebook.

Besides Singapore, JC International Airlines plans to launch future scheduled flights to Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Incheon and Tokyo. It has ambitious plan to induct an Airbus A330 aircraft to its fleet as early as 2018 for long-haul flights from Phnom Penh to Paris and Australia.

The airline which has a fleet of 4 Airbus A320 aircraft has no overseas office agents. 

Inflight Review : Scoot should be renamed Scoot Tigerair

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

The Singaporean well-known brand "Tigerair" has not disappeared from Scoot aircraft after the airline announced that the merger identity will be known as Scoot from 25 July 2017. 

For instance, in the B787 Dreamliner aircraft seat pockets of Scoot, the words "SCOOT TIGERAIR PTE. LTD" and Business Registration Number 200312665W appear on the back page of each B787 safety card.

On one Airbus A320 aircraft of Scoot, there are four words "Scoot Tigerair Pte Ltd" near the tail livery. 

Scoot may as well announce to the public that the merger airline is known as "Scoot Tigerair" and not merely Scoot.

May Sayacinta - Airpost wish all passengers onboard Scoot Tigerair pleasant experiences throughout their journeys!