Fiji Airways launches charter flights to Tianjin and Hangzhou in January and February 2019

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

Fiji will welcome four Fiji Airways' direct flights from China during the Lunar New Year season in 2019. These flights will allow tourists from China to spend the New Year in Fiji enjoying the warmth and hospitality of the South Pacific.

Fiji Airways plans to launch charter flights to Tianjin and Hangzhou from Nadi in January and February 2019 using its Airbus A330 aircraft. The first charter flight arrives in Tianjin from Nadi on 31 January 2019 and departs for Nadi on the same day. The second charter flight from Tianjin takes off for Nadi on 6 February 2019.

Fiji Airways departs from Hangzhou for Nadi on 1 February and 7 February 2019. 

Passengers onboard the charter flights include families with children and couples who will experience a variety of exciting activities in different parts of Fiji, including the Mamanuca Islands and the Coral Coast, Denarau (Dananu Island) and Nadi. From tasting delicacies and cava to learning about Fijian culture and appreciating Fiji's natural beauty, the visitors' travel experiences in Fiji will be enriched and enjoyable.

Vincent Zheng Jinrui, Director of the Greater China Region of Fiji Tourism Bureau, said, “We are very pleased to welcome four charter flights from two cities in China during the Spring Festival of 2019."

Mr. Zheng added, "February is the off-season of Fiji tourism. During the important period of the Spring Festival, the direct flight charter is undoubtedly an important measure. The 4 flights will serve about 1,100 Chinese tourists to Fiji. In comparison with 545 charter visitors last year, this number has more than doubled."

Fiji Airways launched charter flights from Nadi to Beijing Capital and Shanghai Pudong during the Chinese New Year holidays of 2017.

As usual, Fiji Tourism Bureau works closely with Fiji Airways, the various land associations and the Fiji tourism partners to provide full support for the four charter flights of Fiji Airways. It has planned to launch a series of promotional activities for consumers and peers, including marketing activities, public relations, marketing, and various activities and training for tourism workers in Fiji in order to welcome and serve groups of China tourists.

Currently, tourists from China have to transit in Hong Kong or Singapore for Fiji Airways' onward scheduled flights to Nadi.

China Eastern takes delivery of its first A350-900 on 29 November 2018

Report by : Gan Yung Chyan
                  / KUCINTA SETIA
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Image courtesy : China Eastern

According to China Eastern Airlines today, it has taken delivery of its first Airbus A350-900 aircraft in Toulouse, France. The aircraft handover ceremony took place in Toulouse on 28 November 2018 and is leaving for Shanghai from Toulouse on 29 November 2018 at 10 pm. It arrives in Shanghai Hongqiao on 30 November 2018 at around 10 am.

China Eastern's first A350-900 aircraft or A350 XWB is the group's 700th aircraft and the 365th Airbus aircraft. It has a total order of 20 A350 XWB aircraft from Airbus.

AirAsia X touched down in Changi on 3 November 2018 with its 9th birthday livery

Report by : Gan Yung Chyan
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AirAsia X Airbus A330-323 aircraft touched down in Changi Airport in the late afternoon of 3 November 2018 with its dedicated 9th birthday livery. The aircraft was on its way from Gold Coast to Kuala Lumpur. It departed for Kuala Lumpur on 4 November 2018.

The airline has flown almost 1.6 million passengers between Kuala Lumpur and Gold Coast since its debut flight in November 2007.

AirAsia X flight D7 206 arrived in Gold Coast from Kuala Lumpur in the morning of 3 November 2018, featuring the special 9th birthday livery dedicated to its guests and staff.

Indonesia releases preliminary investigation report on the Lion Air 737 MAX 8 crash

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

Image courtesy : Visual China

On 28 November 2018, Indonesia announced at the press conference a preliminary investigation report detailing the details of the Lion Air crash that killed 189 people on 29 October 2018.  Nurcahyo Utomo, Head of the Aviation Department of the Indonesian National Transport Safety Committee, detailed the report.

The New York Times quoted the report as saying that in the 11-minute flight, the nose of the aircraft automatically sagged more than twenty times. The pilot had been fighting with time to pull the nose of the aircraft in question high, but this aircraft crashed in the sea.

According to the National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC), Indonesian investigators also said on the same day that the Boeing 737 MAX had encountered similar problems in a flight before the crash and did not reach airworthiness.

It is reported that the aircraft's penultimate flight from the Indonesian city of Denpasar to the capital Jakarta, encountered similar problems during the flight, until the pilot closed the abnormal system, using manual control to stabilize the aircraft, the crisis was resolved.

The pilot reported the problem to the Lion Air maintenance team after that flight, and the maintenance team also inspected the aircraft. The next morning, the plane took off for Pangkal Pinang and a tragedy followed.

Investigators said that the aircraft had this situation, indicating that it was not in an airworthy condition. However, the report did not give the exact cause of the crash.

Above : The height of the wrecked aircraft after the takeoff map. Source : The New York Times

On 12 November 2018, Reuters disclosed the preliminary investigation results of the Indonesian investigation team. It is reported that the 737 MAX model recently installed a tail-rotation protection system, which is considered to be related to the cause of the crash, but the relevant flight manual and training program do not mention this system.

In combination with the black box record, the investigation team believes that one of the reasons for the crash is the data anomaly on the "angle of attack sensor" on the aircraft. A new tail-rotation system installed on the machine has an automatic nose-down system. According to information released by Boeing afterwards, the system on the 737 MAX model has the ability to bypass the driver's control. Even if the hand is pulled up manually, the descent process will be repeated automatically after five seconds.

The investigation team pointed out that the operating manual and training program provided by Boeing did not mention this newly installed system.

After the accident, Boeing notified airlines, unions and training institutions that a new system installed on the 737 MAX model may cause the aircraft to lower the nose in some cases to avoid tail spin.

China Southern deploys 737 MAX 8 on its route to Singapore

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

China Southern Airlines has deployed its 737 MAX 8 on its route service to Singapore from Guangzhou since 26 November 2018. The Chinese airline has 18 737 MAX 8 aircraft in service. It first started 737 MAX 8 service in 2017.

Ethiopian Cargo launches flight to Singapore on 26 November 2018

Report by : Gan Yung Chyan
                  / KUCINTA SETIA
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Ethiopian Cargo has launched its first flight to Singapore from Addis Ababa on 26 November 2018. Other planned new destinations of the cargo airline in November 2018 include Dhaka, Narita and Incheon, according to its web-site.

VietJet Air launches charter flight between Singapore and Danang on 10 December 2018

Report by : Gan Yung Chyan
                  / KUCINTA SETIA
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VietJet Air launches charter flight between Singapore and Danang on 10 December 2018 using its A320 aircraft.

On 10 December 2018, the flight of VietJet Air departs from Danang at 10.40 am, touches down in Changi Airport Terminal 3 at 2.20 pm before leaving Changi for Danang at 3.20 pm and touching down in Danang at 5 pm.

The second flight to Danang is on 14 December 2018.

The flights are chartered by ASA Holidays. Contact the tour operator at 63035308/18 and 62389854. 

SilkAir launches charter flight to Wenzhou on 6 February 2019

Report by : Gan Yung Chyan
                  / KUCINTA SETIA
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SilkAir launches its first charter flight from Changi to Wenzhou on 6 February 2019 using B737-800 aircraft.

On 6 February 2019, SilkAir flight MI8326 departs from Changi Airport Terminal 2 for Wenzhou at 2 pn, touches down in Wenzhou at 6.40 pm before leaving Wenzhou at 7.40 pm and arriving in Changi at 12 am on 7 February 2019  under flight MI8325.

The second charter flight to bring back the tourists to Singapore from Wenzhou will be on 11 February 2019.

The flights are chartered by Air Sino-Euro & Associates Travel Pte Ltd for its six-days Wenzhou/Taizhou/Ningbo/Shaoxing Chinese New Year group tour. The package costs 1297 Singapore Dollars. For further information on the travel itinerary, please email to customerservice@asaholiday.com or contact the tour operator at 63035333 or 62389854, facebook.com/ASAHolidays.

Lucky Air launches daily flight from Chengdu to Suvarnabhumi on 1 December 2018

Report by : Gan Yung Chyan
                 / KUCINTA SETIA
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Lucky Air, Kunming's low-cost airline, launches daily flight from Chengdu to Bangkok Suvarnabhumi on 1 December 2018 using A320 aircraft.

On 1 December 2018, Lucky Air flight 8L811 departs from Chengdu for Suvarnabhumi at 12.50 am, touches down in Suvarnabhumi at 3.05 am before leaving Suvarnabhumi at 3.50 am and arriving in Chengdu at 7.40 am under flight 8L812.

The Chengdu - Suvarnabhumi route is Lucky Air's fourth route to Thailand after Kunming - Suvarnabhumi, Kunming - Chiang Mai and Zhengzhou - Phuket.

Beijing Airlines begins scheduled flight operations in Beijing Capital

Report by : Gan Yung Chyan
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On 22 November 2018, the CA1660 flight of Beijing Airlines Co., Ltd. (Beijing Airlines) arrived safely from Qiqihar Airport to Beijing Capital International Airport, marking the official launch of a new chapter in Beijing Airlines' public aviation operations. Representatives of Beijing Airlines' shareholder units and members of the leadership team attended the scheduled flight opening ceremony.

It is reported that in the "Strategic Cooperation Framework Agreement" signed by the China National Aviation Corporation and the Beijing Municipal Government earlier, it has been clarified that Beijing Airlines will develop the public air transport business in a timely manner on the basis of opening up the general air transport business. The “Thirteenth Five-Year Plan” period is an important strategic opportunity for the development of the domestic public air transport market. Under the strategic deployment of the coordinated development of the country's Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the Beijing-based civil aviation market has been rapidly improved and improved, and has released a huge market demand space, driven by the advantages of Beijing's economic development and unique location.

As an aviation company invested by Air China and Beijing, Beijing Airlines has seized this strategic opportunity to fulfill the requirements of the Beijing Municipal Government and the China Aviation Group Strategic Cooperation Framework Agreement. With the assistance and support of all parties, through the unremitting efforts of 9 months, Hundreds of application materials were submitted, 49 kinds of manuals were compiled, more than 100 guarantee agreements were signed, more than 40 deployment coordination meetings were held, and the public air transport enterprises were approved to obtain construction permits, business licenses and operational certifications. certificate. It became the first airline in North China to pass the R5 certification.

Beijing Airlines is carrying out public air transportation business with Beijing Capital International Airport as its operating base. It has successfully completed the transformation of its main business from business aviation operations to the simultaneous operation of business aviation and public aviation, striving to become a new mission and new system to adapt to the new era. New state-owned enterprises with new mechanisms, new ideas, new strategies and new cultures.

In the future, as a subsidiary of Air China, Beijing Airlines will share resources with Air China and develop synergistically. This is the development strategy of Beijing Airlines and the fundamental need of Air China's strategy to build Beijing's international hub. Beijing Airlines will be included in the maintenance and deployment of Air China's operating system in terms of route network, flight schedule, navigation rights use, flight operations and airport resource usage.

Beijing Airlines utliizes three 737-800 aircraft to operate on 8 domestic routes, shares the two-character code CA with Air China, and its three-word code is BJN. Its destinations include Qiqihar, Harbin, Shenyang, Changchun, Mudanjiang, Wulanhaote, Qingdao and Baotou with an average of 730 flights per route per year. It will move its operations to Beijing Daxing once Beijing's second international airport opens in late 2019.

Beijing Airlines will cultivate its own mature operation system, gain better market brand effect, rapidly improve its comprehensive competitiveness, and further provide quality services for the continuously increasing civil aviation market in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.

Based on Air China's advanced management philosophy, Beijing Airlines aims to achieve the highest service experience in its aviation field, build a Beijing service brand, improve and strengthen Beijing's air transport industry, enhance Beijing's brand aviation service capabilities, and promote Beijing's economic and social development. 

Loongair launches flight from Xi'an to Macau on 22 November 2018

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

Loongair launches scheduled flight from Xi'an Xianyang International Airport to Macau on 22 November 2018 using its A320 aircraft.

On 22 November 2018, Loongair flight GJ8965 departs from Xi'an for Macau at 9.40 am, arrives in Macau at 12.55 pm before leaving Macau for Xi'an at 5.40 pm and touching down in Xi'an at 10.05 pm under flight GJ8966.

Flights are operated on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays.

Scoot to take over many SilkAir routes from April 2019 to July 2020

Press Release by : Singapore Airlines

Pictures by : Gan Yung Chyan

                    / KUCINTA SETIA

Distributed to Everyone

Scoot is to take over a number of SilkAir’s routes over the next two years, ahead of SilkAir’s merger into Singapore Airlines (SIA). Scoot will also be transferring some of its services to existing destinations served by SIA and SilkAir.


The changes are expected to take place between April 2019 and the second half of 2020. They are the result of a detailed review to identify which airlines in the SIA Group portfolio are best suited to meet evolving customer demand. The changes, which are subject to regulatory approvals, are planned as follows:


From SilkAir to Scoot:

• Luang Prabang and Vientiane in Laos, in April 2019
• Coimbatore, Trivandrum and Visakhapatnam in India, between May 2019 and October 2019
• Changsha, Fuzhou, Kunming and Wuhan in China, between May 2019 and June 2019
• Chiang Mai in Thailand, in October 2019
• Kota Kinabalu in Malaysia, in December 2019
• Balikpapan, Lombok, Makassar, Manado, Semarang and Yogyakarta in Indonesia, between May 2020 and July 2020

From Scoot to SIA (Both are existing SIA destinations):

• Bengaluru and Chennai in India, in May 2019 and May 2020

From Scoot to SilkAir (Both are existing SilkAir destinations):

• Shenzhen in China, from June 2019
• Kochi in India, from October 2019

In addition, SilkAir will be converting its Mandalay route to a seasonal service. Existing services will end in March 2019 and will resume in November 2019, continuing until January 2020. Scoot will meanwhile be suspending services to Honolulu with effect from June 2019 as a result of weak demand.


Dates are indicative as a result of required regulatory approvals. Customers with existing bookings will be provided the option to switch to the new Scoot, SIA or SilkAir flights where possible, or be provided refunds.


“We are now at the half-way mark in our three-year Transformation Programme, and today’s announcement represents another significant development. The route review will strengthen the SIA Group for the long term, with the right vehicles in our portfolio of airlines deployed to the right markets,” said SIA CEO, Mr Goh Choon Phong.


SIA announced in May that its regional wing SilkAir is to undergo a significant investment programme to upgrade its cabin products ahead of its eventual merger into SIA. The programme will see SilkAir’s cabins fitted with new lie-flat seats in Business Class, and the installation of seat-back in-flight entertainment systems in both Business Class and Economy Class.


The investments will ensure closer product and service consistency across the SIA Group’s full-service network. Low-cost subsidiary Scoot’s fleet will meanwhile be expanded with the transfer of 14 Boeing 737-800s from SilkAir, while SilkAir will continue growing its operations in the years ahead as it takes delivery of new Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft.

The 787th Dreamliner is ready for China Southern

Report by : Gan Yung Chyan
Pictures by : Cheng Chang Hsieh
Distributed to All Press & Travel Professionals

Boeing has completed the painting of its 787th Dreamliner which will be delivered to China Southern Airlines.

Royal Brunei Airlines resumes flight to Kuching on 28 December 2018 with A320neo

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

Image courtesy : Airbus

Royal Brunei Airlines resumes scheduled flight to Kuching from Bandar Seri Begawan on 28 December 2018. The resumption flights are operated by its first A320neo aircraft. Initially, flights will be operated on Mondays and Fridays at 11.45 pm under BI857 to Kuching, arrive in Kuching at 1 am before taking off under BI858 at 6.55 am and landing in Bandar Seri Begawan at 8.20 am on Tuesdays and Saturdays.

From 3 February 2019, the Bandar Seri Begawan - Kuching frequency will increase to four times weekly with additional return flights on Thursdays and Sundays as follows:-

Flight BI855 departs from Bandar Seri Begawan for Kuching at 7 pm, arrives in Kuching at 8.15 pm before leaving Kuching for Bandar Seri Begawan at 9.05 pm and arriving in Bandar Seri Begawan at 10.30 pm under flight BI856.

Royal Brunei Airlines currently operates a fleet of twelve aircraft comprising of five Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft, five Airbus A320neo aircraft and two Airbus A320ceo aircraft. The remaining two A320neo aircraft will join the fleet in November 2018. By the end of 2018, it will own seven A320neo, two A320ceo and five B787 aircraft, making its fleet one of the youngest in the world with an average fleet age of two years.

According to Royal Brunei Airlines, it operated services to Kuching from 15 May 1975 to 28 July 2011 using B737 aircraft. The route was suspended due to commercial reason.

Air Macau to receive 3 A320neo aircraft in the first half of 2019

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

BOC Aviation Leasing Co., Ltd. ("BOC Aviation Leasing") has announced the lease of three new A320neo aircraft to Air Macau, all of which are scheduled to be delivered in the first half of 2019. The aircraft will be powered by the Pratt & Whitney Geared Turbofan.

“We are pleased to work with Air Macau for the first time to support its fleet and route expansion plans, and Air Macau has taken advantage of the opportunities in the booming Pearl River Delta,” said Robert Martin, General Manager and CEO of BOC Aviation. 

Mr Martin added, "BOC Aviation has been fully prepared to support the growth of the Chinese aviation market with our most advanced aircraft. Air Macau's selection of the A320neo aircraft is in line with our focus on the most efficient and advanced technology aircraft investment.."

Mr. Chen Hong, Chairman and General Manager of Air Macau's Executive Board of Directors, said, “We will take the cooperation opportunity to introduce A320neo for the first time in our history and the opportunity to lease it to us is given to BOC Aviation Leasing. We have demonstrated our high recognition and attention to our strategic partner.” 

“We (Air Macau) choose the A320neo aircraft as it is installed with a new high-efficiency engine and equipped with the latest shark fins. It has excellent aircraft performance and is the world's leading and technologically advanced single-channel model.” 

At the same time, Mr. Chen Hong added, “As the Macau-based airline, we are looking towards the future. We will continue to adhere to the strategic vision of 'rooting Macau, serving Macau', and become the preferred airline for Macau travelers as we bring more advanced products and better services to our passengers and build an important air bridge from Macau to the world."

HNA Holdings to reduce its stake in Urumqi Air to 30 per cent

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

On 20 November 2018, HNA Holdings signed a strategic cooperation framework agreement with the Urumqi Municipal Government to combine their respective advantages to strengthen and build Urumqi Air an important national airline.

Under the framework, the Urumqi Municipal People's Government or its designated subsidiaries will hold 70 per cent of Urumqi Air while HNA Holdings will hold 30 per cent. Equity adjustments may be made in cash or in the form of physical and equity assets related to aviation operations.

Urumqi Air, which was established in 2014, currently has a fleet of 16 aircraft and operates 46 domestic and 1 international route. The net profit for the first half of 2018 was 0.5 billion yuan. At present, the controlling shareholder of Urumqi Air is HNA Holdings (600221.SH) under the HNA Group, holding 70 per cent of Urumqi Air, and Urumqi Urban Construction Investment (Group) Co., Ltd. holds another 30 per cent.

In March 2018, the second shareholder Urumqi Urban Construction Investment (Group) Co., Ltd. announced that it will increase its capital by 450 million yuan. The signing of this contract is to further take control of the controlling stake.

According to the agreement between the two parties, after the completion of the equity restructuring, Urumqi Air will hire a professional team of HNA Holdings under the leadership of the board of directors to be responsible for the safety, production and operation management of Urumqi Air. The chairman of the board is recommended by the Urumqi Municipal Government or its designated subsidiary, and the general manager is recommended by HNA Holdings.

This also means that after the Xinjiang government has increased its stake in Urumqi Air, the specific management operations will still be handled by HNA.

Earlier, HNA Group and China Commercial Aircraft (COMAC) signed an intentional order for 20 ARJ21 aircraft, and these 20 aircraft will also be operated by Urumqi Air.

During the Zhuhai Air Show, Urumqi Air signed an agreement with COMAC to confirm that it will receive two ARJ21-700 aircraft from COMAC before the end of this year and plans to receive three ARJ21-700 aircraft in 2019.

According to plans of Urumqi Air, its future will actively respond to China's “Belt and Road Initiative” , the tourism development strategy of the autonomous region, speed up the introduction of aircraft, increase the capacity of the Xinjiang region, and open intra-provincial and cross-border routes from Urumqi, thus bringing profits to the Xinjiang government and HNA Holdings. 

Urumqi Air will present a more reliable transportation image of Xinjiang through its comprehensive route network and gradually open international routes to Central Asia, West Asia, South Asia and Europe from Urumqi thus providing a convenient Asian-European air bridge for cultural exchanges.

Having an airline that truly belongs to a Chinese city has always been the wish of many local governments. In addition to Urumqi Air, the government-owned shareholders of several airlines such as Capital Airlines and Lucky Air, which are owned by HNA Group, are willing to increase their shareholding ratioes.

The cooperation mode signed by Urumqi Air with the Xinjiang government (government funded, HNA management) will become a template for future cooperation between Hainan Airlines' subsidiaries and Chinese city governments. After all, in aviation operations, security, services, etc. HNA has more experiences.

Such a cooperation model also means that HNA Group, which is still not well funded, will not easily sell all its airlines, but will further focus on the aviation industry through “output management”. Under such a line of thinking, cooperation with local governments that already have equity relationships is undoubtedly a better choice.

In February 2018, Tianjin Free Trade Zone increased its capital by 400 million to Tianjin Airlines. In March 2018, Urumqi City Construction Investment increased its capital by 450 million yuan to Urumqi Air. The capital increase methods include but not limited to land, buildings, physical assets, capital and equity. In August Shaanxi Airport Investment Group increased its capital by 300 million yuan in Air Changan while Kunming Xishan District Development Investment Group plans to increase capital by 200 million in Lucky Air.

Since the second half of 2018, Chen Feng has served as the chairman of the board of directors of HNA Group, and has increased the disposal of assets. The non-main business business has been diversified and the non-health industry has withdrawn. HNA's assets of nearly 300 billion yuan have been disposed of this year, mainly involving diversification and non-aviation business.

These include financial aspects of the abandonment of the acquisition of Hua'an Insurance, the transfer of Xinguang HNA Life Insurance, the sale of Lijiang Jinkong, the sale of Lianxun Securities, and HNA recently abandoned the purchase of Bohai Trust and proceeded with the real estate sales of high-priced Hong Kong Kai Tak three plots, Shanghai Land, Hainan Real Estate, Shenzhen Haihang City etc.

Within the HNA Group, the original seven industrial groups merged into four, and later became "two masters and two assistants." At the same time, as the core business of the aviation industry, HNA Holdings has also established a new business committee, which is equivalent to the marketing committee of the three major airlines. It has a marketing department, a network department, an e-commerce department, an international department and other departments. The airline's route market is coordinated to improve resource utilization efficiency and reduce internal losses.

It can be said that whether it is from the requirements of the government or the adjustment of HNA's own strategy and organizational structure, it is returning to its main business of aviation by focusing on improving the aviation core industry and related industries around aviation, including aviation tourism, aviation logistics, and aviation insurance, leasing and aviation technology.

Firefly suspends flight operations to Singapore from 1 December 2018

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

Firefly has decided to suspend flights to Singapore from 1 December 2018 due to "unresolved issues" with Changi Airport Group on the move of its turboprop flight operations from Changi Airport to Seletar Airport.

Under Changi Airport Group's plan, Firefly is supposed to begin commercial flights from Seletar to Kuantan, Subang and Ipoh from 1 December 2018. 

The decision for Firefly's flight suspensions. however, is believed to be commercial-based and logistic-based as Firefly's operations from Seletar Airport will not connect with its parent company Malaysia Airlines' flights from Changi to Kuala Lumpur, Miri and other Malaysian cities. Besides, there are no convenient land transport links between Seletar and Changi Airports.


Passengers boarding flights at Seletar Airport can reach the new terminal by public bus service 102, with the bus stop conveniently located 50 metres from the terminal and accessible via a sheltered walkway or by taxis and private hire cars. Bus 102 provides connectivity from the Seletar Airport area to Hougang Central Bus Interchange, Sengkang MRT station and Jalan Kayu. Passengers arriving from Changi Airport must transfer at Tanah Merah, Paya Lebar and Serangoon MRT stations for onward travel towards Sengkang MRT station via the Northeast Line.

Travelling from Seletar Airport

Passengers on commercial flights at Seletar Airport can look forward to checking in via four check-in counters in the departure hall, before proceeding to a comfortable departure gate holdroom. Spanning 10,000 square metres, the new two-storey terminal of Seletar also features more space for arrival immigration, baggage claim and a meeters-and-greeters hall, designed to provide a warm and hassle-free reception. A café in the departure area serves refreshments and quick bites to passengers, while a garden courtyard brings nature and a relaxed atmosphere to passengers and airport users.

On the airside, three parking stands adjacent to the new terminal enable quick boarding for passengers of commercial flights, and a faster turnaround time for the aircraft. Another 60 aircraft stands are located elsewhere in the airside of Seletar Airport, serving business and general aviation needs.

Seletar Airport, which is ready to handle scheduled commercial flights and all scheduled turboprop flights in Singapore from 1 December 2018, begins operations at its new passenger terminal on 19 November 2018. All operations have been transferred from the old terminal, situated at the west of the Seletar aerodrome, to the new one at the east. The new passenger terminal welcomed its first passengers on 19 November 2018 through the business aviation wing of the terminal.

Seletar Airport meets the relevant requirements of the International Civil Aviation Organization on airport design and operations. The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore has certified that the new facilities and infrastructure at Singapore's second commercial airport are ready for aircraft operations. These include both scheduled and non-scheduled services.

The new terminal includes the Seletar Business Aviation Centre, which comprises a separate drop-off area and a dedicated check-in and lounge area where business aviation passengers can enjoy quick pre-departure and arrival clearance in a comfortable setting. The facility also provides meeting facilities on the second level where passengers can conduct meetings in a conducive environment before their departure.

Financial strengths of Citilink and Sriwijaya Air Group after managerial control over the latter

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

On 14 November 2018, Garuda Indonesia officially took over the operational control of its 15-year-old rival Sriwijaya Air Group through its subsidiary Citilink, which enabled the company to occupy a majority share in the fast-growing domestic aviation market.  Under the agreement (KSO), Garuda Indonesia improves the operation and financial management of the Sriwijaya Air Group through its subsidiary Citilink. The deal has not yet involved equity, but Garuda Indonesia Group said it could increase cooperation at a later stage, including ownership of the Sriwijaya Air Group. 

After the cooperation agreement was reached,  the air traffic share of the airlines of the Lion Group in the Indonesian domestic market is approximately 51 per cent while Garuda Indonesia Group controls the air traffic share of approximately 47 per cent. The air traffic share by other Indonesian airlines is only 3 per cent. 

If viewed from the current fleet size, Garuda Indonesia Group controls the fleet of Sriwijaya Air Group slightly larger than the Lion Group. However, in 2017, the passenger traffic of the Lion Group was higher than that of the Sriwijaya Air Group and Garuda Indonesia Group.

The deep cooperation between Sriwijaya Air Group and Garuda Indonesia Group has a harbinger.

On 16 May 2018, Garuda Indonesia Group and Sriwijaya Air Group signed a code-sharing agreement to strengthen cooperation on domestic routes, strengthen synergies, and increase market share and profitability. The code-sharing cooperation agreement is the first cooperation agreement between Garuda Indonesia Group and Sriwijaya Air Group. At the time, the two parties also indicated that this was the first step for the two parent companies to carry out more strategic cooperation in other fields in the future. As an initial stage, the cooperation between the two parties is through a special proportional allocation agreement (SPA) and code sharing agreement. But as of now, the code sharing cooperation between the two parties has not yet been implemented. 

Sriwijaya Air and its full-service subsidiary NAM Air use reservation system differently from Lion Air and Citilink. Sriwijaya Air, NAM Air and Citilink have never code-shared with any airline and therefore need to upgrade their IT investments. For Sriwijaya Air, considering its financial situation is not ideal, the managerial control by Citilink represents a huge investment.

Citilink is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Garuda Indonesia that was established in 2001 then known as Garuda Indonesia Citilink. In May 2011, Garuda Indonesia announced the launch of the Citilink independent operation plan. On 5 July  2012, it obtained the Operation Qualification Certificate (AOC) issued by the Indonesian Transportation Department. On 30 July 2012, it officially operated independently using the independent call sign and logo. Its main competitor is Lion Air. Up to now, the number of aircraft in Citilink's fleet has reached 60, and the average utilization rate of the fleet from January to September 2018 has reached 9:12 hours. Due to the unsatisfactory operation in the past two years, it has slowed down the pace of fleet expansion.

Since the independent operation of Citilink, the passenger traffic has maintained a high growth rate, which has exceeded the average development speed of the Indonesian aviation industry for many years. In 2017, its passenger traffic growth slowed down, only 10.8% although its passenger load factor has been rising year after year. The average passenger load factor from January to September in 2018 reached 83.8%.

After the 2014 Indonesia AirAsia QZ8501 plane clash, in January 2015, the Indonesian transportation department signed the regulations and the minimum price of the ticket should not be less than 40% of the full price, which limits the minimum fare. Compared with the revenue of Citilink passenger kilometers in recent years, it is still possible to see the fierce market competition of the Indonesian aviation industry, and the revenue per unit passenger kilometer continues to decline. On the other hand, due to the impact of oil prices, the cost per unit of seat has increased in recent years. In 2015, Citilink's operating income increased by 123.92 per cent, and the first profit was 3.561 million US dollars. In  2016 and 2017, Garuda Indonesia Group did not separately announce the performance of Citilink, but in the whole year of 2017 and the first three quarters of 2018, Garuda Indonesia Group incurred a severe loss (a loss of 110 million in the first three quarters of 2018). It is believed that during this period, Citilink is highly likely to lose money.

To contribute to the profits of Garuda Indonesia Group, Citilink needs to improve its sales strategies. Currently, it relies on agency sales in Indonesia, and the construction of direct sales channels is backward. Its official website at www.citilink.co.id has almost no updates and limited brand appeal. It needs to improve its marketing strategies. Passengers from countries outside Indonesia know very little about Citilink. It is likely to lose money at the beginning of the opening of international routes. Its parent company, Garuda Indonesia, has been listed and is responsible for the capital market. This is why Citilink has not opened many scheduled international routes. Today, it only has two regular international routes.

Sriwijaya Air is a full-service airline that began operations in November 2003 and has been the third largest airline in Indonesia's domestic market since 2010. It established Sriwijaya Air Group in 2013 and also launched Nam Air, which is positioned as a full service regional airline. In the past year, the Sriwijaya Air Group has also been extremely difficult to operate and has contacted several potential investors.

This time, with the official takeover of the Sriwijaya Air Group management, it is expected that there will be follow-up actions such as equity acquisitions. From the current development of the Southeast Asian aviation market, large aviation groups are mostly developed with full-service sub-brands and low-cost sub-brands. At present, Garuda Indonesia Group manages four brands (operating license AOC), and it is difficult for multiple brands to achieve differentiated positioning and future. It is still possible for these brands including Citilink, Cargo Garuda Indonesia Cargo, Garuda Indonesia Explore-jet and Garuda Indonesia Explore to continue to integrate before any merger with Sriwijaya Air Group can be discussed.

The managerial control of Citilink over Sriwijaya Air Group shows that the Indonesian aviation market is growing faster but competition is fierce. 

According to Indonesian DGAC data, the domestic passenger market in Indonesia grew by 8 per cent in 2017, reaching 96.9 million. In 2016, the domestic market grew at a faster rate of 17 per cent At present, the Indonesian market is second only to the world's fifth largest domestic market in the US, China, India and Japan. Indonesia is very likely to surpass Japan in 2018 and become the fourth largest domestic market in the world. In 2017, the number of domestic tourists in Japan was 101.8 million. According to data from the Brazilian ANAC, Brazil is the sixth largest domestic market in the world with 90.6 million domestic passengers. If viewed from the scale of the entire aviation market, Indonesia has entered the tenth largest market in 2017 and is expected to leap to the fourth largest market in 2030.

Shandong Airlines resumes flight to Singapore on 20 December 2018 with 737 MAX 8

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

Shandong Airlines is resuming direct flight from Jinan to Singapore on 20 December 2018. Initially, it operates three flights a week between the two cities, on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. The flight frequency will increase till daily if the services prove that daily flights are needed to meet market demand.

On 20 December 2018, Shandong Airlines flight SC4937 departs from Jinan for Singapore at 6.30 am, arrives in Singapore Changi Airport Terminal 1 at 12.30 pm before leaving Changi for Jinan at 1.30 pm and touching down in Jinan at 7.35 pm under flight SC4938.

The flights are operated by Shandong Airlines' Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft.