Air India Express launches flight from Sharjah to Surat on 16 February 2019

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

Air India Express' B737-800 aircraft launches scheduled flight from Sharjah to Surat on 16 February 2019.

On 16 February 2019, Air India Express flight IX172 departs from Sharjah for Surat at 7.35 pm, arrives in Surat at 11.45 pm before leaving Surat for Sharjah at 12.30 am on 17 February 2019 and touching down in Sharjah at 2.15 am under flight IX171.

Air India Express flies to Surat from Sharjah on Saturdays and Mondays and returns to Sharjah on Sundays and Tuesdays.

Sharjah is the cultural and arts capital of the United Arab Emirates and Islam. Well-known tourist destinations in Sharjah include Sharjah National Park, Al Noor Island, Arabian Wildlife Center, Gold Souq, Al Majaz Waterfront and its heritage museums. It is one of the overseas bases of Air India Express.

Surat is the world's hub for diamond cutting and polishing and it is famous for its silk fabric and cotton mills and popular for its handmade arts and crafts. It is Air India Express' thirteenth Indian destination.

Air India offers international flights to the Middle East and Singapore besides domestic flights in India. 

Norwegian financing $353 million to maintain operations

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

The operations of Norwegian Air Shuttle and Norwegian Long Haul known collectively as Norwegian  do not seem to be improving. Financing funds will be used to maintain current operations but companies interested in acquiring Norwegian will be concerned about how their profit growth plans can bring benefits.

Norwegian obtained a financing of 3 billion Kronor (about 353 million US dollars) through the sale of shares to avoid violating the terms of the financial contract, thus setting the largest decline in the company's share price. After the British International Aviation Group (IAG) abandoned the eight-month acquisition plan, the airline was open to new acquisitions.

Norwegian is headquartered in Fornebu on the outskirts of Oslo. On Tuesday, the low-cost company said in a statement that the full allotment needs to increase financial flexibility and create space for contractual contracts for issued public bonds. As a result, the stock price fell by 30 per cent.

After British Airways' parent company IAG lost interest in its acquisition, Norwegian  invited other companies to bid, resulting in a 20 per cent drop in stock prices last Thursday. Norwegian stated that it will “continue to participate in an integrated discussion that can increase shareholder value” and added that there has been no development in the negotiations.

Norwegian CEO Bjorn Kjos has rejected IAG's two takeover bids and has been working hard to resolve the cash shortage problem, as it has become one of the fastest growing airlines in aviation history, and its capacity has been high. The price causes the income to fall. Norwegian repeatedly stated in its statement that it will pay more attention to profit rather than business development.

At 9.10 am local time on 29 January 2019, at the close of the Oslo Stock Exchange, Norwegian's stock trading price fell by 16 per cent. After the withdrawal of IAG, Norwegian's bonds recovered the losses recorded last week. According to data compiled by Bloomberg, the price of bonds worth 250 million Euros, which expired in December last year, rose 13 cents to 96 cents.

IAG's decision to abandon the bid triggered other companies' concerns about Norwegian's financial situation. Although the size of the allotment is larger than many people predicted, analysts expect that there may be capital increase. DNB Bank, Danske Bank and billionaire shipping giant John Fredriksen invested about 2.4 billion kronor.

According to previous reports, Norwegian must have a book equity value of more than 1.5 billion Kronor and more than 500 million Kronor of liquidity in order to comply with the terms of the contract.

Norwegian stated that its purpose was to reduce the level of expenditure through aircraft sales and delays in the delivery of some aircraft, and had to obtain compensation for some flights from Rolls-Royce due to engine problems. 

Norwegian  has announced that it will reduce its bases and routes in 2019, reflecting its decline in profitability, which may be the reason for IAG to abandon its acquisition. It had already ceased flight operations to Singapore and reduced its flight frequencies to Spain in order to curtail operation losses. It maintains its subsidiaries in the UK and Argentina known respectively as Norwegian Air UK and Norwegian Air Argentina.

Lufthansa also said that it had considered the acquisition of Norwegian. The profit warning of Ryanair, Europe's largest airline, and the uncertainty of the impact of Brexit flights and market developments (because the UK is the main market for Norwegian) will allow bidders to consider acquisitions more carefully.

Existing shareholders, including Kjos and Chairman Bjorn Halvor Kise, will participate in the allotment. Fredriksen worked hard last year to complete the difficult restructuring of his offshore drilling company Seadrill Ltd. He said he is looking for new opportunities as his wealth continues to diversify. It is estimated that his wealth is 7.9 billion US Dollars.

CAAC grants Zhengzhou's first cargo airline Zhongzhou Airlines business license

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

Henan has made significant progress in the local aviation development. The Civil Aviation Central and Southern Bureau of the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) has approved the business establishment of Zhongzhou Airlines Co., Ltd. (referred to as “Zhongzhou Airlines”), Henan's domestic and international cargo airline headquartered in Zhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport district, subject to any aviation unit opposition, according to the public notice released on CAAC's web-site on 29 January 2019.


Zhongzhou Airlines is jointly funded by Henan Zhongzhou Tengfei International Freight Forwarding Co., Ltd. (“Zhongzhou Tengfei”) leaders Zhanyang and Song Shengli.


Zhongzhou Tengfei is registered in Zhengzhou with a registered capital of 150 million yuan. It mainly engages in international freight forwarding, road general cargo transportation, warehousing services, etc. Zhanyang is  Zhongzhou Airlines director and legal representative while Song Shengli is another director of Zhongzhou Airlines.


The registered capital of Zhongzhou Airlines is RMB 600 million in which Zhongzhou Tengfei has a stake of 40 per cent while Zhanyang and Song Shengli each contribute 30 per cent.


At the same time, the person in charge of disclosure of Zhongzhou Airlines was Xu Jianguo, former party secretary and deputy general manager of the China Southern Airlines Engineering Department. Public information shows that Xu Jianguo was the main person in charge of Zhongyuan Airlines, the first local passenger airline of Henan.


According to the public notice, Zhongzhou Airlines proposes to engage in domestic, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan and international air cargo and mail transportation business. The aircraft to be used is B737 aircraft. At present, Zhongzhou Airlines has employed six captains, eight co-pilots, four licensed dispatchers, and reached a transfer intention with three other captains and 11 crew members.


According to industrial and commercial information, Zhongzhou Airlines is formed on 30 June 2016. The company's registered address is in Zhengzhou Airport District and its chairman is Hou Xingfan.


In 2017, Zhongzhou Airlines investors made two changes. In January of that year, the company's investors were changed from Henan Shangqiu Chunlai Education Group and Hou Junyu to Henan Shangqiu Chunlai Education Group led by Song Shengli and Yuan Qianqian. In August, they were changed to the current directors Song Shengli and Zhanyang.


According to industrial and commercial information, Hou Junyu is the legal representative of Henan Chunlai Education Technology Co., Ltd. and the chief executive of China Spring (01969), a company listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.


On 13 September 2018, Chunlai Education Group is officially listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange though it operates three institutions including Shangqiu College, Anyang College and Shangqiu College of Applied Science and Technology in Henan only.


Founded in July 2017, Zhongzhou Tengfei's shareholders are Hou Xingfan and Zhanyang. The former has a kinship relationship with Hou Junyu. From the perspective of equity relations and blood relationship, Zhongzhou Airlines has a lot to do with Chunlai Education Group.


With regard to the business license issuance to Zhongzhou Airlines, the act is timely as the special plan for the construction of the Zhengzhou-Luxembourg Air Silk Road (2017~2025), which was released in 2017, has already made it clear that it is necessary to speed up the formation of local cargo airlines and strive for the Cargolux Luxembourg Cargo Airlines joint venture cargo airline to be based in Zhengzhou. The project was put into operation at the end of 2018, and a local airline will be granted Air Operator Certificate (AOC) in order to be the partner of Cargolux in the joint venture to be put into operation at the end of 2019.


Meanwhile, Air Central China, a Zhengzhou-based state-owned enterprise owned by Zhongyuan International Aviation Holdings Development Co., Ltd. (Jianye Holding Co., Ltd. holds 40%, Henan Investment Group Co., Ltd. holds 30%, the balance by Zhengzhou investors) is still negotiating with Okay Holdings on the acquisition of the 70 per cent stake in Okay Airways / OKAir. According to Henan Business Daily,  the relevant parties are still negotiating on the acquisition price issue.


Having operational airlines headquartered in Zhengzhou is the obsession of Henan's aviation industry.  The obsession stems from the failure of Zhongyuan Airlines' business, the business suspension due to the Yichun air clash of Henan Airlines and the province's desire for huge investments to form local joint venture airlines and for local airline control.

Aer Lingus is updating its brand image on its livery, products, services, crew attire and in airports

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

All Images courtesy : Aer Lingus

Founded on 15 April 1936, Aer Lingus is Ireland's national flag carrier headquartered in Dublin. Its fleet consists of 67 aircraft flying to more than 100 cities in the UK and Europe and 17 direct routes to North America. It transports more than 12 million passengers every year.

To strengthen Aer Lingus' position as a leading operator on the North Atlantic route, Aer Lingus plans to increase its North Atlantic fleet from 17 to 30 by 2023, including 16 A330 wide-body jets and 14 new A321 aircraft. 

On 17 January 2019, Aer Lingus launched a new brand identity designed by renowned design agency Lippincott to support its ambition to become the leading airline in the North Atlantic. It is rolling out its new brand image on its livery, products, services, crew attire and in airports gradually.

Dara McMahon, Director of Airline Marketing and Digital Experience at Aer Lingus, said, “Although the unique green body livery and conspicuous clover logo are loved in Ireland, but on the international market, Aer Lingus feels that it is an airline that can bring passengers to Ireland, but not to North America. The results of our survey show that green and clover must be preserved, but they must be updated to create a new feel.”

Above : New and old logo comparison.

The clover is the national flower of Ireland, and Aer Lingus has introduced the graphics of clover in the logo since 1965. This brand update retains this iconic element but does the details. The new logo is full and rich in color, and the lines of the pattern are more rounded and more solid. The overall pattern adds some inclination, giving a feeling of vitality and speed. The leaves of the clover are heart-shaped, which symbolize warmth and hospitality of Aer Lingus' crew.


The font on the Aer Lingus logo has also become a "Diodrum" font, the main colour is cyan, the lines are slimmer, smoother and more modern.

Aer Lingus introduced a new livery on an Airbus A330-300 aircraft with registration number EI-EDY. Different from the bold combination of green and white, the new aircraft is painted in a pure white body, and the tail, engine and wingtips are blue-green, giving the design a modern look. The new aircraft is painted with four clover, the first in the new logo, the second on the rear wing, the third on the door, and one on the wing tip - the best location for netizens. Hence the new brand livery (second livery above) is more concise and more modern than the old (first livery on the top picture).


In fact, the pure white body and tail are matched with a simple logo – this style of aircraft livery seems to be gradually becoming a trend. In February 2018, Lufthansa also upgraded its brand to simplify the colour scheme and minimize its design and logo.


Aer Lingus CEO Sean Doyle said that the airline has made many changes to its services, and in line with its role as a "modern airline", brand upgrades are also expected to draw attention to these changes. 


Aer Lingus' new brand image will be gradually released on channels and platforms such as the Aer Lingus app, its official website, on its inflight collectibles, airline memorabilia, check-in counters and departure gates, and these products and services are expected to be fully updated by 2021. The new crew uniform will be designed by Louise Kennedy and is expected to be launched later in 2019.

Genghis Khan Airlines awarded business license on 22 January 2019 will start flight to Ulanhot

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

Genghis Khan Airlines, approved by CAAC to be established in March 2018,  is officially awarded the business license as a public air transport enterprise headquartered in Hohhot  Baita International Airport on 22 January 2019. Now it is entering the operational certification stage.

On 24 January 2019, Genghis Khan Airlines and Chengdu Airlines signed a cooperation framework agreement in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia. The two parties will jointly promote the large-scale operation of the ARJ21 aircraft and cooperate in air transportation market expansion, operation support, tourism business and financial investment. 

In November 2018, at the Zhuhai Air Show, the ARJ21 aircraft painted in Genghis Khan Airlines' livery flew over the sky in Zhuhai. This is the first time it officially entered the public eye.

According to Hao Yutao, Genghis Khan Airlines' chairman,  there are 16 civilian airports in Inner Mongolia, and some routes only have one flight a day. Genghis Khan Airlines will initially operate on these routes with low frequency from Hohhot before connecting the surrounding cities and launching flights to neighboring provincial capital cities in the northern, northwest and northeast regions of China.

The establishment of Genghis Khan Airlines will greatly shorten the travel time in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Take Baotou to Xilinhot as an example. It takes seven or eight hours from Baotou to travel by a car to Xilinhot but it takes less than one hour to fly between both cities.

Commencing flight operations of Genghis Khan Airlines will solve the problem of insufficient transportation capacity during the peak travel season in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

In October 2018, Genghis Khan Airlines and China Commercial Aircraft Corporation (COMAC) signed the ARJ21 aircraft purchase agreement, becoming the first pure ARJ21 domestic jet aircraft fleet operation company and the second airline to operate ARJ21 after Chengdu Airlines. The ARJ21 team fleet size will reach 25.

Genghis Khan Airlines will operate its first scheduled flight from Hohhot to Ulanhot using its first ARJ21 aircraft soon.

Inflight Review : Hainan Airlines, carrier of inadequate meals

                       

Inflight Review by : Gan Yung Chyan

                              / KUCINTA SETIA
Distributed to Everyone

On 30 November 2018, the reporter of this travel news medium embarked on Hainan Airlines' inaugural B737-800 resumption flight from Singapore Changi Airport to Haikou. He repeated the voyage on 10 December 2018. He had also flown with Hainan Airlines on previous domestic flights on the Haikou - Beijing Capital and Sanya - Guangzhou routes. The following review is a report on his findings on Hainan Airlines' international and domestic flights. Feel free to compare with Skytrax's ratings on Hainan Airlines.

Airline and Routes: Hainan Airlines is one of 10 Skytrax's five-star rated full-service airlines*. It is known for its onboard service and staff service. It is the fastest-growing Chinese airline with up to three new routes opened monthly. The recent new routes include Chongqing - Yangon, Shenzhen - Osaka Kansai, Shenzhen - Vienna and Haikou - Singapore. With headquarters in Haikou, it has bases in Urumqi, Hangzhou, Changsha, Chongqing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Taiyuan, Hefei, Xi'an Xianyang, Beijing, Dalian and Sanya. New aircraft in its fleet include 11 787-8, 10 787-9, 5 737 MAX 8, 1 A350-900 besides 9 A330-200, 14 A330-300, 2 B737-700 and 160 B737-800 (Fleet Ref. HAI Vision). Hainan Airlines utilizes B737-800 aircraft on its domestic and Asian regional routes. Its parent company HNA is constructing the larger Haikou Meilan International Airport Terminal 2 to meet Hainan Airlines' flight expansion plans in Haikou. Initially commencing domestic flight operation in 1993, Hainan Airlines is 26 years old in 2019.

News : See previous news on Sayacinta - Airpost entitled "Hainan Airlines launches round-trip to Yangon from Chongqing on 27 January 2019" (http://kucinta-setia.blogspot.com/2019/01/hainan-airlines-launches-round-trip-to.html).  

Livery : The tail livery of Hainan Airlines shows wings of the Chinese Garuda (mythological bird), its horn, its stylized beak and auspicious clouds. It is the logo of HNA.***

Aircraft : The B737-800 seat legroom of Hainan Airlines is not spacious. Travel on this flight is safe. There are no media reports of this type of aircraft getting involved in any Hainan Airlines crash. There are no pillows and blankets on its Economy Class seats.***

Baggage Requirements : On international flights, a carry-on baggage measuring 115 cm in total to be stowed in the overhead compartment and a small item to be stowed under the seat are accepted. Carry-on luggage weight on international flights is maximum 10 kg plus a small bag, a small backpack, a laptop case, a hand bag, an umbrella or a small document bag. On domestic flights it is however maximum 5 kg only, which is pretty China standard.***

Safety Demonstrations : Adequate. ***

Inflight Magazine : The current only official inflight magazine of Hainan Airlines is HAI Vision, the bilingual Chinese - English inflight magazine produced by the publisher of its previous inflight magazine High Above. It features the usual travel stories, Hainan Airlines, HNA news and Hainan Airlines fleet configuration details and route maps.  It is complimentary to passengers. High Above which carries advertisements of HNA subsidiaries such as GX Airlines and Tianjin Airlines is no longer available onboard Hainan Airlines' flights. **** 

Inflight Service / Entertainment / Onboard Meals and Refreshments : There is no inflight entertainment on each seat Enjoy common inflight entertainment video above each seat. Inflight service is friendly. Drinks are served. The only free onboard meal available on Hainan Airlines' domestic and Asian regional flights is beef hamburger and refreshment is only yogurt! To some, this may not be acceptable for an almost four-hour journey such as on the route from Haikou to Singapore but this is served on the flights of Hainan Airlines to Singapore, Asia and on domestic routes. Do not expect any fruits, noodles and meat rice, not even vegetarian, for Economy Class and Business Class passengers. The Hainan Airlines web-site has no option for pre-select onboard meals. These are unbelievable aspects of Hainan Airlines so-called "five-star service" when the ticket price is more expensive than Jetstar Asia or Scoot! ***

Postcard / Stationery : No aircraft postcards and stationery onboard all Hainan Airlines flights. Try to write on its air sickness bag.**

Sky Shop : None. HNA has removed duty-free magazine Thirty Thousand Feet from all Hainan Airlines and HNA subsidiary flights to reduce production costs.***

Surcharges :  None. ***

Bookings : One can try to book a Hainan Airlines ticket at www.hainanairlines.com but this does not work for the Singaporean reporter as a China mobile number is necessary to secure the booking. Book Hainan Airlines' flight tickets at Ctrip (www.ctrip.com) and Trip (www.trip.com) as these are open to international customers that pay using MasterCard, AMEX and VISA cards with local contact numbers outside China. Hainan Airlines certainly needs to improve online ticketing experience for international customers. Alternatively contact Hainan Airlines at 95339intl@hnair.com on difficulties in online ticketing.**

Check-In and Departures : Although Changi Airport states check gate number four hours before departure at Terminal 4 for HNA carriers' flights, the counter for Hainan Airlines only opens at 7.30 pm. Flight departs at 10 pm and arrives in Haikou at 1.40 am. There is no on-line facility to print Hainan Airlines boarding passes at Terminal 4. Hainan Airlines needs to be clear on this! In China, Hainan Airlines and its HNA subsidiaries cancel its domestic flights at last minute when there are heavy downpours. Be prepared with travel insurances when flying with Hainan Airlines and HNA carriers in China!**

Ground service in response  to passengers' requests and enquiries : Bad. Hainan Airlines does not have GSA and sales office in Singapore. Ctrip and Trip appear to be the reliable ticketing agents for Hainan Airlines' international flights. SATS is the baggage handling agent of Hainan Airlines at Changi Airport Terminal 4.*

Overall Impression :  Hainan Airlines is a three-star full-inflight service airline overall rather than five-star. On the ground outside China, it is at most a two-star full service airline. Ticket is overpriced. It needs to reduce ticket price to match its onboard services on international flights. It needs to have office presence in international cities such as Singapore, Yangon, Vientiane, Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, Sydney, Melbourne, Tel Aviv,  Vancouver, Vienna to address customer enquiries. Relying on Haikou, Bangkok and Taipei stations alone to handle international enquiries is certainly stressful!***

* https://skytraxratings.com/airlines/hainan-airlines-rating

** Poor / two-star
*** Good / three-star

**** Very good / four-star
****** Excellent / six-star (the highest category)

Hainan Airlines launches round-trip to Yangon from Chongqing on 27 January 2019

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

Hainan Airlines has concluded its first round-trip to Yangon from Chongqing on 27 January 2019 using its B737-800. Flights are conducted on Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

On 27 January 2019, Hainan Airlines flight HU709 departs from Chongqing for Yangon at 9.05 am, arrives in Yangon at 10.45 am local time before leaving Yangon for Chongqing at 12.05 pm and landing in Chongqing at 4.30 pm under flight HU710.

Aircalin plans first A330-900neo flight to Narita on 1 December 2019

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

According to Aircalin, the national airline of New Caledonia, it plans to launch its first A330-900neo flight from Noumea to Narita on 1 December 2019. Aircalin flies five times a week from Noumea to Narita using its A330-200 aircraft currently (as above).

Aircalin's last A330-200 service is scheduled on 30 November 2019, subject to any schedule change. 

Besides, Aircalin proposes to deploy the A330-900neo aircraft on the Noumea - Osaka Kansai route from 2 December 2019 (two flights a week), Noumea - Sydney from 3 December 2019 (two flights a week), Noumea - Papeete from 7 December 2019 (1 flight a week) and charter flights to Hangzhou and Tianjin.

Aircalin has chartered flights from Noumea to Hangzhou and Tianjin using A330-200 aircraft from 16 February 2018 onwards. It will receive two A330-900neo aircraft by the third quarter of 2019.

As of 11 October 2017, Aircalin holds the official firm-order for 2 A330-900neo and 2 A320neo aircraft from Airbus. It first signed the Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) to order these aircraft in November 2016 to replace its current fleet of 2 A330-200s and 2 A320-200 jets.

Aircalin is the first airline operator of the A330-900neo in the Pacific region while Air New Zealand is first in the Pacific region to operate the A320neo aircraft.

The A330-900neo aircraft to be operated on its routes to Japan and China can seat 291 passengers in three Classes : 26 seats in Business Class, 21 in Premium Economy Class and 244 in Economy Class. It is powered by Rolls Royce Trent 7000 engines.

With a seating capacity of 168 passengers, the A320neo aircraft, which will start delivery to Aircalin from the second quarter of 2020 onwards, will be deployed on Aircalin's domestic routes and on its routes to Australia and New Zealand. 

Aircalin started operations in 1983. It is 99 per cent owned by the Government of New Caledonia and one per cent by others including its staff. It currently flies from Noumea to Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney, Narita, Osaka Kansai, Hangzhou, Tianjin, Auckland, Nadi, Wallis, Papeete and Port Vila.

IndiGo launches Asia's first low-cost daily flight to Istanbul on 20 March 2019

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

Image courtesy : IndiGo Twitter

IndiGo has announced on 25 January 2019 that it is launching Asia's first low-cost daily flight from Delhi to Istanbul, the largest commercial city of Turkey, on 20 March 2019 using its Airbus A321neo aircraft.

On 20 March 2019, IndiGo flight 6E11 departs from Delhi for Istanbul at 1.40 pm, touches down in Istanbul at local time 6.10 pm before leaving Istanbul for Delhi at 7.45 pm under flight 6E12 and arriving in Delhi at 4.15 am on 21 March 2019.

IndiGo receives its first A321neo aircraft registered VT-IVK on 3 January 2019. Now, it has 208 aircraft in its fleet.

Garuda Indonesia celebrates its 70th Anniversary on 26 January 2019

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



Garuda Indonesia celebrates its 70th Anniversary on 26 January 2019 at its headquarters in Soekarno-Hatta International Airport district (as above).

The Indonesian national flag carrier also launches its international vintage flight from Jakarta to Osaka Kansai on 26 January 2019 using Airbus A330 aircraft. The vintage flight from Osaka Kansai will return to Jakarta on 30 January 2019. The flight pairs are indicated as GA888/GA889.

On the domestic front, there are further vintage flights of Garuda Indonesia on the sectors Jakarta - Denpasar - Jakarta (GA408/GA411) and Jakarta - Yogyakarta - Jakarta (GA206/GA207).

International tourists connecting to the above flights should consider flying with Garuda Indonesia that has the most number of connections to Jakarta from Singapore Changi Airport.

Above : The first eagle logo of Garuda Indonesian Airways (former name of Garuda Indonesia) depicted on the vintage aircraft on the grounds of Garuda Indonesia headquarters.

Above : Garuda Indonesian Airways' first aircraft DC-3 Dakota RI001 named Seulawah depicted on a postcard issued in Tokyo.

Above : Garuda Indonesia Batam office staff self-produced cards to celebrate Garuda Indonesia's 70th birthday on 26 January 2019.

Further information on Garuda Indonesia 70th Anniversary celebrations can be found on its web-site at www.garuda-indonesia.com.

Philippine Airlines launches flights to Hanoi and Phnom Penh on 31 March and 1 April 2019 respectively

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

Philippine Airlines has announced that it is launching Airbus A320 flights from Manila to Hanoi and Phnom Penh in March and April 2019.

The first direct flight to Hanoi from Manila takes off on 31 March 2019 while the non-stop inaugural flight to Phnom Penh from Manila goes operational on 1 April 2019.

On 31 March 2019, Philippine Airlines flight PR595 departs from Manila for Hanoi at 10.25 pm, arrives in Hanoi at 12.45 am on 1 April 2019 before leaving Hanoi for Manila at 1.45 am and landing in Manila at 5.30 am under flight PR596.

Philippine Airlines flies to Hanoi on Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and returns to Manila on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

On 1 April 2019, flight PR521 leaves Manila for Phnom Penh at 10.10 pm, lands in Phnom Penh at 11.45 pm before departing from Phnom Penh for Manila at 12.45 am on 2 April 2019 and arriving in Manila at 4.20 am under flight PR522.

Philippine Airlines flies to Phnom Penh on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. It returns to Manila on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. 

With these new flights to Hanoi and Phnom Penh, passengers from Manila are no longer required to transit in Bangkok airports or Singapore for onward flights to these cities.

The flights from Hanoi and Phnom Penh to Manila are timed to connect with Philippine Airlines' long-haul flights to London.
                 

NokScoot launches scheduled flight to Pudong on 25 February 2019

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

NokScoot launches scheduled flight from Don Mueang to Pudong on 25 February 2019 using its B777-200 aircraft.

On 25 February 2019, NokScoot flight XW858 departs from Don Mueang for Pudong at 9.20 pm, arrives in Pudong at 2.20 am on 26 February 2019 before leaving Pudong for Don Mueang at 3.35 am and landing in Don Mueang at 7.35 am under flight XW857. 

Initially, NokScoot's outbound flight to Pudong takes off on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays while the flight from Pudong descends at Don Mueang on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays.

NokScoot operates daily flights between Don Mueang and Pudong from 4 March 2019 onwards.

Ruili Airlines launches thrice-weekly flight from Mangshi to Mandalay on 31 January 2019

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

Ruili Airlines launches thrice-weekly passenger flight from Dehong Mangshi Airport (Mangshi, in short) to Mandalay on 31 January 2019 using its B737-700 aircraft. Flights are operated on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

On 31 January 2019, Ruili Airlines flight DR5037 departs from Mangshi for Mandalay at 5.40 pm, touches down in Mandalay at 6 pm local time before leaving Mandalay for Mangshi at 7.10 pm and landing in Mangshi at 10.40 pm under flight DR5038.

Mangshi is the capital of the Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture in Yunnan Province. It borders Myanmar's Kachin State to the west.

Ruili Airlines, as an important flight operator of Dehong Mangshi Airport, has onward flights from Mangshi to Shenyang, Wuhan, Lanzhou, Lijiang, Chongqing and Kunming. 

To mark the launch of the Mangshi - Mandalay route, passengers who are going to book on Ruili Airlines' web-site any one-way or return ticket on the above routes will be entitled to a free one-way or return ticket on the Mangshi - Mandalay route.

Ruili Airlines first launches domestic flight operation in China on 18 May 2014. It currently has a fleet of 18 aircraft including B737-700 and B737-800 models. Operating 51 domestic routes and 7 international routes including flights from Xishuangbanna to Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai, it aims to own 30 aircraft by 2020, and 80 aircraft by 2025.

Jetstar Asia Airways launches thrice-weekly flight to Xuzhou from Singapore on 29 January 2019

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

Subject to bilateral regulatory approval, Jetstar Asia Airways launches thrice-weekly scheduled flight to Xuzhou from Singapore Changi Airport Terminal 1 on 29 January 2019 using its Airbus A320 aircraft.

On 29 January 2019, Jetstar Asia flight 3K831 departs from Singapore for Xuzhou at 5 am, touches down in Xuzhou at 10.20 am before leaving Xuzhou for Singapore at 11.20 am and arriving in Singapore at 4.40 pm under flight 3K832.

Xuzhou is located in Jiangsu Province, China.

Jetstar Asia operates return flights to Xuzhou on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.