Myanmar Airways International launches relief flight to Sydney on 30 May 2020

Report by : Gan Yung Chyan
                  / KUCINTA SETIA

According to the Facebook page of Myanmar Airways International (MAI), the Myanmar airline launches its longest route, the Yangon - Sydney flight with a stopover in Denpasar, Bali, on 30 May 2020 using its Airbus A320 aircraft.

On 30 May 2020, MAI flight 8M1001 departs from Yangon for Sydney at 7.15 am and arrives in Sydney at 9 am local time after re-fueling in Denpasar.

At 10 am, MAI flight 8M1003 leaves Sydney for Yangon.

Early in May 2020, MAI has performed special relief flights to Colombo and Kuala Lumpur from Yangon.

Austrian Airlines resumes international flights on 15 June 2020

Report by : Gan Yung Chyan
                  / KUCINTA SETIA

According to AFP, Austrian Airlines resumes flights from 15 June 2020. Previously, the company had been grounded for nearly three months due to the covid epidemic, severely restricting international travel.

Austrian Airlines said in a statement that it will resume flights to European destinations such as London, Paris and Brussels and Tel Aviv from 15 June 2020. The airline is also considering resuming long-haul flights to destinations in Asia such as Hong Kong and Pudong in July 2020.

In addition, the airline added that passengers must wear face masks during check-in and onboard.

Skymark Airlines launches international flight to Saipan

Report by : Gan Yung Chyan
                 / KUCINTA SETIA

According to Skymark Airlines, it plans to re-launch its first international flight to Saipan from Narita, after the ease of the covid epidemic in Japan, on 1 August 2020. There are no direct flights to Saipan from Narita until 31 July 2020.

On 1 August 2020 (Saturday), Skymark Airlines flight BC811 departs from Narita for Saipan at 10.15 am, touches down in Saipan at 3 pm before leaving Saipan for Narita at 5.05 pm and arriving in Narita at 8 pm under flight BC816. 

The outbound flight BC816 leaves Saipan at 5.05 pm on Saturdays. On other days of each week, flight BC816 leaves Saipan for Narita at 4.35 pm and arrives in Narita at 7.30 pm.

Before the covid epidemic, Skymark Airlines launches its first scheduled Saipan flight on 29 November 2019. 

Myanmar National Airlines' relief and cargo flights to Singapore in May 2020

Report by : Gan Yung Chyan
                 / KUCINTA SETIA

According to Myanmar National Airlines, it has been operating relief flights to Singapore since 7 May 2020. 

Myanmar National Airlines has brought many Myanmar nationals, mostly foreign domestic workers, and medical supplies from Singapore on 7, 9, 11 and 21 May 2020 back to Yangon. Its sixth relief flight to Singapore is conducted on 31 May 2020. 

Other relief flights were also carried out to Chennai, Delhi and Suvarnabhumi in May 2020.

Myanmar National Airlines has also operated its first cargo flight to Singapore from Yangon on 28 May 2020. 

On 28 May 2020, Myanmar National Airlines flight UB1011 departs from Yangon for Singapore at 9.30 am, arrives in Singapore at 2 pm before leaving Singapore for Yangon at 4 pm and touching down in Yangon at 5.30 pm local time under flight UB1012.

Myanmar National Airlines' international scheduled passenger flights are suspended until 15 June 2020.

Yangon Airways was renamed Air Thanlwin, resuming flight on 30 May 2020

Report by : Gan Yung Chyan
                 / KUCINTA SETIA

Image courtesy : Air Thanlwin

Yangon Airways, which was renamed Air Thanlwin after its parent company Air Thanlwin Company Limited and took off on 1 October 2019 months before the first covid outbreak in Wuhan, is resuming domestic flights on 30 May 2020 after the covid epidemic in Myanmar has eased.

Air Thanlwin suspended flights on 30 March 2020 following the country's ban on passenger flights.

According to Air Thanlwin's official web-site at www.airthanlwin.com, its domestic flights depart from Yangon to Mandalay, Sittwe, Tachileik, Myitkyina, Kyaing Tong, from Mandalay to Myitkyina, Kyaing Tong, Khamti, Tachileik, and from Tachileik to Heho and Yangon.

Air Thanlwin has a fleet of two ATR72-212 and two ATR72-212A turboprop aircraft. Its logo is the golden hintha bird, the legendary royal bird of Myanmar.

Image : Temperature check at an Air Thanlwin counter in Yangon before flights in and to Yangon are banned on 30 March 2020.  Courtesy of Air Thanlwin.

As of 28 May 2020, Myanmar has a total number of 206 covid cases including six deaths.

Congo Airways selects E190-E2 to replace its Bombardier turboprop

Report by : Gan Yung Chyan
                 / KUCINTA SETIA

Image courtesy : Congo Airways

According to Embraer, Congo Airways has converted two purchase confirmation orders of two E175 aircraft signed with Embraer in December 2019 into two E190-E2 aircraft purchase confirmation orders on 26 May 2020. The total value of the agreement is 256 million US Dollars based on the current catalog price, and will be included in Embraer’s second-quarter confirmed order reserve.

According to Desire Bantu, the CEO of Congo Airways, the E190 regional aircraft will replace its current two Bombardier Dash 8-Q400 turboprop aircraft, expand its domestic network in Congo and fly some West Africa, Central Africa and southern Africa regional routes.

Congo Airways is optimistic about the potential of its aviation market development. As part of the airline's future development strategy, it will have a fleet of aircraft types in reasonable size with the most efficient flexible operation in order to better serve passengers after the market has recovered from the pandemic.

Bantu commented, "Last December, I mentioned that Congo Airways may need to sign a new agreement to purchase Embraer E2 Series of models to adapt to new market changes-now we have achieved this goal."

Raul Villaron, Vice President of marketing for Embraer’s commercial aviation in the Middle East and Africa, said, “We are very honoured to welcome another new airline to join the E2 series of operators, especially in Africa, a region with strong demand for regional air travel. The African region has always been a market with insufficient frequency and usually far away routes. As an initially operating airline, the E2 series of aircraft, a narrow-body aircraft, can guarantee the frequency of flights and enhance the transport capacity to a new level. We are very much looking forward to providing excellent support services for Congo Airways, and constantly improving its passenger travel experience."

Congo Airways is the national flag carrier of Congo. Formed by the Congo Government on 15 August 2014, It launches its first flight on 20 October 2015 and celebrates its fifth Anniversary of flight operations on 20 October 2020. 

Congo Airways currently flies regularly from Kinshasa to 14 domestic cities in Congo, seasonal and ad hoc flights to many cities in Africa including Johannesburg, Douala, Kigali, Cotonou, Abidjan and Luanda and Dubai in the Middle East using the Bombardier turboprop and two Airbus A320 jets.

Aeromexico launches Dreamliner cargo flight to Shenzhen on 25 May 2020 via Narita

Report by : Gan Yung Chyan

                  / KUCINTA SETIA

Aeromexico launches its first Dreamliner cargo flight from Mexico City to Shenzhen via Narita on 25 May 2020 under flight AM9010. The Dreamliner flight transit in Narita on 26 May 2020 before embarking on the voyage in the afternoon towards Shenzhen on the same day.

On 27 May 2020, Aeromexico under flight AM9011 departs at 7.40 pm from Shenzhen non-stop for Mexico City with 18.5 tons of protective medical supplies including more than 3.86 million face masks.

The Shenzhen - Mexico City route is the longest intercontinental route of Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport.

Andres Conesa, CEO of Grupo Aeromexico commented on the return inaugural passenger-turn-cargo flight, "I want to thank flight attendants, pilots, cargo technicians, maintenance, airports, ground support, training, administrative, and management teams for their support and commitment to continue flying."

He added, "I also want to thank the Mexican Government, the Civil Aviation Administration of China, airport authorities and all Chinese partners, as well as private companies for giving us their trust and support to transport these important supplies and continue writing new stories for Mexico."

Before 1 July 2020, Aeromexico plans to conduct more cargo flights to Shenzhen, in addition to the usual contingency flights to Pudong. It has completed 100 exclusive cargo operations in more than 57 intercontinental trips this week. It has transported medical supplies to 14 countries, with more than 1,400 tons of cargo in 3,600 flight hours involving 1,300 employees.

Aeromexico meanwhile announces flight resumptions on its route network as the covid epidemic in Mexico has eased. Passenger flights to Incheon, Chicago, Guatemala, Managua and San Pedro Sula resume on 1 June 2020 while commercial flights to Narita, Lima, Las Vegas, San Francisco and Seattle resume on 1 July 2020  (https://aeromexico.com/en-us/notifications-for-passengers).

Peach resumes domestic flights from 1 June 2020, international flights from 1 July 2020

Report by : Gan Yung Chyan

                   / KUCINTA SETIA

1. Flight Plans
Peach Aviation, that has suspended services on 13 out of 22 domestic routes, will resume flights in June 2020. The first route to see flight resumption is the Naha - Fukuoka route on 1 June 2020, followed by 12 routes from 19 June 2020.

The Japanese LCC says that all its international flights will resume from 1 July 2020.

2. Customers and Crew Safety: at the Airports
In order to reassure passengers flying with Peach, the following measures are being taken in the airports of Peach destinations including airports inside Japan.

■Notifications at the Airports by Posters and Announcements
Notifications by posters at the check-in counters remind passengers to inform Peach staff when they feel unwell.
Announcements at the check-in counters and boarding gates reminding passengers to wear masks when on-board.
■Wearing of Masks and face shields by Ground Staff
Ground staff must wear masks to give passengers peace of mind. At some of the airports, ground staff  wear face shields.
■Installation of plastic curtain at the check-in counters
As an additional measure at some airports, plastic curtains are installed at counters.


3. Customers and Crew Safety: On-board
■Disinfecting Cabins
In order to reassure passengers flying with Peach, the following parts of the aircraft when carrying out cabin cleaning on flights departing from Kansai and Narita are disfected: Tables, seat equipment such as armrests, toilet door knobs, and other parts with which passenger's hands come into contact.
■In-flight Announcements by Cabin Attendants
On-board announcements remind passengers to wear face masks.
■Wearing of Masks and gloves by Cabin Attendants
Cabin attendants have been wearing masks and gloves on board to reassure passengers who are using our services.
■Temporary Suspension of In-flight Shopping Services
Effective from 9 March, all in-flight shopping services are temporarily suspended on all routes. Please prepare personal drinks before boarding.

4. On-board Air Circulation and Hygiene
Peach has installed the latest High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters* on the air conditioning systems of all its aircraft. On line with other airlines' practice in the world, HEPA is a high-performance filter that removes 99.97% of 0.3 μm particles.
Through these filters, purified air from outside the aircraft is provided into the cabin.
This air is then expelled from the aircraft, meaning that all the air in the cabin is refreshed approximately every 3 minutes.


5. Distribution of "Health Cards" Created by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare and Quarantine Stations
A health card created by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare and quarantine stations entitled "Novel Coronavirus Infection Occurring in Wuhan City, China" is being distributed on board to passengers.


6. Transportation of Sanitizing Products
Spatial sanitization products used as precautions against infection of SARS-CoV-2 etc. may not be transported by aircraft.

-Items for example
Taiko Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.
Cleverin (Stand type, Pen type, hook type) etc.

Ref : https://www.flypeach.com/en/news/20200130

Urumqi Air launches Xinjiang flights to Shenzhen on 1 June 2020

Report by : Gan Yung Chyan
                  / KUCINTA SETIA

Urumqi Air launches flights from the Xinjiang cities of Hotan and Urumqi to Shenzhen on 1 June 2020 using its B737-800 aircraft.

On 1 June 2020, Urumqi Air flight UQ2617 departs from Hotan for Shenzhen via Urumqi at 5.15 pm, transits in Urumqi at 7 pm before taking off for Shenzhen at 8.20 pm and arriving in Shenzhen at 1.35 am.

On 2 June 2020, flight UQ2618 leaves Shenzhen for Urumqi at 6.35 am, touches down in Urumqi at 11.55 am before leaving Urumqi for Hotan at 12.55 pm and touching down in Hotan at 2.55 pm.

The services to Shenzhen are carried out daily.

Colorful Guizhou Airlines

Pictures by : Gan Yung Chyan

/ KUCINTA SETIA

Bamboo Airways flies to Japan on 20 May 2020

Report by : Gan Yung Chyan

                  / KUCINTA SETIA

Bamboo Airways launches scheduled flights to Narita and Kansai from Ho Chi Minh City on 20 May 2020. It also launches direct flight to Kansai from Hanoi on 20 May 2020.

Queensland Government bids for Virgin Australia

Report by : Gan Yung Chyan
                  / KUCINTA SETIA

According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), the Queensland Government of Australia intends to purchase Virgin Australia, which is currently in voluntary administration, or cooperate with other bidders to ensure that the Virgin headquarters remains in its capital, Brisbane, and provide employment for the locals.

The Queensland State Government announced its participation in the bidding before 15 May 2020, the deadline for the indicative bid for Virgin Atlantic. The state government has authorized the investment agency Queensland Investment Company (QIC) to review the feasibility of bidding for Virgin.

Queensland Finance Minister Cameron Dick said he hopes to retain the 5,000 jobs Virgin Atlantic brings to the local community and ensure that Virgin ’s headquarters remain in Brisbane. He said, "This is the moment for the government to take action to secure and create job opportunities." 


Ref : https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-05-15/coronavirus-queensland-virgin-australia-explainer/12247046

Jiangxi Air launches ARJ21-700 flight to Pudong on 16 May 2020

Report by : Gan Yung Chyan

                 / KUCINTA SETIA

Image courtesy : Jiangxi Air.

Jiangxi Air has completed its ARJ21-700 test flight on 14 May 2020 and is launching the aircraft's first commercial flight to Pudong in Jiangxi Air's livery on 16 May 2020.

On 16 May 2020, Jiangxi Air flight RY1677 departs from Nanchang for Pudong at 10.10 am, touches down in Pudong at 12 pm before leaving Pudong for Nanchang at 1.05 pm and arriving in Nanchang at 2.50 pm under flight RY1678.

Flights are conducted on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. 

THAI plans to resume flights to 32 cities including Singapore from 1 July 2020

Report by : Gan Yung Chyan
                  / KUCINTA SETIA

Thai Airways International (THAI, in short) plans to resume international flights from 1 July 2020, and will first re-launch services to 37 cities, and only 30% of the flights will open for ticketing. The restoration of international flights is mainly divided into two stages, namely:

32 international cities that are open to THAI's flights from 1 July 2020:

1. Auckland (3 trips / week)

2. Beijing (3 trips / week)

3. Brisbane (2 trips / week)

4. Brussels (3 trips / week)

5. Copenhagen (1 trip / week)

6. New Delhi (1 trip / week)

7. Frankfurt (1 trip / week)

8. Guangzhou (2 trips / week)

9. Hanoi (1 trip / week)

10. Ho Chi Minh (1 trip / week)

11. Hong Kong (1 trip / week)

12. Jakarta (3 trips / week)

13. Islamabad (4 trips / week)

14. Karachi (4 trips / week)

15. Kuala Lumpur (5 trips / week)

16. London (1 trip / week)

17. Manila (4 trips / week)

18. Melbourne (5 trips / week)

19. Munich (5 trips / week)

20. Osaka (3 trips / week)

21. Paris (3 trips / week)

22. Perth (3 trips / week)

23. Phnom Penh (1 trip / week)

24. Seoul (6 trips / week)

25. Shanghai (2 trips / week)

26. Singapore (4 trips / week)

27. Sydney (5 trips / week)

28. Taipei (1 trip / week)

29. Tokyo Haneda International Airport (4 trips / week)

30. Tokyo Narita International Airport (4 trips / week)

31. Virgin (1 trip / week)

32. Yangon (1 trip / week)

5 cities that are open to THAI's flights from 2 July 2020 :

1. Denpasar (3 trips / week)

2. Dhaka (5 trips / week)

3. Lahore (4 trips / week)

4. Nagoya (3 trips / week)

5. Zurich (4 trips / week)

As for destinations that will remain closed, the cities that will continue not receiving THAI's flights are Milan, Rome, Moscow, Vienna, Stockholm, Sapporo, Fukuoka, Sendai, Kathmandu, Oslo, Colombo, etc. However, the above-mentioned plans may subject to further adjustments. 

Covid updates from Scoot

Picture by : Gan Yung Chyan                   / KUCINTA SETIA The past month has been extraordinary for us all, especially those largely confined to home. Singapore’s circuit breaker certainly made it a memorable start for me: on my fourth day in the office everyone went home and didn’t return… although I don’t think it’s personal.  On 9th April Scoot announced a new refund policy for flights cancelled due to Covid-19, making us one of the first airlines to provide customers the choice of either a cash refund to the original form of payment, or a travel voucher worth 120% of the original ticket’s value. Since then we have processed nearly 75,000 cash and voucher refunds, and our team is hard at work on the remainder, which are being actioned by departure date. If you are still waiting, thank you for your patience. Please bear with us a little longer whilst we get to yours. With most aircraft grounded, many of our staff have been deployed to assist with refunds and customer service requests, whilst many others are helping Singapore’s national Covid-19 response. For example, hundreds of our crew are helping at the People’s Associations and Ministry of Social & Family Development, with dozens more at hospitals around Singapore supporting healthcare professionals. We are proud of the work they are doing and heartened by the spirit with which they are doing it. Scoot has also been supporting the repatriation of Singaporeans and residents with flights to/from Wuhan, Chennai and Kuala Lumpur. We are also doing our part to maintain the supply chain through regular service to both Perth and Hong Kong, and many all-cargo charters to other cities. Our teams both in Singapore and overseas see these as important missions and are appreciative of the chance to contribute. Of course, this is still a far cry from Scoot’s normal scale of connecting people and places, and we can’t wait to get back in the air in a bigger way. With signs of progress in the fight against Covid-19, and of some economies opening up, we are starting to see relaxation of travel restrictions. As and when travel resumes, however, rest assured that we will be following all government requirements on social distancing, safety equipment and cleaning. We are committed to keeping you, and our staff, safe. It has indeed been extraordinary. And the efforts shown by everyone doing their part to keep things going and community spirits up, have been nothing short of that. It seems extraordinary times have triggered an extraordinary response, of resilience, of kindness and of strength. So until we get back in the air, here’s a message from the Scoot team. As they say: Stay safe. Stay healthy. Stay strong. We’ll be here when it’s time to fly again. Campbell Wilson, Scoot CEO

Our Refund Policy All customers with bookings made on or before 15 March 2020 travelling on flights scheduled to depart between 23 January and 30 June 2020 but which were cancelled, we now offer two options to claim a refund. A 100% refund via the original method of payment, or A 120% refund in Scoot vouchers, valid for 12 months.

Shandong Airlines resumes flight to Singapore on 13 May 2020

Report by : Gan Yung Chyan
                 / KUCINTA SETIA

Image : Shandong Airlines 737 MAX in Changi Airport in January 2019.

According to Changi Airport on 12 May 2020, Shandong Airlines is resuming scheduled flight to Singapore Changi Airport Terminal 1 from Jinan on 13 May 2020. This is the first B737-800 flight since the grounding of its 737 MAX aircraft in 2019.

The outbound flight from Jinan, SC4937, will arrive in Changi Airport Terminal 1 at 12.15 pm and take off for Jinan at 1.30 pm under SC4938.

The above flights are subject to airline schedule adjustments.

New to Terminal 1 is Sichuan Airlines which maintains flights to Chengdu from Singapore.

Cathay Pacific has resumed commercial flights between Hong Kong and Changi Airport Terminal 1 until further notice.

Vietnam Airlines and Ethiopian Airlines have moved back their operations to Terminal 3 while Royal Brunei Airlines from Terminal 2 will resume operations at Terminal 1.

On 12 May 2020, Changi Airport also announced that several airlines from Terminal 4 will move over to Changi Airport Terminal 1. From 16 May 2020, Korean Air is resuming flights to Incheon from Terminal 1. The other Terminal 4 airlines including AirAsia Group, Cebu Pacific, GoAir, GX Airlines, Hainan Airlines,  Jeju Air, Juneyao Air, Spring Airlines,  Urumqi Air, Regent Airways and Vietjet Air have agreed to move their operations to Terminal 1 as soon as they have finalized their resumption flight schedules.


Ref :https://www.changiairport.com/corporate/media-centre/newsroom/consolidation-of-terminal-operations.html#?tid=relocation

Avianca filed for bankruptcy protection in the US on 10 May 2020

Report by : Gan Yung Chyan
                  / KUCINTA SETIA

Image : Daniel Slim / AFP via Getty Images

In order to restructure the heavy debt caused by the "unexpected shock" of the covid pandemic, Avianca, the second largest airline in Latin America,  filed for bankruptcy protection in the United States on 10 May 2020.

The decision to apply for bankruptcy protection is due to the closure of Colombian airspace as the number of covid cases in Colombia continued to increase. At the end of March 2020, Aviana suspended all passenger aircraft operations. Of the airline's more than 20,000 employees, 12,000 staff are on unpaid leave.

Avianca CEO Anko van der Werff said in a press release, "Avianca is facing the most challenging crisis in its century of history.

Avianca issued a statement in Bogota, emphasizing the grounding of its fleet "has reduced the company's comprehensive income by more than 80%, and caused significant pressure on capital liquidity." The company and "some subsidiaries and affiliated companies" have requested in New York courts to "voluntarily apply for bankruptcy protection in accordance with Chapter 11 of the US Bankruptcy Law."

This procedure allows companies and companies with financial difficulties to restructure and restructure their debt.

Avianca asked the New York court to give priority to "authorize the performance of work commitments" so that the company's "compensation plan for employees can continue to operate."

Avianca first filed for bankruptcy protection in the United States in 2003, with a net loss of $ 894 million in 2019, compared with a profit of only $ 1.1 million in 2018.

Juan David Ballen, chief economist of Casa de Bolsa, a securities broker in Bogota, was not surprised that Avianca filed for bankruptcy protection again. He said that this company was already heavily in debt and tried to restructure its debt in 2019.

Central Airlines launches its first cargo flight to Shenzhen on 10 May 2020

Report by : Gan Yung Chyan
                 / KUCINTA SETIA

Central Airlines launches its first cargo scheduled flight to Shenzhen from Zhengzhou on 10 May 2020. Its B737-300 took off from Zhengzhou for Shenzhen in the morning.

Central Airlines plans to launch further new cargo routes to Wuxi, Quanzhou and Haikou this year. It plans to own a fleet of 12 freighter aircraft by 2023 and 60 freighter aircraft by 2030.

Ethiopian Airlines in talks with Mauritius to re-start Air Mauritius

Report by : Gan Yung Chyan
                  / KUCINTA SETIA

According to Ethiopian Airlines, it is in talks with the Mauritius Government over a possibility to invest in and re-start Air Mauritius. If successful, Air Mauritius will be a feeder carrier to Ethiopian Airlines' international route network and subsidiary.

Air Mauritius is in voluntary administration due to financial difficulties in continuing operations caused by the pandemic.