OKAir launches direct flight from Tianjin to Osaka on 15 January 2016 and reduces frills

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

OKAir, short for Okay Airways, China's first private airline, launches direct flight from Tianjin to Osaka-Kansai on 15 January 2016 when its flight BK3025 departs from Tianjin at 11.50 am, arrives in Osaka-Kansai at 4 pm before leaving Osaka-Kansai at 5 pm and touches down in Tianjin at 6.55 pm using its B737-800 aircraft under BK3026. Services are on Tuesdays and Fridays.

With the addition of Osaka-Kansai to its flight network, OKAir flies to 45 domestic cities in China and 5 international destinations including Jeju, Krabi, Suvarnabhumi and Tokyo-Haneda from 15 January.

In line with its international expansion and trimming frills objectives, full-service OKAir is re-defining full-service. It has stopped publishing its own OKAIR inflight magazine since 2015, reducing the amount of inflight food, going paperless and maintaining ticketing costs high. Customers directly booking with the airline in China may do so via WebChat. International customers interested to fly with OKAir can only do so via Ctrip, Tuniu and other external on-line ticketing platforms of China.

Qingdao Airlines launches domestic flights from Yantai on 18 January 2016

Report by : Gan Yung Chyan
                  / KUCINTA SETIA
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Qingdao Airlines is basing its eighth Airbus A320 aircraft at Yantai Fenglai International Airport on 16 January 2016 overnight which is opening two domestic routes linking Yantai with Harbin and Shanghai-Pudong on 18 January 2016. Flights are operated daily. It is the fourth airline to base an aircraft overnight in Yantai after Shandong Airlines, China Eastern and OKAir.

On 18 January 2016, Qingdao Airlines flight QW9811 departs from Yantai for Harbin at 7.15 am, arrives in Harbin at 9.15 am before taking off at 10.15 am and arriving in Yantai at 12.55 pm under flight QW9812.

On 18 January 2016, the same aircraft under flight QW9813 departs from Yantai for Shanghai-Pudong at 8.25 pm, arrives in Pudong at 9.15 pm before taking off at 11.10 pm and arriving in Yantai at 12.50 am on 19 January 2016 under flight QW9814.

Qingdao Airlines' ninth A320 aircraft will join its fleet on 22 January 2016. 

Qingdao Airlines plans to increase its fleet to 50 aircraft by 2020 and to 100 by 2025. It aims to become a full-fledged international airline when its plans to launch international flights from Yantai to Incheon, Tokyo, Osaka, Hong Kong, Singapore, Suvarnabhumi and Kuala Lumpur from 2017 onwards.

Qingdao Airlines currently flies from Qingdao to Shanghai-Pudong, Beijing, Chengdu, Harbin, Hailar, Changsha, Nanjing, Yinchuan, Guiyang, Nanning, Xi'an, Lanzhou, Dunhuang, Urumqi, Quanzhou and Kunming. It has shelved plan to rename to Xinlong Air until further notice.

Colorful Guizhou Airlines launches first intra-provincial scheduled flight to Tianjin on 8 January 2016

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

Colorful Guizhou Airlines has launched its first intra-provincial scheduled flight to Tianjin in Hebei Province from Guiyang on 8 January 2016 using its ERJ190 aircraft.

On 8 January 2016, flight GY7107 departs from Guiyang for Tianjin at 8.20 am, arrives in Tianjin at 11.05 am before leaving Tianjin at 12 pm and touching down in Guiyang at 2.45 pm under flight GY7108.

Colorful Guizhou Airlines flies between Guiyang and Tianjin daily. Limited one-way fare excluding tax starts from 10 RMB (S$2.20) and is available for sale on Ctrip platform in the morning, subject to changes in sale condition.

XiamenAir launches thrice-weekly flight to Denpasar on 25 January 2016

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

XiamenAir has officially announced new scheduled flight from Xiamen to Denpasar using its Boeing B737-700 aircraft. 

On 25 January 2016, XiamenAir launches its maiden scheduled flight to the capital of Bali in Indonesia from Xiamen at 6.05 pm under flight MF8901, arrives in Denpasar at 11.20 pm before taking off for Xiamen from Denpasar on 26 January 2016 under flight MF8902 at 12.55 am and touching down in Xiamen at 6.10 am.

Outbound flights from Xiamen to Denpasar are on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays while inbound flights to Xiamen from Denpasar are on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

Jiangxi Air to launch inaugural scheduled flight from Nanchang on 18 January 2016

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

XiamenAir's first wholly-owned airline subsidiary headquartered in Nanchang, Jiangxi Air (previously known as Jiangxi Airlines), plans to launch its official inaugural scheduled flight on 18 January 2016 from Nanchang. At press time, Jiangxi Air has not announced which Chinese city it is choosing to start flying to regularly.

According to Chinese media in Nanchang, Jiangxi Air that was awarded its Air Operator Certificate (AOC) on 8 December 2015 will launch regular scheduled flights from Nanchang to Xiamen, Shenzhen, Chongqing, Guiyang, Haikou and to Urumqi via Xi'an in 2016. Gradually, it will also launch scheduled flights to Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Kunmng, Zhengzhou and Tianjin. 

Within five years, Jiangxi Air plans to launch international flights to Singapore, Suvarnabhumi, Kuala Lumpur, Incheon, Tokyo and as far as Europe and North America.

Jiangxi Air carried out its first test flight from Nanchang to Xiamen on 30 December 2015 using its first Boeing B737-800 which first landed in Nanchang from Haikou on 14 December 2015. On 30 December, its flight RY8700 departed from Nanchang at 10 am and touched down in Xiamen at 11.10 am. The outbound flight to Nanchang took place in the afternoon under flight RY8800. Both legs of the return journey were delayed by one hour.

Jiangxi Air will receive its second B737-800 on 17 January 2016 and its official inaugural scheduled flight will be launched on 18 January. The airline plans to increase its fleet to 20 all-Economy Class B737-800 aircraft by 2020.

A joint venture between XiamenAir and Jiangxi Aviation Investment Co., Ltd., Jiangxi Air unveiled its aircraft livery and logo which shows an overall integration of Jiangxi heritage elements including the blue and white porcelain, crane, jade wall and the aircraft engine and other graphic elements. 

Designer Duan Xu described Jiangxi Air's logo, "the blue and white porcelain represents Jiangxi and China while crane stands for flight and progress of Jiangxi. The aircraft engine symbolizes the unlimited energy of Jiangxi development while the jade wall suggests perfect harmony".

Jiangxi Air was established on 2 March 2015 on the basis of the official venture agreement signed by XiamenAir and Jiangxi Aviation Investment Co., Ltd. dated 13 August 2014. It aims to offer budget air fares and more direct routes to residents and tourists of Nanchang when operations begin.

Jiangxi Aviation Investment Co., Ltd. is involved in Jiangxi airline and travel management operations and organizing intra-Asian charter flights from Nanchang to Siem Reap using Sky Angkor Airlines' aircraft, Nha Trang and Denpasar.

Fuzhou Airlines flies to Lanzhou via Yichang on 16 January 2016

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

Fuzhou Airlines, the local airline of Fuzhou, capital of Fujian Province in China, launches official scheduled flight from Fuzhou to Lanzhou via Yichang on 16 January 2016 before the Chinese New Year.

Yichang is the second largest city of Hubei Province located on both sides of the Yangtze River after capital Wuhan. It is the homeland of poet Qu Yuan and beauty Wang Zhaojun, the site of the Battle of Yiling in 222 AD during the Three Kingdoms period (220 AD - 280 AD) and home to the Xiling Gorge.

On 16 January 2016, Fuzhou Airlines flight FU6581 departs from Fuzhou at 7.45 am, arrives in Yichang at 9.35 am before leaving Yichang at 10.20 am for Lanzhou and touching down in Lanzhou at 12.25 pm.

The return flight to Fuzhou from Lanzhou takes place at 1.10 pm when flight FU6582 leaves Fuzhou via Yichang, transits in Yichang at 3 pm before taking off at 3.45 pm and arriving in Fuzhou at 5.45 pm.

Fuzhou Airlines is the only airline flying to Lanzhou via Yichang from Fuzhou on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Passengers travelling from Singapore to Fuzhou with XiamenAir on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays can connect to the new Fuzhou Airlines' flights. It is the Fuzhou-based subsidiary of Hainan Airlines. 

Fuzhou Airlines also flies to Shanghai-Pudong, Haikou, Kunming, Hefei, Taiyuan, Nanjing, Zhengzhou, Zhoushan and Tianjin.

9Air launches scheduled flight from Guangzhou to Haikou on 8 January 2016

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

9Air, Guangzhou-headquartered low-cost airline subsidiary of Juneyao Airlines, is launching scheduled flight from Guangzhou to Haikou on 8 January 2016.

On 8 January, 9Air flight AQ1025 departs from Guangzhou at 6.25 am, arrives in Haikou at 7.35 am before leaving Haikou at 11.50 pm and touching down in Guangzhou at 1.10 am on 9 January 2016 under AQ1026. Flights are on Fridays, Sundays, Tuesdays. Check 9Air.com for updated flight schedules after 9 January.

In December 2015, 9Air began flying between Urumqi and Yining, two cities in Xinjiang. Now, 9Air flies to a dozen of cities in China from Guangzhou including Changbaishan, Nanjing, Harbin, Wenzhou, Haikou and Urumqi.

Inflight Review : Air India B787-8 Dreamliner

Inflight Review by : Gan Yung Chyan

                             / KUCINTA SETIA
Distributed to Everyone

Airline : Air India B787 Dreamliner

Routes : from Mumbai, Delhi and Chennai to Singapore, Tokyo, Europe at convenient timings.***

Aircraft : The B787-8 seat legroom is spacious. It has inflight entertainment, a feature that Scoot B787-800/-900 aircraft do not have. ***

Safety Demonstrations : Adequate.  *****

Inflight Service / Onboard Meals and Refreshments : The cabin crew serves free cups of mineral water, refreshments and meals onboard generously. You can request for meals in advance at sales offices or call Air India.**** 

Postcard / Stationery : There are no aircraft postcards. The barf bags are collectibles. **
 

Inflight Magazine : Shubh-Yatra is Air India's complimentary inflight magazine.****

Sky Shop : There is inflight duty-free shop. ****

Surcharges :  None. ****

Bookings : Air India's web-site accepts online international debit card and credit card payments. Elsewhere, tickets can be purchased at Cleartrip and Ctrip platforms using Mastercard. Tickets purchased cannot be cancelled and refunded. Changes of flight dates are permitted subject to fees and fare differences. Web-check-in is provided.  ***

Check-In and Departures : Check-in at the relevant airports 1 hour 30 minutes to three hours before departures. Flights do not depart on time.**

Ground service in  response  to passengers' requests and enquiries : Poor. In the Indian airports, the expressionless Air India ground handling staff do not make efforts to attach luggage tags to carried-on baggage on behalf of passengers. In Singapore, the staff nowadays do not assist customers who requested to collect Shubh-Yatra and Timetables on the ground. They do not bother to show their Indian greeting.**

Overall Impression :  There is room for improvement for Air India in terms of ground handling, customer service, marketing and ticketing services but Air India excels in aircraft product and inflight services. Overall, Air India is a three-star airline. ***

** Poor / two-star
*** Good / three-star
***** Very good / five-star
****** Excellent / six-star (the highest category)

VASCO operates flights to Dien Bien and Vinh from Hanoi since 1 January 2016

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

Since 1 January 2016, Vietnam Air Services Company (VASCO) has been operating flights between Hanoi and Dien Bien and between Hanoi and Vinh, using its ATR 72 aircraft.

VASCO operates flights between Hanoi and Dien Bien with a frequency of 14 flights per week, and Hanoi – Vinh with a frequency of 7 flights per week. 

Jeju Air confronted with safety lapses, technical and inadequate training issues amidst stiff competition

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

Jeju Air, Korea's largest low-cost airline founded in 2005, has been plagued by safety lapses in recent months, inconveniencing thousands of customers, although it has been mobilizing resources to expand routes and attract as many travelers as possible to compete with Korean Air, Asiana Airlines, Jin Air, EastarJet, Air Busan and T'Way Air despite a recent brand image refresh after a proposed investment deal with Singapore Airlines was scrapped by the latter in November 2015. However, Jeju Air has focused less attention on strengthening the operational safety of its fleet and the training of pilots and other crew members. Industrial analysts in South Korea caution that if Jeju Air, headed by CEO Choi Kyu-nam, continues to expand its route network by operating its aging airplanes excessively, it will likely be involved in serious accidents in 2016. On 23 December 2015, a Jeju Air's Boeing 737-800 aircraft bound for Jeju from Seoul (Gimpo) suddenly nosedived, sending 152 passengers into panic, with dozens sustaining injuries. The plane plunged 3,000 meters in seconds. Initially, the malfunctioning of the self-pressurized system was believed to be the cause of the sudden plunge. However, after an initial inspection of the plane, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said inspectors found no mechanical problem, suspecting pilot error was behind the latest incident. "If pilot error is confirmed to be the cause of the incident, then Jeju Air has failed to adequately train its aviators. Pilots, maintenance crews and other personnel at Jeju Air are overworked to keep up with the firm's busy flight schedules. Everything has been stretched thin. Other budget carriers face the same problem," said an airline industry official, who declined to be named.  Jeju Air operates a fleet of 22 Boeing 737-800 aircraft, flying to 26 destinations in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan, Guam, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines. It also runs four domestic routes to Jeju, Daegu, Cheongju and Busan from Gimpo. It has been adding four to five routes a year and hiring dozens of pilots to maintain rapid route network expansion. Besides pilot errors, Jeju Air's aging planes are said to have caused numerous flight delays and cancellations. The aircraft involved in the 23 December incident was manufactured in 2008. Worse, 16 other planes were produced before 2008, with two manufactured in 1999. "Jeju's aging fleet has been causing a wide range of incidents over the past few years," the official said. "The carrier knows that it needs to add new planes to its fleet. But it costs more to do so. If it cannot afford to lease new planes, it instead has to beef up its safety inspections. This could make fewer planes available for operation." On 20 December 2015, a Jeju Air flight bound for Busan from Guam was delayed for 15 hours because of defective parts, while an aircraft bound for Incheon from Bangkok had to return to Thailand after two hours in the air on 5 December 2015 due to a part flaw. In addition, Jeju Air is widely expected to face stiff competition from Air Seoul, Asiana Airlines' second budget carrier formed on 29 December 2015, which will begin operations at the latest by June 2016. Air Seoul, which will operate on Asiana's short-distance routes from Gimpo to destinations in China, Sungshan in Taiwan, Japan and from Incheon to Hanoi, Vientiane, Ho Chi Minh City, Suvarnabhumi, Chiang Mai, Phnom Penh, Manila using Airbus A321 aircraft leased from Asiana Airlines, will likely turn Korea's highly competitive LCC market even more aggressive. The budget carrier will likely bite into the bottom lines of Jeju Air, Jin Air, EastarJet and T'Way Air.  Air Seoul is the Gimpo-based sister budget carrier of Air Busan, Asiana Airlines' first budget airline subsidiary headquartered in the South Korean port city of Busan.