Lao Airlines joins IATA in its 40th year of flight operations as it plans new routes

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

Lao Airlines, which exhibits at NATAS for the fourth time from 12 to 14 August, is formally admitted into International Air Transport Association (IATA) in Vientiane on 10 August 2016 as IATA's latest country member airline in its 40th year of flight operations. Its entry to IATA marks the airline coming of age as it takes on national aviation management and station operational safety responsibilities on an internationally-recognised level.

This comes after Lao Airlines has achieved globally recognised IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) certification earlier this year following a comprehensive assessment of its operational management and control systems that are evaluated against more than 900 audit standards and recommended practices across eight disciplines including management organization, operations, maintenance and engineering, ground operations and aviation security.

Both IOSA certification and IATA membership are significant achievements for Lao Airlines since it began operations in 1976 under its former name of Lao Aviation. They will "enhance the trust and confidence levels" (quoting Dr. Somphone Duangdara, Lao Airlines CEO) of the airline among its customers.

In 1976, Lao Aviation had a fleet of Fairchild C-123, Douglas C 47, Douglas DC 4, Antonov 2, Mil Mi 8, Antonov 24 and Antonov 26 aircraft. 

In 2016, Lao Airlines has 4 Airbus A320-214 and 7 ATR72-500 and -600 series aircraft operating to 6 domestic and 15 international destinations. Following the achievements mentioned earlier, the airline plans to enlarge its existing route network on its own and with its interline airline partners.

The Lao national flag carrier plans to launch new charter flights to Wuhan in Hubei, China, Nanning in Guangxi from Vientiane and operate future scheduled flights to Taipei, Yangon, Tokyo-Narita and Kuala Lumpur.

Lao Airlines provides Singaporeans and tourists with connecting flights from Vientiane to Luang Prabang, Pakse, Savannakhet and it has code-sharing flights to Vientiane and Luang Prabang with SilkAir from 31 October 2016 on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays. It is the only airline to fly directly from Singapore to and from Vientiane three times on Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

From 1 September 2016, Lao Airlines' passengers in Lao PDR intending to travel to Jakarta will be able to make reservations on Garuda Indonesia's network which includes Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines, Australia and New Zealand whereas Garuda Indonesia's passengers in Indonesia can connect to Lao Airlines' flights to Vientiane and Luang Prabang via Singapore and Suvarnabhumi. The Interline and SPA partnership between Lao Airlines and Garuda Indonesia will pave way for Lao Airlines' eventual flights to Jakarta on its own.

Lao Airlines has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Jin Air, South Korea's LCC, to formalise a future Interline agreement that will develop interline sales and provide mutual support on facilities, equipment and information for the safety operation of aircraft in Lao PDR and South Korea. The agreement will allow Lao Airlines to develop its flight network that will eventually cover destinations in South Korea and international cities that are already served by Jin Air including Jeju, Cheongju, Busan, Japan, Hong Kong, Taipei and Guam.

Mr. Sengpraseuth Mathouchanh, Vice President of Lao Airlines, said, “This cooperation will help Lao Airlines in the future to expand its routes to the domestic of Korea and beyond as well as the tourist, economic and investment between the two countries”.

Jin Air expects to sell its tickets on Lao Airlines' flights to Luang Prabang, Singapore, Chiang Mai, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Siem Reap and Danang and other future Southeast Asian cities from Vientiane in due course.

An officer of Jin Air added, “We expect to reinforce our airline network in Southeast Asia through this agreement. We will discuss further cooperation on promotions, sales and marketing in a variety of ways so that both airlines can leverage the synergy created through the collaboration.”

Lao Airlines' existing interline partner airlines include Garuda Indonesia, XiamenAir, China Airlines, Bangkok Airways, Air France KLM, Asiana Airlines, Korean Air, Cambodia Angkor Air, Vietnam Airlines,  Jetstar, Qantas, Etihad Airways, Qatar Airways, Hainan Airlines, China Eastern, Thai Airways International, Eva Air, Aeroflot Russian Airlines, Singapore Airlines, SilkAir and SriLankan Airlines.

Establishing new interline partnerships with foreign airlines will enable Lao Airlines to expand its route network faster than addition of new aircraft.

More about IATA

IATA’s mission is to represent, lead and serve the airline industry and is the collective voice of 265 airlines from over 117 countries worldwide. Its vision is to be the force for value creation and innovation driving a safe, secure and profitable air transport industry that will sustain, connect and enrich the world. 

Bhutan Airlines (Tashi Air) launches direct flight from Paro to Delhi, one of its new routes

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

Bhutan Airlines, operated by Tashi Air Pvt Ltd, exhibits at NATAS Travel Holidays 2016 for the first time from 12 to 14 August, and announces that it is launching direct flight from Paro to Delhi on 15 September 2016. It will fly five times a week between Paro and Delhi on Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. It will launch direct charter flight from Singapore to Paro in November 2016.

On 15 September 2016, Bhutan Airlines Airbus A319 flight B3773 departs from Paro for Delhi at 10.45 am, arrives in Delhi at 12.35 pm before leaving Delhi at 1.35 pm and touching down in Paro at 4.15 pm under B3774.

Bhutan Airlines also flies to Delhi via Kathmandu.

On 26 November 2016, Bhutan Airlines will launch direct charter flight from Singapore to Paro without the stopover in Kolkata, subject to bilateral government and regulatory approval. The charter flight is marketed in Singapore by ASA Holidays and Air Sino-Euro Associates Travel Pte. Ltd. in a 5 Days 4 Nights Bhutan (Paro - Thimphu - Punakha) travel package, which will take in sights of Bhutanese tourist destinations such as Motithang Takin Reserve, the wildlife reserve for takin, the national animal of Bhutan, Buddha Point (Kuensel Phodrang), Dochula Pass, the "Temple of Happiness" Punakha Dzong and Taktsang Monastery (Tiger's Nest Temple), the unofficial symbol of Bhutan.

The charter flight from Singapore to Paro will also be conducted on 1, 6, 11 and 16 December 2016. The return flight from Paro will land in Singapore Changi Airport at 1.30 am on the sixth day.

Singapore is one of Bhutan Airlines' two destinations operated on a charter basis. The other destination it operates to on a charter ad hoc basis is Kuala Lumpur.

Bhutan Airlines plans to launch scheduled flight to Singapore via Yangon in 2017, subject to bilateral government and regulatory approval.

Bhutan Airlines distributes Bhutan travel brochures, its company profile in English and limited hardcopies of its inflight magazine Kuzuzangpo La at NATAS Travel Holidays 2016. The airline has not published any aircraft postcard.

Sichuan Airlines launches direct scheduled flight to Prague on 12 August 2016

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

Passengers travelling with Sichuan Airlines from Singapore to Chengdu will be delighted to know that from 12 August 2016 onwards, Sichuan Airlines will provide connecting flights to Prague, the capital of Czech Republic, on Fridays and Tuesdays on a scheduled basis.

On 12 August 2016, Sichuan Airlines flight 3U8295 departs from Chengdu for Prague at 12.45 pm, arrives in Prague at 5.15 pm before leaving Prague at 7.15 pm on the same day for Chengdu and touching down in Chengdu at 10.45 am local time on 13 August 2016.

There are six hours of time difference between Prague and Chengdu/Singapore. Singapore shares the same timing as China.

The Chengdu-Prague return flights are operated by Sichuan Airlines' Airbus A330 aircraft. Passengers do not need to fly to Beijing or Incheon to connect to flights for Prague.

Prague is said to be Europe's most beautiful capital and it has stood out to be the most favourite European destination of China tourists following the terror attacks in Paris and Istanbul. It is Sichuan Airlines' second European destination after Moscow.

Sichuan Airlines flies from Singapore to Chengdu at nights on a scheduled basis. Buy your Sichuan Airlines' tickets at local travel agents in Chinatown and at Zuji.com.sg today.

Uzbekistan Airways to receive its first B787-800 Dreamliner in September 2016

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

As part of its fleet renewal programme, Uzbekistan Airways will receive its first B787-800 Dreamliner long-range jet in September 2016 after the aircraft painting job was completed in Boeing in early August 2016. It is the first Central Asian airline to own a Dreamliner aircraft.

Uzbekistan Airways has purchase orders of 2 such Dreamliner aircraft since July 2014. Its advanced payments of 3.86 million US Dollars for the two aircraft have been remitted with the balance to be paid via state and bank loans.

The B787-800 Dreamliner will be deployed on routes from Tashkent to Europe, New York, Suvarnabhumi and in future a direct return route to Singapore and potential service to Australia via Singapore. 

Uzbekistan Airways currently flies to Singapore with stopover via Kuala Lumpur on the way back to Tashkent using its B767-300ER aircraft.

V Air suspends all flight operations on 1 October 2016

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

V Air, the second Taiwan LCC, suspends all flight operations from Taipei-Taoyuan on 1 October 2016. The final day of its flight operations is 30 September 2016.

Refunds of air tickets to affected passengers or arrangements for passengers to board TransAsia Airways on the affected routes are in process.

West Air launches flight from Singapore to Urumqi via Chongqing without aircraft change on 2 September 2016

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

Chongqing-based low-cost airline West Air launches scheduled flight from Singapore to Urumqi via Chongqing without any change of aircraft in Chongqing on 2 September 2016. Services until end of October 2016 will be operated on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays before the service linking the three cities is operated daily.

On 2 September 2016, West Air flight PN6358 departs from Singapore Changi Airport Terminal 1 for Urumqi via Chongqing at 12.35 am, transits in Chongqing at 5.05 am for Chongqing-bound passengers to alight before taking off for Urumqi at 7.15 am and touching down in Urumqi at 11.35 am.

The outbound flight from Urumqi for Singapore, flight PN6357, leaves Urumqi at 12.40 pm, transits in Chongqing at 4.20 pm before departing for Singapore at 6.35 pm and arriving in Singapore at 11.35 pm.

Round trip to Urumqi excluding taxes starts from 400 yuan. Tickets are on sale at www.westair.cn, travel agents and online ticketing platforms such as Tuniu and Ctrip.

West Air first launched its first international flight linking Chongqing with Singapore in February 2016 and it has attracted keen interest from Chongqing Airport and Changi Airport to develop tourist traffic to western China beyond Chongqing from Singapore.

The introduction of West Air's flight from Singapore to Urumqi is shortening the transit waiting time from up to 15 hours (if travel via Beijing, Shanghai or Guangzhou) to less than three hours and will promote overall tourist and business traffic between Xinjiang and Southeast Asia as a whole.

Tigerair Taiwan and V Air may be merged or closed down

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

According to Central News Agency of Taiwan, Tigerair Taiwan may be merged with Mandarin Airlines or closed down as the airline's main investor China Airlines is said to have a problem on the joint-venture agreement with Tiger Airways Holdings and Mandarin Airlines, the minority investors of Tigerair Taiwan. 

As of today, Tiger Airways Holdings hold 10 per cent stake in Tigerair Taiwan while China Airlines holds 80 per cent stake in the Taiwan LCC while the remaining stake was taken up by Mandarin Airlines in March 2014 from China Airlines.

Tigerair Taiwan first commenced inaugural flight to Singapore from Taipei-Taoyuan on 26 September 2014. Today, it flies to Singapore, Kota Kinabalu, Don Mueang, Macau, Kaohsiung, Dayong (Zhangjiajie in Hunan), Daegu in South Korea, Sendai, Tokyo, Okayama, Naha, Fukuoka and Nagoya in Japan. It launches its first flight to Hakodate on 12 August 2016.

Due to competition from Tigerair Taiwan on routes to Japan, Thailand, China and Singapore, China Airlines is considering merging the Taiwan LCC with its regional subsidiary Mandarin Airlines or closing down the joint-venture to stem losses. 

Mandarin Airlines has given response deadline to Tigerair Taiwan after 8 August 2016 on how it will re-organize its business or merge with Mandarin Airlines to avoid further losses on the routes it flies to including flights to Singapore and Japan.

Meanwhile, customers who have bought tickets from Tigerair Taiwan on Tigerair web-site should monitor status of their planned flights in September for sudden flight cancellations and should have purchased travel insurance before flying with the Taiwanese airline. Tigerair Taiwan has already cancelled its planned inaugural flight from Taipei-Taoyuan to Sapporo on 13 September 2016.

Also at risk of business closure is V Air, the low-cost airline subsidiary of TransAsia Airways. TransAsia is said to consider merging V Air with TransAsia Airways as V Air has not been attracting Japanese tourists and not earning any profit. TransAsia Airways is considering to become a budget boutique airline to stem losses from competition with V Air and other airlines operating to Taiwan and Japan, meaning future passengers of TransAsia will have to pay for inflight meals and inflight entertainment.

Both Tigerair Taiwan and V Air are taking late steps in attracting the Japanese travel markets. They have agreed to exhibit at JATA Travel Expo, Japan's largest international travel mart, but it remains to be seen whether they will exhibit on-site from 21 September to 24 September 2016 in Tokyo.

Hong Kong Airlines launches direct flight to Yonago, Japan on 14 September 2016

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

Hong Kong Airlines launches its first direct scheduled flight from Hong Kong to Yonago, a city of Tottori Prefecture in Japan on 14 September 2016. It flies to Yonago on Wednesdays and Saturdays using its Airbus A320 aircraft.

On 14 September 2016, Hong Kong Airlines flight HX6650 departs from Hong Kong for Yonago's Miho-Yonago Airport at 12.05 pm, arrives in Yonago at 4.10 pm before leaving Yonago at 5.10 pm for Hong Kong and touching down in Hong Kong at 7.55 pm under flight HX6651.

Yonago will be the eighth Japanese city destination on Hong Kong Airlines' Japan route network. Hong Kong Airlines has twice-daily flights to Okinawa, Tokyo, one daily flight to Osaka, five-time weekly services to Sapporo, Kagoshima and twice-weekly flights to Okayama in the Chugoku region in Western Honshu and Miyazaki. It will be the only airline to fly between Hong Kong and Yonago.

The 90 per cent mountainous region of Tottori Prefecture, situated in the northeastern part of the Chugoku region in Japan, has four distinct seasons with very high amount of precipitation in July and September. It boasts a wide range of local produce including Japanese watermelons, 20th century pears, oysters and Matsuba crabs. 

Tottori Prefecture is blessed with Japan's largest sand dunes, Tottori Sand Dunes. Spanning 16 km long and 2 km wide along the coast, wind and tide weaves together unique ripples and sand screens that evolve every minute. Tourists can choose adrenaline-pumping paragliding and sandboarding or strolling on a horse-cart or a camel or riding a cable car for panoramic views of the coastline. In addition, the hot springs from the sea floor of Miho Bay in the prefecture is said to improve digestion and relieve muscular pain.

The Prefecture is Japan's "Manga Kingdom", as it is home of Japanese comics artists behind the celebrated GeGeGe no Kitaro and Great Detective Conan. A ride on the Kitaro train or a walk along the yokai statue-lined Mizuki Shigeru Road will transport any visitor into the fantasy manga world.

As the original site of Mingei (folk craft) movement, Tottori Prefecture is also well-known for its traditional pottery and utensils inspired by the  beauty of daily life.

With the new Hong Kong - Yonago route, passengers from Southeast Asia need not spend too much to visit the "Manga Kingdom" via other Japanese cities.

Li Dianchun, Chief Commercial Officer of Hong Kong Airlines, said, "We are delighted to be launching our second route in the Chugoku region after our success with the Okayama route in March this year.  Our Yonago route will open up more options to our passengers in West Honshu. We have great confidence in this route and we hope to bring travellers from around the world to this scenic and cultural Prefecture."

Before 14 September, Yonago is linked by Asiana Airlines to Incheon outside Japan on a scheduled flight basis.

Colorful Guizhou Airlines links Yancheng and Yantai from 22 August 2016

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

Passengers flying with Jetstar Asia to Guiyang, China, will have more Chinese cities to choose from for their onward domestic flights from the Guizhou Province's capital city on 22 August 2016. 

Between 22 and 31 August 2016, Guiyang-based airline Colorful Guizhou Airlines flies four times a week from Guiyang to Yancheng and Yantai on Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays using one of its three Embraer E190 business jets. From 1 September 2016 onwards, the airline launches daily scheduled flights from Guiyang to these cities.

On 22 August 2016, Colorful Guizhou Airlines flight GY7123 departs from Guiyang for Yantai via Yancheng at 1.20 pm, transits in Yancheng at 3.35 pm before taking off from Yancheng at 4.25 pm and arriving in Yantai at 5.35 pm.

On the same day, flight GY7124 leaves Yantai at 6.25 pm, transits in Yancheng at 7.35 pm before departing from Yancheng at 8.25 pm and returning to Guiyang at 10.55 pm.

Colorful Guizhou Airlines is the first airline in the world to link Yancheng with Yantai and does not face any competition from other Chinese airlines on the new route.

Yancheng with a history of 2100 years is the northeastern Jiangsu provincial city named after the salt harvest fields surrounding the city. Home of Shi Nai An the author of Water Margin (<<水浒传>>) and Fan Zhongyan the twelfth century statesman, it has marshlands that are home to the red-crowned crane and the endangered elaphure (Elaphurus davidanus / Pere David's deer). Elaphure is known in Chinese as sibuxiang (四不像), a beast endemic to China with "the tail of a donkey, the head of a horse, the hoofs of a cow, the antlers of a deer".

Yantai is the largest fishing seaport in Shandong Province. Named after the watchtowers constructed on Mount Qi in 1398 to raise alarms against invasions of Japanese pirates, tourists can find walruses and mirages here and it is home to the Yantai Export Processing Zone. Yantai is also the gateway to Penglai City's Dan Cliffs, said to be the departure point of the Eight Immortals on their legendary trip to the Conference of the Magical Peach in The Tales of the Eight Immortals (<<八仙过海>>). The cliffs are of proximity to Yantai Penglai International Airport.

ITB Berlin launches ITB China on 10 May 2017 in Shanghai

Press Release by : Messe Berlin
Edited by : Gan Yung Chyan
                  / KUCINTA SETIA
Distributed to All Press & Travel Professionals

Following the eight-year success of ITB Asia in Singapore, ITB Berlin will launch China's version of ITB, known as ITB China, in Shanghai on 10 May 2017.

Jane Sun, Co-President and COO of Ctrip, will be the keynote speaker at the official opening of the first ITB China, which will take place in May 2017. This was announced by ITB China’s organiser Messe Berlin, and by Ctrip, one of China’s leading online travel agencies. 

Ms Sun said, “We are very excited about ITB China and happy to be part of it right from the first event in 2017. We are confident that the ITB China will be a great opportunity for Ctrip to enhance its business relations with global destinations and travel service suppliers.”

Ctrip is a leading provider of travel services including accommodation reservation, transportation ticketing, packaged tours and corporate travel management in China. The company last attracted global attention in 2015 when it acquired a stake of Qunar, its rival company, and thereby strengthened its leadership in China's online travel space.

The first ITB China will take place from 10 to 12 May 2017 at the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and Conference Center. The event, an international offshoot of one of Messe Berlin’s most successful trade fairs, will take place annually there. It is a three-day business to business travel trade fair that focuses exclusively on the Chinese travel industry. The ITB China Conference will take place parallel with the show and is co-organised by the leading conference organiser TravelDaily (www.traveldaily.cn), a leading online news portal and organiser of travel industry conferences in Asia’s largest country.

Trade fair preparations well under way

Interest in ITB China is high. Leading Chinese travel industry companies including Ctrip, Alittrip, Utour, Caissa and many others have already confirmed they will be sending their buyers to the first event in mid-May 2017. Exhibitors are also pressing ahead with preparations.

visitBerlin – the Marketing agency of Germany’s capital, was one of the first exhibitors to confirm its participation. 

Ralf Ostendorf, director of Market Management at visitBerlin, said, “Naturally, visitBerlin is delighted that as an offshoot of a Berlin event ITB China will be taking place in Shanghai. The Chinese market is very important for us. Last year in Berlin the number of overnights by Chinese visitors rose by 26.6 per cent, and the prospects for more business are good. We are already looking forward to establishing contacts in Shanghai and to taking part in the first ITB China.“

Exhibitors who decide early to attend ITB China can take advantage of a 10 per cent discount on stand fees if they register no later than 30 September 2016. For more details please visit www.itb-china.com.

About ITB

First launched 50 years ago, ITB Berlin is recognised as the most successful trade show for the global travel industry. Some 10,000 exhibitors from more than 180 countries regularly attend this event. 

Every year in October for the last eight years Messe Berlin has successfully organised ITB Asia in Singapore. Boasting 760 exhibitors from 73 countries, ITB Asia in Singapore has established itself as one of the leading travel trade shows in Asia. 

As the second show in Asia, ITB China will take place in Shanghai, one of the leading industrial cities in the People’s Republic of China, and with a population of around 23 million one of world’s largest cities. 

In addition to ITB Asia, which reflects tourism in the whole Asian region, ITB China focuses entirely on the Chinese travel market.