Myanmar National Airlines adds second daily flight to Singapore on 1 December 2016

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

Myanmar National Airlines, which exhibits at ITB Asia for the first time from 19 to 21 October 2016, announces that it is adding second daily flight to its Yangon-Singapore-Yangon route sectors on 1 December 2016. 

The second daily flight of Myanmar National Airlines takes off from Yangon under UB003 for Singapore at 4 pm, arrives in Singapore at 8.30 pm before leaving Singapore Changi Airport Terminal 3 at 9.15 pm and touching down in Yangon at 10.45 pm local time under flight UB004. The flights are operated by the airline's B737-800 aircraft.

The first daily flight of the airline's Yangon-Singapore-Yangon route sectors remains unchanged, meaning flight UB001 leaves Yangon for Singapore at 7.15 am, arrives in Singapore at 11.45 am before departing from Singapore for Yangon at 1 pm and arriving in Yangon at 2.30 pm local time under UB002.

Myanmar National Airlines also says it has charter flights to Gaya from Yangon and it is resuming ATR72 twice-weekly flights from Yangon to Chiang Mai on 4 November 2016 with flight UB009 departing from Yangon for Chiang Mai at 5.50 pm, touching down in Chiang Mai at 7.20 pm before leaving Chiang Mai at 8.05 pm and returning to Yangon at 8.35 pm local time under flight UB010 every Monday and Friday. It has shelved plan to operate flights to Taipei.

Vietnam Airlines looks forward to better A350-900 XWB aircraft technology after 1 year

Report by : Gan Yung Chyan

                   / KUCINTA SETIA

Distributed to All Press & Travel Professionals

Vietnam Airlines at ITB Asia 2016, Singapore, marks more than 1 year of A350-900 and B787-900 flight operations formally with trade visitors. It has successfully operated over 2600 flights with A350-900s and over 5000 flights with B787-900s after one year.

Vietnam Airlines starts its first A350-900 revenue service on 30 September 2015 with its direct flight from Hanoi to Paris using the aircraft registerd "VN-A887". It introduces its first B787-900 Dreamliner jet on the direct route from Ho Chi Minh City to London on 1 August 2015.

On 6 September 2016, Vietnam Airlines signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Airbus Group on the airline's consideration to buy 10 additional Airbus A350-900 XWB aircraft.

According to Vietnam Airlines, it is looking forward to the outstanding features in the additional A350-900 aircraft that will have "improvements in design, materials and engines", enabling the aircraft to maintain its commercial loading capacity with longer range coverage and higher fuel efficiency for the ultra long haul flights. 

Once the A350-900 XWB aircraft have been successfully delivered, Vietnam Airlines will operate direct non-stop flights to the US.

Currently, Vietnam Airlines has a fleet of 4 A350-900 XWB, 7 B787-900 aircraft. 4 B777-200ER, 8 A330-200, 56 A321-200 and 3 ATR72-500 aircraft.

The wide-body A350-900 XWB and B787-900 boast full flatbed Business Class seats arranged in spacious rows of four. This arrangement is much more roomy and comfortable than that found in other commercial aircraft, enabling passengers to relax, enjoy inflight entertainment and alleviate effects of jet lag on long-haul flights. 

Business Class passengers have access to many useful inflight services such as chargers, USB gates, WiFi connections, Internet access from personal devices, a new generation of entertainment systems featuring large 16-inch LCD screens, etc.

The operations of A350-900 and B787-900 aircraft not only assure world class safe enjoyable flights for Vietnam Airlines' passengers but also enable Vietnam Airlines to introduce long-haul flights. Therefore, SkyTrax has certified Vietnam Airlines recently as a four-star airline and ranked in the Top 3 most improved airline company in the world in 2016.

ITB Asia 2016 is held at Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre from 19 to 21 October 2016 and open to registered tourism and travel trade visitors, buyers and media only. Visit Vietnam Airlines at Booth E45.

Mihin Lanka ends operations on 29 October 2016

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

Mihin Lanka, Sri Lanka's only low-fare airline, ends operations on 29 October 2016 for its merger with SriLankan Airlines on 30 October 2016.

SriLankan Airlines takes over Mihin Lanka's aircraft and operates flights from Colombo to Muscat, Mahe, Male, Dhaka, Chennai, Kolkata, Madurai, Trivandrum, Gaya, Varanasi, Lahore, Jakarta and Medan - Kualanamu, all Mihin Lanka's destinations on 30 October 2016.

Sayacinta - Airpost therefore presents below more glorious looks of Mihin Lanka's livery in Colombo as a gesture of gratitude to the airline for 9 years of reliable flight operations.

XiamenAir adds new daily flights from Singapore to Fuzhou and Xiamen from winter 2016

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

XiamenAir is introducing new daily flights from Singapore to Xiamen and Fuzhou with effect from the start of its upcoming winter schedule.

On 31 October 2016, XiamenAir flight MF898 launches flight from Singapore for Fuzhou at 8.25 am, arrives in Fuzhou at 1.05 pm before leaving Fuzhou at 8 pm under flight MF897 and touching down in Singapore at 12.40 am on 1 November 2016.

On 18 November 2016, flight MF896 leaves Singapore for Xiamen at 2 am, touches down in Xiamen at 6.15 am before departing from Xiamen at 12.10 am on 19 November 2016 and arriving in Singapore at 4.25 am.

The new B737-800 flights of XiamenAir allow business tourists the option to explore Xiamen and Fuzhou one day and return to Singapore within one day without breaking the bank.

Travellers can book these flights on Ctrip, other on-line ticketing platforms and at XiamenAir's offices, its Singapore web-site at www.xiamenair.com and agents.

XiamenAir's other existing daily return flight from Xiamen is MF851 (departing Xiamen at 11.05 am, arriving Singapore at 3.15 pm) /MF852 (departing Singapore at 3.40 pm, arriving Xiamen at 8 pm).

XiamenAir's other existing daily return flight from Fuzhou is MF865 (departing Fuzhou at 10.10 am, arriving Singapore at 2.45 pm) /MF866 (departing Singapore at 4.15 pm, arriving Fuzhou at 8.50 pm).

XiamenAir also flies to Dalian, Tianjin and Zhengzhou via Xiamen, and Xian via Hangzhou from Singapore.

Cambodia Angkor Air launches direct flight from Siem Reap to Hanoi on 30 October 2016

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

Cambodia Angkor Air launches direct flight from Siem Reap to Hanoi on 30 October 2016. It will fly between Siem Reap and Hanoi five times a week on Sundays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays between 30 October 2016 and 14 December 2016 before turning the service into daily from 15 December 2016 using its Airbus A321 or A320 aircraft.

On 30 October 2016, flight K6 850 departs from Siem Reap for Hanoi at 5.55 pm, arrives in Hanoi at 7.35 pm before leaving Hanoi at 8.25 pm and touching down in Siem Reap at 10.05 pm under flight K6 851.

To celebrate the new route, Cambodia Angkor Air will exhibit its flight products and services at ITB Asia 2016 to be held at Marina Sands Expo, Singapore from 19 to 21 October 2016. It now has daily code-sharing flights to Singapore via Ho Chi Minh City operated by Vietnam Airlines. 

Further news on Cambodia Angkor Air from ITB Asia 2016 will be published if any at Sayacinta - Airpost.

Jet Airways flies daily between Bengaluru and Singapore from 14 December 2016

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

India's largest private airline Jet Airways is launching direct scheduled flight between Bengaluru and Singapore on 14 December 2016. It will fly daily using one of its B737 aircraft.

On 14 December 2016, flight 9W24 departs from Bengaluru for Singapore at 11.10 am, arrives in Singapore Changi Airport Terminal 3 at 6.10 pm before leaving Singapore for Bengaluru at 7.15 pm and arriving in Bengaluru at 9.15 pm local time under flight 9W23.

Prior to this date, Jet Airways' passengers have to fly to Bengaluru via Mumbai from Singapore. With the addition of Bengaluru to its Singapore flight network, Jet Airways flies to four Indian cities including Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai.

Flight Suspension Notice : Tigerair Taiwan's Singapore flights

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

Tigerair Taiwan is carrying out its final return flight operations to Singapore from Taipei-Taoyuan on 2 January 2017. 

On 2 January 2017, flight IT511 leaves Taoyuan for Singapore at 11.10 am, arrives in Singapore at 4.10 pm before departing from Changi Airport Terminal 2 at 5.05 pm for Taoyuan and touching down in Taoyuan at 9.50 pm.

Flights under IT511 and IT512 from 3 January 2017 onwards are cancelled.

As Tigerair did not announce openly Tigerair Taiwan's flight cancellations at www.tigerair.com, it is best to call the Call Centre of Tigerair at 31576434 for refunds or follow-up on the travel options to Taoyuan.

Asia's first trapezoidal grooved runway at Changi Airport enhances flight safety and operational productivity

Trapezoidal-shaped grooves on the surface of Changi Airport’s Runway 1

Changi Airport is stepping up its productivity and safety drive in its airfield with new and improved runway maintenance processes, including the cutting of groove, and use of stronger asphalt mixture to resurface the airport’s runways.

Runway grooving enhances surface drainage

The surface of Changi Airport’s Runway 1 is currently being cut with trapezoidal-shaped grooves, a new safety design developed by the Federal Aviation Administration of USA. This method of improving runway surface drainage, especially in the advent of climate change leading to higher intensity rainfall, has not been used in other airports in Asia.

Cut by a special machine for runway grooving, the trapezoidal grooves have been shown to provide better water drainage than traditional square grooves, especially under adverse weather conditions. They enhance the safety of aircraft operations by reducing the risk of hydroplaning, which happens when a layer of water builds between the aircraft tyre and the runway surface, causing skidding.

Trials conducted at Changi Airport have also shown trapezoidal grooves to be more maintenance-friendly as compared to its square counterpart, when it comes to removing rubber deposits of aircraft tyres wedged inside the groove.

Stronger asphalt mixture resurfaces all runways

Concurrently, Runway 1 is being resurfaced with a stronger and more durable asphalt mixture, which was jointly developed with the Civil Engineering Department of the National University of Singapore. The mixture was tested over three years to ensure it achieves a higher temperature resistance, in anticipation of hotter weather from climate change.

Every week, more than 6,800 flights take off and land on the two runways at Changi Airport. The impact of the aircraft tyres on contact with the ground will cause the pavement surface constructed of asphalt material to age. Regular preventive maintenance of the runways and taxiways is hence essential to ensure pavement quality. This allows safer and smoother aircraft movements and enables Changi Airport to continue handling heavier aircraft loads and higher traffic growth.

The grooving and resurfacing works at Changi Airport’s Runway 1 have been ongoing since October 2015 and are expected to be completed by end of 2016. Runway 2 has recently been resurfaced.

New runway maintenance equipment boost operational efficiency

At the same time, new equipment have been procured to enhance maintenance productivity in the airfield. These special equipment are essential to ensure the surface evenness and friction on the runways.

Whenever an aircraft lands on the tarmac, its tyres will deposit rubber residue which sticks to the pavement surface. To ensure the runways maintain good skid resistance, Changi Airport has deployed a new rubber removal machine that uses the mechanism of ultra high-pressure jet washing to remove the aircraft tyre rubber build-up, at an increased rate of 3,000 sqm/h as compared to the previous 2,300 sqm/h. The enhanced two-men operation model of the new machine, which previously required seven staff to operate, helps to increase productivity on site.

Changi Airport closes one runway every night for less than six hours for regular inspection and maintenance works. Besides runway resurfacing, pavement grooving and the removal of rubber deposits, other works include the servicing of airfield lighting, repainting of pavement markings and grass cutting alongside the runway. More advanced machinery are now used for the repainting of pavement markings and grass cutting.

Teng Hwee Onn, Senior Vice President of Engineering Management & Systems Planning at Changi Airport Group (CAG) said, “The measures that we have implemented in recent years have proven beneficial and have increased operational efficiency by about 20%, by reducing the time and resources needed to complete the same maintenance works in a night. The reduced maintenance hours have translated to additional running hours for aircraft operations, which is crucial to continued air traffic growth. CAG will continue to review and refine processes along the way to enhance aircraft safety and staff productivity.”

Based on Press Release by : Changi Airport Group

HK Express launches direct flights to Guam and Saipan in December 2016 and January 2017

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

HK Express, Hong Kong's only low-cost airline, has just announced to Sayacinta - Airpost that it is launching new direct scheduled flights to the U.S. Territories of Guam and Saipan in Micronesia, Pacific Ocean from winter this year onwards.  Its direct flight from Hong Kong to Guam begins on 15 December 2016 while its direct flight to Saipan, subject to regulatory approval, will inaugurate on 17 January 2017.

On 15 December 2016, HK Express flight UO34 departs from Hong Kong for Guam at 9.30 am, arrives in Guam at 4.15 pm before leaving Guam at 5.35 pm and touching down in Hong Kong at 8.35 pm under flight UO35 on the same day. Flights to Guam will take place on Thursdays, Sundays, Mondays and Wednesdays.

On 17 January 2017, flight UO42 takes off from Hong Kong for Saipan at 9.30 pm, touches down in Saipan at 4.25 am on 18 January 2017 local time. The Airbus A320 aircraft of HK Express will park at Saipan airport for  a day before leaving Saipan at 1.40 am on 19 January 2017 for Hong Kong and arriving in Hong Kong at 5 am under flight UO43. Flights to Saipan take off on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays while according to HK Express' web-site www.hkexpress.com, flights from Saipan to Hong Kong will be on Thursdays, Saturdays and Mondays.

HK Express expects the passenger loads on the Guam and Saipan routes to be higher than its Myanmar routes since Hong Kong residents can enter these American territories without entry visas. The airline is selling the lowest-return for free fare from 588 Hong Kong Dollars one-way to customers booking each flight from now to 10 October 2016 for travel between 15 December 2016 and 25 March 2017. 

HK Express is the third low-cost airline in Asia to fly to both Guam and Saipan after JEJU air and T'Way Air of South Korea.

AirAsia X launches weekly charter flight to Xining

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

AirAsia X launches weekly charter flight from Kuala Lumpur to Xining, the capital of Qinghai Province in China, from 1 October 2016.

On 1 October, flight D7914 departs from Kuala Lumpur for Xining at 9.30 am, arrives in Xining at 2.45 pm before leaving Xining for Kuala Lumpur at 4 pm and touching down in Kuala Lumpur at 9.45 pm.

AirAsia X flies to Xining on Saturdays. Tickets are only available at selected travel agents in Kuala Lumpur.