SpiceJet opens eight new routes on 8, 10 and 16 October 2018

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

SpiceJet is opening eight new routes in October 2018. The majority of the new routes are in India and the only international new route is the Hyderabad - Suvarnabhumi route. The domestic routes are operated by Bombardier Q400 aircraft and international routes are operated by B737 aircraft. Listed below are the flight schedules of the new routes as of 2 September 2018.

Flight Number	Origin	Destination	Departure	Arrival	Days Of Operation	Flight Type	Effective From
SG438	Mumbai	Kanpur	10.15 am	1.15 pm	Daily	Direct	8-Oct-18
SG415	Kanpur	Mumbai	2 pm	4.15 pm	Daily	Direct	8-Oct-18
SG8768	Delhi	Kishangarh	4.05 pm	5.10 pm	Daily	Direct	8-Oct-18
SG8769	Kishangarh	Delhi	5.30 pm	6.30 pm	Daily	Direct	8-Oct-18
SG3465	Bengaluru	Coimbatore	9.30 am	10.20 am	Mon, Wed, Sun	Direct	8-Oct-18
SG3466	Coimbatore	Bengaluru	11 am	12.10 pm	Mon, Wed, Sun	Direct	8-Oct-18
SG3083	Coimbatore	Bengaluru	5.45 pm	6.40 pm	Daily	Direct	8-Oct-18
SG3084	Bengaluru	Coimbatore	7.05 pm	8 pm	Daily	Direct	8-Oct-18
SG3324	Kolkata	Pakyong	9.30 am	10.55 am	Daily	Direct	8-Oct-18 to 15-Oct-18
SG3327	Pakyong	Kolkata	11.15 am	12.45 pm	Daily	Direct	8-Oct-18 to 15-Oct- 18
SG3324	Kolkata	Pakyong	9.30 am	10.55 am	Daily	Direct	16-Oct-18 onwards
SG3327	Pakyong	Kolkata	2.50 pm	4.20 pm	Daily	Direct	16-Oct-18 onwards
SG3325	Pakyong	Guwahati	11.15 am	12.30 pm	Daily	Direct	16-Oct-18
SG3326	Guwahati	Pakyong	2.50 pm	4.20 pm	Daily	Direct	16-Oct-18
SG81	Hyderabad	Suvarnabhumi	4.30 pm	9.40 pm	Daily	Direct	10-Oct-18
SG82	Suvarnabhumi	Hyderabad	10.40 pm	1.40 am	Daily	Direct	10-Oct-18
SG463	Hyderabad	Guwahati	5.25 am	7.45 am	Daily	Direct	10-Oct-18
SG464	Guwahati	Hyderabad	11.45 am	2.40 pm	Daily	Direct	10-Oct-18
SG461	Guwahati	Patna	8.15 am	9.25 am	Daily	Direct	10-Oct-18
SG462	Patna	Guwahati	9.55 am	11.15 am	Daily	Direct	10-Oct-18

SpiceJet flies internationally to Colombo, Dhaka, Kabul, Male, Muscat, Suvarnabhumi and Dubai..

For further updates, refer to www.spicejet.com.

Vistara unveils its 22nd aircraft - Airbus A320neo with a retro-livery

Report by : Gan Yung Chyan

                  / KUCINTA SETIA

Distributed to All Press & Travel Professionals

               

TATA SIA Airlines Limited, operating as Vistara, on 1 September 2018 has unveiled its 22nd aircraft, an Airbus A320neo with an extraordinary retro- livery (paint scheme) on 1 September 2018, along with the historic aircraft registration number VT-ATV and a retro-uniform that complements the livery.

The livery recreates the one used by Tata Air Lines, India’s very first airline that was founded by JRD Tata, in the 1940s, and the aircraft also bears the registration VT-ATV that was originally used by a Tata Air Lines DC-3 aircraft. This striking retro-livery is also a celebration of 150 years of the Tata group, and it reclaims for Vistara the space once held by the pioneers of aviation in India, Tata Sons, and the Father of Indian Aviation, Shri JRD Tata.

As part of this celebration, Vistara also unveiled a special retro-uniform for select cabin crew, inspired by the “golden days of aviation” of the 1950s and 1960s, to be worn on special occasions starting with the aircraft’s inaugural flight on 5 September 2018 from Delhi to Mumbai. The inaugural flight features a menu with JRD Tata’s favourite dishes, as remembered by senior chefs at Taj Hotels. It includes Cheddar Cheese and Onion Omelette, Crêpe au Champignon, Meat Medley, Waldorf Salad, Minestrone Soup, Herb Roast Chicken, Goan Prawn Curry and Crème Caramel.

As the highest-rated Indian airline on Skytrax and TripAdvisor, and winner of several “Best in Industry” awards, Vistara has consistently raised the bar for operations and service delivery in the Indian aviation industry in a short span of less than four years. The airline today serves 22 destinations with over 800 flights a week and a fleet of 22 aircraft. Recently, Vistara expressed its intent to order a combination of purchased and leased aircraft totalling 50 from the Airbus A320neo family as well as six purchased Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft.

Cathay Dragon launches non-stop flight to Kualanamu on 29 October 2018

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

Cathay Dragon, formerly known as Dragonair, launches non-stop scheduled flight to Kualanamu International Airport near Medan on 29 October 2018 using its Airbus A320 aircraft. Its first flight leaves Kualanamu for Hong Kong on 30 October 2018.

According to flight schedules, Cathay Dragon flight KA359 departs from Hong Kong for Kualanamu at 9.50 pm on 29 October 2018, arrives in Kualanamu at 12.50 am before leaving Kualanamu for Hong Kong at 1.50 am under flight KA358 and touching down in Hong Kong at 7.05 am on 30 October 2018.

Cathay Dragon flies to Kualanamu on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays from Hong Kong while it departs from Kualanamu for Hong Kong on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays.

With the new flights, passengers from Hong Kong and China do not need to transit in Singapore or Jakarta for onward flights to Kualanamu. 

Kualanamu International Airport is outside Medan proper as it is 26 km east of downtown Medan. Passengers can easily reach Medan by direct airport train service, taxis, private cars and DAMRI buses from Kualanamu.

Cathay Dragon is the only airline to fly to Kualanamu from the southern China region.

Drukair opens new routes Guwahati - Singapore and Paro - Pakyong

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

Drukair Royal Bhutan Airlines launches ceremonial charter flight to Singapore from Paro via Guwahati on 1 September 2018. Regular scheduled flights on the Paro-Guwahati-Singapore-Guwahati-Paro routes begin from 29 September 2018. The Guwahati - Singapore new route of Drukair will be followed by another new scheduled route Paro - Pakyong on 1 January 2019.

The Guwahati - Singapore charter flight KB540 arrives in Changi Airport Terminal 1 at 3.20 pm on 1 September 2018, parking next to Gate D30 of Terminal 1. The last time Drukair A319 parks at the terminal building is on its first charter flight from Paro via Kolkata on 28 August 2012. 

At around 4.50 pm on 1 September, the A319 aircraft with Sharklet moves over to its original remote parking bay slot and departs for Guwahati at 6.30 am under flight KB541 on 2 September 2018.

Drukair air crew, pilots, prestigious passengers, travel agents, Drukair representatives from Bhutan, Guwahati, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, and travel media later attended the inaugural flight briefing and buffet dinner held at Hotel Intercontinental organized by Druk Asia, Drukair's Singapore Representative and Changi Airport to celebrate the charter flight and successful opening of the new route.

To mark the opening of the new route, Drukair Royal Bhutan Airlines takes the opportunity to inform the media and travel agents that the airline is selling promotional fares on the Guwahati-Singapore and Singapore-Guwahati route sectors from 150 Singapore Dollars one-way and 280 Singapore Dollars round-trip. Conditions apply.

One-way published fare for Economy Class starts from 215 Singapore Dollars, 400 Singapore Dollars for a round trip.

Drukair, that marks 35 years of safe flight operations on 11 February 2018, has a fleet of three Airbus A319-115 and one ATR 42-500 aircraft. It has signed the Purchase Agreement with Airbus for its first Airbus A320neo, that is configured to 20 Business Class and 120 Economy Class seats. 

Drukair's A320neo jet is expected to arrive in Paro during the first quarter of 2020 and will enable the Bhutanese national flag carrier to launch new scheduled flights to prospective destinations such as Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur and introduce new frequencies to existing destinations with high passenger demand for Bhutan travel such as Delhi, Dhaka, Gaya, Guwahati, Singapore and Bangkok.

Since 26 July 2018, the A319 aircraft of Drukair has summer charter flights from Paro to Hong Kong and from Paro via Gaya to Hong Kong under flight codes KB800/KB801.

Drukair also signed the Memorandum Of Understanding with ATR for the purchase of one ATR 42-600 on 6 April 2018. The aircraft is expected for delivery in July 2019 to boost domestic passenger air traffic and operate on the new short-haul route to Pakyong, in Sikkim, India. 

Drukair ATR 42-500 launches twice-weekly scheduled flight from Paro to Pakyong on 1 January 2019 with flight KB250 departing at 7.30 am, touching down in Pakyong at 7.50 am local time before leaving Pakyong for Paro at 8.30 am and landing in Paro at 9.50 am under flight KB251. It operates services from Paro to Pakyong and vice versa on Tuesdays and Fridays.

Drukair's regular flights from Paro to Singapore via Guwahati from 29 September 2018, Ref : http://kucinta-setia.blogspot.com/2018/08/drukair-royal-bhutan-airlines-links.html