Report by : Gan Yung Chyan
/ KUCINTA SETIA
Garuda Indonesia launches non-stop scheduled flight from Jakarta to Nagoya Chubu International Airport using its Airbus A330-300 aircraft on 23 March 2019.
On 23 March 2019, Garuda Indonesia flight GA884 departs from Jakarta to Nagoya Chubu at 10.35 pm, arrives in Nagoya at 7.25 am on 24 March 2019 before leaving Nagoya Chubu at 10 am and touching down in Jakarta at 3 pm under flight GA885.
Garuda Indonesia flies to Nagoya on Tuesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays before returning to Jakarta on Wednesdays, Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays.
To celebrate the launch of the direct route to Nagoya, passengers on the inaugural flight to Nagoya will be given special pouches, shopping vouchers endorsed by JNTO, Lego Ninjago, special coffee, matcha or hot chocolate from Anomali coffee free-of-charge. Passengers on the next three flights from 24 March will receive complimentary Lego Ninjago.
Report by : Gan Yung Chyan
/ KUCINTA SETIA
Image below : Passengers (centre) with their baggage at the baggage carousel of Hanoi Noi Bai International Airport
If you have the habit of carrying your suitcase on the plane, your current wheeled suitcase may be forbidden to be boarded because the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has announced new carry-on baggage specifications that are more than currently allowed. The capacity of the suitcase has shrunk by 20 to 40 per cent, which is said to be enough to allow every passenger's hand luggage to be stuffed into the crowded cabin!
Recently, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced new portable baggage recommendations. The best guiding size for new hand luggage is 21.5 inches (height) X 13.5 inches (width) X 7.5 inches (thickness) (54.61 cm X 34.29 cm X 19.05 cm), i.e 107.95 cm, and not 115 cm.
According to the joint report, according to the current specifications, only the 19-inch baggage can meet the requirements. Even the 20-inch carry-on luggage on the market, the three-side size adds up to the new standard. The 19-inch model is 54 centimetres long, 34.2 centimetres wide, 19 centimetres thick, and 34 litres in capacity. It is 1 litre worse than 20 inches. At present, the maximum carry-on baggage size specified by airlines is 22 to 24 inches long, 14 to 18 inches wide, and 9 to 16 inches deep. In fact, in simple terms, the wheeled carry-on suitcases that passengers often use are not up to standard and cannot be boarded.
It is reported that the current North American airlines have not accepted the IATA proposal but Air China, China Southern, Cathay Pacific, Avianca, Brazil Azul Airlines (Azul), Emirates, Lufthansa and Qatar Airways have indicated that they will adopt the new carry-on baggage rule soon, and there may be new airlines responding in the future. Millions of airline passengers may have to buy new luggage.
According to the World Daily, after the IATA proposal to reduce the size of the passenger's carry-on luggage, the US Democratic Senate Schumer has urged major airlines to suspend the case, because once the guidelines are implemented, it will cause an impact on the income and travel expenses of the middle class families. As most of today's carry-on suitcases are too large, the new size means that the capacity of carry-on baggage of American Airlines or Delta Air Lines will be reduced by 20 per cent, and the capacity of Southwest Airlines' carry-on baggage will be reduced by 40 per cent.
Schumer said at the press conference, "The new proposal will not only consume the pockets of the families, but also cause business travelers to suffer losses, because the proposal also prevents the use of wheeled suitcases. This is too much. We have already paid for checked baggage, legroom, headphones, pillows, and even peanuts. The airline’s profit is now at a new high, and there is no need to increase the burden on passengers."
At the press conference, Schumer’s wheeled suitcase was 22 inches long, 14 inches wide and 8 feet deep. He said, “The current size of the suitcase meets the standards of carry-on luggage, and is also held by millions of people at the airport. The size of the suitcase that the train ran. Once the new policy is adopted, such a suitcase will no longer meet the standards for carry-on baggage."
According to RCI, although Canada's two major civil aviation companies, Air Canada and Seagate Airlines, have indicated that they will not implement the IATA recommended cabin baggage size, some analysts believe that the size of the cabin baggage recommended by the International Civil Aviation Transportation Organization is smaller than the current size. On the size of the cabin baggage permitted by WestJet, the Canadian airline will implement the IATA recommended cabin baggage size standard sooner or later, because the cabin baggage will speed up the passenger boarding speed and reduce the weight of the cabin baggage, which in turn reduces operating costs.
So, what should passengers do in the face of this new regulation that may be implemented soon?
1. Replace the suitcase. If you want to carry the wheel luggage onto the aircraft, you must replace it with the appropriate baggage according to the specifications, and this suitcase cannot be carried. It is said that the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has contacted the trunk manufacturer to manufacture a suitcase of the right size.
2. Checking in the 115 cm luggage. Under the premise of not changing the luggage, it may only be checked in the future, even if it is a 20-inch suitcase. In this way, it will definitely increase the time cost of waiting for luggage. If you have a Rimowa luggage, it is very painful to check it.
3, Give up boarding the flights of airlines that do not allow carry-on 20-inch wheel luggage but this is not realistic.
Report by : Gan Yung Chyan
/ KUCINTA SETIA
Ethiopian Airlines launches thrice-weekly scheduled flight from Addis Ababa to Istanbul, its nineteenth destination in Europe, on 1 April 2019, using its B737-800 aircraft.
Departing on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, Ethiopian flight ET720 departs from Addis Ababa for Istanbul at 11.05 pm, arrives in Istanbul at 4.35 am local time before leaving Istanbul for Addis Ababa at 1.10 am on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays at 1.10 am and touching down in Addis Ababa at 6.40 am the following days under flight ET721.
Ethiopian Airlines operates 57 passenger flights to Europe and serves 119 international destinations in five continents. It has a fleet age of seven years old.
Report by : Gan Yung Chyan
/ KUCINTA SETIA
Lanmei Airlines launches scheduled charter flight from Sihanoukville to Linyi, a city in Shandong Province, China, and the birthplace of calligrapher Wang Xizhi (303-361) and Zhuge Liang (181-234) on 2 April 2019. Flights depart between both cities on Tuesdays and Saturdays.
On 2 April 2019, the outbound flight of Lanmei Airlines departs for Linyi from Sihanoukville at 9 am, touches down in Linyi at 2.30 pm before leaving Linyi for Sihanoukville at 3.30 pm and arriving in Sihanoukville at 7 pm.
Lanmei Airlines currently has weekly charter flights to Linyi from Siem Reap.
Tourist attractions in Linyi include People's Square with an underneath shopping centre and entertainment facilities, a park dedicated to Wang Xizhi and a Warring States Period bamboo musuem.
Report by : Gan Yung Chyan
/ KUCINTA SETIA
Image courtesy : TripAdvisor
A check with Swissotel Beijing Hong Kong & Macau Center Hotel shows that Air Koryo has vacated its Beijing office from the hotel. The North Korean airline did not leave any new contact address with the hotel.
Swissotel Beijing Hong Kong & Macau Center Hotel has closed since 1 January 2019 for renovation. Room reservations are impossible. It will only re-open to tourists in 2021.
Air Koryo has scheduled flights to Beijing from Pyongyang.
Report by : Gan Yung Chyan
/ KUCINTA SETIA
Changi Airport has approved Hainan Airlines' plan to begin daytime flights between Haikou and Singapore. This will allow aircraft spotters in Singapore to shoot pictures of Hainan Airlines' B737-800 during the day.
From 31 March 2019, Hainan Airlines flight HU747 departs from Haikou for Singapore Changi Airport Terminal 4 at 7.40 am, arrives in Singapore at 11 am before leaving Changi Airport Terminal 4 at 11.55 am for Haikou and touching down in Haikou at 3.20 pm under flight HU748.
To mark the start of the summer season, Hainan Airlines is selling one-way Singapore - Haikou air ticket, including taxes, from 129 Singapore Dollars.
Hainan Airlines first resumes flight to Singapore from Haikou in the evening on 30 November 2018. Flights depart on Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays for Singapore from Haikou.
Report by : Gan Yung Chyan
/ KUCINTA SETIA
Vietnam Air Services Company (VASCO) launches Vinh - Danang route on 15 February 2019 on a daily basis using ATR72 aircraft. Flights depart from Vinh at 8.20 am and from Danang at 2 pm.
Connecting the north central Vietnam region to Danang, a livable city blessed with world-famous beaches, the Vinh - Danang route benefits passengers on VASCO's daily connecting flights to Dalat via Danang.
To celebrate the launch of the Vinh - Danang route, VASCO is offering tickets from just VND600,000 one way until 30 March 2019. Visit www.vasco.com.vn, contact VASCO's official ticket offices in Vietnam or call hotline (028)38 330 330 for further details.
VASCO is Vietnam Airlines' domestic flight subsidiary.
Report by : Gan Yung Chyan
/ KUCINTA SETIA
SCAT Airlines' subsidiary, Sunday Airlines, launches B757-200 flight to Haikou from Almaty on 14 March 2019. It arrives in Haikou on 15 March 2019.
On 14 March 2019, Sunday Airlines flight DV487 departs from Almaty for Haikou at 9 pm, touches down in Haikou at 4 am before leaving Haikou for Almaty at 5.30 am and arriving in Almaty at 1 pm on 15 March 2019 under flight DV488.
Sunday Airlines flies to Haikou on Thursdays and returns to Almaty on Fridays.
Sunday Airlines is a charter airline of SCAT Airlines. It is headquartered in Shymkent.
Report by : Gan Yung Chyan
/ KUCINTA SETIA
Image courtesy : SCAT Airlines
SCAT Airlines launches B737-500 direct flight from Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, to Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia, on 5 June 2019.
On 5 June 2019, SCAT Airlines flight DV815 departs from Astana for Ulaanbaatar at 11.40 pm, arrives in Ulaanbaatar at 5 am on 6 June 2019 before leaving Ulaanbaatar for Astana at 6 am and tocuhing down in Astana at 7.30 am under flight DV816.
DV815 departs for Ulaanbaatar on Wednesdays and Sundays while DV819 returns to Astana on Thursdays and Mondays.
SCAT Airlines is Kazakhstan's second largest international airline after Air Astana. It operates scheduled flights to China, Russia, Turkey, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia using a diverse fleet of B737 aircraft. It is a member of the International Air Transport Association (IATA). For further information, visit www.scat.kz/en.
Report by : Gan Yung Chyan
/ KUCINTA SETIA
China, Mongolia, Indonesia, Ethiopia, the Cayman Islands, Australia, Singapore have grounded their airlines' 737 MAX 8 fleet following the disastrous second 737 MAX 8 crash in Ethiopia to ensure passengers' safety.
Investigations are currently undergoing on the first two crashes of 737 MAX 8 in Indonesia and Ethiopia.
MIAT Mongolian Airlines has arranged B737-800 aircraft on upcoming inaugural flights to Guangzhou and Osaka Kansai from Ulaanbaatar. It launches twice-weekly scheduled flights to Guangzhou on 31 March 2019 and in July and August 2019 resumes scheduled flights to Kansai. Its 737 MAX 8 has ceased operating flights to Suvarnabhumi and Hong Kong.
SilkAir has grounded its 737 MAX 8 fleet until further notice. It is deploying B737-800 on its inaugural scheduled flight to Busan on 1 May 2019 instead of 737 MAX 8 but flights to Hiroshima and Cairns are affected. The airline will notify passengers affected by schedule changes as a result of 737 MAX 8 flight suspensions.
Shandong Airlines has cancelled its 737 MAX 8 flights from Jinan to Singapore. There is no replacement aircraft on the route.
Aeromexico, South Africa's Comair, Royal Air Maroc, GOL of Brazil and Aerolineas Argentinas have also grounded their 737 MAX 8 fleet although the civil aviation authorities in these countries have not required the airlines to do so.
As of 12 March 2019 evening, the UK is the first European country to ban 737 MAX 8 flights. More countries are banning 737 MAX 8 flights in the coming week.
As of 14 March 2019, all 737 MAX 8 aircraft in the world including in Kazakhstan, Mauritania, the US and Canada have been grounded.
