Report by : Gan Yung Chyan
/ KUCINTA SETIA
Distributed to All Press & Travel Professionals
Loong Air, short for Zhejiang Loong Airlines, begins international flights.
On 28 June 2016, Loong Air launches Hangzhou's first flight to Danang. It will operate twice-weekly services on the route, on Tuesdays and Saturdays.
On 29 June 2016, Loong Air launches Hangzhou's first flight to Nha Trang, operating services five times a week, on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays.
All flights are operated by Loong Air's Airbus A320 aircraft.
Loong Air, the Hangzhou-based domestic private airline, is authorized to expand its route network to include international passenger flights on 13 April 2016. It plans to introduce scheduled flights to Hong Kong, Jeju, Singapore and other Asian cities within the next five years.
Report by : Gan Yung Chyan
/ KUCINTA SETIA
Distributed to All Press & Travel Professionals
China's first jet aircraft ARJ21-700 for regional and international flights is entering scheduled commercial revenue service on 30 June 2016.
On 30 June 2016, the first ARJ21-700 revenue flight under EU6679 departs from Chengdu for Shanghai-Hongqiao at 9.10 am, arrives in Shanghai-Hongqiao at 11.50 am before leaving Hongqiao at 1.10 pm and arriving in Chengdu at 4.25 pm under flight EU6680. The flights are operated by Chengdu Airlines.
Chengdu Airlines has organized an official ceremonial charter ARJ21-700 flight to Shanghai-Hongqiao on 28 June 2016 to show that the aircraft is as competent as the Boeing B737-800 and Airbus A320 aircraft. The airline plans to deploy the aircraft on other domestic routes from Chengdu in the near future.
Report by : Gan Yung Chyan
/ KUCINTA SETIA
Distributed to All Press & Travel Professionals
Passengers travelling with Tigerair directly to Zhengzhou from 28 June 2016 will be glad to know that there is an onward scheduled flight from Zhengzhou to Guilin. Air Guilin, the latest member of HNA Group and Guilin-based subsidiary of Hainan Airlines, has commenced daily flights to Zhengzhou from Guilin since 25 June 2016. It will introduce scheduled flights to Yinchuan in August 2016, Tianjin, Yangzhou and Jinan in July 2016.
On 25 June 2016, Air Guilin flight GT1023 departs from Guilin for Zhengzhou at 7.55 am under moderate rain, arrives in Zhengzhou at 9.55 am before leaving Zhengzhou at 3.35 pm and touching down in Guilin at 5.30 pm under flight GT1024.
From 3 August 2016, Air Guilin's Zhengzhou flights will be adjusted to include outbound flights to Yinchuan.
On 3 August 2016, flight GT1023 is planned to depart from Guilin for Zhengzhou at 6.45 am, transits in Zhengzhou at 8.45 am before leaving Zhengzhou for Yinchuan at 9.50 am and arriving in Yinchuan at 11.25 am.
At 12.05 pm on 3 August, flight GT1024 leaves Yinchuan for Zhengzhou, transits in Zhengzhou at 1.35 pm for Zhengzhou-bound passengers to alight before taking off for Guilin at 2.20 pm and touching down in Guilin at 4.35 pm.
Air Guilin commences daily flights to Tianjin on 2 July 2016 whereas its inaugural flight to Yangzhou from Guilin takes place on 4 July 2016 and that Air Guilin's inaugural scheduled flight to Jinan is on 8 July 2016.
On 2 July 2016, Air Guilin flight GT1029 departs from Guilin for Tianjin at 6.40 pm, arrives in Tianjin at 9.10 pm before leaving Tianjin at 10.10 pm and arriving in Guilin at 12.50 am on 3 July under flight GT1030.
On 4 July 2016, flight GT1011 leaves Guilin for Yangzhou at 8.05 am, arrives in Yangzhou at 10.05 am before taking off for Guilin at 10.45 am and landing at the Guilin airport terminal at 1 pm under flight GT1012.
On 8 July 2016, flight GT1013 leaves Guilin for Jinan at 3.15 pm, arrives in Jinan at 5.35 pm before departing from Jinan for Guilin at 6.30 pm and landing in Guilin at 8.45 pm under flight GT1014.
All the above flights are operated by an Air Guilin's Airbus A319, which was transferred from the Haikou base of Beijing Capital Airlines.
Air Guilin is a joint-venture airline between Guilin Tourism Development Co (60 per cent stake) and Guilin Aviation Tourism Group (40 per cent stake), the latter created by HNA Group the parent company of Hainan Airlines and its 19 subsidiaries including Beijing Capital Airlines, Tianjin Airlines, Fuzhou Airlines, Guangxi Beibu Gulf Airlines, Urumqi Air, Yangtze River Airlines (formerly Yangtze River Express) and Air Changan.
Air Guilin's logo comprises of a flowing ribbon below the stylized Elephant Hill with the slogan of Guilin in Chinese characters in it, and it is reputed to be the ugliest Chinese airline logo to date.
Report by : Gan Yung Chyan
/ KUCINTA SETIA
Distributed to All Press & Travel Professionals
Jetstar Asia Airways launches twice-weekly scheduled flights to Sanya from Singapore on 2 August 2016, besides maintaining its weekly scheduled flights to Haikou.
On 2 August 2016, Jetstar Asia flight 3K881 departs from Singapore Changi Airport Terminal 1 for Sanya at 7 am, arrives in Sanya Airport Terminal at 10 am before leaving Sanya at 10.50 am and touching down in Singapore at 2 pm under flight 3K882. Flights are operated on Tuesdays and Saturdays and land at the Sanya terminal for both domestic and international flights.
The Singapore-Sanya-Singapore tickets are sold on behalf of Air Sino Euro Associates Travel Pte Ltd by Jetstar Asia Airways. As the flights are chartered by the travel operator and operated on a scheduled basis by Jetstar Asia, do expect inflight service to be complimentary to an extent.
Jetstar Asia's Sanya route is not the only one to offer complimentary inflight service. So are Jetstar Asia's Guiyang route, Malindo Air's Sanya routes from Kuala Lumpur and Penang, and Tigerair's Xi'an Xianyang route. Years ago, Jetstar Asia Airways' Yangon flights and Valuair flights to Jakarta, Surabaya and Denpasar also offered complimentary meals and refreshments.
Sanya is home to Luhuitou Peak Park where the Deer Looking Back Statue is the city's symbol. Legend has it that a Li tribal hunter crossed over 99 mountain peaks and waded across 99 rivers after an Eid's deer to the spot in South China Sea where the deer looked back, transformed into a beautiful lady and married to the hunter. They lived happily after where the surrounding area became later known as Sanya.
In Sanya, visitors can also explore Sanya Bay, Sanya Times Square, the Lego blocks-like convention, exhibition centre and hotel in the city centre as well as the famous tourist spot Tianya Haijiao.
Nowadays, Sanya is the honeymoon capital of China and an established MICE option for corporate travellers and tourists. There is an international cruise centre and there are daily bullet train services linking Sanya with Haikou and Meilan International Airport of Haikou. Both airports have transit flights to other airports of China.
Report by : Gan Yung Chyan
/ KUCINTA SETIA
Distributed to All Press & Travel Professionals
Due to lower passenger loads than 2015 and the Zika epidemic in South America, Singapore Airlines is suspending thrice-weekly flights to Sao Paulo, Brazil via Barcelona from 21 October 2016 and is in preparation for its direct scheduled flight from Singapore to San Francisco which will be launched on 23 October 2016. The airline will continue to operate direct flights to Barcelona where passengers can connect to Iberia's flights to Sao Paulo and elsewhere in South America.
According to Singapore Airlines' web-site, the inaugural scheduled flight service to San Francisco from Singapore operated by its Airbus A350-900 aircraft under SQ32, the longest flight before the direct New York flight in 2018, is planned to take off at 8.30 am on 23 October. It arrives in San Francisco at 9.15 am on 24 October before leaving San Francisco for Singapore at 10.45 am and touching down in Singapore at 6.40 pm on 25 October under flight SQ31.
With the launch of direct flights to San Francisco, Singapore Airlines has adjusted flights to Los Angeles. One of the outbound daily flights to Los Angeles will transit in Seoul-Incheon while the other daily transit flight service to Los Angeles via Tokyo-Narita will continue.
Despite the on-line flight schedules, experts advise that it is best to be prudent from the perspective of flight punctuality.
Aviation watchdog web-site CARNOC Daily remarked that Singapore Airlines' outgoing flights to San Francisco may begin between 2.35 pm and 5.45 pm weeks after as the route is subject to aircraft deployment timing, air traffic flow restrictions and changes in market demand. Therefore the flight schedules are not fixed and passengers are advised to monitor flight departure adjustments in the premises of flight punctuality.
Singapore Airlines is ranked fifth on the "List of Most Punctual Asian Airlines" (95.32% punctual, i.e. seventeenth on the "List of Most Punctual International Airlines") for the month of May 2016 according to the Civil Aviation Data Analysis (CADAS) system released by VariFlight. Jetstar Asia Airways is ranked twenty-second (94.75% punctual) while Singapore Airlines' regional subsidiary SilkAir is ranked thirty-seventh (93.35% punctual) on the same "List of Most Punctual International Airlines". Punctuality data for Tigerair Singapore and Scoot are not available.
According to CADAS, the most punctual international airline for the month of May 2016 is Hawaiian Airlines (98.17% punctual), followed by Japan Airlines (97.68% punctual) and Belavia Belarusian Airlines (97.50% punctual).
Report by : Gan Yung Chyan
/ KUCINTA SETIA
Distributed to All Press & Travel Professionals
Colorful Guizhou Airlines is launching new scheduled flights to Nantong and Shijiazhuang from Guiyang as part of its celebrations to mark its one year of business foundation anniversary.
On 20 June 2016, Colorful Guizhou Airlines flight GY7119 departs from Guiyang for Nantong at 4 pm, arrives in Nantong at 6.20 pm before leaving Nantong at 7.20 pm and touching down in Guiyang at 9.55 pm under flight GY7120.
Colorful Guizhou Airlines is the only airline that has a direct flight service linking Guiyang and Nantong four times a week, on Wednesdays, Fridays, Sundays and Mondays. Nantong is the fastest developing city near Shanghai and is the nearest gateway to Shanghai Disneyland. It is also of proximity to Suzhou.
On 22 June 2016, Colorful Guizhou Airlines flight GY7125 departs from Guiyang for Shijiazhuang at 8.30 am, arrives in Shijiazhuang at 10.55 am before leaving Shijiazhuang at 11.55 am and touching down in Guiyang at 2.30 pm under flight GY7126.
The return flights to Nantong and Shijiazhuang are operated by Colorful Guizhou Airlines' E190 aircraft.
Besides Nantong and Shijiazhuang, Colorful Guizhou Airlines also operates flights to Tianjin, Zhuhai, Nanjing via Wanzhou, and Ningbo via Tongren.
Report by : Gan Yung Chyan
/ KUCINTA SETIA
Distributed to All Press & Travel Professionals
Vietnam Airlines has increased flight frequencies on its Ho Chi Minh City to Hong Kong route. From 7 flights per day, the airline is now flying 10 times a week to Hong Kong.
The additional flight schedules are as follows:
Flight VN598 departs from Ho Chi Minh City for Hong Kong at 5.15 pm, arrives in Hong Kong at 8.50 pm before leaving Hong Kong at 7.55 am the next day and arriving in Ho Chi Minh City at 9.30 am.
There is only one daily Vietnam Airlines flight schedule on this route, which is VN594/VN595 leaving Ho Chi Minh City at 10.45 am, arriving in Hong Kong at 2.20 pm before taking off for Ho Chi Minh City at 3.20 pm and returning to Ho Chi Minh City at 4.55 pm.
Vietnam Airlines continues to operate daily flights from Hanoi to Hong Kong as well.
Report by : Gan Yung Chyan
/ KUCINTA SETIA
Distributed to All Press & Travel Professionals
Jeju Air, South Korea's No. 1 Low-Cost Carrier, has re-timed its flights from Incheon to Hong Kong, according to the airline representative at the South Korea tourism booth of ITE & MICE 2016.
From 30 October 2016, Jeju Air flight 7C2101 departs from Incheon for Incheon at 9.55 am, arrives in Hong Kong at 12.55 pm before leaving Hong Kong at 1.55 pm under flight 7C2102 at 1.55 pm and arriving in Incheon at 6.25 pm.
At 9.25 pm, flight 7C2107 departs from Incheon at 9.25 pm, arrives in Hong Kong at 12.25 am before leaving Hong Kong at 1.25 am on 31 October 2016 and touching down in Incheon at 5.55 am under flight 7C2108.
Along with the new schedules, Jeju Air announced that Song Joon Ki of overwhelmingly popular Korean drama "Descendants of the Sun" fame is now the airline's new annual brand ambassador as well as South Korea tourism advertisement ambassador.
Jeju Air plans to introduce new scheduled flights to Sapporo and Kota Kinabalu to counter competition from Jin Air.
Visit www.facebook.com/jejuairhongkong and www.jejuair.net for more information.
Report by : Gan Yung Chyan
/ KUCINTA SETIA
Distributed to All Press & Travel Professionals
Myanmar National Airlines, which has exhibited at ITE & MICE Hong Kong for the first time, is decreasing flight frequency between Yangon and Hong Kong after 1 July 2016, due to operational requirement.
Flights in July onwards will operate on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Currently it flies to Hong Kong on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays using its B737-800 aircraft.
Myanmar National Airlines distributes its limited stock of Myanmar inflight magazine, route maps, pens, notepads and company profile at ITE & MICE. The airline has no aircraft postcards. It is running its lowest promotion fare of 1440 Hong Kong Dollars at ITE & MICE for online bookings.
Visit www.flymna.com for further information.
Report by : Gan Yung Chyan
/ KUCINTA SETIA
Distributed to All Press & Travel Professionals
Cambodia Angkor Air led by Bui Hai Nam (Fei Hai Nan), the General Manager of the airline's Guangzhou Branch Office is exhibiting at ITE & MICE for the first time from 16 to 19 June 2016 at Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre.
Fei Hai Nan says Cambodia Angkor Air is carrying out feasibility studies in launching new scheduled flights to Hong Kong in the future. The inaugural flight date has not been fixed.
At the travel trade exhibition, Cambodia Angkor Air informs the media through its inflight magazine Angkor that it has teamed up with Optiontown, a pioneer in the world of dynamic customer -friendly travel experiences.
The new collaboration allows Cambodia Angkor Air to diversify its products and services, allowing it to maximise passenger comfort. Initially, three main products Upgrade Travel Option (UTO), Extra Baggage Option (XBO) and Empty Seat Option (ESO) are offered. Passengers can utilize these services with a small fee at www.optiontown.com. Optiontown will also email passengers the possibilities of these add-ons. However, the airline has the right to refuse ESO if the flights booked are full.
Sayacinta - Airpost understands that Cambodia Angkor Air is not the only partner of Optiontown in this interesting collaboration. Other airlines that Optiontown offers such services to include Biman Bangladesh Airlines, Vietnam Airlines, AirAsia and AirAsia X.
