Flight suspension to Singapore : Gulf Air

Report by : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA

Gulf Air, that begins its inaugural non-stop Dreamliner flight to Singapore from Bahrain on 3 April 2021 and lands in Singapore on 4 April 2021, has cancelled its flights. The last scheduled flight to Singapore is on 21 August 2021.

 

Egyptair launches direct flight to Dhaka on 1 November 2021

 Report by : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA

According to Bangladesh Aviation Hub, Egyptair launches direct A330 flight from Cairo to Dhaka on 1 November 2021.

On 1 November 2021, the outbound flight of Egyptair leaves Cairo for Dhaka at 1.30 pm, arrives in Dhaka at 1.05 am local time before leaving Dhaka for Cairo at 2.35 am on 2 November 2021 and touching down in Cairo at 6.40 am local time.

Egyptair flies to Dhaka on Mondays and Thursdays. It returns to Cairo on Tuesdays and Fridays.

The airline says its fleet are operating 65% flights during the pandemic.

Alitalia ceases operations on 14 October 2021, ITA takes off on 15 October 2021

 Report by : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA

On 14 October 2021, Alitalia officially ceases operations. The new national airline Italia Trasporti Aereo (ITA) officially starts operations on 15 October 2021.

Alitalia was founded in 1946 with a fleet of more than 170 aircraft. But after entering the 21st century, due to poor management and the impact of low-cost airlines, Alitalia gradually declined. In May 2017, Alitalia entered the bankruptcy protection procedure and was taken over by the government. The subsequent reorganization attempts failed. In May 2020, the Italian government issued the "Renaissance Act", which plans to invest 3 billion Euros to establish a new company fully controlled by the Ministry of Finance to operate air cargo.

According to Reuters, on 18 August 2021, the Italian Civil Aviation Authority issued an operating permit to ITA, allowing it to start ticket sales and perform flights. ITA will initially operate 52 aircraft, including 7 wide-body aircraft for long-range flights. It is expected that the fleet size will increase to 105 aircraft by 2025.

The Italian Minister of Industry said in July that it is expected that ITA will employ 2,750-2950 former Alitalia employees this year, increasing the total to 5550-5700 by 2025. About 4,000 employees are expected to join its ground service and maintenance department.

ITA received operating permit, maiden flight by mid-October 2021 to replace Alitalia

 Report by : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA

According to Reuters, on 18 August 2021, the Italian Civil Aviation Authority issued an operating permit to Italia Trasporto Aereo (ITA), allowing it to start ticket sales and flight operations. The company will replace the original Alitalia and become the new Italian national airline.

ITA is expected to make its maiden flight in mid-October.

ITA will initially operate 52 aircraft, including 7 wide-body aircraft for long-range flights. It is expected that the fleet size will increase to 105 aircraft by 2025.

The Italian Minister of Industry said in July that it is expected that ITA will employ 2,750-2950 former Alitalia employees this year, increasing the total to 5550-5700 by 2025. About 4,000 employees are expected to join its ground service and maintenance department.

Jazeera Airways operates relief flight from Kabul to Kathmandu on 17 August 2021

 Reports by : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA / Images : Web Screenshots

News (1)

The first 118 Nepalese citizens evacuated from Afghanistan arrived in Kathmandu

On the morning of 17 August 2021, the first batch of 118 Nepalese citizens evacuated from Afghanistan arrived at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. They all worked in the U.S. Embassy in Afghanistan.

Nepal Army spokesman Santosh Ballave Poudyal said in an interview with local media that nine Indian citizens who had worked in the U.S. embassy in Afghanistan also followed the evacuees on the same flight and arrived in Kathmandu via Kuwait on a Jazeera Airways flight.

The Nepalese military medical institution will test the evacuees for covid, and based on the test results, decide whether to disband them at home or conduct a centralized quarantine at the isolation center established by the Nepalese government.

According to the statistics of the Nepalese Overseas Migrant Management Department, from July 2020 to July 2021, 1073 Nepalese citizens obtained labour permits to work in Afghanistan. In the past seven years, more than 8,000 Nepalese citizens have obtained labor permits to work in Afghanistan. The number of Nepalese laborers who have not obtained work permits but are stranded in Afghanistan is expected to exceed 14,000. 

News (2)

Which civil aircraft are currently parked at Kabul Airport in Afghanistan?

In the past three days, Kabul Airport has changed from a busy domestic and international hub to a military air base for evacuation. However, there are still several commercial aircraft remaining at Kabul Airport, all belonging to Ariana Afghan Airlines and other Afghan airlines.

Currently, only seven commercial aircraft are parked on the ground at Kabul Airport. All other aircraft have flown abroad, and foreign airlines have also evacuated (except for some emergency flights).

These seven aircraft belong to three airlines. Kam Air has one A340 (YA-KMH) and two 737-300 (YA-KMJ and YA-KML). The flag carrier Ariana Afghan has one A310 (YA-CAV) and two 737-400 (YA-PIC and YA-PID). Finally, Bakhtar Afghan Airlines owns a 737-500 (YA-FGA).

Most of the seven planes were trapped there when the Taliban swept Kabul on 15 August. Soon after, the United States took over all operations at Kabul Airport, including security and air traffic control, and blocked commercial flights. The future of these seven aircraft is still unclear in the short term, because military aircraft are currently in a priority position.

On Sunday and Monday, a large number of Afghans surrounded Kabul Airport and climbed onto planes waiting at Kabul Airport. At present, according to Reuters, there are no crowds on the runway and apron of the airport. 

Loongair A321neo's first day of passenger services on 20 August 2021

Report by : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA

Beginning on 20 August 2021, Loongair's first new A321neo passenger aircraft will operate on the Hangzhou=Beijing and Hangzhou=Guangzhou routes.

After the addition of other A321neo aircraft, Loongair will also arrange flights to Hangzhou=Shenzhen, Shenzhen=Ulanhot=Harbin, Hangzhou=Yantai=Harbin, Hangzhou=Xiangyang=Chengdu, Pudong=Yinchuan=Urumqi, Hangzhou=Yinchuan=Urumqi, Shenzhen=Xuzhou =Harbin, Wenzhou=Xiangyang=Chengdu, Hangzhou=Chongqing, Hangzhou=Yulin, Hangzhou=Quanzhou=Sanya and other routes.

 

Loongair receives its first A321neo jet on 14 August 2021

 Report by : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA / Image courtesy : Loongair

According to Loongair, it has received its first Airbus A321neo from Airbus on 14 August 2021. The new aircraft, which is Loongair's 56th aircraft, arrives in Hangzhou from Hamburg on 14 August.

The Airbus registered number for this A321neo is D-AVYH 10428 and when it is received in Hangzhou it  bears the Chinese registered aircraft code B-323U.

Initially, Loongair plans to deploy the A321neo on commercial routes from Hangzhou to Beijing, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Shenzhen and Harbin. Eventually, the aircraft will be deployed on its future international routes to Hong Kong, Taoyuan, Incheon, Narita, Southeast Asia, Central Asia, West Asia and Australia.

Starlux Airlines launches official inaugural flight to Singapore on 23 September 2021

 Report by : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA

On 12 August 2021, Starlux Airlines (STARLUX) announces that it is launching its first scheduled flight from Taoyuan to Singapore on 23 September 2021.

According to schedules, STARLUX flight JX0731 departs from Taoyuan for Singapore at 9.20 am, touches down in Singapore Changi Airport Terminal 1 at 1.45 pm before leaving Singapore for Taoyuan at 3.05 pm and arriving in Taoyuan at 8.05 pm under flight JX0732.

                               

The third weekly Saturday flight starts on 2 October 2021 at the same timings.

However, Taiwan has not eased travel restrictions to the island for foreigners.

The new flights are targeted at people of both countries on essential travel to Taiwan.

STARLUX is Taiwan's newest full-service airline. It flies to Singapore on Tuesdays and Thursdays, subject to bilateral approval, with its Airbus A321neo.

Flight Operations Review: https://kucinta-air.blogspot.com/2020/01/flight-operations-review-starlux.html

Air Premia launches its first domestic flight to Jeju on 11 August 2021

 Report by : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA / Image courtesy : Air Premia

South Korea's newest airline, Air Premia, is launching its first domestic scheduled flight from Seoul-Gimpo to Jeju on 11 August 2021.

The flight schedule for the domestic flight is not available on its official web-site.

Air Premia is established on 27 July 2017 by the ex-President of Jeju Air, Kim Jong-Chul. It has one 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft on lease from Aircraft Lease Corporation (ALC). It hopes to launch long-haul flights to Los Angeles, San Jose, Honolulu and Vancouver as soon as the epidemic conditions permitted.

Greater Bay Airlines launches maiden chartered flight to Beijing on 1 October 2021

Report by : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA

According to the South China Morning Post, Greater Bay Airlines will make its maiden chartered flight to Beijing from Hong Kong on 1 October 2021.

Although the time has been set, Greater Bay  Airlines is currently waiting for its Air Operating Certificate (AOC). Former Hong Kong Airport Authority Chief Executive Xu Hanzhong, director of Greater Bay Airlines, revealed in an interview that he expects to receive an AOC on 17 September 2021.

Xu Hanzhong said that the maiden flight to Beijing was a deliberate decision and symbolized the airline's development plan. He said that the company, as a new airline, will not rush to expand until it is ready, and will adjust the pace of development according to market conditions.

 Greater Bay Airlines has applied to operate passenger, cargo or mail services in and to and from Hong Kong, with a total of 104 destinations, including routes to Mainland China, Japan and South Korea, Taiwan and Southeast Asia. Its models are mainly Boeing 737-800 short-haul aircraft, and it is planned to steadily increase to 25 to 30 aircraft in the next five years.

Xu Hanzhong also claimed that some competitors had slowed down its operations, saying that the company started to apply for relevant licenses as early as December last year, and was reminded from time to time that it must comply with the requirements of the Hong Kong Air Transport Licensing Authority (ATLA) concerning the main place of business and financial strength. 

If  Greater Bay Airlines has not been issued an ATLA license, it will not be able to apply for the operation of fixed passenger flights, but can only operate in the form of non-fixed charter flights. He also said that the major shareholder Huang Chubiao had already injected additional capital into the company earlier and believed that it could meet all the requirements, but believed that some operating airlines did not want competitors to join, or used various methods to hinder or delay their entry into the market. 

A Cathay Pacific spokesperson responded that the group does not object to the Greater Bay Airlines' license application, but urged ATLA to consider the impact of the covid epidemic on the aviation industry.