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Tag: flights

  • Vietnamese airlines approved for 1,270 additional domestic flights during Tet

    Vietnamese airlines approved for 1,270 additional domestic flights during Tet

    Vietnam’s aviation watchdog has approved several proposals from local airlines to increase flight frequency to meet spiking demands during the upcoming Tet holiday, though only half the requested additions were approved.

    Tet, the Vietnamese Lunar New Year holiday, falls in late January, though city residents typically begin flying back to their hometowns weeks before holiday to begin festivities with friends and family.

    Local airlines, national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines and budget airlines Vietjet and Jetstar, sought permission to collectively add 2,486 flights, with only 1,270 of the proposed flights actually gaining approval from the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV).

    In a report submitted to the Ministry of Transport on Thursday, the CAAV said the three would be allowed to run the additional domestic flights between January 16 and February 12, an 8.5 percent increase in flights typically running during the period.

    Vietnam Airlines is permitted to add 380 flights, totaling 76,758 seats, during the Tet season, while Vietjet and Jetstar will add 560 flights (100,800 seats) and 330 flights (59,400 seats), respectively.

    Approximately 1,067 of the approved extra flights will depart or land in Tan Son Nhat International Airport, the country’s busiest airdrome, already operating beyond its design capacity.

    Despite potential overload issues, during the Tet holidays the Ho Chi Minh City-based airport will serve 807 flights per day during peak time, a 7.7 percent increase from the usual schedule.

    Vietnam Airlines is the only of the three carriers happy with the CAAV decision, with nearly 100 percent of their extra flight plan approved, meanwhile Vietjet will only be able to offer half of its proposed additional services while Jetstar was approved for 30 percent of its requests.

    Under the CAAV decision, the three carriers will collectively be forced to cut 230,000 seats from their previously planned Tet services.

    With some airlines allegedly selling tickets for the extra flights before having obtained approval from the CAAV, passengers with booked tickets are sitting on hot bricks, fearing they will not be able to return home for Tet celebrations.

    Ho Quoc Cuong, head of aviation transportation under the CAAV, said the air carriers may not sell tickets for all of the planned extra services, so there is little chance passengers with purchased tickets will miss flights.

    “If it is really the case, carriers must compensate and take full responsibility for the passengers,” he said.

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  • Singapore eyes increased investments, more flights to Manila

    The government of Singapore has expressed interest in further increasing its investments in the Philippines, as well as adding more flights to Manila in anticipation of increased demand in air travel between the two countries.

    In a recent meeting with Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III, Singaporean Ambassador to Manila Kok Li Peng said Singapore’s private sector would like to explore new growth opportunities in the Philippines, particularly in the retail, transportation, infrastructure and tourism sectors.

    Ambassador Kok said Singaporean businessmen were planning to schedule the next meeting of the Philippines-Singapore Business Council (PSBC) in Davao City and, if possible, meet with President Rodrigo Duterte to discuss new business and investment activities in the Philippines.

    “We’re trying to get a mixed meeting of the PSBC here. They want to bring the members to Davao to meet with the President,” Kok said, to which Dominguez responded that a possible date for such a dialogue could be in February.

    Singapore’s investments in the Philippines–valued at P16.8 billion in 2015–are mostly in real estate activities, electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply, and manufacturing.

    Singapore was the Philippines’ fourth largest trading partner in 2015. The country’s total exports reached $3.8 billion in 2015, mainly comprising electronic products, petroleum products, and electronic equipment and parts.

    The Philippines, in turn, imported a total of $5 billion worth of goods from Singapore in 2015, mostly mineral fuels, lubricants, food and live animals, and industrial machinery and equipment.

    Kok also said that Singapore was looking at the Philippines in exploring more markets for its airline industry.

    “More competition is good for the consumer,” Kok said in explaining Singapore’s plan for its airline companies—Singapore Airlines, SilkAir and Tiger Airways—to add more flights to the Philippines.

    In response, Dominguez, a former chairman of the Philippine Airlines, agreed that opening the Philippines’ air travel industry to competition and even partnerships with other airlines would benefit the economy and boost the growth of the tourism sector.

    Dominguez said the Duterte administration was “engaging more with ASEAN and countries around Asia” as a way to “move forward” and achieve a balance in strengthening the Philippines’ diplomatic ties with other nations across the globe.

    In Beijing last October, Dominguez and Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia, who were part of President Duterte’s delegation on his state visit to China, jointly announced that while the Philippines would maintain its good relations with Western economies, it pushed for “stronger integration” with its neighbors in the region.

    The move, they said, would open for the Philippines countless opportunities for trade and investment in a market of 1.8 billion people across the region, especially now that other ASEAN economies had also committed to greater integration and China had pledged to open its capital markets.

    ASEAN groups the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Thailand, Indonesia, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar and Vietnam.

    Both Dominguez and Kok agreed that technology and innovation are indispensable to sustaining growth under the current knowledge-based global economy.

    “We’re now [living under] a knowledge-based economy. We think innovation is the way to go in the future,”Kok said.

    Dominguez said the rapid growth of online-based businesses and investments was among the reasons the Duterte administration considered it a priority to improve “interconnectivity and internet speeds” in the country.

    “The structure of the industry in the Philippines right now is really holding us back. And it’s becoming quite obvious that the system now we have, where we basically have two service providers, is not really working,” Dominguez told Kok.

    In the meeting, Kok also informed Dominguez of Singapore’s request to review and update the terms of its 40-year old double taxation agreement with the Philippines.

    Dominguez assured Kok that he would discuss Singapore’s concerns regarding the double taxation agreement with the Bureau of Internal Revenue.

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  • 1,300 more domestic flights to operate for Tet

    1,300 more domestic flights to operate for Tet

    Special flights will be introduced from January 16 to February 12, the Civil Aviation Authority of Viet Nam (CAAV) said.

    Vietjet has been allowed to increase its number of flights by 8.9 per cent, so it will operate 560 flights, or 100,800 seats. National carrier Vietnam Airlines will offer 330 more flights, or 76,785 seats. Jetstar Pacific will have an additional 330 flights, or 59,400 seats.

    HCM City’s Tan Son Nhat International Airport, which is the busiest airport among the 21 airports nationwide, is estimated to receive 1,065 extra flights during the holiday season, 7.7 per cent more than its normal schedule.

    The flights will be operated in the slots or the duration during which the aircraft usually remain grounded at airports. It is estimated to have 38 flights per day.

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  • Vietnam Airlines switches Australian routes to all-787 operation

    Vietnam Airlines switches Australian routes to all-787 operation

    Australia has become an all Boeing 787 destination for Vietnam Airlines after the Skyteam alliance member switched both its Melbourne and Sydney services to the next-generation Dreamliner.

    Vietnam Airlines’ first 787 flight to Australia arrived on Friday morning, when VN781 operated by 787-9 VN-A865 touched down at Melbourne Tullamarine at about 0930, after an eight hour and 20 minute journey from Ho Chi Minh City. The route was previously served with Airbus A330-200 equipment.

    The airline is the eighth carrier to serve Melbourne Tullamarine with the 787 alongside Air India, Air New Zealand, Jetstar, Royal Brunei Airlines, Scoot, United and Xiamen Airlines.

    And Melbourne is due to get another 787 operator with LATAM announcing the start of Melbourne-Santiago nonstop flights from October 2017.

    Meanwhile, Vietnam Airlines’ first 787 service to Sydney arrived less than an hour after the flight to Melbourne landed.

    Flight VN773, operated by 787-9 VN-A870, arrived at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport a little after 1010, with passengers taken on a scenic fly over Sydney Harbour prior to landing.

    Vietnam Airlines previously operated Boeing 777-200ERs on the Ho Chi Minh City-Sydney route. The switch to the Dreamliner brings to nine the number of carriers operating the aircraft at Sydney – Vietnam Airlines joins Air India, Air New Zealand, ANA, Jetstar, LATAM Airlines, Scoot, United and Xiamen Airlines.

    Qantas places its QF airline code on Vietnam Airlines’ two Australian routes.

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  • Vietnam Airlines prepares for Czech launch

    Vietnam Airlines prepares for Czech launch

    Vietnam Airlines has appointed a new General Sales Agent (GSA) in Prague, ahead of the launch of its first ever flights to the Czech Republic.

    A ceremony was held on 14 December 2016 to mark the occasion, attended by Vietnam’s Ambassador to the Czech Republic, Truong Manh Son. While details of the national carrier’s planned Prague services have not been confirmed, they are likely to make use of Vietnam Airlines’ new fleet of long-haul aircraft, including the Airbus A350 and Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

    These modern jets have already been deployed on routes to several European cities, including London, Paris and Frankfurt.

    The new route, which would likely be served from Hanoi, would mark the first direct connection between the Czech Republic and Southeast Asia. The only other Asian carriers operating to Prague’s Václav Havel Airport at present are China Eastern Airlines, Hainan Airlines, Korean Air and Sichuan Airlines.

    Vietnam Airlines and Czech Airlines are partners in the SkyTeam alliance and the new flights could also open up codeshare opportunities.

  • AirAsia to deploy 84 more flights this CNY

    AirAsia to deploy 84 more flights this CNY

    There’s good news for travellers with more flights servicing selected domestic and international routes ahead of the Chinese New Year festive period.

    AirAsia Berhad will deploy an additional 84 flights from Jan 25 to Feb 1.

    “We would like to encourage travellers to book their flights early for the upcoming festive season,” said AirAsia’s head of commercial Spencer Lee in a statement.

    “These flights will have an added capacity of 15,000 seats to facilitate the high demand of air travel during that period.”

    Among the routes are from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore, Penang, Sibu and Tawau, as well as from Penang to Singapore and from Johor Baru to Miri and Sibu.

    “Whether it’s a family reunion or a quick getaway, we hope that these additional flights with everyday low fares will help everyone to have a memorable Chinese New Year celebration,” Lee added.

    Travellers are advised to book their flights early at airasia.com or through the airline’s mobile app on the iPhone and android devices.

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  • PAL to launch international, domestic flights at Clark

    PAL to launch international, domestic flights at Clark

    Philippine Airlines (PAL) is launching on Dec. 16 its first regular international and domestic flights from Clark International Airport (CIA).

    This is PAL’s response to President Duterte’s call to decongest the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) .

    Clark International Airport Corp. president Alexander Cauguiran said PAL president Jaime Bautista gave him the green light to announce that PAL is launching on Dec. 16 its first Clark-Caticlan daily flights.

    PAL will add more flights starting January 2017, including daily flights to Cebu, flights to Davao four times a week, weekly flights to Busuanga and flights to Cagayan de Oro thrice a week.

    PAL will also launch daily international flights to Incheon, South Korea in January 2017. Cauguiran said that PAL would have a total of 21 flights per week at ClA.

    Cebu Pacific Air earlier announced the increase of its flights at CIA, including flights to Hong Kong three to 10 times per week starting in December and Clark-Cebu flights six times per week.

    In a forum held here by the Bases Conversion Development Authority, Cauguiran warned that flight congestion at the NAIA has endangered passenger safety.

    “NAIA has four terminals designed for 13 million people per year. But last year, it processed 36 million passengers already, so long lines of waiting people often occurred,” he said.

    Cauguiran also noted that NAIA’s lone runway allows only 40 flights per movement or one hour for every 40 flights. “Beyond that, you are inviting trouble” because this requirement has often compelled incoming aircraft to stay in the air longer than scheduled before being allowed to land.

    Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines director general Jim Sydiongco said the Legazpi, Dumaguete, Roxas and Caticlan airports could also now accommodate flights in the evening as such are night-rated.

    Direct flights to Mindoro Occidental

    Meanwhile, budget carrier Air Juan has launched direct flights between Manila and Mamburao, Mindoro Occidental’s capital.

    The province’s representative, former governor Josephine Sato, said yesterday the air service would “be a big boost to our efforts to promote Mindoro Occidental as a prime eco-tourism destination.”

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  • Cebu Pacific launches Cebu-Ormoc daily flights

    Cebu Pacific launches Cebu-Ormoc daily flights

    The long wait has been over for travelers from this northwestern part of Leyte going to Cebu, following the opening of daily flights.

    The 35-minute Cebu-Ormoc-Cebu flight had its inaugural flight on Saturday and carried 54 passengers from Ormoc City.

    ATR-72-500 aircraft of Cebu Pacific arrived in Ormoc at past 8 a.m. from Cebu on its initial trip carrying 31 passengers, including Ormoc Mayor Richard Gomez. Minutes later, it left for Cebu with 54 commuters.

    Cebu Pacific’s 72-seater plane serves daily flights with scheduled departure at 8:42 a.m.

    This development opens doors towards boosting the city’s economic endeavors and benefits its tourism industry. The city government has been very vocal of the mayor’s vision, making tourism as his priority.

    Gracing the opening program were city Vice Mayor Leo Carmelo Locsin Jr., Trina Dacuycuy of the Department of Tourism regional office, Cebu Pacific Vice President for Visayas Alex Reyes, and Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines Eastern Visayas area manager Danilo Abareta.

    Abareta said the daily air trip from Ormoc to Cebu is a better and faster alternative.

    “The faster delivery of cargo will surely boost the economic activities of the city, including nearby towns,” he added.

    Abareta lauded the city council, which vowed to rehabilitate the road access going to the airport and improve the airport parking.

    The terminal building is likewise up for improvement for which he encouraged the authorities to expedite.

    Locsin, who read the message of Mayor Gomez, said “the city thanked Cebu Pacific for placing trust and confidence in the city wherein part of the vision is to promote tourism.”

    The city formed the Philippine National Police Aviation Security Group (AvSegroup) for vital security at the airport.

    On its inaugural flight, Cebu Pacific offered promo fare at PHP599, inclusive with PHP500 terminal fee at Ormoc airport.

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  • AirAsia targets to launch IPO in 2017

    AirAsia targets to launch IPO in 2017

    AirAsia Philippines, the local arm of Asia’s biggest budget carrier AirAsia Berhad, is ramping up plans to launch an initial public offering in 2017, its chief executive officer Tony Fernandes said.

    AirAsia Philippines continues to enjoy strong demand despite seeing a net operating loss of P915 million in the third quarter of this year, Fernandes said.

    Bulk of the company’s loss in the period was due to extraordinary costs.

    Fernandes aims to move a planned equity sale to raise as much as $200 million from an IPO.

    Most proceeds will finance expansion to increase the local unit’s current fleet of 15 Airbus 320s.

  • Cebu Pacific looking into Hawaii, Melbourne flights

    Cebu Pacific looking into Hawaii, Melbourne flights

    Cebu Pacific may offer additional flights to Australia and the United States as part of efforts to expand its international network, its chief executive officer said.

    The Gokongwei-led carrier earlier said it expects its long-haul business to post a profit, driven by new flight services and increased frequencies in its existing international routes.

    “We are still considering… looking at Hawaii and Melbourne,” Cebu Air, Inc. President and Chief Executive Officer Lance Y. Gokongwei told reporters at the sidelines of a recent event when asked for the low-cost airline’s next planned long-haul route after its maiden Guam flight last March.

    Mr. Gokongwei, however, noted that there are “no firm dates” yet for the said flights.

    Cebu Air currently operates across 36 local and 30 international destinations with a fleet of 58 aircraft. It operates from six hubs: Manila, Cebu, Clark, Kalibo, Iloilo, and Davao.

    Asked whether Cebu Pacific would also consider mounting flights to Europe, Mr. Gokongwei: “I think we would consider it, but right now, we don’t have any immediate plans at this point but it’s something we should be considering as we get additional long-haul aircraft into the system.”

    “Frankly, I don’t see it happening from a Cebu Pacific perspective for 2 or 3 years,” he added.

    Mr. Gokongwei said Cebu Pacific expects to ferry 19 million passengers this year, a record passenger volume, driven by the airline’s low-cost long-haul services and increased frequencies in key domestic markets from 18.4 million passengers in 2015 and also up from the 16.9 million passengers flown in 2014.

    As of the nine months ended September, Cebu Pacific said passenger traffic was up 6% to 14.48 million, as capacity inched up by 0.4%.

    Cebu Air, operator of budget airline Cebu Pacific Air, saw its profit double in the first nine months of the year to P7.1 billion from P3.56 billion a year ago, led by strong passenger volume, higher ticket prices and lower fuel costs during the period, it told the stock exchange in its quarterly report.

    Demand remained strong during the nine-month period as Cebu Air reported its total revenue hit P46.69 billion, up 10.5%. Passenger revenue rose 10.1% to P35.36 billion while ancillary revenue — from non-ticket revenues such as baggage fees and onboard meals — was up 14.9% to P8.79 billion.

    Shares in Cebu Air closed at P97.80 apiece on Friday down P3.90 or 3.83% from its previous finish of P101.70.

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  • Garuda Indonesia now flies from Surabaya to Medina

    Garuda Indonesia now flies from Surabaya to Medina

    Garuda Indonesia has opened a new route to connect Surabaya in East Java to Medina in Saudi Arabia in a bid to expand its flight network in the Middle East and tap into the potential umroh (minor haj) market.

    Introduced on Tuesday at Surabaya’s Juanda International Airport, the all economy class flight will be available once a week on Tuesday using Airbus A330-300 that can accommodate 360 passengers.

    “Hopefully we can provide ease and comfort to East Javanese residents and others who are traveling on a pilgrimage since this direct flight will help save time and money,” said Garuda Indonesia Cargo Director Sigit Muhartono in a press release.

    The national flag carrier currently operates two direct international routes from Surabaya, to Singapore and Jeddah.

    Following the opening of the Surabaya-Medina route, Garuda Indonesia now operates a total of 34 flights to the Middle East from major cities in Indonesia.

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  • Cebu Pacific eyes new jets for possible US flights

    Cebu Pacific eyes new jets for possible US flights

    Cebu Pacific, the country’s largest carrier, said Wednesday it was considering acquiring wide-body jets for possible flights to the United States.

    While “no formal decisions” have been made, Cebu Pacific said studying the acquisition of new aircraft is part of its long-term planning.

    In a disclosure to the stock exchange, the company said it was “evaluating new generation wide body aircraft that would enable it to enter new markets such as the United States.”

    The clarification was issued after The Standard newspaper, quoting an aviation think-tank, said Cebu Pacific was planning to acquire new planes for trips to the US West Coast.

    Cebu Pacific currently flies to the US territory of Guam. It also operates long-haul flights to the Middle East and Australia.

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  • AirAsia India adds more direct flights

    AirAsia India adds more direct flights

    AirAsia India today announced an additional flight connecting Bengaluru to Goa and Pune starting fourth week this month.

    The airline currently operates one daily connection between Bengaluru and Pune, and with this additional flight, the airline will operate two daily flights connecting the two cities, the company said in a release issued here.

    AirAsia India will also operate its fourth daily connection between Bengaluru and Goa starting December 18, 2016, it added.

    “Our flights from Bengaluru to Pune are doing extremely well and so are our three existing connections to Goa. We see immense demand in this sector. We are constantly working towards providing our guests the most convenient options for them to pick from. We are confident that this new connection is going to be well received by our guests,” AirAsia Managing Director and CEO Amar Abrol said.

    AirAsia India currently flies to 11 destinations with its two hubs in Bengaluru and New Delhi covering Chandigarh, Jaipur, Guwahati, Imphal, Pune, Goa, Vizag, Kochi and Hyderabad.

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  • Singapore Airlines: year-round Airbus A380 flights for Melbourne

    Singapore Airlines: year-round Airbus A380 flights for Melbourne

    Singapore Airlines is bringing its flagship Airbus A380 back to Melbourne on a year-round basis, extending the airline’s temporary superjumbo service to the Victorian capital: previously due to end in March 2017 before reverting to a Boeing 777.

    Instead, SQ’s A380s will continue gracing Melbourne’s skies, a Singapore Airlines spokesperson confirmed with the jet now appearing daily on flight SQ217 from Singapore and SQ218 from Melbourne.

    The world’s largest passenger aircraft offers travellers a choice between Suites Class, business class, premium economy and economy.

    ‘Suites Class’ is Singapore parlance for ‘A380 first class’, with these passengers gaining access to a dedicated Singapore Airlines first class lounge in Melbourne or The Private Room in Singapore before their flight, after which, they’ll fly in style and privacy with all suites featuring closing doors:

    Business class too provides fully-flat beds with direct aisle access courtesy of the 1-2-1 cabin layout, with plenty of space to work and relax during the day as well.

    Premium economy instead comes in a 2-4-2 arrangement, with reclining seats offering 38 inches of total space – known as ‘pitch’ – plus a padded leg rest and swing-down foot rest:

    Melbournians can catch the A380 on flight SQ218 – departing the Coffee Capital at 1:05am daily to reach Singapore at 5:45am – and aboard SQ217 on the return: wheels-up at 10:45am for a 9:10pm touchdown later that evening.

    In recent times, Singapore Airlines has also upgraded selected Brisbane-Singapore flights from Airbus A330s to the Boeing 777-200ER aircraft, complete with A380-style fully-flat beds in place of the less-appealing ‘sloping sleepers’ found on the A330s.

  • Cebu Pacific plans Legazpi night flights

    Cebu Pacific plans Legazpi night flights

    Cebu Pacific said the upgrade of the Legazpi International Airport as a night-capable facility has allowed the budget carrier to operate flights even in the evening.

    In a statement, Cebu Pacific said it is the first carrier to operate night flights out of the Legazpi International Airport after being upgraded by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) with necessary facilities and declared ready to accommodate evening flights.

    The upgrade allows airlines to offer more flights for passengers to choose from.

    At present, Cebu Pacific operates six daily flights to and from Legazpi via Manila and Cebu.

    Evening flights operated by Cebu Pacific’s wholly-owned subsidiary Cebgo, depart Manila at 6:15 p.m. and 7:20 p.m, and arrive in Legazpi at 7:40 p.m. and 8:45 p.m., respectively.

    The return flights meanwhile, leave Legazpi at 8:20 p.m. and 9:35 p.m., and land in Manila at 9:40 p.m. and 10:55 p.m., respectively.

    The upgrade is likewise seen to give a further boost to tourism in Legazpi which serves as a regional hub for business, education and government.

    Legazpi International Airport is the main airport of the Bicol region, serving provinces such as Albay and Sorsogon.

    As early as 2012, Cebu Pacific has been calling for the upgrade of airports to have night capability to allow airlines to offer flights in the evening and in effect, help ease congestion at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) runway during the peak

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