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Tag: flying

  • Cebu Pacific feels pinch from Philippines quarantine

    Cebu Pacific feels pinch from Philippines quarantine

    Cebu Pacific says the month-long “community quarantine” imposed on Metropolitan Manila and the main Luzon island group recently will free up 90% of its total seat capacity, even as it maintains services from its hubs outside of Manila and the region.

    The 90% capacity figure is based on the suspension of domestic flights departing Manila, and previously suspended services to China, Hong Kong, Macau and South Korea, says Cebu Pacific in a Philippines Stock Exchange disclosure.

    During this period, the airline continues to operate flights from its other hubs that have not been affected by the quarantine order such as Cebu, and is maintaining connectivity “where operationally feasible”.

    Cirium schedules data show that in February, domestic routes accounted for 83% of Cebu Pacific and subsidiary Cebgo’s seat capacity.

    Although it expects a “significant revenue impact” during the quarantine period, operating expenses will fall in tandem, while lower fuel prices provide an additional cost benefit to its reduced fuel consumption.

    Cebu Pacific was unable to provide any earnings guidance for 2020, due to uncertainties caused by the coronavirus pandemic. However, it stressed that it has a strong balance sheet with “over Ps18 billion ($353 million) in cash and cash equivalents” at the end of 2019, and that a net debt to equity level of around 1.25x with a long maturity profile gives the airline room to seek short-term or long-term funding.

    It is also conserving cash and reducing expenses by freezing recruitment and consultancy work, implementing pay cuts for its top management, and suspending salary increases.

    Earlier in February, the carrier estimated that the outbreak will see a “Ps3-4 billion swing on profit” should the outbreak remain unabated over the next six months. The estimate was based on 2003’s Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome outbreak, which curtailed demand for air travel for six months.

    Cebu Pacific is expected to release its 2019 financial results in the coming weeks.

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  • AirAsia grounding most flights from March 28 to May 31

    AirAsia grounding most flights from March 28 to May 31

    AirAsia Group Berhad is suspending most of its flights from March 28 to May 31.

    In a statement on its website, the company said the Covid-19 pandemic had led to unforeseen extensive and increasing border restrictions by various countries.

    “This flight suspension is necessary to ensure the sustainability of the business and is the right thing to do to ensure the well-being of our guests and employees, which will remain the top priority of our business during this challenging time.

    “With governments imposing travel and movement restrictions including movement control order, AirAsia is also playing its part in helping to curb the spread of the virus in order to keep flying safe for everyone.

    “We will continue to evaluate the situation closely and we are prepared to reinstate our services as soon as the situation improves, subject to the necessary regulatory approvals, ” it said.

    All affected guests are being notified by email and SMS.

    They have the option of converting their flight booking into a credit account that is valid for future redemption for 365 days or moving their flights for an unlimited number of times without any charges to another date prior to Oct 31.

    According to the statement, short-haul flights of AirAsia will be suspended for all domestic and international flights from March 28 to April 21.

    As for the medium and long-haul flights, most AirAsia X Malaysia (D7) trips are suspended between March 28 and May 31.

    Meanwhile, the company also announced that both the management and senior employees of AirAsia Group have volunteered a salary sacrifice, ranging from 100% at the very top to 15% to further manage and contain costs.

    “This will help ensure that we can ride out this prolonged period of extremely low travel demand and at the same time minimize the impact on our employees, especially those in junior positions, ” the statement said.

  • AirAsia to operate limited number of flights until March 31

    AirAsia to operate limited number of flights until March 31

    Low-cost carrier AirAsia Group Bhd will be operating a limited number of domestic and international flights during the 14-day Movement Control Order period aimed at curbing the spread of the Covid-19 infection.

    When contacted, a spokesperson for the airline said the limited operations are subject to change due to the fluidity of the situation.

    “Affected guests will be promptly notified via email or SMS. AirAsia strongly encourages guests to update their contact details using the “My Bookings” feature on airasia.com to ensure that they receive timely notifications.

    Guests may check on their flights via the “Flight Status” feature, as well as available flights on the airasia.com website and mobile application.

    For the further and latest information on options and eligibility related to Covid-19, guests can visit the Covid-19 “Customer Guide,” the spokesperson responded.

    In a note to investors yesterday, AmInvestment Bank Research said it is projecting a wider loss of RM985.4 million for AirAsia for its financial year ended Dec 31, 2020 (FY20), from RM784.2 million previously. For FY21, the research house is forecasting a smaller net profit of RM258.9 million, from a net profit of RM482.3 million previously.

    It said the earnings downgrade is to mainly reflect a 10% contraction in passengers for FY20, from a 5% contraction previously, against a backdrop of weak demand for air travel currently followed by the cancellation of Visit Malaysia Year 2020 (VMY2020).

    “We believe the cancellation of VMY2020 will add pressure to airlines including AirAsia that are already suffering from the weak air travel demand due to the Covid-19 outbreak. AirAsia has already seen a double-digit year-on-year decline in its passengers since February,” it added.

    The research house cuts its fair value on the budget carrier to 50 sen, from 94 sen previously and maintained its “sell” call on the airline.

    AirAsia shares closed at 52 sen yesterday after dropping nine sen or 14.8%. It saw 48.54 million shares done.

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  • AirAsia Updates Rebooking Policy

    AirAsia Updates Rebooking Policy

    AirAsia has updated its rebooking policy so that customers with tickets issued on or before 22 March 2020, with a departure date between 23 March and 31 May 2020, can select from the following two options:

    Unlimited Flight Change: Customers can change their ticket to any travel date before 31 October 2020 on the same route for an unlimited number of times without any additional cost subject to seat availability; OR

    Credit Account: Retain the value of the flight booking in the customer’s AirAsia BIG Member account for future travel with AirAsia to be redeemed within 365 calendar days from the issuance date. The travel date of the new booking can fall on any date within the published flight schedule on airasia.com.

    The above information is only applicable for direct online bookings made via airasia.com. For group bookings or those made with travel agents, the traveler must contact their booking agent directly for further assistance.

    As this is a rapidly changing situation, travelers should make sure that their airline has their correct contact information and should carefully monitor their airline’s website and social media accounts for any new updates.

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  • Malaysia Airlines and AirAsia limit number of flights till March 31

    Malaysia Airlines and AirAsia limit number of flights till March 31

    Malaysia Airlines will significantly reduce its overall network, following the nationwide movement control order from March 18 to 31.

    International flights to India are suspended until the end of the month and flights to the Philippines are suspended between March 21 and 31, following the respective governments’ ban on travel to and from Malaysia.

    Malaysia Airlines group chief executive officer Captain Izham Ismail said the situation has been “rather fluid” since the airline has had to make last-minute cancellations to abide by the restrictions.

    “We are doing our best to re-route passengers via reallocation onto other carriers. We are also adjusting our low-load flights by canceling and merging them to manage costs while managing our customer expectations, ” he said.

    Prior to the order, Malaysia Airlines has suspended services to Saudi Arabia, South Korea, and parts of China (Beijing and Daxing), as well as the Kota Kinabalu-Shanghai route due to border controls.

    The carrier also reduced capacity to Australia and New Zealand due to the self-isolation policy of the two countries.

    To date, the company has canceled over 4,000 flights.

    “Our Global Contact Centre has been at the brunt of this situation with the number of calls peaking at 25,000 daily and up to 2,000 e-mail daily in the past three weeks, ” Izham said.

    He added that it will take the company longer to process refunds due to the sheer volume of requests.

    “I assure them that we are not here to take advantage of the situation. In fact we are one of few airlines that have offered unlimited flexibility in travel date change and waiver of certain fees, ” Izham said.

    Due to the significant capacity cut, Malaysia Airlines and all sister companies under the Malaysia Aviation Group’s back-office operations have also been reduced alongside flight and airport operations.

    A majority of its workforce globally are working from home in line with various governments’ requirements.

    Passengers with bookings may initiate changes online via the Covid-19 waiver assistance form available on the carrier’s website.

    Meanwhile, AirAsia has also significantly cut down its number of domestic and international flights.

    “AirAsia will be operating a limited number of domestic and international flights from today until 31 March, which are subject to change due to the fluidity of the current situation.

    “Affected guests will be promptly notified via email or SMS. AirAsia strongly encourages guests to update their contact details using the “My Bookings” feature on airasia.com to ensure that they receive timely notifications,” the airline said in a statement.

    For further and latest information regarding options and eligibility related to COVID-19, AirAsia guests can visit the Covid-19 Customer Guide on its website.

    A quick look at their booking page shows that there are only two flights a day from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Kinabalu, Kuching and Penang (and vice versa). Flights to other cities and towns including Johor Baru, Kota Bharu, Alor Setar, Kuala Terengganu, Sibu, Miri and Bintulu have all been suspended until April 1.

    Currently, there is one flight a day to Sandakan, Tawau and Labuan from KL but even these routes may be suspended within the next few days.

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  • AirAsia forecasted to widen loss this year

    AirAsia forecasted to widen loss this year

    Airasia Group Bhd’s losses could sink further to almost RM800 million this year as the coronavirus has spelled doom for the global aviation sector.

    It is forecasted to suffer RM796 million losses in the financial year 2020 (FY20), over threefold from a loss of RM261 million in the previous fiscal year, Nomura Securities Malaysia Sdn Bhd said in a research report.

    Nomura transport analysts Ahmad Maghfur Usman and Divya Thomas said the expected figure is substantially wider than the consensus forecast of an RM2 million loss in FY20.

    Unit seat revenue across the group’s affiliates is expected to drop by 11% to 12% year-on-year (YoY) in FY20, compounded by weaker loads and yields between -3% and -5%.

    “Malaysia’s recent move to restrict tourist arrivals is expected to worsen near-term traffic, in our view, with only a modest recovery seen from this coming July, as the recent number of new coronavirus cases has spiked substantially,” the analysts said in the report published yesterday.

    They said AirAsia’s long-haul sister company AirAsia X Bhd (AAX) will likely be in dire need of a cash injection to stay afloat.

    The analysts said a privatization move for the company may not sit well with minority shareholders as they prefer the long- and short-haul low-cost airline entities to remain separate listed entities.

    Ahmad Maghfur and Thomas said an inter-company loan is the only likely avenue for AirAsia to rescue AAX.

    As it is, AirAsia is expected to weather the crisis with a net cash balance of RM2.2 billion as of FY19, based on actual borrowings without significantly deteriorating its balance sheet.

    On a positive note, the analysts said the current crisis would weaken AirAsia’s key competitors’ positions and allow the company to win market share.

    They added that the company’s high cash position would also present acquisition opportunities that could be utilized to lock in fuel price hedges for the longer term.

    Nomura rated AirAsia downwards from ‘Buy’ to ‘Reduce’ with a revised target price from 70 sen to 63 sen a unit, or 10%.

    MIDF Research analyst Adam Mohamed Rahim said AirAsia’s earnings are forecasted to reduce to RM145 million in FY20 due to lower passenger volume.

    Adam did not rule out the possibility of AirAsia redeploying its aircraft for domestic routes, especially during festive periods following the inbound and outbound travel restrictions.

    He said passengers carried in March 2020 will decline under the 14-day movement restrictions order.

    “Based on our preliminary analysis, the drop in total passenger traffic for Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 (KLIA2) could reach more than -30% YoY for March 2020.”

    “As a result, we have lowered our total passengers carried forecast for FY20 by around -19%,” he said in a report yesterday.

    KLIA2 registered three million passengers in March last year where 66.2% were international passengers

    MIDF revised AirAsia’s target price from RM1.03 to 63 sen per share, but maintained a ‘Neutral’ call.

    Meanwhile, AirAsia said flights to both domestic and international destinations remain operational and are subject to further review with strict compliance on the travel restriction as announced by Putrajaya.

    The company said guests whose flights have been affected will be contacted with service recovery options and assistance.

    “We continue to monitor the public health situation closely and adhere strictly to all advice by all governments, as well as local and international health organizations. AirAsia has and will continue to quickly make adjustments as needed, in response to government travel directives,” president (airlines) Tharumalingam Kana- galingam said in a statement yesterday.

    Guests affected by travel restrictions with international bookings to or from Malaysia made before March 16, departure on or before April 30 only, will be offered move flight or credit account options.

    AirAsia’s office-based staff nationwide have been asked to work from home, while staff from departments crucial to operations will continue to work on rostered duty from segregated locations in accordance with the company’s business continuity plan.

    AirAsia’s share price closed at 62 sen yesterday, down 10.7% or 7.5 sen with a market capitalization of RM2.09 billion.

  • AirAsia shares drop further, salary cut for top management

    AirAsia shares drop further, salary cut for top management

    AIRASIA Group Bhd’s share price dropped to the lowest level in 48 months despite the low-cost carrier’s move to cut operational costs and shield the company from being battered by the coronavirus outbreak.

    Carriers across the globe are in panic mode as millions of people cancel their flights as the virus wreaks havoc around the world.

    AirAsia’s shares closed yesterday’s trading at 97 sen, down 2 sen from the 99 sen recorded on Monday — compared to around RM4.41 in February 2018. The company’s market capitalization plummeted to RM3.42 billion.

    Shares of AirAsia’s long-haul unit AirAsia X Bhd declined to 7.5 sen.

    AirAsia’s acting CEO Tharumalingam Kanagalingam in an internal memo to the carrier’s staff warned of the need to cut expenditures.

    The carrier had reduced wage costs, suspended Free Munch for all non-operations managers and above; restricted unnecessary duty travel canceled big social events for the year and suspended external training unless required by law or regulation.

    He said the company’s highest earners have agreed to take a pay cut, but did not provide any quantum. In the replacement of traveling, employees should use voice or video conferencing.

    Kanagalingam, who is popularly known as Bo Lingam, said the measures are put in place to reduce costs, conserve funds and protect the future of the business.

    He said the company has reviewed every option to minimize the impact on its employees.

    “These measures are not permanent. Senior management and I will review them periodically until the situation normalizes.

    “But we may need to announce additional measures if things continue for longer or get worse. Your manager or HoD (head of department) will explain this exercise to you in more detail,” Kanagalingam said in.

    In a press statement on Monday, the acting CEO said the cost-containment measures would have zero or minimal impact on most AirAsia employees, especially those in the lower-income bracket.

    He said AirAsia continues to monitor the developments and employ aggressive marketing and education strategies to instill the confidence of flying back in the traveling community.

    “To further spur local and regional tourism, capacity is now being redeployed to domestic and intra-Asean flights. We are also continuously engaging industry stakeholders and tourism authorities for incentives, as well as marketing and promotional collaborations,” he said.

    AirAsia is expected to register a core net loss of RM1.1 billion following lower demand and yields in Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines on significant exposures to flights to China, Hong Kong and Macau, CGS-CIMB Research said in a note last month.

    An analyst said the market outlook for AirAsia is “definitely grim for 2020”. “This year will be a watershed year. It is a matter of mitigating from deeper losses,” the analyst said.

    Its competitor Malaysia Airlines Bhd has also slashed the salary of the senior management staff by 10% and removed all allowances effective this month.

    The national flag carrier canceled more than 1,600 flights and the figure is expected to rise further.

    Group CEO Captain Izham Ismail said in a video message to the carrier’s staff that MAB has reduced 7.1% of its capacity in the first quarter this year, including 53% of the capacity to China and 23% for North Asia, namely Korea and Japan.

    Malindo Airways Sdn Bhd was reported to have asked its staff to take up to a 50% pay cut and two weeks’ unpaid leave.

    As part of the pay cut, Malindo employees were asked to reduce their number of working days by up to 15 days a month, Reuters reported.

    The International Air Transport Association has projected a total global lost revenue of between US$63 billion (RM265.6 billion) and US$113 billion in the passenger business, more than double than its previous assessment of US$29.3 billion revenue loss.

    Markets in Australia, China, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam are estimated to see a 23% reduction in passenger numbers that translates to a loss of US$49.7 billion in revenue.

    Last month, the Malaysian Aviation Commission reduced Malaysia’s passenger traffic growth forecast from between 5% and 6% to between 4.6% and 5.7% this year as a direct impact of Covid-19.

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  • AirAsia X offers a year’s unlimited flights for $181 in response to coronavirus

    AirAsia X offers a year’s unlimited flights for $181 in response to coronavirus

    AirAsia X is offering unlimited international flights for a year for just 499 ringgit ($A181) as the coronavirus hits passenger numbers.

    Passengers will be able to fly from the airline’s home base in Malaysia to Australia, Japan, China, India and South Korea as many times as they like.

    The bad news is the deal is not available to Australians, only to Malaysia-based members of the airlines’ BIG loyalty scheme.

    The AirAsia Unlimited Pass went on sale Saturday and will only be available until March 7. Among the various terms and conditions, passengers will still have to pay taxes, airport fees and charges. They will be able to use the pass until March 2, 2021.

    “This is unprecedented,” said AirAsia X Malaysia CEO Benyamin Ismail in a statement. “However, AirAsia has always been known as the disruptor and we want to restore traveler’s confidence amid the current sentiment towards flying.

    “Travelling is still very safe as long as everyone travels responsibly and is kept updated by World Health Organisation (WHO) or respective government’s travel advice.”

    Meanwhile, AirAsia X said it will defer delivery of 78 Airbus A330neo planes and consider other changes to reduce its fleet, as the coronavirus outbreak adds pressure on the loss-making carrier.

    AirAsia X said late on Thursday it might sell two A330s that could fetch up to $US100 million ($153 million) and return five others to lessors early, adding it was already in negotiations with lessors about a targeted 30% cut in lease rates.

    The airline canceled 600 flights for March, according to an investor presentation published after it reported a higher quarterly net loss. AirAsia X flagged lower forward bookings and pressure on fares in the presentation.

    The virus has deepened the challenges facing the airline and sister carrier AirAsia Group, whose Chief Executive Tony Fernandes and Chairman Kamarudin Meranun have both stepped aside for at least two months amid investigations into a corruption scandal. Airbus was alleged to have paid a $US50 million bribe for plane orders.

    Brendan Sobie, a Singapore-based independent aviation analyst, said AirAsia X was highly exposed to China and other markets in North Asia significantly impacted by the coronavirus but the carrier was also in a weak financial position prior to the crisis.

    AirAsia X shares fell by 5 percent on Friday to a record low after it posted a net loss of 95.8 million ringgit in the quarter ended December 31, increasing from an 88.1 million ringgit loss a year ago.

    Flights to and from mainland China accounted for about 30 percent of AirAsia X’s capacity before the outbreak of the virus. It has a fleet of 24 A330 planes.

    The carrier last August reached a revised deal with Airbus to take 78 A330neos and 30 long-range A321XLR narrowbodies, down from earlier plans for 100 A330neos. AirAsia X is Airbus’ biggest customer for the A330neo, a more fuel-efficient version of the older A330 model.

    AirAsia X said delivery of the A330neos would be deferred and it would move toward a dual-fleet strategy with A321s set to replace its A330s on routes of four to six hours when demand recovers.

    “We believe advanced aircraft technology has changed business dynamics as we can now fly narrow-body aircraft longer,” AirAsia X Malaysia CEO Benyamin Ismail said in a statement.

    An AirAsia X spokeswoman said the airline was evaluating market conditions and had yet to confirm the duration of the A330neo delivery deferrals. An Airbus spokesman said the manufacturer does not comment on delivery schedules for individual airlines.

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  • Bamboo Airways suspends S.Korea flights to contain coronavirus

    Bamboo Airways suspends S.Korea flights to contain coronavirus

    Vietnam’s private airline Bamboo Airways will suspend all routes to and from South Korea to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus.

    Both routes from central Da Nang and Nha Trang to Seoul’s Incheon International Airport will cease operation starting February 26, it stated Monday.

    The airline is currently operating seven trips a week on each route with the narrow-body Airbus A21neo capable of carrying nearly 200 passengers.

    It stated flight suspension is vital to warding off the coronavirus from South Korea where the number of confirmed cases has reached 763, and death toll 7 as of Monday.

    Last year, South Korea was Vietnam’s second-largest tourism market behind China with 4.3 million visitors, up 23 percent year-on-year.

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  • AirAsia active, falls 2.52% on potential RM1.1b loss amid Covid-19 outbreak

    AirAsia active, falls 2.52% on potential RM1.1b loss amid Covid-19 outbreak

    Shares in low-cost carrier AirAsia Group Bhd (AAGB) fell by as much as 2.52% at mid-morning following a report by CGS-CIMB Research that flagged a potential core net loss of RM1.1 billion for the aviation group amid the ongoing Covid-19 outbreak.

    As of 10.45am, shares in AAGB fell 3 sen to RM1.16, giving the group a market capitalization of RM3.88 billion.

    AAGB saw 14.77 million shares traded and is the sixth most actively traded counter on Bursa Malaysia today.

    At the time of writing, AAGB is just one sen away from its one-year low of RM1.15 on Feb 4, 2020.

    CGS-CIMB Research had opined in a note to investors that it was expecting AAGB to post a core net loss of RM1.1 billion in the financial year ending Dec 31, 2020 (FY20), from its previous expectation of a RM147 million core net profit.

    This was due to the impacts of the Covid-19 outbreak on passenger movements, particularly as AAGB’s operations in Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines have significant exposure to the North Asia region, which includes China.

    These impacts include lower passenger demand and yield.

    The research house had also slashed its target price (TP) on the low-cost carrier to RM1.03, from RM1.58 previously, while maintaining its hold call on the stock.

    The lower TP is based on a lower 2020 price-to-book value (P/BV) of 0.73 times (from 1 times), which is two standard deviations below its P/BV mean since 2013.

    “AAGB is less able to tolerate unexpected changes to demand and yields given that its profitability has already been ravaged by the higher cost of leasing planes, with virtually all of its planes having been sold and leased back in the past two years. AAGB has already lost its lustre among investors, and Covid-19 will turn conditions far more hostile,” CGS-CIMB said in a note Feb 17.

    In terms of analyst coverage, AAGB has 22 analysts covering it — with 10 sell calls, 10 hold calls and only two buy calls.

    Its consensus TP stands at RM1.41 — with TPs among the analysts ranging from RM1 to RM2.16.

  • Tata mulls AirAsia India, Air India Express merger

    Tata mulls AirAsia India, Air India Express merger

    Tata Sons may partner Singapore Airlines (SQ, Singapore Changi) in bidding for Air India, amid hopes it will merge its AirAsia India subsidiary with the flag carrier’s low-cost unit Air India Express, local media reported on February 4.

    The Indian conglomerate already operates Vistara as a 51/49 venture with Singapore Airlines. A combination of Air India and Vistara would give Tata Sons a monopoly in the country’s full-service market. The two partners have started working on a possible structure for such an acquisition, according to the reports.

    Tata also holds 51% of AirAsia India. It has approached Tony Fernandes of AirAsia Group, which holds the remaining 49% of AirAsia India, to gain his approval to acquire Air India Express, sources told the Times of India. This is because the two companies’ shareholders’ agreement stipulates that Tata cannot invest more than 10% in another budget carrier without Fernandes’ approval.

    “The merger would give Fernandes a bigger play in Indian aviation, so it’s a win-win for both partners,” a source said.

    A Tata-Singapore Airlines bid would be based on the understanding that the low-cost business would be run by Tata and Fernandes, another unnamed source told the Times of India, while the arrangement with SIA would only be for the full-service carrier.

    Tata Sons board member Natarajan Chandrasekaran recently told the newspaper that the group “will not run a third airline unless we merge”. However, on February 5, he told the Press Trust of India that it was still “too early” to make a decision about any kind of bid for Air India.

    Fernandes is currently the subject of an ongoing investigation by India’s law enforcement and economic intelligence agency, the Enforcement Directorate, for allegedly lobbying the government to secure overseas flight permits. Moreover, he resigned from his role as AirAsia Group CEO on February 3, ostensibly for two months, while the group conducts an “independent investigation” into the Airbus bribery scandal that erupted this week. Sources said that the cases against him could give Tata Sons second thoughts about any future deals.

    The final date to submit an expression of interest for Air India is March 17.

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  • AirAsia Is Accepting Applications For Its ‘Dare To Fly!

    AirAsia Is Accepting Applications For Its ‘Dare To Fly!

    If you are among those who wish to become pilots someday, now is your chance to reach your dream. AirAsia has recently announced it is now accepting applications for the “Dare to Fly! The Allstars Cadet Pilot Program.”

    The aim, according to a press release from AirAsia, is to select as well as train aspiring young pilots.

    In this program, AirAsia has teamed up with Omni Aviation Corporation in a bid to provide successful cadets with up to two years of technical and leadership training. It is to reach the competencies that are required by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines.

    “AirAsia is proud to have the best pilots in the country and we will strive to train more young cadets with our partner Omni Aviation Corporation,” said Ricky Isla, the CEO of AirAsia Philippines. “Through the ‘Dare to Fly! The Allstars Cadet Pilot Program,’ we invite Filipinos to dare to dream with AirAsia.”

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  • Cebu Pacific working to gradually resume flights

    Cebu Pacific working to gradually resume flights

    Budget carrier Cebu Pacific is working to gradually resume flights at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) starting 11:00 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 13, 2020.

    “Following the effects of ashfall, Cebu Pacific is working towards the gradual resumption of flights at NAIA beginning 11 a.m. today, January 13,” it said in an advisory.

    “We are conducting maintenance checks on all aircraft prior to restarting flights to ensure safety,” the airline added.

    Flights arriving at the NAIA were suspended from 7:00 p.m. on Sunday, January 12, while flights departing NAIA were suspended from 6:22 p.m. the same day.

    The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) and the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) have yet to make any announcement on the resumption of operations.

    The MIAA and the CAAP were still assessing the situation on Monday morning, according to an advisory issued by the MIAA.

    “The resumption of flight operations depend on the state of ash clouds within the NAIA aerodrome as well as the ash fall along the runways and taxiways,” the MIAA said.

    “Airplanes will be allowed to land and take-off only when the airspace and runways are clear of volcanic debris. As soon as ash stops falling from the sky, the ash fall will have to be washed off the runways and taxiways before flights are allowed to resume,” it added.

    The MIAA advised passengers to check with their airline companies first on the status of their flights before proceeding to NAIA.

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  • Cebu Pacific kicks off new year with weekend seat sale

    Cebu Pacific kicks off new year with weekend seat sale

    Start the new year right by jetting off to Clark, an underrated destination in the Philippines with Cebu Pacific’s first seat sale of the year. From 10 January 2020 till 14 January 2020, all flights to the destination are on sale from as low as SGD 90 (USD 66.55), with a travel period from 1 February 2020 to 30 June 2020.

    With exciting seat sales lined up throughout the year, the carrier aims to make travel more convenient and affordable, allowing Singaporeans to enjoy quick getaways and explore new and unique destinations in the Philippines.

    Located in the heart of the Philippine’s Central Luzon region, Clark is a hidden gem that offers visitors a unique fusion of urban and cultural experiences. From teeing off on a world-class championship golf course at the Mimosa and Fontana Resort and Country Clubs, to relaxing in the thermal springs of Mount Pinatubo at Puning Hot Spring, it is just four hours away from Singapore with Cebu Pacific.

  • AirAsia picks creative agency in India

    AirAsia picks creative agency in India

    AirAsia India has appointed Wunderman Thompson South Asia to manage creative duties following a pitch in 2019. The agency will be responsible for brand strategy and shaping the communications narrative in India, taking care of above-the-line and digital creative mandates.

    According to the press statement, Wunderman Thompson understood AirAsia India’s strategic and brand objectives and will be working on developing the brand’s strong and sustainable positioning that will cut across geographies, demographics, and mindsets and deliver differentiated content with incisive insights. A+M has reached out to Wunderman Thompson for additional information.

    AirAsia India is a joint venture between Tata Sons and AirAsia Investment. AirAsia India commenced operations on 12 June 2014 with Bengaluru as its primary hub. Its agenda is to drive salience across markets with customized content and clutter-breaking communication that inspires diverse audiences with its brand promise and the aspirational journey ahead.

    AirAsia India’s CMO Siddhartha Butalia said the agency approached the opportunity with strong strategic insights and compelling creative ideas that bring the emotion and inspiration back to travel. “We’re looking forward to partnering with them to drive consideration and relevance across the customer journey, take off to even greater heights and explore new territories,” Butalia added.

    Senior VP and managing partner at Wunderman Thompson, Kundan Joshee, said AirAsia has a unique value proposition and a distinct challenger brand spirit that makes it such a powerful brand.

    “Our job is to partner with AirAsia and bring alive its philosophy of service, efficiency and innovation. In today’s times, it’s essential for a brand to have multiple conversations with people across touchpoints and this gives us the opportunity to do new-age work and drive interesting conversations around the brand,” he said.

    Closer to home, AirAsia Group and Universal Music Group partnered last year to launch RedRecords, a new label partnership focused on signing, developing and breaking new Asian artists and elevating “A-pop” globally to new audiences throughout the region and around the world. RedRecords will focus on discovering and developing talent from Southeast Asia and throughout the wider continent and form a clear and unique sound that reflects the diverse and rich musical culture of the continent.

    The airline also announced last November that it is expanding its online offering to include flights on other airlines as it transforms airasia.com into Asia Pacific’s leading travel and lifestyle platform. This was done in partnership with leading travel technology company Kiwi.com. It also unveiled SNAP, a new name for flight + hotel packages on airasia.com offering the lowest guaranteed package prices in 2019.