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  • Harrys of London taking steps toward India

    Harrys of London taking steps toward India

    Luxury men’s footwear and accessories brand Harrys of London has plans to enter India. Its first outlet will be in Delhi, followed by Mumbai early next year.

    Founded in 2001 and with stores in more than 20 countries, Harrys of London is seeking franchise partners in India.

    “India is an important market for us with our target group being businessmen and travellers between 25 and 60 years old,” says CEO Steven Newey. “Our collection ranges from contemporary London and formal footwear to sneakers.”

    The company also sells travel bags, wallets, shoe-care products, scarves and belts.

    Harrys plans to open five to six stores in India over the next five years and expects to earn £1 million (US$1.3 million) a store.

    “We have been growing at an annual rate of 20 to 25 per cent, and we sell 25 pairs of footwear every month, on average,” says Newey. “In five years, our India stores will be able to earn five to six million pounds.”

    The company, which has its own e-commerce platform, has its footwear manufactured in Italy.

    About 60 per cent of India’s branded footwear market is for men, according to KPMG figures.

    While the branded market is dominated by old brands like Bata, Liberty and Relaxo, much of the segment is unorganised.

    Meanwhile, with increasing disposable income and brand awareness, the men’s footwear segment is growing at a rate of 10 per cent while the women’s category is growing at 20 per cent, says KPMG.

  • Philippine Airlines to increase capacity with new aircraft

    Philippine Airlines to increase capacity with new aircraft

    Philippine Airlines is to increase capacity on its London to Manila route.

    The airline is replacing its 254-seat Airbus A340 to a 370-seat Boeing 777 from mid-December.

    It will also take delivery of six new Airbus A350-900s over the next two years, one of which will serve the London route.

    From June 8 the airline is also set to resume flights to Kuala Lumpur after a three year respite.

    More fam trips are planned for later in the year following the success of a mega-fam it held in March which saw 50 UK agents tour the Philippines in partnership with the Philippines Department of Tourism.

    Senior assistant VP and EMEA division manager Genaro Velasquez said UK passenger figures were up 38% in the first quarter compared to last year.

    As well as increasing passenger numbers with the new aircraft planned, he said the next step was to promote the airline as a carrier to Australia.

    The airline flies to multiple destinations in Australia, including Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, via Manila.

  • In-flight hackathon held between Hong Kong – London

    In-flight hackathon held between Hong Kong – London

    Travel fare aggregator website Skyscanner has completed the world’s first in-flight hackathon on an 80-hour trip between Hong Kong and London.

    A total of 32 entrepreneurs, engineers and designers took place in the hackathon, which commenced on May 5 and involved the use of Skyskanner’s Flights API.

    The hackathon also gave participants access to Skyscanner’s Travel Insight product, which provides  routes and pricing data and insights from the website’s more than 50 million monthly users, and access to real life travel customers to test their assumptions while building an app.

    Skyscanner was founded in Scotland in 2001, and was acquired by China’s largest travel company Ctrip in November last year for $1.75 billion.

    The company said the novel hackathon was designed to allow developers to immerse themselves in the travel experience while building an app. Last year, the company also launched its Build with Skyscanner competition aimed at aspiring entrepreneurs.

    “We are delighted to be supporting Hack Horizon and the 32 finalists chosen for this innovative event,” Skyscanner commercial director Paul Whiteway said.

    “We are always keen to support great start-ups with our APIs, and are excited to see the results from the new products – particularly with the immersive and totally unique experience this hack provides for the developers involved.”

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  • AirAsia X plans to lease two used 777-300ERs for London Gatwick summer 2017

    AirAsia X plans to lease two used 777-300ERs for London Gatwick summer 2017

    Malaysian long haul low cost airline AirAsia X is planning to dry lease two 777-300ERs from 2Q2017 to support the resumption of services to London Gatwick in Jun-2017. Its joint venture airline in Thailand is also aiming to launch long haul services to Europe in summer 2017 with a new route to Frankfurt, using the group’s existing A330-300ceo fleet.

    The lease of second hand 777-300ERs enables AirAsia X to accelerate the relaunch of flights between its main home market of Malaysia and Europe. Previously AirAsia X was intending to wait for the delivery of the A330-900neo to resume long haul flights, which it last operated in 2012 with inefficient A340-300s.

    The group was initially aiming to start operating A330-900neos from 2018, but first delivery has been delayed to early 2019. Short term leases on two 777-300ERs therefore give AirAsia X at least an 18 month jump on resuming London – a strategically important market.

    However, the 777-300ERs come with high risks and costs, particularly given the current market conditions and the relatively low density full service airline configuration that AirAsia X inherits with the aircraft.

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  • AirAsia X flying to London, Frankfurt this summer

    AirAsia X flying to London, Frankfurt this summer

    AirAsia X will return to London this summer with direct flights out of klia2, AirAsia group CEO Tony Fernandes told media on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland last week.

    Additionally, Fernandes said that Frankfurt will be added to the list of destinations for the long-haul arm of the Malaysian-based low-cost carrier, but it will be a direct flight out of Bangkok.

    According to German news agency DPA, Fernandes said he hoped to set the airfare below €200 (RM953) for the Bangkok-Frankfurt flight.

    “I would like to offer them for even less. Due to the low oil prices, we could even afford to set the airfare as low as €150 (RM715).

    “We are keen on attracting more Europeans to come to holiday in Southeast Asia as well as to help Asians who wish to explore Europe. We see this as a mutual market,” he was quoted as saying by DPA.

    The airline had suspended all flights to Europe, including London and Paris, in March 2012, due to high operating costs. The Kuala Lumpur and London route was launched by AirAsia X in March 2009.

    AirAsia X currently flies to multiple destinations in China, India and Japan, as well as to a few Australian cities.

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  • Baiduri receives ‘Bank of The Year’ award

    Baiduri receives ‘Bank of The Year’ award

    Baiduri Bank received the coveted Bank of The Year award from The Banker magazine, during an award ceremony in London.

    This achievement marks the fourth international banking award this year for Baiduri Bank. This is also the eleventh time that the bank has received this particular award. The Banker’s 17th annual Bank of The Year awards were presented at a gala black-tie dinner at the Hilton London Bankside, London on Wednesday, December 7. On hand to receive the award was Ti Eng Hui, Deputy CEO of Baiduri Bank.

    This year, The Banker Awards took on a special meaning as it celebrated it’s 90th anniversary, making The Banker the longest running international banking title in the world.

    The Bank of The Year awards goes beyond data and figures as it looks for evidence of banks setting new standards for their local industries.

    The recognition of being named Bank of the Year in the country by The Banker is testament to the strong management, sound business model and prudent risk approach of the bank.

    Speaking on receiving the accolade, Ti Eng Hui said, “We are proud to be recognised as the Bank of the Year for Brunei from The Banker for the 11th time.

    Ti Eng Hui (centre), Deputy CEO of Baiduri Bank, after receiving the ‘Bank of The Year 2016’ award. - BAIDURI BANK

    Ti Eng Hui (centre), Deputy CEO of Baiduri Bank, after receiving the ‘Bank of The Year 2016’ award. –

    “We are delighted to conclude 2016 with this wonderful achievement. This year, we have made strides in the banking industry through our innovation and strong commitment, but it is because of our faithful employees as well as our loyal customers and partners that we are able to be the bank we are today.”

    The Banker Awards was attended by representatives from 149 countries, a reflection on the importance and significance banks put on winning The Banker’s Bank of The Year awards.

    In 2016, Baiduri Bank received three other international awards, the ‘Domestic Retail Bank Brunei 2016’ from the Asian Banking and Finance magazine, the ‘Best Banking Group 2016’ from World Finance magazine and the ‘World’s Best Emerging Markets Bank in Asia-Pacific for Brunei 2016’ from Global Finance.

    Baiduri Bank is proud to be associated with these leading international banking awards, the bank said in a statement.

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  • China has launched its first UK-bound freight train

    China has launched its first UK-bound freight train

    China has launched its first UK-bound freight train from the city of Yiwu in Zhejiang province to London. The train, which is jointly operated by the Yiwu government and China Railway Container Transport Corp., Ltd., a subsidiary of the state-owned China Railway Corporation, set off from Yiwu West Station and will leave China at Alanshankou, passing through Kazakhstan, Russia, Belarus, Poland, Germany, Belgium, France and the English Channel before arriving at Barking in East London.

    The journey, which is over 12,000km long, is expected to take approximately 18 days.

    According to China Railway, goods carried on the train include household commodities, apparel, textiles and suitcases.

    Yiwu is also the origin of various China-Europe and China-Central Asia trains.

    The new link to the UK is part of China’s Belt and Road initiative and will strengthen trade ties between China and West Europe, according to China Railway.

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  • AirAsia X may relaunch London in 2017

    AirAsia X may relaunch London in 2017

    Malaysia’s AirAsia X is considering the lease of A350s or 777-300ERs in 2017 to accelerate its return to Europe. A new widebody type will add cost and complexity but is necessary if the medium/long haul low cost airline is to meet its objective of relaunching London as soon as possible.

    AirAsia X had been planning to wait until it receives A330-900neos before relaunching London and commencing other European routes. However the airline prefers not to wait until 2H2018, when its A330-900neo deliveries are slated to begin, and using another aircraft type in the interim mitigates the impact of a potential delay with the A330neo variant required for Kuala Lumpur-London.

    AirAsia X could also use a new aircraft type – most likely A350-900s – to support new routes to the US. It plans to launch services from Japan to Hawaii in Jun-2017 using A330ceos, but also has longer-term plans for longer routes from Japan to Las Vegas, Los Angeles and San Francisco – and potentially ultra-long haul routes from Malaysia to the US.

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  • Finance Magnates’ 2016 Summit Kicks Off in Downtown London

    Finance Magnates’ 2016 Summit Kicks Off in Downtown London

    The highly anticipated Finance Magnates London Summit kicked off today at The Brewery in the heart of the online trading industry. For five years now Finance Magnates has been hosting the prestigious event that has seen over two thousand attendees on an annual basis.

    2016 has been a very unique year for the foreign exchange and broader financial industry with two seismic events potentially redefining the current status quo. With the Brexit referendum in the UK and the victory of President-elect Donald Trump in the US, the industry seems primed for a shakeup, and the biggest names and players worldwide are now together under one roof to discuss the issues.

    Summit Kicks Off

    The event began with the Networking Blitz Opening Party today, which saw over 1,000 individuals attend. The Blitz is the first part of the two-day Summit, which features over 2,000 attendees and 90 exhibitors at a prestigious London venue. Industry elites were able to enjoy a wide range of refreshments and entertainment, as well as several attractions such as in the Institutional Lounge and more.

    second

    What to Expect on Day 2

    Looking beyond today, the second day of the summit features a full schedule of panels, seminars, and workshops, including roundtable discussions between some of the industry’s most recognizable figures. Attendees will be able to explore and immerse themselves in a wide range of topics, including the adoption of data driven market intelligence, blockchain technology, the influence of the upcoming MiFID II regulation, retention management, and much more.

    In addition to a plethora of different topics and events, the Finance Magnates London Summit will also include multiple workshops and exclusive product launches. Attendees are invited to take part in each of these presentations, which will be capped by the Finance Magnates Awards ceremony tomorrow evening. The winning brokers, providers, and other groups will be announced at the ceremony – only London Summit registered attendees, the gold standard of the executive level of the global industry, are given the privilege of participating in the voting process, ensuring a truly transparent and representative competition.

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  • Indonesian Muslim fashion brand penetrates British market

    Indonesian Muslim fashion brand penetrates British market

    Indonesian Muslim fashion brand Elzatta Dauky by Elhijab successfully penetrated the UK market at the Muslim Lifestyle Expo in Manchester city over the weekend.

    “Elzatta Dauky is participating in this exhibition for the second time, having appeared previously at the Indonesian Weekend,” the companys Head of Brand Strategy Ina Binandari said here on Tuesday. In addition to exhibiting Muslim fashion products, Elzatta Dauky also showcased 10 designs at a fashion show themed “Gloomessence.”

    The Muslim Lifestyle Expo, one of the biggest Muslim-focused fairs in the world, saw participation from over a hundred exhibitors from various countries, including the United States, Turkey, Germany, Russia, Austria and Malaysia.

    Elzatta Dauky was the only Indonesian participant.

    The organizers said more than 10,000 people from across the city had visited the exhibition.

    Speaking of the brands future plans, Binandari explained that Elzatta Dauky by Elhijab was gearing up to launch an online store in the United Kingdom.

    “Hopefully, with the online store, we will be able to meet the fashion demands of the Muslim community here,” Binandari stated.

    Reports from Thomson Reuters suggested Muslim consumer spending on food, lifestyle products, and services will reach an estimated 1.9 billion pounds sterling in 2020, up from the 1.3 billion pounds sterling seen in 2014.

    Data from the Office for National Statistics, released in late January 2016, show that the number of Muslims in the United Kingdom has, for the first time, exceeded three million, amounting to 3,114,992 people in 2014, equivalent to 5.4 percent of the total population of the country.

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  • High street rents go, well, sky-high

    High street rents go, well, sky-high

    Current retail thinking that the high and the low ends are driving the industry has gotten a boost from CBRE Group.

    High street rents are off the charts worldwide, according to company’s just-released Global Retail Rents report. Rents in prime shopping locations during the second quarter were up 30% in Rome, 24%, 20% in Milan, and 14% in Sydney and New York.

    New York’s Fifth Avenue remained the prime of “The Prime,” with an average per-sq.-ft. rent of $4,000. Next in CBRE’s tally came Hong Kong’s Russell Street at $1,856, London’s New Bond Street at $1,684, and Paris’s Avenue des Champs-Elysees at $1,366.

    Interestingly, rents on Russell Street posted the biggest decline from second quarter 2015, plummeting 33%. The reason, according to CBRE: Fewer tourists from Mainland China and economizing locals.

    “The cooling-off of China’s economy has manifested itself in sharply lower rents in Hong Kong, which has allowed a new crop of retailers to enter the coveted city,” said Anthony Buono, chairman of CBRE’s Global Retail Executive Committee. “At the same time, prime retail rents in New York can remain stable, but in the near term we will see more landlord concessions to accomplish rate stability.”

    Rents on New Bond Street are like to keep rising, Buono added, due to a scant supply of prime retail space in London.

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  • LeoSat pre-signs first customer for LEO network

    LeoSat pre-signs first customer for LEO network

    Low-earth-orbit satellite network operator startup LeoSat Enterprises has signed up its first customer – a globally operating financial trading company.

    LeoSat is building a constellation of up to 108 low-earth-orbit communications satellites that aim to provide fiber-like speeds with lower latency than traditional satellite and terrestrial networks.

    The financial trading company customer plans to take advantage of this low latency to improve its automated algorithmic trading efficiency.

    LeoSat can offer an average round trip latency of less than 93ms from London to Tokyo and under 119ms from Singapore to London, by using optical inter-satellite links to create fiber-like symmetry at Gigabit speeds.

    Data is also encrypted and secured from end-to-end across the network, with no terrestrial touch points to expose the data.

    “We are excited to be in a position to announce our first customer almost four years ahead of the commercial launch of our system and while doing so, also venture into a market sector where traditional satellite systems have never had any suitable product offering,” LeoSat chief commercial officer Ronald van der Breggen said.

    “In addition to it being proof of our claim to be a game changer in the satellite communication industry, we take this customer contract as a very strong endorsement of our plans to offer global, low-latency, high-throughput satellite capacity, using a Low Earth Orbit constellation.”

    He said the company has already seen a high level of interest from the finance, enterprise, government and energy sectors ahead of the planned launch.

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  • Indonesian weekend event in London successfully promotes tourism

    Indonesian weekend event in London successfully promotes tourism

    A two-day tourism event called “Indonesian Weekend” held in Potters Fields Park, London, Great Britain, on May 28 to 29 was considered successful in promoting the Wonderful Indonesia brand, an official stated.

    The Indonesian Weekend was part of the Wonderful Indonesia brand awareness campaign, Nia Niscaya, assistant to a deputy in the tourism ministry, noted here, Monday.

    Garuda Indonesia Airways also supported the event and offered special fares on certain routes, such as London-Jakarta, Yogyakarta, and Lombok.

    The ministry has always participated in the World Travel Mart, which is routinely held in London in November, according to Niscaya.

    The number of British tourists to Indonesia reached 230,315 in 2014 and increased to some 270 thousand in 2015.

    This year, Indonesia hopes to attract 300 thousand British visitors.

    During the January-March 2016 period, the country received a total of 67,750 British tourists, or an increase of 28.54 percent from 52,708 tourists during the same period last year.

    Niscaya was optimistic that this years target would be achieved through the promotion of the Bali and Beyond tourism program.

    Ambassador of Indonesia to the United Kingdom Rizal Sukma officially kicked off the Indonesian Weekend showcasing the countrys arts and culture, here, Saturday.

    Highlights of the event included performances of Javanese dances by famous artist Ninik Thowok, Silat traditional martial art by Cecep Arif Rahman, traditional bamboo musical instrument by Arumba Saung Udjo, East Nusa Tenggara traditional music instrument Sasando by Ivan Nestorman, Javanese gong ensemble gamelan by Lila Bhawa, and an Islamic fashion show.

    The festival also offered Indonesian culinary delicacies as well as handicraft and fashion products.

    Initiated by Bangga Indonesia Ltd and Ditali Cipta Kreatif, the event is supported by Elzatta Hijab, the tourism ministry, and the Indonesian embassy in London.

    Other sponsors were the industry ministry, cooperatives and SMEs ministry, and the education and culture ministry in cooperation with the regional administrations of Central Java, Central Kalimantan, Bandung, and Malang.

    Some of the Indonesian culinary dishes offered during the event were Soto Ayam (chicken soup), chicken and lamb satay, Padang satay, Bakso (meat ball soup), Somai, Rendang, and Yogya Gudeng.

    A cooking demonstration featuring Master-Chef Indonesias jury, Degan Septoadji, and Chef Gede Susila Yadnya of Balis Potato Head Club Bali was also the highlight of the tourism promotion event.

  • IKEA Will Open First PUP Store In China

    IKEA Will Open First PUP Store In China

    Ikea’s first pick-up and order point in China is currently being built in Wenzhou and is expected to officially open at the beginning of this summer.

    Ikea PUP store is a new model established by the company in 2015. With an area of about 1,800 square meters, the Ikea Wenzhou PUP store will display about 2,500 kinds of products. Meanwhile, local consumers can order most of Ikea’s products at the order point. It is reportedly a small-sized Ikea and the extension of the Ikea Ningbo store.

    Consumers can first experience Ikea products in the display zones and choose to buy the products directly from Wenzhou PUP store or place an order to the Ikea Ningbo store in eastern China. The ordered products will then be delivered to the Wenzhou order point or to consumers’ homes. In addition, the Wenzhou PUP store will have professional staff to provide home solution planning and purchase services. However, no food and beverage area is available at the PUP store.

    A representative from Ikea China said that the establishment of the Wenzhou order point will make consumers’ shopping experience more convenient. Meanwhile, it will lay a foundation for the future expansion of Ikea’s online businesses. Ikea started the operation of this new PUP model from 2015. So far, it has launched such stores in London, Toronto, and Phuket.

    Ikea’s financial report for 2015 revealed that the company’s total sales for 2015 were EUR31.9 billion, a year-on-year increase of 11.2%. Its sales increase was mainly contributed by store sales, especially new stores integrating e-commerce functions.

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  • Garuda Indonesia Inaugurates Flight to London Heathrow

    Garuda Indonesia Inaugurates Flight to London Heathrow

    In a bid to strengthen its business expansion and nation branding in Europe, Garuda Indonesia today has inaugurated flight service to Heathrow Airport, London. Earlier, since September 2014, Garuda Indonesia has opened flight service to Gatwick Airport, London.

    “London Heathrow is the world’s 6th busiest airport with high passenger traffic. Garuda Indonesia’s service in the airport is expected to expand passenger connectivity in European market, particularly England, mainly through SkyTeam network to various world destinations,” said President Director of Garuda Indonesia M. Arif Wibowo in a press release as quoted by Bisnis.com, Thursday, March 31, 2016.

    Garuda Indonesia will offer flights from Jakarta to London Heathrow through Singapore (transit), whereas from London Heathrow to Jakarta, Garuda will operate five times weekly non–stop flight service (every Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday), using Boeing 777-300ER aircraft with First Class service, with a capacity of 314 passengers, with 8 seats configuration for First Class, 38 seats for business class and 268 seats for economy class.

    Meanwhile, Deputy for Financial Service Business, Survey and Consulting Division of SOE Minister, Gatot Trihargo, in his speech representing Indonesia’s SEO Minister has expressed his appreciation on Garuda Indonesia’s effort who has continuously provides the best services to its users.

    “As a the nation’s flag carrier who also carries a five star rating, Garuda Indonesia’s presence, wherever it is, will carry the state’s name. Flight services to London Heathrow is expected to strengthen Garuda’s flight network, which can certainly help boost Indonesia’s economic, business and tourism growth,” Gatot added.

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