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Asian air route updates: Tigerair Taiwan, Sichuan Airlines and more
Jeju gets new budget service from Taiwan Where? Taipei (Taiwan) to Jeju, pictured (South Korea) When? Twice a day, effective 28 March 2017 Who? Tigerair Taiwan Why? Low-cost carrier provides new connection to Korean island, which is popular among Chinese and Taiwanese tourists Anything else? In 2011, Jeju was voted one of the world's New 7 Wonders of Nature New low-cost link between popular Thai beach resorts Where? Pattaya to Phuket (both Thailand) When? Daily, effective 30 March 2017 Who? Thai AirAsia Why? The development of Pattaya’s U-Tapao Airport continues, enabling a direct link between two of Thailand’s most popular resorts Anything else? This is one of two new routes from U-Tapao Airport launched by Thai AirAsia, along with services to Ubon Ratchathani Air Seoul expands network in Japan Where? Seoul Incheon (South Korea) to Kumamoto (Japan) When? Twice a week, effective 2 April 2017 Who? Air Seoul Why? Short hop across the Korea Strait to serve business and leisure travellers on both sides Anything else? Eight of Air Seoul's 12 international destinations are now located in Japan Auckland gets another Chinese connection Where? Chengdu (China) to Auckland (New Zealand) When? Three times a week, effective 13 June 2017 Who? Sichuan Airlines Why? Chinese carrier expands services to Oceania, following launch of flights to Sydney and Melbourne Anything else? In autumn 2016, Chinese arrivals to New Zealand grew 37%, but FIT arrivals surged 62%
Chinese airlines expand overseas routes
Chinese airlines are working to accommodate the ever-growing "China Travel" fever by introducing new overseas routes. Beginning 28th April, China Eastern Airlines will launch a direct flight from Shanghai Pudong International Airport to Abu Dhabi, becoming the first Chinese airline to fly the route. The airline will also establish a joint venture agreement with Etihad Airways, Abu Dhabi's flag carrier. Sichuan Airlines, on the other hand, is slated to begin direct flights from Chengdu Tianfu in Southwest China's Sichuan Province to Penang in Malaysia with five flights per week from 30th April. It should be noted that Sichuan Airlines began its commercial charter service from Chengdu to Pokhara, Nepal on Tuesday, 18th March. Meeting a growing number of international arrivals The increase in international flight routes among Chinese airlines coincides with a rise in foreign passenger visits at Chinese airports, benefiting from the 240-hour visa-free transit policy. According to the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) China's international flight routes completed 12.84 million passenger trips in the first two months of 2025. This shows growth of 38.6 percent compared to the same period last year, and a 6.5 percent increase over the same period in 2019. According to Wuhan's entry-exit border inspection station, 11,600 foreign travelers passed through Wuhan Tianhe International Airport in the first 17 days of March, an increase of 23.83 percent over the same period last year. These were mostly from Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, and the United States. Among them, 4,200 people entered without a visa under the transit policy, marking a significant increase of 158.83 percent year-on-year. Approximately 60 percent of all passenger visits are for tourism purposes.
Auckland Airport releases 2024 financial report
New Zealand’s Auckland Airport released its annual report covering its financials for the fiscal year to 30 June 2024. Airport chairman Patrick Strange remarked on how the FY24 financial year was characterised by the strong return of international airline capacity, as well as the introduction of new carriers and routes. This brough seat availability to international destinations to around 91 percent of 2019 levels. Strange explained: “The lift in capacity, particularly on North American routes with a 48 percent increase in available seats, has not only benefited Kiwis but led to a 40 percent growth in North American visitors. [This is] an important economic driver for New Zealand’s tourism industry.” He added that the return of Sichuan Airlines in April of this year has improved connectivity with China. At present, six airlines now connect Auckland Airport with seven destinations in the Chinese Mainland. This increased seat capacity has already surpassed pre-pandemic levels by around two percent. A total of 27 airlines flew non-stop between Auckland and 42 international destinations in FY24, up from 25 airlines and 40 destinations in FY23. Dealing with high fares and competition Over the past fiscal year, the Auckland Airport team worked hard to bring airlines back to Auckland, supporting them to grow and relaunch services. This, in turn, delivered choice and competitive fares for customers. Strange said of this: “Where there is less capacity and competition on routes, airfares remain stubbornly high, most noticeably across the Tasman. When you couple the higher cost of flying with increased competition from other tourism destinations and the economic climate globally, we’ve seen flow-on impacts for key inbound visitor markets. This is especially true for Australia, with fewer Australians choosing New Zealand as their destination.” He added that the current global backlog of replacement aircraft orders drives airlines to deploy available aircraft on shorter but higher-yielding routes whilst holding back on a full return to long-haul destinations. In which case, returning to full pre-pandemic capacity could take a while longer. On the side of caution Meanwhile, Auckland Airport chief executive Carrie Hurihanganui said that airport management will still take a careful approach to managing costs due to the current economic environment despite recent improvements. Hurihanganui said: “Auckland Airport relies on customers coming and going through our doors so in this environment, where people are being more careful with household spending, we are taking a prudent and careful approach to spending.” This conscientious approach to cost control also covers the airport’s infrastructure programme, putting an emphasis focus on functional, fit-for-purpose facilities delivered in an efficient and cost-effective manner. Nevertheless, Hurihanganui added: “We’re making positive progress in this regard and this past year has seen the visible changes underway across the airport precinct: he first stage of the Transport Hub opening and the closure of the inner terminal road; work on our airfield expansion; road network upgrades; and importantly, real progress on the new domestic jet terminal.” She expressed confidence that the Auckland Airport team is well on track to deliver the much-needed upgrade and renewal of an airport that serves as the gateway for more than 18 million travellers and $26 billion in annual trade.
Collinson’s Priority Pass expands partnership with China Eastern Airlines, adding 24 airport lounges
Collinson, a global leader in the provision of airport experiences, loyalty and customer engagement solutions, and owner and operator of Priority Pass, announces an expansion of its partnership with China Eastern Airlines; through which 24 airport lounges in mainland China will be added to Priority Pass’ network. These new additions complement the current China Eastern Airlines operated lounge at Qingdao Jiaodong International Airport, which was made available to the Priority Pass network last year. This country-wide collaboration with China Eastern Airlines’ headquarters underscores Collinson’s commitment to enhancing global travel experiences. Of the 24 newly-added airport lounges to the Priority Pass network, 20 are live as of today. The expanded partnership comes at a time when the travel market in mainland China continues to recover at pace. China’s domestic travel is expected to return to pre-pandemic levels this year, as evidenced by the recent May Day holiday, where 295 million domestic trips were made – an uptick of 28.2% versus the same period in 2019. Inbound travel volumes are expected to recover to 50% of 2019 levels in 2025, while Chinese outbound travel volumes are expected to return to pre-pandemic levels next year. With travel continuing to return, travellers in mainland China are placing a heightened focus on experiences that add value to their journey. A recent Collinson consumer insights report revealed that airport lounge access is the number one most desirable travel benefit at the airport – 65% of travellers in mainland China feel valued as a customer when they are given access to an airport lounge. China Eastern Airlines’ portfolio of airport lounges offers a variety of unique experiences that reflects the local culture and tradition of the city that the airport lounge is present in. Visitors can immerse themselves in cultural experiences such as local folk culture exhibits, traditional festival treats and tea art performances. They can also experience a taste of popular local delights such as the highly acclaimed "MU Noodles” as well as traditional Yunnan and Sichuan cuisine. For travellers visiting the China Eastern Airlines No 101 lounge at Shanghai Pudong International Airport, they can also enjoy a picturesque view of the sunset at the outdoor platform facing the tarmac. “This is an exciting time for the travel industry in mainland China, particularly with the travel market recovering at pace and with the increased demand for travel experiences – such as access to airport lounges,” said Todd Handcock, Global Chief Commercial Officer and Asia Pacific President, Collinson International. “We’ve made significant strides in enhancing the travel experience via our partnership with China Eastern Airlines and we are delighted to continue elevating every journey into something special.” This news follows Collinson’s recent announcement of their strategic joint venture with Joyful Journey Group, a leading air and rail digital travel experiences partner, to form ‘Joyful Journey Priority Pass’ in mainland China. The strategic alliance brings multiple value-added benefits
Chinese Airlines Are Now All Flying Back To Sydney
Sydney has welcomed back all eight Chinese airlines that were operating before COVID-19. In November, there will be 86% as many seats available from Sydney airport to mainland China as there were before COVID-19. On 30 October, flight 3U3883 from Chengdu landed at Sydney Airport, marking the return of Sichuan Airlines. The inaugural flight into Sydney by the airline was in December 2013, with services pausing from early February 2020, when Covid travel restrictions began in China. Eight Chinese airlines have resumed service to Sydney since China started lifting Covid travel restrictions in January, with Sichuan Airlines being the final one. At the start of the year, just three Chinese airlines were operating four round-trip services between Sydney and mainland China. In November, Qantas will join eight other Chinese airlines in providing 85 weekly return services between Sydney and the mainland. If you’re looking for nonstop service between Sydney and Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province in southwestern China, Sichuan Airlines is the only choice. Chengdu is a major commercial and financial centre and the fourth-largest city in China. Tourists go there to see the giant pandas and enjoy the region’s stunning scenery and delicious spicy hotpot. The airline offers three weekly return flights, increasing to five per week from 19 November. Air China, Beijing Capital Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines, Hainan Airlines, Qantas, Sichuan Airlines, Tianjin Airlines, and Xiamen Airlines also operate direct services from Sydney to mainland China.
BLR Airport records a 96% growth during FY 2022-2023, welcoming over 31.91 million passengers
During FY 2022-2023, Kempegowda International Airport Bengaluru (KIAB / BLR Airport) reported a strong growth in passenger numbers and maintained its leading position in processing perishable cargo. When compared to the previous financial year, BLR Airport reported a growth in passenger numbers with a total of 31.91 million passengers travelling through the Airport. Of this, 28.12 million were domestic passengers and 3.78 million were international passengers during this period. The domestic (DOM) sector recorded a growth of 85%, while the international (INT) sector recorded a growth of 245% vs FY22. In terms of Cargo, BLR Airport continues to be the No 1 Airport for processing perishable cargo in India for the second consecutive year. "From a passenger perspective, the highlights of the year have been Akasa’s growth story, the launch of Qantas’ service to Sydney and the launch of daily Airbus A380 services to Dubai by Emirates. Our position as the No.1 Airport for processing perishable cargo in India for the second consecutive year is a testament to our commitment to excellence. With the recent launch of Terminal 2 (T2), we are better equipped than ever before, to maintain our standing as the preferred gateway to South and Central India. Our commitment to enhancing the Airport's operations remains unwavering as we continue to prioritise the satisfaction and convenience of our passengers”, said Satyaki Raghunath, chief strategy and development officer, BIAL. Year-end-boost The increase in passengers in FY23 can be attributed to post-pandemic operations resumption, as well as the re-introduction of key routes and the initiation of new routes connecting leading business hubs and travel destinations. BLR Airport is now connected to a total of 100 destinations, 75 destinations across India, and 25 International, contributing to a steady recovery. The recovery in air transport movements (ATMs) has been impressive, with a 50.8% overall growth in FY 23. Domestic ATMs saw a 49.8% growth while international growth stood at 59.6%. On February 26, 2023, the Airport recorded the highest number of passengers for FY23 at 114,299 pax, which was also the highest number of passengers on a single day since the Airport opened in 2008. Major Expansion Major international airlines have reinstated their operations from Bengaluru. Additionally, the Airport has added several international routes, such as Qantas Airways commencing four weekly non-stop Bengaluru-Sydney flights, Cathay Pacific commencing flights on the Bengaluru-Hong Kong route, Jazeera Airways commencing flights on the Bengaluru-Kuwait route, and Malindo Air commencing flights on the Bengaluru-Kuala Lumpur route. In addition, BLR Airport has also seen the launch of A380 operations by Emirates on one of their daily services to Dubai and the reinstatement of Air India’s three weekly, non-stop Bengaluru-San Francisco flights. In FY23 BLR Airport also became the 1st Airport in South and Central India to have direct connectivity to Australia and North America. On the domestic front, Akasa Air launched operations from BLR Airport with 25 daily departures to 9 across India. IndiGo remains the leading domestic airline from BLR Airport with 57% market share, followed by the Tata Group airlines, which have a total market share of 27%. Impressively, Akasa Air in just eight months since the launch of its operations has managed to capture 10% market share of BLR Airport’s domestic operations. Transfer Hub BLR Airport is a preferred hub for transfer passengers due to its regional connectivity, and this has further helped in the recovery of its passenger numbers. Transfer traffic constitutes 15.3% of total departing passenger traffic at BLR Airport. The Airport’s wide catchment area, which connects to over 20 cities within a 75-minute flying distance and offers 100+ daily flights, has played a significant role in building transfer traffic and solidifying its position as a major aviation gateway in the region. Furthermore, BLR Airport's catchment area encompasses ~256 million people, which is one-fifth of India's population, making it a well-connected and progressive region, placing the Airport at the forefront of the region's growth story. Cargo Growth BLR Cargo has maintained its position as India's leading airport for handling perishable cargo for the third consecutive year. The airport has processed 44,143 MT of perishable cargo in the current year till January 2023 (full-year results awaited) and 52,366 MT during FY22. BLR Cargo contributed to 28% of India's and 45% of South India's market share for perishable cargo, with top export commodities being poultry products and flowers, and the top destination being Doha. BLR Airport has also become the third-ranked airport in India for handling international cargo, with top export destinations including LEJ, FRA, MXP, SIN, and DXB, and top import destinations including SIN, FRA, DXB, HKG, and BKK. The airport has seen growth in various sectors, including pharma, engineering goods, ready-made garments, and electrical sectors. During Valentine's Day season, BLR Airport handled 17.4 million roses, indicating a 14% rise compared to the previous season. UPS started its operations in July 2022, offering five weekly scheduled flights connecting Shenzhen-Bangalore-Cologne. On the same day, the UPS facility at BLR Airport’s Express Cargo Terminal became operational. BLR Airport has now become the only airport in South India and the second airport in India to have the three world's largest express players – DHL, FedEx, and UPS present on its premises. Starting from January 6, 2023, Quikjet initiated domestic freighter services at BLR Airport for Amazon Prime Air, providing a daily service between DEL-BLR-HYD. Sichuan Airlines started scheduled freighter operations on October 30, 2022, operating CTU-BLR-SZX routes. BLR Airport aims to create a cargo handling capacity of around 1 million metric tonnes per annum by the end of the decade to meet the needs of its expanding cargo operations. The Airport has selected AISATS (Air India SATS Airport Services Private Limited) to construct, plan, and manage the cargo Logistics Park infrastructure. Additionally, during FY23 the Airport launched its cargo brand proposition, BLR CARGO, becoming the first Airport in India to develop a dedicated brand identity for its cargo business.
How is Qatar Airways celebrating Lunar New Year
Qatar Airways has marked the Lunar New Year with a special curated selection of festive treats and decorations onboard and in lounges, and traditional ‘hóngbāo’ red envelopes for passengers travelling between January 31 and February 1 on selected routes. The Year of the Tiger, being a water tiger year, celebrations will extend to passengers at Al Safwa First and Al Mourjan Business Lounge at Hamad International Airport (HIA) where they can enjoy a reunion dinner and sample traditional celebratory dishes from the bespoke Lunar New Year menu. Marking the long-awaited end of winter and the start of spring, the Lunar New Year is one of the most important holidays in East Asia. All passengers travelling on Qatar Airways to and from China, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore can enjoy a range of celebratory dishes and treats. Passengers on the selected routes will be welcomed with a ‘hóngbāo’ red envelope containing a complimentary Super Wi-Fi code. Passengers transiting through Doha will receive an exclusive 22 per cent Qatar Duty Free (QDF) discount when shopping from an extensive selection of perfumes, cosmetics and skincare at the QDF Perfumes and Cosmetics Stores. Premium Cabin passengers can start their reunion celebrations onboard with a Golden Mandarin Mule mocktail drink as they begin their celebratory journey. They can then enjoy special dishes from a bespoke à la carte menu that includes Peking Duck Roll for appetisers, Stir Fried Noodles with Tiger Prawns as the main course and Beef Cheek with vegetable fried rice as a light option. For dessert, passengers can indulge in a traditional Mandarin Mousse – the mandarin orange is traditionally a symbol of prosperity. To enhance the festive ambience, the dishes will be presented with red lanterns on the dining table and complemented with a Chinese knot tassel and a red band. Passengers travelling in the Economy Class cabin during this period can select a meal from the ‘Lunar New Year’ digital menu that includes Green Tea Soba Salad for appetisers, Sweet & Sour Chicken with Vegetable Fried Rice as the main course and Tofu Cheese Mousse with Red Sesame Crumble for dessert, presented on a themed tray mat along with chopsticks and a red cutlery band that symbolises prosperity and good fortune. Passengers Al Safwa First Class Lounge and Al Mourjan Business Class Lounge at HIA will enjoy dining on Hot and Sour Chicken Soup, Sichuan Style Beef Short Ribs with Vegetable Fried Rice, finishing off perfectly with a Black Sesame Baked Cheesecake. Tables will be dressed with specially designed red lanterns, chopsticks and Chinese knot tassel.
More than 20 airlines have said “C-ya” to Sydney
The border closure has taken its toll on Australian aviation, with Sydney losing more than 20 airlines since the outbreak began. Last week, Sydney Airport CEO Geoff Culbert confirmed the loss of airline business to the media and investors. The airlines that have ceased service in Sydney range from small regional carriers to global ones. The only European airline that flew into Sydney was among the international airlines that declared bankruptcy early in the downturn. British Airways' daily Boeing 777 flights will be discontinued in April 2020. Air India only resumed flights to Sydney in 2013 after a long absence from the Australian skies. Those flights were also cancelled in 2020. The only South American airline that flies to Australia was also absent from Sydney. After only going nonstop between Santiago and Sydney in 2019, the airline ceased operations in Sydney in 2020. Samoa Airlines, a small Pacific Island airline, is also no longer present in Sydney. In 2019, air traffic between Sydney and several Chinese destinations was at an all-time high. Seats on multiple airlines were filled by strong inbound tourism flows and a complex array of codeshares and partnerships. However, Beijing Capital Airlines, Sichuan Airlines, and Tianjin Airlines have all suspended scheduled flights to Sydney since early 2020. Closer to home, the normally busy air corridor connecting Sydney and Indonesia has gone deafeningly silent. Both Batik Air Indonesia and Malindo Air have cancelled their flights to Sydney. Hawaiian Airlines suspended its Sydney flights in 2020. United Airlines and Delta Air Lines are still operating. American Airlines recently confirmed that it was temporarily suspending its flights between Los Angeles and Sydney, continuing the trend of airlines leaving Sydney. Those airlines that are still flying into Sydney are largely supported by cargo loads. Passenger loads on their Sydney flights can be ridiculously low. Korean Air now has a weekly return flight to Sydney. In June, the airline flew 46 passengers to Australia and 93 passengers back to Seoul. Many of the passenger airlines that still fly into Sydney now only transport freight. Air Canada, Air China, Hainan Airlines, and Hong Kong Airlines are a few examples. Airlines that continue to fly passengers into Australia have drastically reduced their schedules due to passenger limits imposed by the Australian government and border closures. In February 2020, Sydney Airport handled 5,969 international aircraft movements. The airport handled 2,441 international aircraft movements in June 2021, with many of them being freight flights. Despite the dire situation at Sydney Airport, CEO Geoff Culbert maintained a positive attitude last week. He cites the accelerated rollout of vaccinations in Australia as well as the successful re-opening of airline markets elsewhere as reasons for optimism. Mr Culbert believes that most of the airlines that have dropped Sydney from their routes will return. “Sydney has been a really important and profitable route in their networks, and we’re confident when international borders do open up, and they are able to fly to Australia that Sydney will be high on their agenda – if not their priority in terms of destinations. “It is a question of when the international border does reopen. Then we expect to see good support from international airlines coming back to this market.” The bigger question is whether the airlines share Geoff Culbert’s view. Source: Simple Flying
AirAsia takes flight to Chengdu
Travellers flying out of Malaysia’s northern hub Penang can now enjoy another destination option as AirAsia launches new flights to Chengdu, the capital city of Sichuan Province, China. These new three times weekly direct flights commencing 8 March 2020 will provide exclusive air connectivity between the Pearl of the Orient to Sichuan. Riad Asmat, CEO of AirAsia Malaysia said: “This is our first new route of the year, welcoming Visit Malaysia 2020 and in conjunction with Experience Penang 2020. Penang is one of our largest secondary hubs in peninsular Malaysia, to which we have flown more than 2.4 million guests to the island last year. This is our first route from the city to mainland China and we are confident it will boost visitor arrivals into Penang and vice versa.” Best known as home to the adorable giant pandas, Chengdu is a thriving city with plenty to do and taste. With many natural, cultural and historical sights, some of the must-visit attractions include the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, Jinli Ancient Street and the Leshan Giant Buddha and Wenshu Monastery. Besides Chengdu, the carrier currently flies to 12 destinations from its Penang hub.
WebBeds to boost international visitor arrivals to Sichuan
WebBeds has sealed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Sichuan Tourism Investment JinJiang Hotel (STIJH) to promote the south-western Chinese province across its global network of B2B travel partners. A state-owned enterprise, STIJH runs many of the province’s most popular hotels, including the flagship Sichuan JinJiang Hotel in downtown Chengdu that has hosted many Chinese leaders and celebrities over the years. Under the MoU, the B2B accommodation provider will distribute STIJH’s entire collection of hotels to its B2B clients worldwide. This will put the hotel group in direct contact with many regional travel agencies, enhancing its ability to engage with international guests – a key strategic objective for both the company and Sichuan province. "Address the inbound-outbound imbalance." “WebBeds currently sees a disparity between inbound and outbound tourist numbers in China, and Sichuan province is no exception. This important new partnership will not only provide our travel trade clients with an exceptional collection of hotels in Sichuan but will also help the region attract more guests from new, as-yet-untapped markets,” said Daryl Lee, CEO of WebBeds in Asia-Paciic. He added: “Looking forward, we want to invest in marketing China as an attractive destination to travellers around the world. We believe that by raising awareness of the many leisure offerings Sichuan has to offer, we can help to address the inbound-outbound imbalance. WebBeds wants to work with our stakeholders across China to play a pivotal role in the growth of its inbound tourism.” “This MoU is a genuine win-win for all parties. At present, Sichuan mostly receives domestic and corporate travellers, so this agreement represents a step forward in our efforts to welcome more international leisure guests,” said Yan Xue Wei, chairman of STIJH. Following this initial MoU with STIJH, WebBeds is now in discussions with Sichuan Tourism Board to promote the destination, initially to its B2B clients across Asia Pacific.
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