News From Asia 亚洲新闻

Richard Maslen June 02, 2011

TAIWAN’S TRANSASIA EXPANDS OVERSEAS NETWORK

TransAsia Airways is to further expand its international network in June with new services from its Taipei Taoyuan base to Phuket and Singapore. The independent carrier mainly focuses on the Taiwanese and Chinese markets but over recent years has boosted its overseas flights. From June 4 it will introduce a regular link to Phuket, although this flight will be operated on a scheduled charter basis every four days with capacity exclusively available to tour operators only. Later the same month, on June 30, TransAsia will introduce a daily flight to Singapore, a route already served by China Airlines, EVA Air, Jetstar Asia Airways, Singapore Airlines and Tiger Airways which together operate more than seven flights per day. An estimated 702,000 O&D passengers travelled on the route in the last year, up 12.0 per cent on the previous 12 month period. The mix of low-cost and legacy airlines on the route means that yields vary significantly with fares from the budget operators averaging $190 each way, against a $600 sector average. TransAsia, which has recently celebrated its 60th anniversary, has plans to expand its activities across Asia and has revealed plans recently to expand its fleet to fulfill its growth requirements. In the past year it reported a NT$918 million (US$30.6 million) after-tax profit buoyed by its international network, particularly cross-Straits flights to China.

AIR KORYO OPENS MIDDLE EAST LINK

North Korean carrier Air Koryo has launched flights between Pyongyang and Kuwait City, its first scheduled destination outside of Asia. The airline inaugurated a weekly link on May 16 operated by its single Tupolev Tu-204. The marks the second new route launch from the carrier in the current calendar year and follows the addition of Kuala Lumpur to its network in March. The addition of the Kuwait route follows a couple of years after the North Korean carrier appointed its first General Sales Agent in the Middle East and Gulf region. The route is targeting the large number of North Koreans currently working around the Middle East.

GARUDA ESTABLISHES BASE IN MAKASSAR

Garuda Indonesia has opened a new base at Sultan Hasnuddin International Airport in the Eastern city of Makassar, supporting a Government initiative to develop six national economic corridors to boost trade in the country. The national carrier already has operational bases in Jakarta and Denpasar, but Makassar is now developing as an important business centre within the Sulawesi Economic Corridor. Garuda is to offer connections to 13 domestic and international destinations comprising, Ambon, Balikpapan, Biak, Denpasar, Gorontalo, Jakarta, Jayapura, Manado, Palu, Singapore, Surabaya, Ternate, and Timika, many of which were launched from June 1. “Makassar is fast becoming an important business location and has always been a strategic point in the eastern regions of the archipelago,” said Emirsyah Satar, President and Chief Executive Officer, Garuda Indonesia. “By developing Makassar as its eastern hub, Garuda Indonesia hopes to increase passenger travel as well as stimulate the local economy, which in turn will have a positive impact on the people’s welfare.”

NEW AIRLINE: SUNNY AIRWAYS PREPARES FOR LAUNCH

Thai start-up carrier Sunny Airways is formalising the delivery of its first aircraft as it prepares to launch flights serving the charter market between Thailand and Europe. The airline has acquired a single Boeing 767-200ER, which was most recently operated by transatlantic low-cost carrier MAXjet Airways prior to its demise in December 2007. After a period of storage in Miami International Airport, the aircraft has been ferried to Bangkok and has now taken up its local registration and Sunny Airways titles ahead of its entry into service. Sunny Airways plans to initially operate between Bangkok and Frankfurt and expects to expand to include other destinations across Europe. Its ultimate aim is to bring European tourists to destinations across Asia and is working with tour operators to provide capacity. Should its initial charter services prove successful, it suggests that scheduled operations could then follow. It plans to add a second 767-200ER later this year and two larger 767-300ERs next year. The venture is backed by Preecha Kongkate who has previously worked with Turkish carrier Atlasjet to provide charter capacity between Bangkok and cities in Germany. He is also the proprietor of Super Star Travel in Thailand and transportation service company Kongkate Express, as well as Focus Jewelry.

HAINAN AIRLINES TO OFFER KOLKATA SERVICE

Chinese carrier Hainan Airlines is to launch flights between Shenzhen and the Indian city of Kolkata next month, introducing a three times weekly Boeing 737-800 link from July 12. There is a growing demand for travel between China and India, with an estimated 522,000 O&D passengers flying between the two countries in the past year, up 22.2 per cent on the previous 12 month period. There are currently no direct links between these two cities and Hainan Airlines will hope to attract both point-to-point traffic as well as connecting traffic through the Chinese city. It offers more than 175 weekly flights from Shenzhen to more than 20 destinations across China, Asia and as far afield as Sydney, Australia.

EASTARJET ENTERS BUSY SEOUL – TOKYO MARKET

South Korean low-cost carrier EastarJet is to launch a daily flight between Incheon, the main international gateway to Seoul, and Tokyo Narita from July 1, becoming the seventh carrier to offer service on the route. There are already 13 daily flights between the two airports serving an estimated O&D market of 1.7 million passengers. Fellow Korean operators Asiana Airlines and Korean Air each offer four flights per day, Japan Airlines (JAL) has a twice daily service and All Nippon Airways (ANA), Delta Air Lines and United Airlines all have a single daily rotation.