Airline News - Asia / Pacific

Airguide Online, March 10, 2008

Mar 10, 2008

Air Canada, Jet Airways

Air Canada will operate daily Calgary-Newark from June 16 aboard an Airbus A319. Separately, it launched a codeshare arrangement with Jet Airways under which Air Canada will place its code on Jet's flights from London Heathrow to Mumbai and from Toronto to Chennai via Brussels. Mar 5, 2008

Air China

Air China will launch four-times-weekly Shanghai-Milan Malpensa on March 30 aboard an Airbus A340. Mar 5, 2008

Cathay Pacific Airways

Cathay Pacific Airways passenger demand was high throughout the year. The two carried a record 23.2 million passengers, an increase of 28.5% over 2006. Yield, driven by a greater number of premium passengers, grew 14.6% to 55.2 cents. Mar 6, 2008

Cathay Pacific Airways

Cathay Pacific Airways launched the Eye Spy Asia Sweepstakes, which gives participants the chance to win an All Asia Pass. From now until March 31, travelers can go online for a chance to win two All Asia Passes in Cathay Pacific's Eye Spy Asia Sweepstakes. The sweepstakes, which includes an interactive online game related to the 24 destinations of the 2008 All Asia Pass, gives consumers an engaging way to explore some of Asia's top destinations even before boarding the plane there. All Asia Passes must be booked through a travel agent. Some restrictions apply and all travel must be completed by December 8, 2008. This offer is only valid for U.S. residents and travel must originate in the U.S. All prices are exclusive of applicable taxes. Mar 5, 2008

Cathay Pacific Airways

Cathay Pacific Airways' 2008 All Asia Pass offers one low fare and new features for travel throughout Asia. The pass offers passengers roundtrip economy class travel between San Francisco, Los Angeles or New York to Hong Kong with up to 21 consecutive days of travel to a choice of up to four cities chosen from 23 Asian destinations. Destinations include Bangkok, Busan, Cebu, Denpasar, Fukuoka, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Jakarta, Kaohsiung, Karachi, Kota Kinabalu, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Nagoya, Osaka, Penang, Phuket, Phnom Penh, Sapporo, Seoul, Singapore, Surabaya, Taipei and Tokyo. The All Asia Pass airfare starts at $1,099 for travel to Hong Kong plus two cities, $1,399 for travel to Hong Kong plus three cities and $1,699 for travel to Hong Kong plus four cities. Departure dates are February 25 through May 15 and August 28 through December 1. Mar 5, 2008

China Southern Airlines

China Southern Airlines will double its twice-weekly Beijing-Tehran service to four-times-weekly from March 31. Route is operated with an A330-200. Mar 6, 2008

Japan Airlines

Japan Airlines expects to expand the use on international and domestic routes of subsidiaries JALways, JAL Express and J-AIR, which have overhead costs approximately 10% lower than the mainline. JAL Express currently serves domestic routes but in FY09 will start operating 737-800s internationally, primarily to China. J-AIR, which operates regional jets domestically, will expand operations with E-170s in FY08. The group's strategy is focused on high-growth, high-profit markets. A key platform is the accelerated rollout of new first and business class seats on international services along with premium economy. As previously announced, it plans to reduce staff numbers from 53,100 at the end of FY06 to 48,800 by the end of FY08. Mar 4, 2008

Japan Airlines

Japan Airlines parent JAL Group in its FY2008-2010 Medium Term Plan raised its profitability target for its 2010-11 fiscal year to [yen]96 billion ($932 million) from [yen]88 billion in last year's Medium Term Plan. The decision to increase the target is owing to early successes in its ongoing restructuring program, which also contributed to its raising its operating profit forecast for the current year ending March 31 to [yen]48 billion from [yen]35 billion. Over the period of the plan, JAL will retire 46 aircraft including 747-200s and MD-81s while adding 65 777s, 737-800s and 787s. As of March 31, 2011, the fleet will number 291 aircraft, up from 272 today. Mar 4, 2008

Jet Airways

Jet Airways has borrowed USD$300 million to meet its immediate cash needs, but a planned USD$400 million rights issue and private placement of shares were on track, a senior company official said on Thursday. Jet, which last year put a rights issue on hold because of the global credit crunch, had said in January it expected to complete the issue in a few months and raise a further USD$400 million from a private placement with institutions. Jet is spending about USD$2 billion on wide-body aircraft that it will use for its growing international business. Of the 20 planes on order, 16 have been delivered and the remainder will be delivered by end-October, Vishwanath said. Jet Air borrowed 15 percent of the USD$2 billion abroad. The institutional placement will be done after the rights issue closed. The company had said it needed the money for its fleet expansion and for overhauling Air Sahara, which it bought last April and has since renamed JetLite. Mar 6, 2008