KUCHING, 15 October 2024: BESarawak is conversing with AirAsia to explore how Capital A’s business channel can add customer service features to support business event organisers planning events in Sarawak.
According to BESarawak’s recent Facebook post, ongoing discussions focus on “potential perks” that could be offered to delegates attending business events in the state, such as “dedicated check-in lanes, streamlined baggage drop, and in-flight announcements to welcome delegates on their arrival.”
Photo credit: BESarawak. AirAsia and BESarawak discuss ways to add value to business events heading for Sarawak.
Discussions are ongoing as part of AirAsia’s commitment to supporting business event organisers planning MICE events in Sarawak’s state capital, Kuching, and beyond.
AirAsia flies 70 weekly flights to Kuching from its home base, Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL) and from Kuala Lumpur (SZB) 14 flights weekly. It flies daily from Penang to Kuching and from Johor Bahru to Kuching 21 flights weekly. The airline flies daily from Jakarta (Indonesia) to Kuching, and from Singapore, it schedules 12 flights weekly.
Sarawak is home to Southeast Asia’s premier music festival, the Rainforest World Music Festival, which is hosted annually on the grounds of the Sarawak Cultural Village, 35 km north of Kuching. Kuching is a popular choice for domestic corporate and association conferences, incentive groups, sports events, and regional meetings focusing on delegates from ASEAN member countries.
October Event in Kuching
International Forensic Civil Engineering Seminar 2024 (iForCES’24) 15-16 Oct 2024 Imperial Hotel, Kuching https://asm.mysir.org/
Malaysian Society of Interventional Radiology Annual Scientific Meeting (MySIR) 2024 17-19 Oct 2024 Sheraton Hotel, Kuching https://asm.mysir.org
1st International Conference Of Art And Creative Technology 2024 (1ST IC-ACT) 2024 23-24 Oct 2024 Borneo Cultures Museum, Kuching https://icactech.wixsite.com/first
Borneo International Water and Wastewater Exhibition and Conference 2024 23-25 Oct 2024 Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) https://www.biwwec.com
MUMBAI, 15 October 2024: SOTC Travel, an India-based omnichannel travel and tourism company, announced its latest campaign featuring six films in six key regional languages.
The initiative aligns with the brand’s positioning: “No one understands the Indian Traveller better than SOTC” which is part of the company’s 75th Anniversary celebrations and branding.
The campaign underscores its commitment to being a truly Indian brand that resonates with the diverse rhythms of its travellers, positioning itself as India’s favourite travel partner.
The campaign connects with the modern young Indian traveller, weaving unique cultural narratives into an engaging storytelling format and a fun, playful manner. Each of the six films features young couples from the company’s key markets, capturing the respective region’s essence and global aspirations.
For example, the West Bengal film features passion for football, Maharashtra with cricket, Gujarat with business, Tamil Nadu with education, Karnataka with technology and North India with fashion. Despite their diverse holiday dreams, all the couples share one common choice of booking with India’s favorite travel partner SOTC. This highlights that SOTC understands the complexities of holiday planning while catering to the varied regional preferences of its customers.
SOTC has introduced special regional holidays targeting major source markets such as West Bengal, Karnataka, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, and North India. These tours have been specially crafted, keeping in mind the respective region’s diverse preferences and passions.
To make travel planning even easier, our deep investments in AI empower customers to effortlessly customise itineraries, access personalised recommendations, and explore budget options—all designed to create memorable journeys.
SOTC Travel Limited’s President and Country Head of Holidays and Corporate Tours SD Nandakumar said: “At SOTC, we take pride in being a homegrown Indian brand and recognise the importance of connecting with the diverse regional travellers across the country. We are delighted to launch this unique campaign, which reflects our understanding of each region’s passions and preferences.
This inspires us to create holidays incorporating local passions, ensuring our products resonate with each regional traveller. To enhance the experience, our website is also available in Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati and Tamil, making travel planning more accessible for our regional customers.”
SOTC Travel Limited Vice President & Head of Marketing Asif Riaz commented on the campaign: “Celebrating SOTC Travel’s 75th anniversary, we’re delighted to unveil a campaign that truly embodies our brand’s core belief: No one understands the Indian Traveller better than SOTC. Each of our six dynamic films captures India’s cultural richness and diverse regional nuances, reflecting our commitment to creating memorable holidays. Given how discerning today’s traveller has become, it was important for us to communicate a personal connection in our messaging through their local language.”
SINGAPORE, 15 October 2024: Tourism Malaysia assigns Norliza Md Zain, Director of Tourism Malaysia, Singapore, effective 14 October 2024.
She succeeds Salahuddin Mohd Ariffin, who ended his tenure in Singapore last year. Norliza has 19 years of experience in the organisation.
Before her latest appointment, she was part of the Tourism Malaysia Production Division. She also led the Shopping Secretariat Malaysia and the Lifestyle Unit in the Package Development Division and has worked in both the Advertising Division and the International Marketing Division.
Throughout her tenure at Tourism Malaysia, she played a key role in establishing a branch office in Almaty, Kazakhstan.
She now has the opportunity to promote Malaysia to the Singapore market and strengthen tourism relationships and collaboration.
Tourism Malaysia Singapore is committed to restoring tourist traffic from Singapore to Malaysia to levels seen before the pandemic and welcomes innovative and creative ideas from the travel industry, she explained.
KUALA LUMPUR, 14 October 2024: British Airways has halted its ambitious plan to expand international services during the winter timetable from 28 October 2024 to 31 March 2025.
An immediate casualty is the highly anticipated daily flights from London Heathrow to Kuala Lumpur, the Malaysian capital, that were due to start on 10 November. The airline last flew the route in 2022.
Photo credit: British Airways.
The Boeing Dreamliner 787-900, scheduled to serve Kuala Lumpur, has a four-class configuration: eight first-class seats, 42 Club seats, 39 World Traveller Plus seats, and 127 World Traveller seats.
The UK Indepent’s travel correspondent Simon Calder first broke the news, claiming “around 200,000 prospective passengers had booked seats on the new service.” British Airways is culling services during the winter timetable, saying it has been hit by a shortage of Trent engines and spare parts from Roll Royce that triggered delays in the delivery of Boeing 787s and grounding aircraft that required spare parts. Five of the 40 Dreamliners in the airline’s fleet are grounded, waiting for engine spare parts from Rolls Royce.
Calder, in his popular travel column, said that in a “bid to reduce the number of short-notice cancellations, the airline is freeing up the equivalent of three long-haul, wide-bodied planes each day between November/December and March/April – by making long-notice cancellations.”
British Airways has not posted a list of the cancelled international flights, but if the spares crisis deepens, it might cancel its planned resumption of flights to Bangkok from its London Gatwick hub. It last flew the route to Bangkok in 2020.
The UK Financial Times reported the airline had cancelled one of its daily flights from London Gatwick to New York and one daily flight on the London Heathrow-Doha route, blaming the cancellations on a shortage of engine spare parts and delays in delivering Trent 1000 engines for its Boeing 787s
Will Bangkok flights suffer the same fate?
Three flights weekly were scheduled between the Thai capital and London Gatwick using a Boeing 777-200ER aircraft. Bangkok flights are scheduled three times weekly on Monday, Thursday, and Saturday, starting 28 October and ending the winter timetable in March 2025. TTRW requested more information on the Bangkok startup and possible flight cancellations.
Flight schedule Flight BA2231 will depart from London Gatwick at 2100 and arrive in Bangkok Suvarnabhumi at 1555 plus one day. Flight BA2230 will depart Bangkok at 2255 and arrive in London Gatwick at 0530 plus one day.
The Boeing 777-200 ER has a three-class cabin configuration: 32 Club, 48 World Traveller Plus, and 252 World Traveller (economy).
SINGAPORE, 15 October 2025: United’s Summer 2025 schedule expands its network to eight new cities: Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia; Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Nuuk, Greenland; Palermo, Italy; Bilbao, Spain; Madeira Island, Portugal; Faro, Portugal; and Dakar, Senegal.
The airline will add new direct flights from its Tokyo-Narita hub to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, and Kaohsiung and a new nonstop flight to Koror, Palau. These new flights will seamlessly connect Tokyo to United’s transpacific services to five hub locations in the US.
Photo credit: United.
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
United will be the only US airline to serve Mongolia, with seasonal nonstop service from Tokyo/Narita launching on 1 May 2025. Nearly half a million people have visited Mongolia so far in 2024, up 25% compared to 2023, as the country continues to trend as one of the top places to visit in Asia. Most of that increase has come from Europe, South Korea and Japan.
Kaohsiung, Taiwan
Starting 11 July 2025, United will fly a direct service to Kaohsiung, Taiwan, a city known for its modern urban landscape, historic harbour, and breathtaking nature. United’s new year-round service from Tokyo/Narita will provide an easy one-stop option for American travellers looking to visit the city and complement the airline’s twice-daily, nonstop service between San Francisco and Taipei.
Dakar, Senegal
United’s nonstop Washington/Dulles-Senegal flight launches 23 May, 2025. Located on Africa’s western coastline, Dakar is the gateway to Africa with pristine beaches, lush forests and a rich archaeological history.
Nuuk, Greenland
Starting 14 June 2025, travellers will have direct access to arctic adventure in Greenland via a twice-weekly seasonal service to its capital city, Nuuk, from Newark/New York. Nuuk’s new international airport will open next month.
Palermo, Italy
United will serve five destinations in Italy beginning 21 May 2025 with the launch of its three-times-weekly seasonal nonstop service between Newark/New York-Palermo. This new flight builds on United’s existing service to Venice, Naples, Milan and Rome,
Bilbao, Spain
United will fly to Bilbao from Newark/New York starting 31 May. As the largest city in the Spanish Basque Country, Bilbao is a hub of architecture, culture and cuisine. According to Basque Country Tourism, 2024 was a historical year for travel to the region, and United’s new three-times-weekly flight will provide unparalleled access to Northern Spain.
Madeira Island and Faro, Portugal
United will introduce four weekly services to Faro starting 16 May 2025, and Madeira Island will have three times weekly flights starting 7 June. The World Travel & Tourism Council 2024 Economic Impact Research predicted 2024 would be a historic year for tourism in Portugal, and that momentum is expected to continue into 2025.
Koor, Palau
In addition to the new destinations coming to United’s global network, the airline will also add flights to some of its most popular international destinations. United will add a direct nonstop flight between Tokyo and Narita-Koror, Palau. United is the only US airline that serves Palau from Guam and Manila.
BANGKOK, 15 October 2025: New Caledonia’s Aircalin has gained fifth freedom rights that allow it to pick up passengers in Bangkok for the flight to Paris and Noumea on the return sector.
Starting 11 December, the airline will fly to Bangkok twice weekly, making a transit stop in the Thai capital before flying to Paris. This will give Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) its first direct route from the South Pacific island destination.
According to a news report posted by the Pacific Tourism Association, Aircalin sales have already opened for the two flight sectors: Noumea-Bangkok and Bangkok-Paris. The airline will use an A330-900neo aircraft configured with three classes (business, premium economy, and economy) on the Noumea-Paris route, including a Bangkok stop.
Flight schedule outbound
SB500 departs Noumea (NOW) 0145 and arrives in Bangkok BKK at 0755 SB500 departs Bangkok at 0955 and arrives in Paris at 1725 (Wed and Sat)
Flight schedule return
SB501 departs Paris (CDG) at 2030 and arrives in Bangkok at 1440 (plus day). SB501 departs Bangkok at 1640 and arrives in Noumea at 0630 (plus 2 days)
About Aircalin Société Aircalin, also known as Air Calédonie International, is the flag carrier of the French collectivity of New Caledonia, with its headquarters in Nouméa. Hub: La Tontouta International Airport Founded: September 1983 Nouméa, New Caledonia Headquarters: Nouméa, New Caledonia Destinations: 11 Fleet size: 4
(SOURCE: Pacific Tourism Association and Wikipedia).
KUALA LUMPUR, 15 October 2024: The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) has issued a rebuttal to what it describes as an incorrect article published by Suara NTB on 10 September 2024.
According to MATTA, the article ‘MATTA Targets 1 Million Malaysian Tourists to Visit Lombok-Sumbawa’ contained several factually incorrect statements that MATTA does not endorse and has not communicated during the relevant period.
Statement by Nigel Wong, President of MATTA.
The news article referred to a meeting between MATTA President Nigel Wong and several members of the Executive Council of MATTA with Sahlan M Saleh, Chairman of the NTB Province Regional Tourism Promotion Agency (BPPD) and his delegation, at the MATTA Fair from 6 to 8 September 2024 in Kuala Lumpur, allegedly to discuss potential collaboration between the two organisations.
In a widely circulated press statement, MATTA said it would like to “clarify that no formal discussions or meetings took place during the recent MATTA Fair. It was merely a courtesy visit by Mr Sahlan with the MATTA President, and no commitments or guarantees were made regarding the issues mentioned in the article.”
No commitment to bring 1 Million Malaysian tourists to Lombok in 2025
“MATTA has neither made nor assured any commitment to bring 1 million Malaysian tourists to Lombok or Sumbawa in 2025. The article stating ‘Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) menargetkan sebanyak 1 juta wisatawan Malaysia akan berkunjung ke Lombok dan Sumbawa pada tahun 2025 nanti,’ is deliberately incorrect and misleading. During the courtesy visit, MATTA did not make such a statement or commitment to the BPPD.”
No agreement to participate in the 2024 Mandalika MotoGP event
“Similarly, MATTA did not confirm any participation at the 2024 Mandalika MotoGP event. Furthermore, no current plans exist to attend, promote, or invite the Ambassador of Malaysia in Indonesia and members to participate in the said event. The claims suggesting otherwise are baseless and incorrect.”
No pledge to organise a special event in Lombok
“The article also wrongly reported that MATTA pledged to organise a special event in Lombok, either in support of airlines or other parties. However, no such commitments were made.
“On 25 September 2024, MATTA formally sent a letter to the editor of Suara NTB, asking for an immediate retraction of the article in question. Despite ample time, no corrective action has been taken by the editor of Suara NTB. MATTA has also reached out to Mr Sahlan M. Saleh to clarify the statements attributed to him…there has been no response from him thus far.
“Additionally, we have formally contacted the Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy of the Republic of Indonesia, Dr H Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno, seeking his support in resolving this matter and disputing the article’s inaccuracies.
“MATTA strongly feels that these incorrect and misleading statements have the potential to harm the positive relationship we have with BPPD and other tourism stakeholders in Indonesia. We urge all parties involved to take the necessary action to correct these misrepresentations and preserve our positive collaboration between all parties.”
HO CHI MINH CITY, 11 October 2024: Vietjet has opened ticket sales on new routes connecting Ho Chi Minh City with Tainan (Taiwan, China) and Hanoi with Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia).
The route connecting Hanoi, Vietnam and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, will launch on 28 November 2024, with daily flights. The new route connecting Ho Chi Minh City with Tainan (Taiwan) will be inaugurated on 12 December 2024, with three flights weekly on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.
Additionally, Vietjet will increase flights on some established international routes.
From 27 October 2024, the airline will increase flights on the Hanoi – Nagoya route to daily, the Hanoi – Busan (South Korea) route to twice daily, the Ho Chi Minh City – Vientiane (Laos) and Hanoi – Siem Reap (Cambodia) routes to daily flights, and the Ho Chi Minh City – Bali (Indonesia) route to 49 flights per week to meet strong travel demand.
BANGKOK, 11 October 2024: Centara Hotels & Resorts, Thailand’s leading hotel operator, announces an exciting opportunity for CentaraThe1 members to win a stay at Centara Grand Osaka, including roundtrip flights and many other incredible prizes, through the Top Redeemer Challenge running from today to 31st December 2024.
During this period, members can increase their chances of winning by redeeming CentaraThe1 points for hotel stays, dining, spa experiences and more. The grand prize awaiting the member with the highest point redemption at the end of the challenge is a spectacular three-night stay at Centara Grand Hotel Osaka, complete with two round-trip flights to Osaka courtesy of Thai Airways.
Other enticing prizes for the top 20 overall redeemers include a two-night stay at Centara Grand Beach Resort Phuket with flights included, a two-night stay at Centara Grand Mirage Beach Resort Pattaya, drinks and dining vouchers, and more. In addition to these grand prizes, rewards will be given to top redeemers at the end of each month throughout the challenge period.
DUBAI, UAE, 11 October 2024: As part of its ‘Fly Better’ promise, Emirates has showcased a suite of new services and innovative products for People of Determination at the 6th edition of AccessAbilities Expo in Dubai World Trade Centre on Wednesday.
The largest exhibition for people with disabilities in the Middle East was officially opened by HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline & Group and patron of the AccessAbilities Expo.
At the event, Emirates unveiled new products and creative innovations, such as a virtual reality airport tour, a sign language robot, a new protective transportation device for wheelchairs, an app that provides accessible video support to the visually impaired, sensory guides to the airport for neurodivergent customers, and a chauffeur-driven vehicle fitted with an electric wheelchair lift.
AccessAbilities Expo Dubai provided an ideal platform to showcase Emirates’ many innovations and services in long-term development and for teams to connect directly with the Accessible Travel community in the region.
New Emirates accessibility services showcased at AccessAbilities Expo 2024
Emirates joins Be My Eyes app
Emirates will soon be integrated into the Be My Eyes app for the blind and low-vision community, making it the first airline worldwide to launch the service. The Be My Eyes app provides accessible video support for customers, creating empathetic experiences for customers with disabilities. Customers can download the Be My Eyes app for free on their smartphones. The Emirates agent can then direct the customer on where to walk or what to do next. The Be My Eyes app has grown in popularity and is supported by 8 million volunteers who become the eyes for the blind and low-vision community.
Sensory Guide for Neurodivergent travellers
As part of many initiatives implemented for neurodivergent customers, Emirates has launched a new sensory guide in the form of an infographic for Emirates Terminal 3 in Dubai International Airport (DXB). The Emirates Sensory Guide will be available on the Accessible Travel page on Emirates.com.
Accessible Chauffeur Drive Service
At the expo, Emirates introduced attendees to the first Emirates-branded wheelchair-accessible vehicle. The Chauffeur Drive vehicle is a Mercedes V250 Van featuring an electric wheelchair lift and ramp. The lift is a powered device designed to extend and lower onto ground level to safely raise a wheelchair and its occupant into the vehicle seamlessly. Once inside, the additional safety restraints secure the customer, who may have severe mobility disabilities. Emirates’ chauffeur drivers are currently being trained in mobility assistance and lifting to support customers with disabilities. Currently, the wheelchair-accessible vehicle is used by First and Business Class customers who are availing of chauffeur-drive services based in Dubai, with plans to extend its availability.
Accessibility innovations in development showcased at AccessAbilities Expo 2024
At Emirates’ own in-house Innovation Lab, teams of experts are dedicated to developing innovative solutions to issues, including Accessibility. The team has come up with several prototypes that could benefit Emirates customers with accessibility requirements. The prototypes below were showcased at AccessAbilities Expo 2024.
Emirates’ Sign Language Robot
The sign language robot has been developed to provide information and guidance services for customers who are deaf or hearing impaired. Initial trials include training the robot to understand specific sign language phrases and gestures to respond with travel information like flight status wayfinding in airports – easing travel anxiety for customers with disabilities. The robot has a screen that can showcase maps and directions, and even an AI Emirati guide that signs back to the customer. Once fully developed, the aim is to extend the technology across different digital channels.
Virtual Reality Tour
The virtual reality tour is a digital travel rehearsal for customers with accessibility requirements, whereby a virtual reality headset allows the customer to explore and practice the journey through Emirates Terminal 3, Dubai International Airport (DXB) from any location. The virtual reality route highlights all the areas where inclusive services are applicable, including the helpdesk offering the Sunflower Lanyard for hidden disabilities, the priority lanes for customers in the Immigration and Customs areas, the accessible biometrics boarding gates and more. In the future, the virtual reality tour has the potential to be integrated into Emirates.com, whereby customers all around the world can access it in advance of their travel.
Wheelchair Cube
The new Emirates wheelchair cube concept seeks to provide a solution to the safe and secure transport of mobility aids and equipment. The cube solution keeps wheelchairs intact during transport and handling and can be securely restrained inside the aircraft for extra protection. The design recognises the critical importance of providing peace of mind for customers for whom a wheelchair is an extension of their physical body, is essential to their quality of life, and has often been modified and personalised to its owner at considerable expense.
Current Emirates accessibility services showcased at AccessAbilities Expo 2024
In-seat accessibility tools
At the Expo, Emirates showcased a row of Premium Economy seats to show attendees the inflight accessibility tools that can make flying more comfortable, including noise-cancellation headphones, which can benefit neurodiverse customers, the onboard wheelchair that is used once a customer’s own wheelchair has been stored and secured, the scala combi which help customers with reduced mobility ascend and descend stairs, the easyglide and belt which help customers with mobility issues slide from the cabin wheelchair into their seat comfortably, and seat belt extensions when they may be required.
Accessible inflight entertainment
Over 20 years ago, Emirates was the first airline to use Closed Captions(CC) to assist the hearing impaired on its inflight entertainment, later also adding the Audio Description (AD) feature.
Services and solutions for travellers with autism
For travellers with cognitive disabilities and sensory conditions, Emirates has been working hard on a series of initiatives, including Certified Autism Centre Designations for all four of its Dubai Check In facilities – Emirates City Check-in & Travel Store in DIFC, Emirates Cruise Check-In – Port Rashid, Emirates Cruise Check In – Dubai Harbour and Emirates City Check-In Ajman, in addition to Emirates’ dedicated passenger hub in Terminal 3 at Dubai International Airport (DXB). This achievement builds on the recent recognition of Dubai International Airport as the first international airport to earn the designation from IBCCES and aligns with the Department of Economy and Tourism’s (DET) vision of becoming the first Certified Autism Destination (CAD) in the Eastern hemisphere. Multiple services are available to customers identifying as neurodiverse to support their travel journey, from pre-travel guides to priority routes through the airport.
Video showcasing digital accessibility of the Emirates platform
At the AccessAbilities Expo 2024, Emirates showcased the digital accessibility of Emirates.com via a dedicated video. The Emirates website has applied the highest standard of web content accessibility guidelines (WCAG) for the last 10 years and supports screen reader technologies. The Emirates digital team works with external consultants for regular independent audits to test the website’s accessibility. Emirates.com also features a 3D viewing tool and seat map, which can allow neurodiverse customers to explore their seats and the aircraft in advance.
Training for cabin crew and ground staff
More than 29,000 Emirates cabin crew and ground staff globally have completed the Introduction to Autism and Hidden Disabilities training. The online course was first launched in 2022 and covers a range of topics, including recognising autism, practical tips on how to assist passengers with hidden disabilities, responding with empathy, and information on the official support systems to help passengers in the airport. Emirates is refreshing the content and expanding inclusivity training and awareness programs for all Emirates employees and partner providers.
Working together with key entities
Emirates works closely with numerous entities to ensure leading practices across the travel journey, including the Department of Economy and Tourism, Dubai Airports, the General Directorate of Residency and Foreign Affairs, Dubai Police and Dubai Customs – reflecting Dubai’s commitment to becoming the world’s best city for living and visiting, in line with Dubai’s D33 agenda.
