Tuesday, June 24, 2025
Home Blog Page 46

AirAsia axes five routes from Sabah

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

KOTA KINABALU, 20 March 2025: AirAsia suspends four routes from Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia, to destinations in China, Taiwan, and Indonesia during the summer timetable.

The suspensions are evident in popular booking sites’ online flight schedule data on 30 March and during the first week of April and May.

Borneo Post Online earlier this week reported that Sabah’s Tourism, Culture, and Environment Minister, Datuk Seri Panglima Christina Liew is asking the airline for an explanation. Air Asia committed itself to developing Sabah as a hub for regional direct flights to support the state’s efforts to expand international tourism to destinations on Borneo Island.

In addition to suspending the five international routes, Borneo Post Online reported that the low-cost airline will reduce flights between Kota Kinabalu and Hong Kong from 10 per week to daily, effective 30 March.

Five destinations dropped from the summer timetable

Kota Kinabalu–Ningbo, China: Suspends four weekly flights on 28 March.

Kota Kinabalu-Kaohsiung, Taiwan: Suspends four weekly flights on 6 April.

Kota Kinabalu–Manado, Indonesia: Suspends three weekly flights on 6 April.

Kota Kinabalu-Wuhan, China: Suspends daily flights on 6 April.

Kota Kinabalu–Kunming, China: Suspends three weekly flights on 5 May.

Borneo Post Online quoted Liew saying Sabah’s tourism has shown remarkable recovery and growth in 2024, with 3.14 million visitors surpassing the ministry’s 3 million target.

“This surge in arrivals generated approximately MYR7.28 billion in tourism receipts, underscoring the sector’s vital contribution to Sabah’s economy.

“A significant factor contributing to this success has been our commitment to enhancing air connectivity. Partnerships with airlines such as AirAsia and Royal Brunei Airlines have created new avenues for travel, increasing both direct and transit arrivals. As we move forward, Sabah aims to attract 3.5 million tourists in 2025, with AirAsia alone committing to bringing 5 million passengers to Sabah through Kota Kinabalu, Sandakan and Tawau airports,” she told Borneo Post Online.

Ethiopian starts new route to Hanoi

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

SINGAPORE, 20 March 2025: Ethiopian Airlines has confirmed it will introduce a four-weekly service to Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, starting 10 July 2025.

The new route will enhance Ethiopian Airlines’ global connectivity and provide more flight options for passengers travelling between Africa and destinations in Southeast Asia. The flight, which will use a Boeing 787-8 with 270 seats. The aircraft will make a transit stop in Dhaka, Bangladesh, then continue to Hanoi, Vietnam. (Dhaka is currently served by four flights weekly from Addis Ababa, increasing to five weekly services in July. The airline has fifth freedom rights on the route, allowing local passenger sales for travel between Dhaka and Hanoi.

The flight schedule is as follows:

“We are pleased to expand our presence in Southeast Asia and enhance air connectivity for our regional customers,” said Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO Mesfin Tasew. “This new route will create opportunities for stronger ties and collaborations between Vietnam and our extensive global network. We look forward to bringing our renowned service to Vietnam and growing our presence in this dynamic market.”

The press statement describes the new route as an “essential link between Addis Ababa, Ethiopian Airlines’ hub, and Hanoi, catering to business and leisure travellers, enhancing trade, tourism, and cultural exchange while providing a direct link between Africa and Southeast Asia.” 

The airline already operates four-weekly direct flights between Addis Ababa and Singapore using a mix of Boeing 787-8 and 787-9 aircraft. It serves the Addis Ababa – Bangkok route with daily Dreamliner 787-9 aircraft with 315 seats.

Asian Trails: Blazing new trails in digital space

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

BANGKOK, 19 March 2025: Founded on 9 September 1999, the Asian Trails Group has pioneered cutting-edge travel content and services in Asia for 25 years. To mark its silver anniversary in 2025, it is expanding its digital business in Asia.   

One of the founding team members, Asian Trails’ product manager Surapon Vutivakinsakul, posted a Facebook reminisce last week about the ever-changing technology that has kept the company’s international tour operators and partners in the loop. It illustrates the fast-changing technology that shaped the destination management company’s endeavours to showcase travel content and services over the past 25 years — from analogue to digital space amidst a whirlwind of global challenges and disruptions.  

Photo credit: Facebook (Surapon Vutivakinsakul). “From the first print hardcopy in 1999 to CDs, DVDs, thumb drives, and the cloud.”

Annual tariff: From print to cloud

“A journey through time with Asian Trails — adapting, evolving, and embracing changes. Each tariff reflects a different era, from the first print hardcopy in 1999 to CDs, DVDs, thumb drives, and the cloud. Grateful to have been part of this transformation and the journey it represents,” Surapon posted.

The journey continues with twists and turns in AI and cloud technology innovations. Last month, Asian Trails announced the launch of a “new eCommerce department aimed at taking operations to the next level in the digital space.”

This specialised unit was created in response to the rapid growth of the company’s eCommerce activities over the past two years.

Marc Albert, a Swiss-Thai national and former Managing Director of Asian Trails Thailand, has been named Group Managing Director of eCommerce & Sourcing for Asia. He will lead the group’s efforts to boost sales for partners and their global customers through the company’s innovative eConnect B2B portal and API (Application Programming Interface), which allows different software applications to communicate and exchange data).

Keeping the Myanmar team busy

Asian Trails’ cloud-based system landscape has enabled its teams to perform their tasks remotely. For example, its Myanmar team, currently not involved in mainstream travel operations due to the ongoing political conflict, has been trained in loading data for experiences,  accommodation, and transfers on behalf of all Asian Trails country offices without redundancies or pay cuts. 

For the full story on the Asian Trails eCommerce initiative, read Advancing Asian Trails’ eCommerce.

Air Astana declares 2024 results

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

ALMATY, Kazakhstan, 19 March 2025: Air Astana JSC and its subsidiary FlyArystan have announced results for Q4 2024 and the full year ending  December 2024.

Based on its medium-term guidance, the airline group expects to deliver growth in 2025. This is underpinned by continued passenger growth on existing routes in nearby megamarkets, including China, India and the Gulf. The group remains ideally positioned to benefit from increased air travel in its underserved extended-home market, the world’s fastest-growing aviation region, according to IATA forecasts.

Q4 Highlights

Improvement across all key metrics with RASK growth successfully offsetting CASK

• Total revenue and other income, excluding non-recurring items, increased 14.3% to USD 312.1 million (Q4 2023: USD273 million).

• Adjusted EBITDAR excluding non-recurring items grew faster than capacity, increasing 39.6% to USD71.2 million (Q4 2023: USD51 million). Adjusted EBITDAR margin excluding non-recurring items improved to 22.8% (Q4 2023: 18.7%).

• ASK up 5.8% to 4.7 billion (Q42023: 4.5 billion).

• RPK increased 9.2% to 3.9 billion (Q42023: 3.5 billion).

• RASK growth ahead of CASK due to proactive capacity management, continuing the positive quarter-on-quarter trend to successfully offset cost inflation and protect yield.

• Group passengers carried up 6.9% to 2.2 million (Q42023: 2 million), with a 2.6pp improvement in average load factor to 81.7% (Q4 2023: 79.1%).

FY2024 Highlights

Proactive capacity management largely mitigated industry-wide cost pressures and delivered strong growth across both operating brands

• Total revenue and other income, excluding non-recurring items, increased 12.4% to USD1,308 million (FY2023: USD1,164 million).

• Adjusted EBITDAR excluding non-recurring items grew 16.1% to USD338.6 million (FY2023: USD291.6 million) with adjusted EBITDAR margin excluding non-recurring items of 25.9% (FY2023: 25.1%).

• ASK up 9.2% to 19.3 billion (FY 2023: 17.7 billion).

• RPK increased 10.1% to 16.1 billion (FY 2023: 14.6 billion).

• Progressive improvement in yield throughout the year, with capacity allocated to higher margin routes, mainly mitigating the impact of industry-wide cost inflation with higher unit revenues.

The RASK-CASK index differential improved progressively over the quarters and turned positive in Q4, resulting in an almost aligned RASK-CASK growth for the year.

• Group passenger growth of 11.2% to 9.0 million (FY2023: 8.1 million), with a 0.7pp improvement in average load factor to 83.5% (FY2023: 82.8%).

Air Astana Group CEO Peter Foster commented: “We achieved strong growth in our first year as a public company, fulfilling our promises set out at IPO despite the capacity and cost challenges impacting the wider industry. 

“The Group added nearly a million passengers in 2024 with an increasing load factor, driven by growing demand for air travel across Kazakhstan, our extended home market and nearby megamarkets. By allocating capacity to higher-margin routes in Asia and the Gulf, we improved RASK by 2.6%, which largely offset the rise in unit costs.

“This resulted in a 12.4% increase in revenue to USD1.3 billion and a 16.1% improvement in adjusted EBITDAR to USD338.6 million, ahead of ASK growth of 9.2%.”

Hong Kong visits rise 7% in Jan and Feb

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

HONG KONG, 19 March 2025: The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) reports provisional visitor arrivals for January and February have hit 8.4 million, a year-on-year increase of 7%. 

As the Chinese New Year holiday fell on 28 January to 4 February in 2025 and 10 to 17 February in 2024, the figures of the first two months were combined for an accurate year-on-year comparison.

Visitor arrivals from Mainland China were steady in the first two months of 2025, with a total of 6.5 million visitors, a 4% increase from the same period last year. However, the growth momentum of non-mainland markets prevails, with over 1.91 million non-mainland visitors arriving in Hong Kong in January and February, marking a 20% increase year on year.

Arrivals from short-haul markets reached 1.13 million visitors in the first two months, showing a 26% rise from last year. The Philippines and Indonesia from Southeast Asia, Japan and South Korea all showed a year-on-year growth of more than 30%.

Long-haul arrivals increased by 20% year-on-year to half a million, with Australia showing an exceptional boost of 34% compared with the same months in 2024.

Note 1: The Chinese New Year holiday ran from 28 January to 4 February and 10 to 17 February in 2025 and 2024, respectively, so the figures for the first two months were combined for an accurate year-on-year comparison.

Note 2: Because of rounding, the total may differ from the sum of the individual figures.
*Includes figures from long-haul, short-haul and new markets, as well as the Macao SAR.
(Full details of February 2025 visitor arrivals will be released on 31 March.)

HKTB confirmed last month that the Hong Kong SAR Government has earmarked HKD1.235 billion, including recurrent and additional funding, to support HKTB’s global promotional initiatives and daily operations in the 2025-26 budget.

HKTB will focus on implementing the initiatives outlined in the Development Blueprint for Hong Kong’s Tourism Industry 2.0 while expanding the multiple-entry Individual Visit Scheme for Shenzhen residents to attract more visitors. 

“We will also use  Hong Kong’s role as a “super-connector” between the Mainland and overseas to attract visitors to come to Hong Kong for multi-destination trips, encouraging them to explore the Greater Bay Area and other Mainland cities via Hong Kong,” HKTB said in a press statement.

In addition, HKTB will use the funding to promote the development of meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (MICE) and cruise tourism. 

(Source: HKTB)

HK Express makes it five cities in Korea

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

HONG KONG, 19 March 2025: HK Express Airways will introduce two new routes to Cheongju and Daegu in South Korea from its home base in Hong Kong.

Starting on 5 June and 6 June 2025, HK Express will offer four weekly direct flights to Cheongju International Airport (CJJ) and Daegu International Airport (TAE). 

Photo credit: HK Express

HK Express is the only carrier in Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area that has direct flights to five destinations in Korea. It already flies to Seoul, Busan, and Jeju. 

With 54 round trips weekly, travellers can mix and match these destinations using what airlines call an “Open Jaw” option — in one hub and out of another. 

To mark the launch of the new Cheongju and Deagu route, the airline offered a limited-time promotion to all five destinations in Korea: Cheongju, Deagu, Seoul, Busan, and Jeju, with one-way fares as low as HKD108.

Flights to Cheongju and Deagu will operate on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday using a 236-seat A321neo. Flight time is around three hours.

Travel dates

Cheongju: 5 June 2025 to 25 October 2025
Daegu: 6 June 2025 to 24 October 2025
Seoul, Busan, Jeju: 24 March 2025 to 25 October 2025

Cheongju, the capital of North Chungcheong Province, is renowned for its rich heritage. The breathtaking views from Sangdangsanseong Fortress provide visitors with profound insights into Korean history. Nature enthusiasts can find serenity along the Musimcheon, and the Cheongju National Museum offers a captivating glimpse into the essence of Korean culture. Cheongju is also a popular filming location for K-dramas, with many notable series shot here. 

Deagu, South Korea’s fourth-largest city, is nestled in a valley surrounded by mountains. It showcases a vibrant cultural heritage and spectacular natural beauty. Travellers can find tranquillity in the ancient Donghwasa Temple or indulge in local delicacies at the bustling Seomun Market. Nature lovers should not miss the opportunity to hike the Palgongsan Mountain to see the Gatbawi Stone Buddha. 

UK electric air taxi service on the horizon

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

LONDON, 19 March 2025: Joby Aviation Inc, a California-based company developing electric air taxis for commercial passenger service, announced this week a partnership with Virgin Atlantic, that will launch of Joby’s revolutionary air taxi service in the UK.

The partnership builds on an existing agreement between Joby and Delta Air Lines, which owns a 49% stake in Virgin Atlantic, to launch service in the US and UK.

Photo credit: Joby Aviation

The aim is to offer seamless, zero-emission, short-range journeys across the UK, starting with regional and city connections from Virgin Atlantic’s hubs at Heathrow and Manchester Airport. 

Virgin Atlantic will support Joby’s go-to-market efforts in the UK through marketing the service to their customers, engaging regulators alongside Joby and helping to build support for the development of landing infrastructure at key airports.

Joby’s electric air taxi is designed to carry a pilot and up to four passengers at speeds of up to 200 mph. The partnership means Virgin Atlantic customers will be able to reserve a seat on Joby’s aircraft through Virgin Atlantic’s app, website, and other channels.

Virgin Atlantic CEO Shai Weiss said: “As a leader in sustainability and with innovation firmly in our DNA, we are delighted to partner with Joby to bring short-haul, zero-emission flights to airports and cities throughout the UK. Our strategic partnership combines Joby’s design, engineering and technology expertise with the power of Virgin Atlantic’s brand and award-winning customer experience. We look forward to working together to bring Joby’s service to the UK and to deliver greater connectivity for our customers.”

Joby’s electric air taxi uses six tilting propellers, which allow it to take off and land vertically with a fraction of the noise produced by today’s helicopters. The aircraft is optimised for rapid, back-to-back flights and is expected to be deployed on routes of up to 100 miles. Joby has completed thousands of test flights, including exhibition flights in New York City, Japan, and Korea.

Journeys in the UK include a 15-minute flight from Manchester Airport to Leeds or an 8-minute journey from Heathrow Airport to Canary Wharf, instead of 80 minutes by car.

Over time, Joby expects to build out a network of landing locations that offer rapid and convenient travel around cities and communities throughout the UK. At launch, Joby expects to offer prices comparable with existing premium ground ridesharing options.

Joby exhibited its aircraft for the first time in the UK at the 2024 Farnborough International Airshow.

About Joby
Joby Aviation, Inc. (NYSE: JOBY) is a California-based transportation company developing an all-electric, vertical take-off and landing air taxi, which it intends to operate as part of a fast, quiet, and convenient service in cities around the world. To learn more, visit www.jobyaviation.com.

About Virgin Atlantic
Virgin Atlantic, founded by entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson and headquartered in London, employs 8,500 people worldwide and flies customers to 30 destinations across four continents.

(Source: Business Wire).

HKIA passenger traffic up 7% in February

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

HONG KONG, 19 March 2025: Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK) released the air traffic figures for February at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) earlier this week.

Traffic peaked on 2 February, during the Chinese New Year period, as HKIA handled about 195,000 passengers. This was another new daily peak after the pandemic, indicating a return to the pre-pandemic peak. 

Photo credit: HKIA.

HKIA handled 4.5 million passengers for the full month, representing a 7.0% year-on-year growth. Flight movements increased by 5.2% year-on-year to 29,075.

With the effect of the Chinese New Year, the combined figures of the first two months of this year showed that HKIA handled 9.8 million passengers, marking an increase of 17.3% compared to the same period in 2024. 

Flight movements increased 11.2% year over year to 62,735. During this period, transfer/transit passengers increased by 36%, while visitors increased by 15%. Traffic to and from Southeast Asia and Japan recorded the most significant increases.

Over the first two months of 2025, cargo throughput rose by 2.2% to 718,000 tonnes, with transshipments recording the highest year-on-year increase of 9.6%. Many cargo sectors saw positive growth. Cargo traffic to and from Europe and the Middle East grew the most among key trading regions during this period. In February, HKIA handled 324,000 tonnes of cargo, on par with a year ago.

On a 12-month rolling basis, passenger volume surged 25.0% year-on-year to 54.5 million, while flight movements experienced a 23.2% increase to 369,635. Cargo volume saw double-digit year-on-year growth of 11.2% to 4.95 million tonnes.

Meanwhile, Tibet Airlines added a new flight route to Lhasa via Chengdu in February, further expanding HKIA’s extensive air network.

AirAsia adds Darwin flights

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

DARWIN, 19 March 2025: AirAsia Malaysia (AK) will extend flights to Australia with a new route from Kuala Lumpur directly to Darwin, reinforcing its commitment to enhancing international connectivity from Malaysia.

Starting 27 June 2025, the airline will introduce four weekly flights to the capital of Australia’s Northern Territory, offering travellers a low-cost fare option. 

Photo caption: Dato Captain Fareh Mazputra, AirAsia Malaysia CEO, with Hon Robyn Cahill, Minister for Trade, Business and Asian Relations of Northern Territory Australia, at the launch of Kuala Lumpur-Darwin route by AirAsia Malaysia at Darwin Airport.

Darwin is the perfect gateway to explore Mindil Beach, wildlife at Crocosaurus Cove or a pathway to the spectacular Kakadu National Park, a dual UNESCO World Heritage site renowned for its stunning natural beauty and rich Indigenous culture. The capital of Australia’s Northern Territory, the city boasts a popular waterfront area, several beaches and Bicentennial Park. Also near the waterfront is the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, displaying Southeast Asian and Pacific art, plus a pearling lugger and other seafaring vessels.

AirAsia Malaysia is constantly expanding into the Australian market. Since March 2024, the airline has been flying to Australia for the first time, between Kuala Lumpur and Perth, supporting sister airline AirAsia X (D7), which also flies that route due to strong demand. 

AirAsia Group (Malaysia & Indonesia) operates in Perth and Cairns, whereas AirAsia X flies to Melbourne, Sydney and Perth. 

The airline serves four Australian cities, and with Darwin joining the network on 22 March from Bali and June from Kuala Lumpur, it will become its fifth destination in the country.

Over the last year, the airline has carried over 600,000 passengers between both countries. The new Kuala Lumpur-Darwin route further reinforces AirAsia’s commitment towards boosting tourism between Malaysia and Australia. 

AirAsia Malaysia CEO Dato Captain Fareh Mazputra said: “We are thrilled to launch our first flight to Darwin, creating greater opportunities for leisure and business travellers to explore one of Australia’s most vibrant and unique destinations. At the same time, we are opening a new gateway to Asia and beyond for ‘Territorians’ in the Top End of Australia.

To celebrate the milestone, AirAsia is offering special promotional fares. Flights between Kuala Lumpur and Darwin will go on sale for as low as MYR299 one-way, while the return route from Darwin to Kuala Lumpur starts at AUD189 one-way. All flights are available for booking from now until 30 March 2025 for travel between 27 June and 25 October 2025. 
Flight Schedule between Kuala Lumpur (KUL) and Darwin (DRW):

BESarawak: BILA submissions open until 15 June

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

KUCHING, 18 March 2025: The highly anticipated Borneo Inspires Legacy Awards (BILA) 2025, organised by BESarawak, opened for submissions on 1 March, with the closing deadline of 15 June 2025.

Submissions for BILA 2025 opened on 1 March with a closing date of 15 June 2025. The awards invite nominees from various sectors to showcase their efforts in creating positive, enduring legacies.

They are open to business event planners, industry vendors and suppliers, journalists, and other professionals from Malaysia and worldwide 

With 18 awards in five categories, BILA aims to honour individuals and organisations for their initiatives that are making a lasting impact on Sarawak. 

Photo credit: BESarawak. Submissions opened on 1 March — closing date 15 June 2025.

Categories

Conventions Legacy Excellence
Subcategories: Economic, Environmental, Social, Honorary (encompassing economic, environmental, and social achievements)

Exhibitions Legacy Excellence
Subcategories: Economic, Environmental, Social, Honorary (encompassing economic, environmental, and social achievements)

Corporate Meetings & Incentives Corporate Social Responsibility 
Subcategories: Economic, Environmental, Social, Honorary (encompassing economic, environmental, and social achievements)

Sarawak Industry
Subcategories: Economic, Environmental, Social, Honorary (encompassing economic, environmental, and social achievements)

Journalism 
Subcategories: Broadcast, Print/Online

BILA nominees must have achieved their achievements between 2023 and June 2025. Individuals and organisations connected to the business events sector can nominate. Self-nominations are accepted, and nominations are open globally.

All nominations must be submitted through the official BILA 2025 online platform. For submission guidelines and further details, visit https://legacy360.businesseventssarawak.com/.  

Winners will be announced at the Borneo Inspires Legacy Awards 2025 gala dinner on 1 November 2025.

More events head for Kuching 

BESarawak’s latest calendar update shows events to be hosted in Sarawak during Q2 2025. Kuching, Sibu and Miri have versatile infrastructures and facilities for conventions, exhibitions, corporate meetings, and corporate incentive events.

April

Creative Arts & Social Science International Conference (CASSIC 2025)
15 – 17 April
The Waterfront Hotel, Kuching, Sarawak

Asia Pacific Hospice Palliative Care Conference 2025
23 – 26 April
Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK), Kuching, Sarawak

May

International Cancer Research Symposium 2025
14 – 15 May
The Waterfront Hotel, Kuching, Sarawak

Halal International Conference 2025 (HICON 2025)
24 – 25 May
Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK), Kuching, Sarawak

International Resilience Symposium 2025 (IReS’25)
25 – 26 May
Hilton Hotel Kuching,
Kuching, Sarawak 

For more information on business events in Sarawak, visit Business Events Sarawak.

1...454647...624Page 46 of 624

Stay ahead with the
latest travel news
on Southeast Asia.

Subscribe now


Contact Us
TTR Weekly (TTRW) is published in Bangkok, Thailand, registered since 1978.
/ month
placeholder text
/ month
placeholder text
Press releases, announcements, events for calendar should be sent to: [email protected]
/ month
placeholder text

Copyright © 2023 TTR Weekly, all rights reserved.