KUALA LUMPUR, 2 December 2022: Preliminary traffic figures released Wednesday by the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) showed that international air travel continued to grow strongly in October 2022, driven by pent-up demand, even as global economic activity eased noticeably.
Asia Pacific airlines carried 12.1 million international passengers in October, an eight-fold increase compared to the 1.4 million in the same month last year. Overall, passenger traffic volumes reached 38.6% of pre-pandemic levels. As measured in revenue passenger kilometres (RPK), demand surged by 604.7% year-on-year, outpacing the 194.3% expansion in available seat capacity. As a result, the average international passenger load factor doubled to 77.7% for the month.
Meanwhile, international air cargo demand declined markedly, by 13.9% year-on-year in freight tonne kilometres (FTK) terms, amid a downturn in export markets for intermediate goods. Offered freight capacity fell marginally, by 1.2% year-on-year, leading to a 9.6 percentage point fall in the average international freight load factor to 64.7%.
Commenting on the results, Subhas Menon, AAPA Director General said: “The lifting of travel restrictions in North East Asia in October 2022 was welcomed by the travelling public and the region’s airlines which saw substantial improvements to load factors. Overall, during the first ten months of the year, the combined 74 million international passengers carried by Asian airlines represented a 472% increase compared to the previous corresponding period.”
“By contrast, air cargo markets moderated even more due to multiple headwinds. Declining business confidence, against rising risks to the global economy, led to a slowing in orders for manufactured goods, driving a 5.5% year-on-year decline in air cargo demand for the first 10 months of the year.”
Menon concluded: “Based on forward booking trends, the outlook for travel remains positive as we approach the final months of the year. While the recovery in air travel is a welcome relief for the industry, the region’s airlines are facing a challenging operating environment as a result of high fuel prices, weak local currencies and manpower shortages. Nevertheless, AAPA remains committed to ensuring the safe, seamless and sustainable restoration of air travel.”
SINGAPORE, 2 December 2022: Singapore Airlines and Tata Sons will merge Air India and Vistara in a financial deal that sees SIA investing INR20,585 million (SGD360 million, USD250 million) in Air India.
According to the joint press statement, the agreement will give SIA a 25.1% stake in an enlarged Air India group with a significant presence in all key market segments (1).
Photo: www.bizzbuzz.news
SIA and Tata aim to complete the merger by March 2024, subject to regulatory approvals.
SIA intends to fully fund its investment from its internal cash resources, which stood at SGD17.5 billion as of 30 September 2022 (2).
SIA and Tata have also agreed to participate in additional capital injections, if required, to fund the growth and operations of the enlarged Air India during the fiscal years 2022/23 and 2023/24. Based on SIA’s 25.1% stake post-completion, its share of any additional capital injection could be up to INR50,200 million (SGD880 million, USD615 million), payable only after the completion of the merger.
The actual amount will depend on factors including the progress of the enlarged Air India’s business plan and its access to other funding options. SIA intends to fully fund additional capital injections from its internal cash resources.
Through the transaction, SIA will reinforce its partnership with Tata and immediately acquire a strategic stake in an entity that is four to five times larger in scale compared to Vistara. The merger would bolster SIA’s presence in India, strengthen its multi-hub strategy, and allow it to continue participating directly in a large and fast-growing aviation market.
Singapore Airlines CEO Goh Choon Phong said: “Tata Sons is one of India’s most established and respected names. Our collaboration to set up Vistara in 2013 resulted in a market-leading full-service carrier, which has won many global accolades in just a short time.
“With this merger, we can deepen our relationship with Tata and participate directly in an exciting new growth phase in India’s aviation market. We will work together to support Air India’s transformation programme, unlock its significant potential, and restore it to its position as a leading airline on the global stage.”
Tata Sons chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran said: “The merger of Vistara and Air India is an important milestone in our journey to make Air India a truly world-class airline…As part of the transformation, Air India focuses on growing its network and fleet, revamping its customer proposition, and enhancing safety, reliability, and on-time performance.
Following its acquisition by Tata in January 2022, Air India unveiled a wide-ranging transformation programme to strengthen its foundations and revamp its operations, setting it on the road to recovery and positioning it for growth5.
The combination of Air India and Vistara would bring significant synergies. Air India has valuable slots and air traffic rights at domestic and international airports that are unavailable to Vistara. With Vistara widely recognised as India’s leading full-service carrier, Air India will benefit from its operational capabilities, customer base, and strong focus on customer service and product excellence.
Today, Air India (including Air India Express and AirAsia India) and Vistara have 218 widebody and narrowbody aircraft, serving 38 international and 52 domestic destinations. With the integration, Air India will be the only Indian airline group to operate both full-service and low-cost passenger services. It can optimise its route network and resource utilisation, be flexible and agile in capturing demand across market segments, and tap into a larger consumer base to strengthen its loyalty programme.
(Source; Singapore Airlines)
1 Today, SIA and Tata hold a 49% and 51% stake in Vistara, respectively. Tata wholly owns Air India, which includes the low-cost carriers Air India Express and AirAsia India.
2 In addition to its cash and bank balances of SGD17.5 billion, the Group retains access to SGD2.2 billion of committed lines of credit, all of which remains undrawn. SIA intends to redeem the 2020 Mandatory Convertible Bonds on 8 December 2022, and cash and bank balances will decline by SGD3.86 billion on a Pro-forma basis.
SINGAPORE, 2 December 2022: Digital travel platform Agoda announced Thursday the winners of its 14th annual Agoda Gold Circle Awards (GCA).
With travel markets opening up to international travel worldwide, this year’s Gold Circle Awards have been presented to more than 2000 properties in 41 markets.
For the fourth consecutive year, Thailand retained its top spot for having the most award-winning hotel or resort properties. Taiwan took second place, followed by Japan. India entered the Top 10 list for the first time, while South Korea, Malaysia, the US, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam retained their spots in the top 10 rankings.
In addition, China has had the highest number of award-winning properties for four consecutive years, followed by the Philippines, Thailand, Japan, Taiwan, Maldives, Vietnam, Indonesia, and South Korea.
Every year, the Gold Circle Awards are presented to properties that have provided guests with excellent value, pricing, service excellence and flexibility.
Winners will be featured on Agoda’s dedicated landing page (available on 1-31 December 2022) and honoured with a digital Gold Circle Award badge, along with Agoda Growth Express (AGX) credits, a special credit to boost marketing on the website. In an ongoing partnership with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), Agoda has made a donation to plant 5,000 trees on behalf of all GCA winners worldwide. This is a continuation of an idea that started two years ago to replace plastic gifts and raise awareness of environmental issues.
VIENTIANE, Laos, 2 December 2022: Thai AirAsia is increasing flights from Bangkok to Vientiane and Luang Prabang in Laos this month.
Currently, the airline flies daily to both destinations. Travel executives posted details of the additional flights from both cities to Bangkok on the Tourism Professionals of Laos Facebook page.
Four more services from Vientiane
FD9043 departs Vientiane at 0935 and arrives in Bangkok at 1045 on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.
FD9043 departs Vientiane at 0950 and arrives in Bangkok at 1055 on Monday.
The daily FD1041 reintroduced last May continues unchanged. It departs Vientiane at 1300 and arrives in Bangkok at 1540.
Three more services from Luang Prabang
FD9031 departs Luang Prabang at 0935 and arrives in Bangkok at 1100 every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.
The daily FD1031 continues unchanged, departing Luang Prabang at 1550 and arriving in Bangkok at 1715.
Roundtrip fares from Bangkok to Vientiane start at USD103 and to Luang Prabang at USD153.
HO CHI MINH CITY, 1 December 2022: Vietjet has won twin awards from Singapore’s World Business Outlook, including “Most Valued Airline of the Year in Asia 2022” and “Best Cabin Crew Service in ASIA 2022”.
The airline has also been honoured as the ‘Best Low-cost Airline in Vietnam’ at Skytrax’s annual World Airline Awards 2022, a leading international air transport rating organisation.
Vietjet Vice President Nguyen Thanh Son said: “These awards acknowledge our continuous trustful flight operation and the highest customer satisfaction rate through pioneering solutions and services. With 150 million passengers transported across Vietnam and throughout the world, Vietjet has taken the lead to bring flying opportunities to everyone, continuously adopt new technology and further optimise customers’ flight experiences while expanding flight network domestically and internationally.”
Under the theme “Centara – the Place to Be”, the event began with a lively social hour and cultural activities, including locally-inspired crafts and postcards from Centara to send home to family and friends. Esteemed speakers, including the Deputy Governor of Phuket province, Deputy Governor for Marketing Communication of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and David Martens, General Manager & Corporate Director of Operations Resorts Southern Thailand, Sri Lanka & Vietnam, inspired attendees with messages of hope and positivity for the future of travel and tourism. The night ended with a breathtaking fire show and tropical house music from a professional DJ.
Travel Blog Exchange (TBEX) is the world’s largest travel content and influencer event, bringing together content creators, hoteliers, OTAs, and other travel brands. As the official host for TBEX Asia 2022, Thailand invited attendees to Phuket to experience the island’s wide range of community-based tourism and unique food offerings not found anywhere else. With the concept of “Diversity of South: Phuket & Beyond”, TBEX also provided an opportunity for Thailand to build confidence in the tourist sector post-COVID and to stimulate the economy by showcasing the wealth of activities, rich culture, and natural beauty of the South.
DUBAI, UAE, 1 December 2022: Serving 140 routes worldwide, Emirates has an extensive list of trusted suppliers and partners that support its promise of elevated customer journeys
On its home soil, Emirates also chooses to celebrate and support local suppliers in a nod to its Emirati heritage and dedication to the development of the UAE.
To highlight the best of the UAE to a global audience, Emirates partners with several homegrown businesses – from artisan producers, authors, and artists who proudly highlight their culture to farm-fresh food suppliers who place quality, community, and sustainability at the core of their operations.
Emirates and Coffee Planet
Emirates has partnered with UAE company Coffee Planet for the last decade, serving up to 17 tonnes of coffee worldwide every year onboard flights to 140 destinations. Coffee Planet is a prime example of a homegrown UAE success story, an authority on coffee throughout the wider region since its inception in 2005. Coffee Planets’ mission was to bring speciality-grade 100% Arabica coffee beans to a wide consumer base, starting in their home region of the Arabian Peninsula, which already has a rich coffee history dating back 500 years. Sourcing green beans from over 23 countries, Coffee Planet carefully roasts and produces coffee beans and ground coffee and manufactures bio-degradable capsules in Dubai. Emirates selected Coffee Planet as a core supplier to support a local company and now exposes the product to millions of passengers yearly. Coffee Planet is served onboard all Emirates flights worldwide in every travel class. Emirates also works with Coffee Planet to create bespoke drinks for occasions like Christmas and Valentine’s Day, such as the rose-kissed mocha or orange crush latte. First Class passengers can also sample premium blends with notes of walnut and maple syrup, cocoa and black pepper or sip a classic iced Americano or affogato al café.
Emirates and Emirati artists
Emirates inflight entertainment system ice has received multiple industry awards for its vast variety of content – a world-class entertainment library with over 5,000 channels of on-demand entertainment, over 1,700 movies and 1,500 hours of TV, live news, and music, podcasts, and audiobooks across forty-five languages. One staple on ice is Emirati content directly from the UAE, including ‘My Story,’ a docudrama series inspired by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s book of the same name, and a collection of historical proverbs and adages from the UAE, entitled Al Mtwassf.
Emirates and Munch & Crunch
For the last seven years, Emirates has partnered with Emirati-owned artisan manufacturer Munch & Crunch to supply Arabic sweets and Arabic savoury products for customers in Emirates First and Business Class Lounges worldwide. Within one year, Emirates orders one million assorted Munch and Crunch products for use in lounges. The delicious signature products include traditional handmade Arabian sweets, roasted nuts, dates, exotic dried fruits, petits fours, soft nougat, cinnamon-roasted nuts, and honey-coated nuts. Munch & Crunch is led by Emirati entrepreneur Mariam Al Shamsi, who ensures all Munch & Crunch products represent the unique culinary flavours of the UAE.
Emirates and Farm Fresh
Farm Fresh is a division of the UAE family-owned company GMG. Founded by Chairman Abul Aziz Baker and Mohammad Baker, Deputy Chairman and CEO, Farm Fresh has been supplying fresh eggs and chicken to Emirates for 20 years. On average, Emirates requires almost 300 tonnes of chicken per year and more than 300,000 eggs.
Emirates and Lime Tree Café
Emirates has partnered with Lime Tree Café since 2015. Lime Tree Café is a boutique bakery certified as gluten-free – the first bakery in Dubai to receive this accreditation in 2012. Lime Tree Café provides a range of freshly baked gluten-free treats for Emirates First and Business Class passengers, and Emirates orders 78,000 varied pieces each year. Passengers can choose from sumptuous and healthy treats like salted caramel cakes, custard cocoa slices, indulgent cheesecake, and cookies. Lime Tree Café gluten-free products are reimagined from tried and tested family recipes, and everything is baked from scratch daily by dedicated bakers.
Emirates and Community Events
With a manifesto of bringing the world together through sports, arts and culture, Emirates has initiated multiple events that enhance and connect the local community, beginning with the first powerboat race held in Dubai in 1987. Now Emirates sponsors some of Dubai’s best-loved family festivals and sporting events, including the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature, in partnership with the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority – the Middle East’s largest celebration of the written and spoken word. Promoting education, debate and reading, the festival has won numerous awards for its family appeal and positive impact on the community.
Emirates is also the title sponsor of Dubai World Cup – one of the world’s top horse-racing challenges that welcomes over 80,000 guests to the event annually, the DP World Tour Golf Championship in Dubai – which is the grand finale of a season-long competition spanning 44 tournaments in 28 countries, and the Dubai Tennis Championships, which Emirates has supported since it began in 1993. Emirates also sponsors another huge sporting event in the Dubai calendar, the Emirates Dubai Sevens. With a 52-year history, bringing some 5,500 athletes from 32 countries and more than 100,000 spectators through the gates, the event this year features more than 300 teams playing rugby matches, netball, cricket, and fitness, alongside world-renowned headline music acts and family attractions. The Sevens Stadium also has the region’s first and largest solar carport at a sporting facility, which generates sufficient clean energy to power most of the stadium’s operations throughout the year.
HONG KONG, 1 December 2022: St. Regis Hotels and Resorts, part of Marriott Bonvoy’s portfolio of 30 hotel brands, has opened its latest hotel St Regis Goa Resort, in India.
The resort stands between the Sal River and the Arabian Sea near India’s southwestern coastal city of Goa. It is famous for its palm-fringed tropical beaches, historic Portuguese-era architecture, seafood and distinctive culture.
“We are delighted to celebrate the opening of our second St. Regis property in this enchanting haven in India, and Goa is a special destination where guests will find themselves surrounded by unspoilt nature and infinite sandy beaches,” said George Fleck, Vice President and Global Brand Leader, St. Regis Hotels & Resorts.
Located approximately a one-hour car drive from Goa International Airport, The St. Regis Goa Resort stands in a 49-acre parkland fringing Mobor Beach on the shores of the Arabian Sea. The area between the Sal River and the ocean is recognised as a sanctuary of freshwater lagoons and forests.
The resort features 206 rooms, including 46 suites offering private terraces overlooking the tranquil lagoons or the golf course. The group appointed Satish Kumar, general manager of The St. Regis Goa Resort.
BANGKOK, 1 December 2022” Radisson Hotel Group is accelerating the expansion of its portfolio in Thailand with the signing of Radisson Resort & Spa Hua Hin, a beachfront resort with Destination Group, due to open in February 2023.
This marks the expansion of RHG’s partnership with the Bangkok-based Destination Group, a private equity real estate investment company, following the recent opening of the Radisson Resort & Suites Phuket in September 2022.
Thailand has been identified as a key focus market for Radisson Hotel Group, aiming to double its hotel portfolio by 2023.
“Strong partnerships are key to our growth, and it gives me great pleasure to announce the signing of Radisson Resort & Spa Hua Hin with the Destination Group as we continue our growth momentum in Thailand. Our upscale Radisson brand is a perfect fit for the resort, which enjoys an excellent beachfront location in Hua Hin that will cater to the rising demand for leisure. We look forward to expanding our strong collaboration with partners like the Destination Group to launch exceptional hotels in sought-after destinations across the country,” said David Nguyen, Managing Director, Indochina and Strategic Partnerships, Southeast Asia & Pacific, Radisson Hotel Group.
The 243-key Radisson Resort & Spa Hua Hin will become the Group’s sixth property in Thailand when it opens in February 2023.
BANGKOK, 1 December 2022: Agoda, a global digital travel platform, is partnering with Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) to improve Bangkok’s green infrastructure with the ‘Urban Tree Planting’ Initiative.
To launch the partnership, Chadchart Sittipunt, Governor of Bangkok and Omri Morgenshtern, Chief Executive Officer, Agoda, planted trees at Phutthamonthon Sai 2 Park in Thawi Watthana District along with park officials, Agoda executives and Agoda volunteers.
(Right) Chadchart Sittipunt, Governor of Bangkok and (left) Omri Morgenshtern, Chief Executive Officer, Agoda.
The Thawi Watthana district is home to the Utthayan Road, which is regarded as the most beautiful road in Thailand, and Phutthamonthon Sai 2 Park is adjacent to the popular Khlong Lat Mayom Floating Market.
Agoda’s Urban Tree Planting is a CSR Initiative developed to boost sustainable growth in Bangkok, combining support for the BMA’s ambition to expand the capital’s green areas by planting 1 million trees within four years with Agoda’s CSR & Sustainability mission of accelerating sustainable travel.
Agoda has pledged to donate 10,000 trees. The remaining trees will be donated to the BMA and Pom Prap Sattru Phai District’s official treebanks to be planted throughout Bangkok.
In addition, Agoda is currently collaborating on two further CSR Initiatives with the BMA – the City Guide Launch and the Tech Workshop Series – aiming to make Bangkok a top livable city to work and play for everyone. The City Guide Launch will raise awareness of BMA’s 12-month, 12-festival initiative and promote the city as a global tourist destination. The Tech Workshop Series is intended to build and nurture local tech talent by upskilling undergraduate students in Bangkok with digital skills.
Omri Morgenshtern Chief Executive Officer Agoda commented: “Agoda aims to make travel easy and accessible for everyone, and we also believe that we have a responsibility to ensure that travel is sustainable and has a positive impact on the planet and on local communities.”
In Thailand, since the pandemic, Agoda has supported multiple government agencies in a variety of efforts. These include promoting tourism and destinations, hygiene and safety standards, domestic recovery campaigns and tech integrations to ease travellers’ journeys.
