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HPL expands portfolio to New Zealand

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TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE, 11 March 2025: Hotel Properties Limited (HPL) (SGX: H15.SI), a property owner and hotel management company with an extensive portfolio of hotels and resorts worldwide, is set to expand further with the proposed acquisition of InterContinental Auckland for a total consideration of NZD180 million (SGD138.5 million). 

This will be the company’s first asset in New Zealand and its second InterContinental property after InterContinental Maldives Maamunagau Resort.

Photo credit: HPL. InterContinental Auckland.

Following HPL’s recent launches in 2024 — The Boathouse Tioman in Malaysia and The Four Seasons Hotel Osaka in Japan — this acquisition continues the company’s strategy to expand its luxury hospitality portfolio across key markets in the Asia Pacific region. 

HPL Hotels and Resorts Chairman Stephen Lau commented: “The proposed acquisition of InterContinental Auckland is a rare opportunity to acquire our first premium asset in New Zealand. Seamlessly connected to the vibrant Commercial Bay lifestyle precinct and offering sweeping views of the Waitematā Harbour, the hotel reflects our mantra of delivering exceptional experiences and memorable stays for our guests. With ample headroom to expand to 196 rooms by repurposing the current office space if needed, we are also strategically positioned to meet future demand.” 

The iconic waterfront 139-key InterContinental Auckland sits on a prime freehold site overlooking the picturesque Auckland Harbour in the heart of the vibrant Central Business District (CBD). The hotel offers a restaurant, gym, exclusive Club InterContinental, and two and a half floors of fully tenanted office space from levels 3 to 5.

A short commute from key shopping nodes and the city’s transport hubs, InterContinental Auckland, is connected to the Commercial Bay precinct — a hub for the city’s latest upscale office, retail, social and dining options. 

How to jump the queue and ZipAhead

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TTR WEEKLY
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DELHI, 11 March 2025: Air India has launched ‘ZipAhead’, a paid service offering priority check-in and priority baggage handling to economy class travellers on flights in India.

The service is designed to enable time-conscious travellers who are otherwise not eligible for priority services to save time at on-ground touchpoints and breeze through airports.

Photo credit: Air India.

Air India guests opting for the ‘ZipAhead’ service can check in at the airline’s dedicated Premium Economy check-in counters and enjoy priority baggage handling services. The service is currently available for departures from six Indian airports, namely, Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai, Bengaluru, and Kolkata, at nominal fees as follows:  

INR 499: If purchased more than six hours before departure.
INR 699: If purchased within six hours of departure.  

‘ZipAhead’ can be purchased up to 75 minutes before departure through Air India’s website, mobile app, airport ticketing offices (ATO), and customer contact centre.

Priority services are complimentary for Platinum and Gold members of Air India’s Maharaja Club loyalty programme, regardless of the fare type or class of travel they choose.

CX adds flights to Urumqi China

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TTR WEEKLY
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HONG KONG, 11 March 2025: Cathay Pacific is expanding its global network this year with direct flights between Hong Kong and Urumqi, China, starting 28 April 2025. 

The new four-times-weekly flights will raise the Cathay Group’s combined passenger network in the Chinese Mainland to 20 destinations.

Photo credit: Cathay Pacific.

This summer, Cathay Pacific and low-cost carrier HK Express will operate over 290 weekly return flights between Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland. This includes Beijing (Capital International Airport and Daxing International Airport), Shanghai (Pudong International Airport and Hongqiao International Airport), Chengdu, Chongqing, Fuzhou, Guangzhou, Haikou, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Ningbo, Qingdao, Sanya, Urumqi, Wenzhou, Wuhan, Xi’an, Xiamen and Zhengzhou.

Cathay Chief Customer and Commercial Officer Lavinia Lau said: “Urumqi is an exciting new addition to our network, directly connecting our home city with an important Belt and Road hub in Northwestern China. We are delighted to announce Urumqi as the Cathay Group’s 11th new port this year, as we move closer to reaching 100 destinations globally in 2025.”

Cathay Pacific’s new Hong Kong-Urumqi route will be operated by Airbus A330-300 aircraft. 

Flight schedule 

Aside from Urumqi, Cathay Pacific will launch direct flights to Hyderabad in March, Dallas in April, Rome and Munich in June, and Brussels in August this year. HK Express commenced services in Sendai in January. It will launch direct flights to Nha Trang, Komatsu, and Ishigaki in April and Miyako (Shimojishima) in June.

The two airlines project to operate passenger services to more than 100 destinations worldwide within 2025.

Vietnam Airlines readies for Bali flights

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TTR WEEKLY
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HO CHI MINH CITY, 11 March 2025: Starting 1 June  2025, Vietnam Airlines will operate direct flights between Ho Chi Minh City and Denpasar, the capital city of Bali province, in addition to its daily flights to Jakarta. 

The route will begin with four weekly flights on Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday before increasing to daily flights in July 2025. The airline will deploy an 184-seat A321 on the route, configured with 16 seats in business class and 168 in economy. Flight time is three hours 55 minutes. Bookings are open on Skyscanner, with the lead-in roundtrip fare pegged at USD45 via Trip.com.

Photo credit: Vietnam Airlines.

Flight schedule

VN641 will depart Ho Chi Minh City (SGN) at 1025 and arrive in Denpasar (DPS), Bali at 1500.
VN640 will depart Denpasar (DPS), Bali, at 1600 and arrive in Ho Chi Minh City (SGN) at 1840.

During Vietnam’s General Secretary of the Communist Party To Lam’s state visit to Indonesia, Vietnam Airlines signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indonesian Travel Agents Association (ASTINDO) to foster tourism growth between the two countries.

With this strategic expansion, Vietnam Airlines reaffirms its commitment to enhancing regional connectivity, boosting tourism, and fostering stronger cultural ties between Vietnam and Indonesia.

Vietnam Airlines’ launch of a new route connecting Ho Chi Minh City and Denpasar, Bali, should further boost travel between the two countries. Once flights increase to daily on the Bali route in July, the airline will offer 14 weekly flights between Vietnam and Indonesia; the other seven serve Jakarta, Indonesia’s capital, using the smaller A320.

Air passenger traffic between Vietnam and Indonesia reached over 800,000 in 2024, representing a 61% increase compared with 2019 figures. Bali registered 6.3 million tourists in 2024.

The timing of the state visit is significant as the two countries are celebrating the 70th anniversary of their diplomatic relations this year. Indonesia was the first Southeast Asian country to establish diplomatic ties with Vietnam.

JLL tops hotel advisory ranks

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TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE, 10 March 2025: JLL has retained its top ranking as the Asia Pacific region’s leading hotel investment advisory firm, based on data analysed and published by MSCI Real Capital Analytics (rca).

As measured by dollar value, the firm has been named the top advisor in Asia Pacific for 13 of the past 14 years. In 2024, JLL advised on 40 properties representing over USD2.4 billion in transactions or a 43.4% market share. Over the past 14 years, JLL completed approximately 770 hotel and resort transactions in the Asia Pacific region valued at over USD28.4 billion and a market share of roughly 47%.

“We have dominated this highly competitive market in the 14 years since the respected ranking’s inception, which indicates the global connectivity and insights we bring to every transaction. We share this esteemed and valued recognition with our clients and JLL’s global network of hotel professionals,” said JLL’s Hotels & Hospitality Group, Asia Pacific CEO Nihat Ercan.

Asia Pacific’s hotel market continued its broad recovery in 2024, building on momentum in the previous year. JLL data and analysis conclude that the regional hotel investment market in 2024 represented USD12.2 billion in transactions, up 15% year-on-year and the most active year since 2019. JLL projects that inbound investment into Asia Pacific will rise by 10% year-on-year in 2025.

“The Asia Pacific hotel industry continues to perform solidly and display resilience with 2024 investment volumes again confirming our evergreen conviction that investors see the asset class is an opportunistic and long-term play. High-quality assets will remain in hot demand in 2025, reinforced by major transactions including the InterContinental Auckland and sales processes for significant assets such as the Park Hyatt Melbourne, Fairfield by Marriot Seoul and Duxton Singapore,” said Ercan. 

Read more in JLL’s Hotel Investment Outlook 2025. 

Bali stations barriers to fight plastic crisis

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TTR WEEKLY
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DENPASAR Bali, 10 March  2025: The Bali Hotels Association (BHA) reaffirms its commitment to environmental sustainability by continuing its support for Sungai Watch in the fight against plastic pollution. 

In a press statement addressing the island’s plastic waste crisis, BHA says it “has played a crucial role in the installation of a second trash barrier at a river on Jl Pendawa Kekeran, Mengwi, Badung, further strengthening efforts to protect Bali’s waterways.”

Bali Hotels Association supports plastic waste project.

At the installation launch, BHA members and the BHA Head of Sustainability joined the Sungai Watch team. This strategic location was selected due to numerous open dumps downstream, contributing significantly to plastic waste flowing into Bali’s rivers and the ocean.

The Bali Hotels Association quotes Sungai Watch founder Gary Bencheghib, underscoring the urgency of addressing plastic pollution. 

“We’re destroying the planet at such a rate that in order to solve plastic pollution… we need to go a million per cent and give it our everything.”

BHA Board Member for Sustainability John Nielsen, added: “Protecting Bali’s environment is now a top priority for everyone, especially in the tourism sector. We are grateful for the support of BHA members and the extraordinary efforts of Sungai Watch to help safeguard Bali’s natural beauty.”

The launch of this second barrier in partnership with Sungai Watch is a key milestone in BHA’s sustainability vision. Through this initiative, BHA continues to lead efforts in reducing single-use plastics across its member hotels and educating employees on the importance of minimising plastic use at work and at home.

Vision for Sustainable Hospitality

In 2025, the association will continue to foster collaboration among its members and drive impactful sustainability initiatives that benefit the environment and the local community.

BHA Chairman Franklyn Kocek affirms this vision: “The association will focus on strengthening partnerships, driving innovation, and enhancing Bali’s reputation as a world-class destination.” 

 Embodying this mission, BHA has introduced its new slogan for 2025: “Hospitality with Purpose” – a commitment to ensuring that every guest experience aligns with Bali’s cultural, economic, and environmental sustainability goals. BHA remains a trusted voice in the hospitality industry, leading the charge for meaningful change in sustainable tourism.

(Source: Bali Hotel Association)

Air Astana Group expands fleet

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TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE, 10 March 2025: The Air Astana Group fleet has grown to sixty aircraft following the arrival of a new Airbus A320neo in Almaty last week. 

The full-service carrier Air Astana now has a fleet of 35 aircraft, and the low-cost carrier FlyArystan operates 25.

Photo credit: Air Astana.

Both carriers in the group have proliferated with an increasing number of the latest generation Airbus A321LR and Airbus A320neo aircraft at the forefront of Air Astana’s network expansion to destinations across Asia, Europe and the Middle East. 

FlyArystan continues to boost low-cost services throughout Kazakhstan and Central Asia, as well as an increasing number of longer-range flights to Georgia, China, and the Middle East.

“Expanding our fleet to 60 aircraft is a significant milestone for Air Astana Group and an important step towards accomplishing our strategic plans,” said Peter Foster, CEO of Air Astana Group CEO Peter Foster. “We will continue to invest in modern aircraft and expand our route network, offering passengers even more opportunities for convenient and affordable travel both within the region and beyond”.

The Air Astana Group fleet should reach 80 aircraft by 2028.

AirAsia shuts its Subang hub

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TTR WEEKLY
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KUALA LUMPUR, 10 March 2025: AirAsia will relocate its domestic services from Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport (Subang Airport) to Kuala Lumpur International Airport Terminal 2 (KLIA T2), effective 7 April 2025. 

Consolidating all flights at the KLIA hub will optimise operations amidst growing demand and enhance the overall guest experience after experimenting with a second hub in Subbang since August 2024.

Photo credit: AirAsia.Tony Fernandes at Subang Airport Departure Hall after the airline established its Subang hub with flights to Sabah and Sarawak last August.

With passenger volumes between Kuala Lumpur and key destinations such as Kota Kinabalu and Kuching increasing significantly — +16% year-on-year — consolidating operations at KLIA T2 will allow the airline to accommodate rising traffic better. 

Since resuming operations out of Subang in August last year, AirAsia has assessed passenger trends and operational needs. The conclusion is that KLIA T2 “offers the best platform to enhance efficiency and service quality.” 

Subang Airport was touted as more convenient for city-bound travellers. Given the increasing demand for Kota Kinabalu and Kuching routes, consolidating services at KLIA T2 is the “optimal way forward,” according to the airline’s statement.

“While Subang Airport has provided valuable proximity and easier access for city dwellers, KLIA T2’s infrastructure supports connectivity and also offers the capacity required for continued growth and to mount more flights to serve the rising demand across East Malaysia routes.”

Vietnam Airlines boosts flights to India

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TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE, 10 March 2025: Airline scheduling databases indicate Vietnam Airlines plans to introduce two new routes to India serving Bengaluru and Hyderabad from the Vietnamese capital, Hanoi, effective May 2025. 

Online airline schedule data sources show the airline posting four weekly flights on the Hanoi – Bengaluru route starting 1 May. Using A321 aircraft, flights will depart Hanoi on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays. 

On 7 May, the airline will introduce a Hanoi – Hyderabad route using an A321 for three weekly flights departing Hanoi on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.

However, it’s mums the word from the airline that keeps the lid firmly shut on sales and hasn’t opened bookings for the two destinations on any of its inhouse channels, including its direct-sell socials.

Skyscanner saves the day with flights on sale for both routes. 

Hanoi – Bengaluru route

The roundtrip fare on the Hanoi (HAN) – Bengaluru (BLR) route, scheduled to start on 1 May, is USD368 on Trip.com.

Flight VN983 departs Hanoi (HAN) at 1900 and arrives in Bengaluru (BLR) at 2200.
Flight VN982 depart Bengaluru (BLR) at 2330 and arrives in Hanoi (HAN) at 0525 (plus a day).

Hanoi – Hyderabad route

The roundtrip fare on the Hanoi – Hyderabad route, which will start on 7 May, is USD366 via Trip.com.

Flight VN985 departs Hanoi (HAN) at 1915 and arrives in Hyderabad (HYD) at 2215.
Flight VN984 departs Hyderabad (HYD) at 2345 and arrives in Hanoi (HAN) at 0525 (plus a day)

VN flies to Beijing on 30 March

Meanwhile, Vietnam Airlines will launch a new direct route between Ho Chi Minh City and Beijing Daxing International Airport, starting 30 March 2025, offering five weekly flights on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Sundays.

VN516  Ho Chi Minh – Beijing Daxing  0045-0630
VN517  Beijing Daxing – Ho Chi Minh  0830-1225

Maldivian to launch flights to Germany

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TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE, 10 March 2025: Visit Maldives confirms that the country’s national airline, Maldivian, will establish direct flights from Male’s Valena International Airport (MLE) to Germany this October.

Describing it as an “exciting announcement” during last week’s ITB Berlin seminar, the Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC/Visit Maldives) confirmed Maldivian will launch a direct route between the Maldives and Germany following the delivery of the airline’s second A330-200 aircraft.

MMPRC ( Visit Maldives) updated the travel trade during ITB Berlin last week.

MMPRC said the development would significantly boost tourism between the two countries.
“The new route will provide greater convenience for German travellers with the growing demand for travel to the Maldives and strengthen cultural and economic ties between the Maldives and Germany.”

Condor, owned by Attestor, a British investment firm, and Lufthansa Group’s Discover, are already scheduling weekly direct flights between Frankfurt and the Maldives. If Frankfurt is the choice for Maldivian, the airline will need to conclude interline agreements with German carriers to cover connecting flights to and from other major cities in Germany and neighbouring countries. Flight details have yet to be posted, but the airline will likely introduce twice-weekly flights using an A330-200 with 270 seats due for delivery in October.

Munich International Airport is another option the airline might consider, as no competing airlines currently serve direct routes to the Maldives.

The airline’s first A330-200, delivered in January 2025, now serves flights to three cities in China: Beijing, Chengdu, and Shanghai. Each of the three cities has a single weekly flight scheduled — Shanghai on Monday, Chengdu on Wednesday, and Beijing on Thursday.

The Maldivian expansion announcement headlined the Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC/Visit Maldives) seminar “The Next Chapter of Maldives Tourism, held at ITB Berlin 2025 last week. 

Representatives from the German and global travel trade community attended the seminar, which featured prominent speakers from the Maldives tourism sector. The speakers delivered insights on government initiatives, sustainable practices, and marketing strategies.

The Minister of Tourism and Environment, Thoriq Ibrahim, noted: “The government is committed to facilitating a conducive investment and operating environment for the tourism industry. We also recognise that our guests today differ from those who visited us decades ago. We need to harness developments in technology not just to improve efficiency but to build a tourism industry that is resilient, competitive, and future-proof.”

MMPRC’s CEO & Managing Director, Ibrahim Shiuree, discussed MMPRC’s marketing initiatives that align with national goals and the work undertaken by Visit Maldives to attract new types of travellers. 

He stated, “The Maldives has been the World’s Leading Destination for five consecutive years, and our goal is to maintain and strengthen this position. With our dedication to innovation, sustainability, and cultural tourism, MMPRC will continue to elevate the Maldives globally.”

MMPRC fielded a delegation of 200 tourism stakeholders from 89 companies at ITB Berlin 2025, reinforcing its position as the most preferred holiday destination for German-speaking markets and global travellers.

(Source: MMPRC ITB Berlin seminar)

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