Corporate Travel News For Asia

CTC - Corporate Travel Community executive director Benson Tang, speaking at the CTC Hong Kong Corporate Travel Summit, stated (23-May-2023) "The World Health Organisation is not saying COVID is gone, it's just removed from the emergency list so COVID will continue to stay in this world". Dr Tang said compared to the peak of the pandemic, COVID numbers have dropped "significantly" but there are new cases and new variants, noting: "We still need to closely monitor the situation".

CTC - Corporate Travel Community executive director Benson Tang, speaking at the CTC Hong Kong Corporate Travel Summit, stated (23-May-2023) "Expedia is telling us that there is significant growth and a significant increase in searching". Dr Tang said searching numbers are showing significant growth particularly in the Asia Pacific region, with a 65% year-on-year increase.

CTC - Corporate Travel Community executive director Benson Tang, speaking at the CTC Hong Kong Corporate Travel Summit, stated (23-May-2023) "We are seeing revenge travel at the moment especially in leisure, but corporate travel is a little bit slower and not as strong". Dr Tang noted international travel is still lagging behind domestic travel particularly in the Asia Pacific region due to the late reopening of borders in China. Dr Tang added inflation is still a "key issue" and is still "very challenging".

Philippine Airlines announced (19-May-2023) all international services will operate from Manila Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1, effective 16-Jun-2023. Domestic services will operate to and from Terminal 2. [more - original PR]

Qantas Airways announced (19-May-2023) plans to enter a wet lease agreement with Finnair. Under the arrangement, Finnair A330 aircraft will operate selected Qantas flights between Sydney and Singapore from late Oct-2023 and all flights between Sydney and Bangkok from late Mar-2024. For the first two-and-a-half years of the agreement, flights will be operated by Finnair pilots and cabin crew, with customers continuing to receive Qantas' inflight food and beverage service, amenities, inflight entertainment and baggage allowance. From late 2025, two Finnair A330s will be dry leased, operating for up to three years with Qantas pilots and cabin crew. [more - original PR - AIPA] [more - original PR - Qantas Airways] [more - original PR - Finnair]

Qantas Airways announced (19-May-2023) plans to increase its international network with extra flights, additional aircraft and new routes as it restores capacity in line with strong travel demand. Details include:

• From late Oct-2023, Qantas will add around one million seats to its international network over 12 months compared to its current schedule;
• The additional capacity will come through a combination of more Qantas aircraft returning to service, new aircraft joining its fleet and an arrangement with Finnair to operate two A330 aircraft;
• The network changes will see the group's international capacity grow to around 100% of pre-COVID levels by Mar-2024, up from 44% 12 months ago and 84% today;
• Most of the flying will be powered by 2400 pilots and cabin crew Qantas has recruited into the group since borders reopened, a further 300 people will be needed by the end of 2023;
• Over the past six months, Qantas has brought five international aircraft back into its fleet, some from long term storage and some that were on standby as operational spares while the industry stabilised. A new Boeing 787 arrived in May-2023 and a further two will be delivered in Jun-2023. The latest Qantas A380 stored in the desert was reactivated in Jan-2023 and an additional A380 will return to service at the end of 2023 following maintenance and modifications to the cabin;

Qantas will increase capacity on the following routes from 29-Oct-2023:

• Melbourne-Los Angeles: From daily to nine times weekly, increasing capacity by around 60% with more A380 flying;
• Sydney-Auckland-New York: From three to four times weekly;
• Sydney-Tokyo Haneda: From daily to twice daily;
• Melbourne-Tokyo: From four times weekly to daily. Service will move to Tokyo Narita Airport;
• Brisbane-Tokyo: From three times weekly to daily. Service will move to Tokyo Narita Airport;
• Sydney-Shanghai: Service will resume daily with A330;
• Sydney-Hong Kong: Capacity increased by over 50% with daily flights to be operated with A380 and A330 aircraft;
• Melbourne-Hong Kong: From four times weekly to daily;
• Melbourne-Singapore: From 10 to 14 times weekly from 31-Mar-2024;
• Sydney-Singapore: From 14 to 15 times weekly from 31-Mar-2024;
• Melbourne-Delhi: From three to six times weekly;
• Brisbane-Wellington: Daily with Embraer E190;
• Brisbane-Honiara: Three times weekly with Embraer E190;
• Sydney-Christchurch: From 11 to 14 times weekly;
• Sydney-Queenstown: From 13 to 14 times weekly. [more - original PR]

Fiji Airways announced (18-May-2023) plans to increase Nadi-Hong Kong frequency from three to four times weekly from 01-Oct-2023. The carrier will increase frequency from twice to three times weekly from Aug-2023. CEO Andre Viljoen said forward bookings for Hong Kong for the next six months are 15% ahead of 2019. It resumed the route in Apr-2023. [more - original PR]

Asiana Airlines announced (17-May-2023) plans to expand its international operations from 355 frequencies per week to 50 destinations, as of 31-Mar-2023, to 413 frequencies per week to 54 destinations by the end of Oct-2023. This is an increase of 172 weekly frequencies and 26 destinations from the airline's international operations in summer 2022, and marks a recovery to 71% of its summer 2019 international capacity. The expansion will include frequency increases on services to Japan, China, the US, Vietnam, Turkey, Australia and the Philippines. [more - original PR - Korean]

Singapore Airlines Group announced (16-May-2023) Scoot will resume Nanning and Shenyang services in May-2023 and Jinan and Nanchang services in Aug-2023. The LCC also resumed services to Haikou, Ningbo and Xian in Apr-2023. Scoot has also increased frequency to Athens, Fuzhou, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Langkawi, Makassar, Manado, Penang, Perth, Taipei-Hokkaido, Tianjin and Zhengzhou. Scoot will suspend operations to the Gold Coast in Jul-2023. [more - original PR]

Jetstar Airways received (16-May-2023) its seventh A321LR aircraft in Melbourne on 16-May-2023. The LCC is due to receive another 11 A321LRs by the end of 2024, bringing its NG fleet to 18. The A321LRs are operating domestic services and flights between Australia and Bali. They will also operate between Sydney and Rarotonga from 29-Jun-2023. [more - original PR]