News for Asia

Public Health Agency of Canada announced (16-Mar-2023) Canada's Government plans to ease COVID-19 testing requirements and arrival screening for inbound travellers arriving from China, Hong Kong and Macau, effective 17-Mar-2023. The Government noted data from China, the international community, and wastewater sampling conducted in Canada have not detected any new variants of concerns since the border measures were introduced in Jan-2023. This represents the removal of all federal COVID-19 border restrictions in Canada. [more - original PR]

Air Premia announced (17-Mar-2023) plans to commence four times weekly Seoul Incheon-New York Newark service on 22-May-2023, operating with Boeing 787-9 equipment. The airline will be the sole scheduled operator on the route, according to OAG. [more - original PR - Korean]

Emirates Airline scheduled to upgauge equipment on daily Dubai-Taipei service to 516 seat A380-800 aircraft from 01-Aug-2023, according to OAG. The service is currently operated using 367 seat Boeing 777-300ER equipment. No other carriers operate the route.

Ethiopian Airlines announced (15-Mar-2023) plans to commence four times weekly Addis Ababa-Singapore-Kuala Lumpur service with Boeing 787 on 25-Mar-2023. The airline previously served Kuala Lumpur from 2012 to 2021. [more - original PR]

Philippines' Department of Tourism, via its official Facebook account, released (05-Mar-2023) a Memorandum Circular further easing health and safety guidelines governing the operations of tourism establishments, pushing for the further opening of the country to tourists and travellers. Proof of full vaccination and the wearing of face masks in tourism enterprises will no longer be required.

Brisbane Airport announced (16-Mar-2023) VietJet Air plans to commence twice weekly Ho Chi Minh City-Brisbane service from 16-Jun-2023. VietJet will operate the service with A330-300 equipment configured with 12 business class and 365 economy class seats. The service will be the first between Vietnam and Queensland and is predicted to inject AUD25.6 million (USD16.94 million) into Queensland's visitor economy and support 240 jobs in the first year of operation. The three year deal will support the planned growth of the service to four times weekly by the third year. [more - original PR]

Emirates Airline announced (14-Mar-2023) it has increased operations by 31% (total ASKs) since the start of FY2023 and will increase frequency on the following services:

• Europe:
  • Amsterdam: From 14 to 19 weekly from 02-Apr-2023; 
  • Athens: Addition of a daily seasonal frequency to serve summer demand from 01-Jun-2022 to 30-Sep-2023;
  • Bologna: Five times weekly to daily from 01-May-2023; 
  • Budapest: Five times weekly to daily from 01-Jun-2023
  • London: Start of second daily frequency to London Stansted Airport on 01-May-2023. This will take Emirates London operations to 11 daily frequencies, including six times daily to London Heathrow Airport and three times daily to London Gatwick Airport;
  • Venice: Five to six times weekly from 26-Mar-2023, increasing to daily from 01-Jun-2023;
• Africa:
  • Cairo: From 25 to 28 times weekly by 29-Oct-2023;
  • Dar es Salaam: Five times weekly to daily from 01-May-2023;
  • Entebbe: Six times weekly to daily flights starting 01-Jul-2023;
• Australia and New Zealand:
  • Emirates nonstop Australia flights will resume to pre-pandemic levels to Sydney from 01-May-2023, Melbourne from 26-Mar-2023 and Brisbane on 01-Jun-2023;
  • Brisbane: Additional daily frequency starting 01-Jun-2023 will take Emirates to 14 flights per week to Brisbane;
  • Christchurch: Resumption of daily service from Dubai via Sydney from 26-Mar-2023;
  • Melbourne: Addition of third daily frequency to Melbourne from 26-Mar-2023 via Singapore. This adds capacity to Melbourne and re-establishes connectivity between Singapore and Melbourne. The other two daily flights from Melbourne fly nonstop to Dubai;
  • Sydney: Addition of third daily nonstop frequency from 01-May-2023.
• East Asia:
  • Bangkok: Addition of fifth daily frequency from 01-Aug-2023;
  • Beijing: To commence daily nonstop Boeing 777-300ER service from 15-Mar-2023, upgrading to an A380 from 01-May-2023. A second daily frequency will commence from 01-Sep-2023 with A380 aircraft;
  • Hong Kong: Addition of a daily nonstop frequency from 29-Mar-2023. This increases Emirates' operations to 14 weekly flights including its existing daily Dubai-Bangkok-Hong Kong service;
  • Kuala Lumpur: Addition of a third daily frequency from 01-Jun-2023;
  • Tokyo: Resumption of service to Tokyo Haneda Airport with daily flights on 02-Apr-2023. This takes Emirates Japan operations to 21 weekly frequencies, including a daily A380 service to Tokyo Narita and a daily Boeing 777 service to Osaka. [more - original PR]

Australia's Minister for Health and Aged Care Mark Butler announced (09-Mar-2023) Australia's pre departure coronavirus testing requirements for passengers arriving from mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau, will cease applying to services that land in Australia from 00.01 on 11-Mar-2023. The measure commenced on 05-Jan-2023 and was initiated out of caution in response to a significant wave of coronavirus infections in China and the risk of potential new emerging variants. [more - original PR]

Singapore Airlines Group announced (21-Feb-2023) Scoot will resume services to Haikou, Nanning, Ningbo, Shenyang and Xian and will increase frequency to Athens, Langkawi, Manado, Perth, Taipei-Tokyo Narita and Taipei-Sapporo. The carrier also plans to suspend service to the Gold Coast from Jul-2023. [more - original PR]

Qantas Group announced (21-Feb-2023) plans to enhance its network of lounges in Australia and overseas. The AUD100 million (USD68.6 million) investment features four new lounges, and an upgrade programme of existing international and domestic lounges, including:

• New First Lounge at London Heathrow Airport;
• Re opening of a refreshed Hong Kong International Airport lounge;
• Complete refurbishment and expansion of International Business Lounge in Sydney;
• Updated and expanded International Business Lounge in Melbourne;
• New Hobart Qantas Club;
• New Broome Regional Lounge with double the seating.

The project is the largest investment in the Qantas lounge network in more than a decade and comes as the airline expands its domestic and international routes and starts to take delivery of next-generation aircraft. The investment in lounges is phased over three years and is included in the group's existing capital expenditure forecast. The carrier's lounge network includes 42 in Australia, 12 of which are in regional destinations, and nine overseas. [more - original PR]