News for Asia

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]

Swedish Presidency of the Council of the EU announced (16-Feb-2023) that considering recent epidemiological developments and the advice of the Health Security Committee, member states agreed on the coordination of the following COVID-19 travel measures:

• To phase out the requirement for a negative pre-departure COVID-19 test for travellers from China to member states by the end of Feb-2023;
• To phase out random testing of travellers arriving from China to member states by the middle of Mar-2023. [more - original PR]

Cathay Pacific, via its official online booking system, confirmed (Feb-2023) plans to resume three times weekly Hong Kong-Johannesburg service from 01-Aug-2023. The airline will operate the service with A350-900 equipment.

VietJet Air confirmed (14-Feb-2023) plans to launch three times weekly Ho Chi Minh City-Melbourne service from 08-Apr-2023. [more - original PR]

VietJet Air announced (14-Feb-2023) plans to commence three times weekly Ho Chi Minh City-Sydney service from 12-Apr-2023. [more - original PR]

Air China, via its official WeChat account, announced (07-Feb-2023) the resumption of three times weekly Beijing-Sydney service on 03-Feb-2023. As previously reported by CAPA, Air China resumed three times weekly Beijing-Melbourne service on 01-Feb-2023. 

Cathay Pacific re-opened (06-Feb-2023) The Deck lounge at Hong Kong International Airport on 06-Feb-2023. The airline is also working towards reopening The Pier First and The Wing Business within the next six months as it continues to add more flights to its schedule. As travel resumes, Cathay Pacific is also progressively reopening its global lounges, with lounges at Tokyo Narita Airport and Singapore Changi Airport reopening in Feb-2023, followed by lounges at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Mar-2023 and Manila Ninoy Aquino International Airport lounge in Apr-2023, and the airline's signature lounges at San Francisco, Beijing Capital, Taiwan Taoyuan and Vancouver airports in 2Q2023 and 3Q2023. [more - original PR]

Xiamen Airlines, via its official WeChat account, announced (02-Feb-2023) it increased Fuzhou-Sydney frequency to twice weekly, effective Feb-2023.