Corporate Travel News For Asia

Australia's Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics (BITRE) reported (Oct-2017) the following highlights for international airline activity for Aug-2017:

• 59 international airlines operated scheduled services to/from Australia during Aug-2017 (including five dedicated freight airlines but excluding airlines operating only via codeshare arrangements);
• International scheduled traffic was 3.3 million passenger, up 6.3% year-on-year. The most recent annual month on month decrease in traffic was recorded in Mar-2011 (-1.6%);
• Passenger traffic for the year ended Aug-2017 was 39.0 million, up 6.1%;
• Total seats available on international scheduled operations to/from Australia were 4.3 million, up 4.9%;
• Overall seat utilisation percentage (including AirAsia X, China Airlines, Emirates, Philippine Airlines, Qantas and Singapore Airlines passengers travelling through Australian ports) increased 1.2 ppts;
• Qantas had the largest share of the market in Aug-2017 with 16.6%, followed by Jetstar (9.8%), Singapore Airlines (8.2%), Emirates (7.9%) and Virgin Australia (6.5%). Compared to Aug-2016, Qantas Airways' share increased by 0.8ppts, Jetstar's share increased by 0.4ppts, Singapore Airlines' share decreased by 0.1ppts, Emirates' share decreased by 0.6ppts and Virgin Australia's share increased by 0.2ppts;
• Qantas Group - Qantas Airways, Jetstar and Jetstar Asia (0.6%) - accounted for 27.0% of total passenger carriage, up 1.1ppts;
• Australian designated airlines share of passenger traffic was 32.9%, up 0.4ppts;
• LCCs - AirAsia X, Cebu Pacific Air, Indonesia AirAsia, Jetstar, Jetstar Asia and Scoot Tigerair - accounted for 16.5% of total international passenger traffic, down 1.9ppts;
• International scheduled freight traffic in Aug-2017 increased by 13.0% to 93,702 tonnes. Inbound freight traffic increased by 16.3% and outbound freight traffic increased by 9.4%. [more - original PR]

Tourism Australia unveiled the Great Australian Airfare Sale, providing Indian travellers best airfare deals on eight airlines namely Air Asia, Air India, Cathay Pacific, Malaysia Airlines, Qantas, Scoot, Singapore Airlines and Thai Airways (Economic Times, 02-Nov-2017). The sale will be on for a three week period between 01-Nov-2017 and 21-Nov-2017 for travel to Australia through Nov-2018. The campaign will be promoted across various digital platforms to engage and interact with the target audience, and will be further amplified through Tourism Australia's key distribution partners and online travel agents. Through this campaign Tourism Australia is also marking the celebrations of its 50th anniversary.

China Southern Airlines stated Cairns will become the sixth destination for China Southern Airlines' operations in Australia, from 04-Dec-2017 (Tourism Breaking News, 30-Oct-2017). China Southern Airlines GM Gloria Fang confirmed the route as the carrier marked the 10th anniversary of operations on the Delhi-Guangzhou route. The new service will operate three times weekly.

Russia's Federal Agency for Tourism (Rosturizm) reported (01-Nov-2017) 840,000 Chinese visited the Russian Federation under the visa free exchange programme between Jan-2017 to Sep-2017, up 24% year-on-year. Most Chinese tourists visited Moscow (296,000 visits, up 15%), Primorsky Territory (184,000, up 9%) and the Amur Region (93,000, up 36%). Rosturizm head Oleg Safonov stated: "The significant growth of the tourist flow from China, which is observed in recent years in Russia, is connected with many factors: active promotion of our country in the Chinese tourist market, raising the level of service for tourists from China, diversification of tourist products and, of course, visa-free group tourist exchange. The key tasks from the point of view of further development of inbound tourism from China is to expand the geography of travel and the range of offers for Chinese travelers, including due to ecological, rural, gastronomic and industrial tours". [more - original PR - Russian]

Avolon stated (Oct-2017) its average RPK growth forecast of 5.4% p/a through 2036 "is underpinned by the strong economic and demographic dynamics of emerging markets". Avolon said these markets, "where liberalisation and the new low cost airline business models provide affordable travel opportunities to large and expanding middle-class populations", will see the industry's centre of gravity "continue to move away from the mature markets of North America and Europe towards emerging markets, particularly in Asia, with China becoming increasingly important". [more - original PR]

Beijing Capital Airlines, via its official Weibo account, announced (29-Oct-2017) the launch of four times weekly Qingdao-Sydney Kingsford Smith service with A330 aircraft on 29-Oct-2017. The carrier launched its first nonstop service between Shandong Province and Australia with Qingdao-Melbourne service in Sep-2016.

Singapore Airlines announced (26-Oct-2017) its new cabin products will debut on Singapore-Sydney service on 18-Dec-2017. The airline's new first class, business class, premium economy and economy class cabins will initially be fitted on five new A380 aircraft on firm order from Airbus. The first of the new A380s will be deployed on one daily Singapore-Sydney frequency (SQ221/232) and additional destinations for the new products will be announced "in the coming months". [more - original PR]

AirAsia X recorded (26-Oct-2017) more than 30 million passengers since commencing operations with Kuala Lumpur-Gold Coast service on 02-Nov-2007. AirAsia Group recorded more than 12 million passengers to and from Australia in the last 10 years. AirAsia X Group CEO Kamarudin Meranun said: "As we receive more widebody aircraft over the next few years, route network expansion becomes even more crucial and we will definitely be launching more exciting long haul destinations to stimulate travel demand". AirAsia X Malaysia CEO Benyamin Ismail said: "Our growth focus will be on tapping underserved markets and high traffic routes". [more - original PR - AirAsia X] [more - original PR - Gold Coast Airport]

Australia's Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment Steven Ciobo held (20-Oct-2017) a meeting with Hong Kong CEO Carrie Lam, and Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Edward Yau, to build momentum for the Australia-Hong Kong Free Trade Agreement (A-HKFTA) negotiations and to drive more tourism investment into Australia. Hong Kong to further progress the A-HKFTA negotiations and to drive more tourism investment into Australia. Mr Ciobo said Australia is seeking a modern agreement with Hong Kong, focused on securing significant access for services exports. He added the tourism industry is "highly attractive to potential investors" as Australia keeps setting new tourism records and that improving accommodation and other tourism infrastructure across our nation is "vital to sustaining healthy growth of this sector". [more - original PR]

Qantas Group released (26-Oct-2017) preliminary trading data for Q1FY2018:

• Group revenue: AUD4190 million, +5.1% year-on-year;
  
  • Group revenue per ASK: +3.1%;
  • Group Domestic revenue per ASK (comprising Qantas Domestic and Jetstar Domestic): +8.0%;
  • Group International revenue per ASK (comprising Qantas International, Jetstar International and Jetstar Asia in Singapore): +0.2%. [more - original PR]