Corporate Travel News For South Pacific

Qantas Airways resumed (18-Jun-2023) three times weekly Perth-Rome service from 18-Jun-2023 to 03-Oct-2023. The service will offer over 22,000 seats between Australia and Italy and remains the only nonstop flight between Australia and continental Europe offered by any airline. Qantas also confirmed it will operate the service for a third year, with flights for 2024 to go on sale in early Jul-2023. [more - original PR]

Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce stated "people not being in the office" is a factor in business travel recovering at a slower pace, adding: "Getting people back into the office is a precursor to get people to do trips" (Bloomberg, 05-Jun-2023). Mr Joyce said: "We're back at around 80% of pre-COVID corporate level of travel and over 100% on revenue and what we're finding is that same day travel is at 60%, that's the one that is weak". Mr Joyce said: "Melbourne-Sydney is at around 60% of what we were and that was the second largest city pair in the world, and it's coming back to being the second largest city pair in the world". He noted other sectors "more than compensate" for Melbourne-Sydney recovering at a slower rate.

FCM Consulting released (17-May-2023) its Global Trends Report, detailing the following corporate travel booking data highlights for 1Q2023:

• Online domestic Australia travel bookings: Up 27% year-on-year;
• Advance booking days: 19, up from 17 days in 1Q2023;
• Average trip duration: 2.9.

The report demonstrated the return of in-person meetings was the leading reason for corporate travel, with travellers booking early to secure options and pay lower prices. FCM Consulting GM Felicity Burke stated: "Air travel will stabilise this year, seeing added capacity in 1H2023 and airfares moderating in 2H2023". [more - original PR]

Singapore Airlines (SIA) announced (24-May-2023) plans to increase Australia frequencies from Nov-2023, subject to regulatory approval. Details as follows:

• Singapore-Melbourne: From four to five times daily, effective 22-Nov-2023 to 31-Mar-2024. A380 operation on one frequency will be extended from end of Oct-2023 to 21-Nov-2023, with the aircraft to be replaced with A350 from 22-Nov-2023;
• Singapore-Sydney: From four to five times weekly with A350-900, effective 02-Dec-2023 to 14-Jan-2024;
• Singapore-Adelaide: From daily to 11 times weekly with A350-900, effective 02-Dec-2023;
• Singapore-Brisbane: From 21 to 25 times weekly with A350-900, effective 01-Dec-2023 to 13-Jan-2024;
• Singapore-Perth: From 21 to 25 times weekly with A350-900, effective 24-Nov-2023 to 14-Jan-2024.

Singapore Airlines regional VP South West Pacific Louis Arul said the decision to significantly ramp up SIA's operations over the year end holiday period would help support the high levels of demand that were expected. [more - original PR]

Hainan Airlines, via its official Twitter account, announced (23-May-2023) plans to resume twice weekly Shenzhen-Auckland service with A330 equipment from 17-Jun-2023. The airline will be the sole scheduled operator on the route, according to OAG.

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]

Tourism Council WA CEO Evan Hall welcomed (17-May-2023) the launch of Nexus Airlines, stating the airline will bring competition to regional WA and connect "international, interstate and local visitors from Perth to tourism experiences in and across the north". Mr Hall said: "Nexus Airlines routes, such as Broome to Kununurra and onto Darwin, will create new tourism itineraries for international and domestic visitors who want to see regional WA but don't have the holiday time for long distance road trips." He added the airline will "provide reliable visitor access for Kimberley tourism operators". [more - original PR]

Qantas Airways, via its official website, confirmed (17-May-2023) plans to launch a 'Neighbour Free' programme, enabling passengers to reserve the seat next to them when travelling economy on select domestic routes. The carrier added Neighbour Free seats are subject to availability and may need to be changed for operational, safety or security reasons.