Corporate Travel News For South Pacific

Air India implemented (15-Sep-2023) an integrated self-baggage drop and self-kiosk check-in service at Delhi Indira Gandhi International Airport's Terminal 3. The service is available for all domestic services and services to Australia. The airline's chief customer experience and ground handling officer Rajesh Dogra said: "This facility eliminates the queue waiting time for check-in over the counters and helps travellers to nearly breeze through the airport. We not only plan to extend this for flights to more countries around the world, but also intend to introduce it at other airports in India as well as at major airports in other parts of the world". [more - original PR]

Brisbane Airport executive general manager aviation Ryan Both, speaking at the CAPA Australia Pacific Aviation Summit, stated (15-Sep-2023) "different ways of travel" have emerged post-COVID-19. Mr Both reported changes to leisure and business travel patterns are affecting different routes, with the Brisbane-Sydney market coming back "stronger" underpinned by corporate and FIFO traffic.

Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) issued (15-Sep-2023) a draft determination proposing to deny authorisation for Qantas Airways and China Eastern Airlines, and their related entities, to continue coordinating operations between Australia and mainland China. ACCC Commissioner Anna Brakey stated: "At this stage we are not satisfied that the likely harm to competition from Qantas and China Eastern's proposed coordination would be outweighed by any potential benefits", adding: "We are concerned that the authorisation would provide Qantas and China Eastern with the opportunity and incentive to increase prices, compared to what they would charge absent the alliance, by limiting or delaying the introduction of additional capacity on the Sydney-Shanghai route as passenger demand continues to grow". Ms Brakey also noted: "A key difference between now and the previous authorisations is we have not been provided with sufficient evidence that the coordination would lead to additional services on other routes between Australia and China". The interim authorisation the ACCC granted to the two parties on 30-Mar-2023 to continue to coordinate their operations will remain in place until the ACCC reaches a final decision, and Qantas and China Eastern are invited to make submissions in response to the draft determination by 06-Oct-2023. [more - original PR]

United Airlines regional manager AU, NZ, FP Timothy Wallis, speaking at the CAPA Australia Pacific Aviation Summit, stated (14-Sep-2023) codeshare partner Virgin Australia is "opening more corporate doors" in Australia as it offers more on-ground distribution options.

Australia's Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Communications & the Arts Assistant Secretary Jim Wolfe, speaking at the CAPA Australia Pacific Aviation Summit, reported (14-Sep-2023) the India, Sri Lanka and Fiji markets have recorded "very strong growth" post-COVID-19. Mr Wolfe stated the markets have exceeded pre-COVID-19 performance, noting the market successes have been "pleasant surprises".

Brisbane Airport CEO Gert-Jan de Graaff, speaking at the CAPA Australia Pacific Aviation Summit, stated (14-Sep-2023) virtual meeting platforms such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams are "a real competitor" in the Australian domestic corporate travel market. Mr de Graaff said more sustainable behaviour has also affected corporate travel.

Brisbane Airport announced (14-Sep-2023) China Eastern Airlines plans to resume three times weekly Shanghai Pudong-Brisbane service from 29-Oct-2023, following a suspension since Feb-2020. The airline will operate the service with A330-200 equipment configured with 232 seats and plans to increase frequency to daily from 08-Dec-2023. The resumption was secured under the Queensland Government's AUD200 million (USD128.4 million) Attracting Aviation Investment Fund, which was created to boost Queensland's visitor economy. Brisbane Airport Corporation CEO Gert-Jan de Graaff stated: "With two carriers now set to resume services from mainland China, we're forecasting China will likely regain its spot as Queensland's number one source for inbound tourists in 2024". China Eastern will codeshare with Qantas Airways on the route. [more - original PR]

Air New Zealand announced (13-Sep-2023) plans to make updates to its schedule to support extended aircraft maintenance across its network. The changes will be progressively rolled out to GDS and PNRs will be updated with a UN status. [more - original PR]

Flight Centre Travel Group CEO Graham 'Skroo' Turner, speaking at the CAPA Australia Pacific Aviation Summit, commented (14-Sep-2023) on a decision by federal government to deny Qatar Airways additional flights into Australia. Mr Turner said: "Virgin Australia has a codeshare with Qatar Airways, and they desperately need more capacity particular from Qatar, so if anybody will lose out on the decision it will be Virgin". Mr Turner added: "It's a real blow for them".

Air France-KLM and Etihad Airways signed (07-Sep-2023) an MoU to enhance their collaboration across passenger operations, loyalty programmes, talent development and maintenance. Air France-KLM and Etihad contemplate expanding their codeshare and interline agreements initiated in 2012. Initially, more than 40 new routes covering destinations across Europe, the Middle East, Asia Pacific and Australia have been made available for booking, effective immediately, for travel from winter 2023/24. The MoU also proposes the ability for both Flying Blue and Etihad Guest members to earn and redeem miles with Air France, KLM and Etihad. The airlines will also explore terminal co-location, reciprocal lounge access and ground handling, among other initiatives. Etihad operates daily services from Abu Dhabi to Paris CDG and Amsterdam Schiphol. Air France will commence daily Paris CDG-Abu Dhabi service on 29-Oct-023. As previously reported by CAPA, in Aug-2023 Air France-KLM signed an MoU with Abu Dhabi's Department of Culture and Tourism to expand connectivity between Europe and Abu Dhabi. [more - original PR] [more - original PR - II]