Corporate Travel News

Sydney Airport MD and CEO Kerrie Mather stated (20-Jul-2017) Jun-2017 international passenger traffic growth of 9.7% year-on-year "represents our strongest monthly result this year". Ms Mather explained traffic is driven by "higher load factors and larger aircraft" with routes to China doing particularly well. [more - original PR]

Australia's Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics (BITRE) reported (21-Jul-2017) the overall domestic on time performance for participating airlines for Jun-2017. Details include:

• On-time departures: 85.3%;
  • Qantas: 90.5%;
  • Virgin Australia Regional Airlines: 89.1%;
  • Virgin Australia: 88.2%;
  • QantasLink: 86.4%;
  • Regional Express: 83.8%;
  • Jetstar: 77.2%;
  • Tigerair: 74.1%;
• On-time arrivals: 85.0%;
  
  • Qantas: 89.5%;
  • Virgin Australia Regional Airlines: 87.7%;
  • Virgin Australia: 87.1%;
  • QantasLink: 86.5%;
  • Regional Express: 81.3%;
  • Jetstar: 80.7%;
  • Tigerair: 73.2%;
• Cancellations: 1.4%;
  • QantasLink: 2.6%;
  • Tigerair: 2.1%;
  • Regional Express: 1.7%;
  • Virgin Australia: 1.1%;
  • Jetstar: 0.7%;
  • Qantas: 0.7%;
  • Virgin Australia Regional Airlines: 0.4%. [more - original PR]

Fiji Bureau of Statistics released visitor arrival results for June-2017 highlighting that tourism remains the key reason for visitors (Fiji Times Online, 20-Jul-2017). Tourist arrivals made up 75.6% of the 76,598 visitors who arrived in Fiji during the month.

Qantas unveiled (20-Jul-2017) a new range of inflight tableware for customers dining in first, business, premium economy and the Qantas lounge network. The tableware has been created by Australian Industrial Designer and lead designer of the Qantas Boeing 787 cabin interiors, David Caon. [more - original PR]

Qantas, vis its official Twitter page, announced (20-Jul-2017) all eligible Qantas Frequent Flyers and Qantas Club members will now have access to selected Alaska Airlines business class lounges as part of a reciprocal codeshare agreement.

JETGO Australia, via its official Facebook page, announced (20-Jul-2017) two new routes from Wollongong to Melbourne and Brisbane commencing 30-Oct-2017. Wollongong-Melbourne is planned to operate six times weekly, excluding Saturday, while Wollongong-Brisbane will be five times weekly, excluding Tuesday and Saturday.

Sydney Airport officially opened (19-Jul-2017) the onsite Mantra Hotel on 19-Jul-2017. The eight storey, 136 room hotel, is located within the T2/T3 domestic precinct with views overlooking the runway. MD and CEO Kerrie Mather stated this hotel will "meet the need for additional hotel accommodation" at Sydney Airport, "providing even more value and choice for our customers - whether they want a convenient place to stay close to the airport or an easy commute to the CBD". [more - original PR]

Gold Coast Airport received (20-Jul-2017) approval from the Australia Federal Government for its 2017 master plan, providing guidance on development of airport facilities, infrastructure and land uses to meet traffic requirements over the next twenty years. This master plans particularly focused on growth within the next five years to 2022. Proposed infrastructure upgrades include continued terminal expansion, additional aircraft parking stands, development of a high quality hotel and planning for future heavy and light rail facilities. The airport is forecast to receive 16.6 million passengers p/a by 2037. The final master plan will be published by late Sep-2017. [more - original PR]

Tourism Tasmania released (Jul-2017) its International Market Approach report which aims to grow annual visitor numbers to Tasmania to 1.5 million and generate visitor expenditure of AUD2.5 billion (USD2 billion) by 2020. The report identified Tasmania's highest priority markets, which include North America, Continental Europe, Singapore, Hong Kong and China. [more - original PR]

Samoa's Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sa'ilele Malielegaoi believes Virgin Australia previously limited Australia-Samoa frequency in order to justify higher air fares (NZ Radio, 19-Jul-2017). As previously reported by CAPA, the JV between Virgin Australia and the Samoa Government concludes in Nov-2017 and Virgin Australia has now applied to increase frequency to five times weekly. Mr Sa'ilele Malielegaoi stated "the Government would play a vital role in Virgin's application and it would be stupid to say yes".