News from Asia 亚洲新闻

Richard Maslen July 15, 2010

HAINAN AIRLINES TO SERVE PHUKET

Hainan Airlines has announced its first non-stop service to Thailand with a new three times weekly service from Beijing to Phuket. It will be the only carrier operating on the route and 39,000 passengers have flown on the sector between April 09-10. Thai Airways International currently carries 76% of this indirect traffic via Bangkok.

DRAGONAIR INCREASES CAPACITY INTO KAOHSIUNG

Cathay Pacific's low-cost subsidiary, Dragonair has added four weekly flights to its Hong Kong to Kaohsiung service. It will now operate the route 32-times a week, up from 28 flights a week. It competes on the sector with China Airlines, which operates 21 weekly flights and Mandarin Airlines, which operates a daily service.

AIR CHINA GOES DAILY TO SAN FRANCISCO

Star Alliance member Air China will operate a daily service to San Francisco for this coming winter season, increasing the service from being five-times a week.

Fellow Star Alliance member United Airlines also operates a daily rotation between San Francisco and Beijing.

AMERICAN AIRLINES TO LAUNCH TOKYO HANEDA FROM JANUARY

Oneworld member American Airlines will begin scheduled services from New York to Tokyo Haneda from January 20, 2011. The route from JFK will be operated on a daily basis. American also serves Narita on a daily basis. According to IATA BSP data over 412,000 passengers flew the JFK-Narita sector between April 09-10

TIGER ADDS THIRD DAILY INTO SINGAPORE

Tiger Airways has added a third daily flight from its Singapore base to Hong Kong. Tiger competes on the route with Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines, Jetstar Asia and United Airlines, which operates the route as a tag to its service originating in the US.