Air New Zealand’s Seven Charter Flights to Japan
Air New Zealand has confirmed that it is once again operating its popular charter programme from Japan to New Zealand during the Southern Summer season as it continues to stimulate passenger growth from this important tourism market. Between January 25, 2012 and March 14, 2012 the carrier will operate a weekly charter service into Auckland from Nagoya, Fukuoka or Kagoshima utilising 230-seat Boeing 767-300 aircraft. The flights had been in doubt as the earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan earlier this year has meant there has been a decline in demand since March, but working in partnership with Tourism New Zealand, the airline has been working to stimulate the market and its General Manager Japan, Ed Overy, says the charters are selling well, indicating “a continued appetite from Japanese tourists for a taste of a New Zealand summer. “This summer’s charter flights are less than the dozen we ran last summer but more than we had the year before that, and reflect the renewed optimism we are seeing in the outbound market from Japan following the recent reintroduction of direct services into Christchurch last month and also the resumption of regular Boeing 777-200 services,” he said. Japanese tourists spend more per person than any other nationality and are New Zealand’s fifth-largest tourist market, contributing 74,399 international visitors for the year ending October 2011, according to official statistics. Over the past years Air New Zealand has been focusing on new tourists from key regions across Japan and will be offering four charter flights from Nagoya, two from Fukuoka and one from Kagoshima. “Part of our market strategy has been to broaden our reach by offering direct air connections to New Zealand from regional airports within Japan, where we are observing some good demand,” explained Ed Overy. “New Zealand remains a popular summer holiday destination thanks to its spectacular scenery and pristine environment.” Alongside the charters Air New Zealand will offer three scheduled flights a week direct from Tokyo to Christchurch and then on to Auckland, three services a week between Tokyo and Auckland and four between Osaka and Auckland. An estimated 176,000 O&D passengers travelled between Japan and New Zealand last year, down 16.3 per cent on the previous 12 month period.
AirAsia Boosts Flights to Kota Kinabalu and Sandakan
Low-cost airline AirAsia has confirmed it will introduce additional daily frequencies on its routes from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Kinabalu and Sandakan from the first quarter of next year. The budget carrier will introduce a 14th daily flight to Kota Kinabalu and a third daily flight to Sandakan from February 6, 2012. AirAsia is currently the dominant carrier to Kota Kinabalu and Sandakan from its Kuala Lumpur base, although it competes directly with national carrier and soon to be business partner Malaysia Airlines on both routes. An estimated two million O&D passengers travelled between Kuala Lumpur and Kota Kinabalu last year, a route previously also served by Firefly, with AirAsia holding a 60 per cent share of this traffic, while around 325,000 flew between Kuala Lumpur and Sandakan of which 67 per cent used the flights of the budget carrier. “With these additional flight frequencies, our guests can look forward to added convenience and the liberty to pick the best flight times for their travels, as there are now more options on flight times available for these destinations,” said Kathleen Tan, Regional Head of Commercial, AirAsia. The carrier will also introduce three additional weekly frequencies on the Kota Kinabalu - Hong Kong route, increasing weekly flights to ten. Dragonair and Malaysia Airlines also provide service between the two cities. “We are currently the airline with the highest frequency for the Kota Kinabalu – Hong Kong route, providing guests with seamless connectivity,” said Kathleen Tan. An estimated 236,000 O&D passengers travelled between the two cities in the past year, around 46 per cent flying with AirAsia whose average fares are around half those of its rivals.
Virgin Australia Rebrands Its International Airlines
The Virgin Australia airline group has formally rebranded its international airlines V Australia and Pacific Blue under the new brand, Virgin Australia. The establishment of one brand and identity for Virgin Australia’s domestic and international operations is a key part of the company’s ‘Game Change Program’ strategy to become the “airline of choice in Australia”. “The Virgin Australia name enables us to tap into the huge power of the Virgin brand around the world – a brand that signifies style, innovation, quality, value for money and the best service,” said John Borghetti, Chief Executive Officer, Virgin Australia. “The new identity has been designed with a clean and contemporary look and feel that encapsulates our company’s repositioning as the airline of choice for all market segments. Virgin Australia has also revealed a revised brand and livery for Polynesian Blue, its joint venture with the Government of Samoa, which will now operate under the Virgin Samoa name. Speaking at the formal unveiling of the new look, The Hon Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, Prime Minister of Samoa, said: “Our vision when entering our Polynesian Blue joint venture in 2005 was to create a national airline that would be financially strong and that would provide growth opportunities and financial stability for our country. We have achieved these goals.”
Revised 777 ETOPS Supports Air NZ’s Long-Range Links
Boeing has received type-design approval from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for up to 330-minute extended operations (ETOPS) for its 777 fleet. This authorisation will allow 777 customers who purchase or already operate 777-300ER (extended range), 777-200LR (longer range), 777 Freighter and 777-200ER models equipped with General Electric engines to fly up to 330 minutes from an alternate airport. Boeing says FAA approval for the 777-200ER equipped with Rolls-Royce and Pratt & Whitney engines is expected to follow over the next few months. "Boeing twin-engine jets have flown more than seven million ETOPS flights since 1985, and more than 120 Boeing operators fly more than 50,000 ETOPS flights each month," said Larry Loftis, Vice President and General Manager 777 Program. "This is the logical continuation of the Boeing philosophy of point-to-point service. Passengers want to minimize their overall travel time. This is one more step in that direction." The first airline to purchase the new longer ETOPS option is Air New Zealand. The carrier is already using 240 minute ETOPS, introducing such flights earlier this month between Auckland and Los Angeles. The new FAA approval allows airlines that operate routes in the south Pacific, over the North Pole, and from Australia to South America and southern Africa to fly the most direct routes. "What this means is that the aircraft is able to fly a straighter route between the city pairs and that's good for the environment," said Capt. David Morgan, Chief Pilot for Air New Zealand. "Less fuel is burned and less carbon dioxide is emitted into the atmosphere. It's also good for customers because flights are potentially shorter and passengers could arrive sooner at their destinations."
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