aviation
- Tourism News
Airlines raise concerns over Thailand’s 300-baht tourism fee, coming in Q3
Thailand continues to be a troublesome destination for airlines keen on resuming flights into the Kingdom. Firstly with the lingering Thailand Pass digital gateway, and now a new tourism tax (which will include compulsory insurance). Thailand’s tourism ministry has confirmed the proposed 300 baht tourism fee looks set to be implemented from the third quarter of 2022. Ministry official Mongkon…
- World News
Demand for Singapore picks up as Covid-19 entry restrictions are eased
Data compiled by economists at Maybank Investment Bank reveals an increase in Google searches for Singapore, following the city-state’s easing of Covid restrictions. In particular, an increase in demand has been reported among travellers in Malaysia, along with Indonesia, India, and Australia. According to a Bloomberg report, Singapore has jumped ahead of its neighbours in ditching travel restrictions and adopting…
- World News
Thailand to welcome East-West flight detours as airlines avoid Russian airspace
More planes might be detouring through Thailand’s airspace as a result of Russia closing its skies to airlines from “hostile” nations, after an overwhelming majority of nations condemned its invasion of Ukraine at the UN General Assembly last month. The nation’s Ministry of Transportation has called for the Aeronautical Radio of Thailand, or Aerothai, to draw up a contingency plan,…
- World News
Boeing 757-200 crash lands and splits in two at Costa Rica airport
Boeing’s series of bad media, whether directly at fault or not, continues after a DHL Boeing 757-200 cargo aircraft crash landed and split into two, losing its tail end at Costa Rica’s Juan Santamaria international airport yesterday. The crew managed to escape the yellow DHL cargo plane and came out of the incident unharmed. The aircraft was bound for Guatemala…
- Thailand News
Thai airlines urged to inspect all Boeing 737-800 aircraft following crash in China
After a Boeing 737-800 crashed in China, killing all 132 passengers on board, Thailand’s aviation officials have urged five Thai airlines to conduct thorough safety inspections of their 26 Boeing 737-800 aircraft. Leading domestic airlines, including Nok Air and Thai Lion, must obtain a Certificate of Airworthiness for all operational 737-800s, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand. China Eastern…
- China News
Air crash investigators baffled by China Eastern nosedive from cruising altitude
A preliminary look into the possible causes of a fatal China Eastern crash on Monday has investigators baffled, according to a Bloomberg report. In particular, mystery surrounds why the Boeing 737-800 appeared to enter a sudden nosedive from a cruising altitude of 29,000 feet, an hour before it was scheduled to land. The aircraft was flying from the southern city…
- South Thailand News
Tourism officials in South encouraged by opening of Yala’s Betong Airport
The newly opened Betong Airport, in the southern province of Yala, has inspired hope of a tourism revival in the town. The Bangkok Post reports that the airport received its operating licence from the Aviation Authority of Thailand on January 28. The 920-rai facility can handle up to 300 passengers an hour, or 80,000 a year. The airport is seen…
- World News
Tomorrow, Vietnam lifts restrictions on international flights from all markets
From tomorrow, Vietnam will lift Covid-19 curbs on international flights from all markets, with no limits on flight numbers. According to a Reuters report, the state-run newspaper Tuoi Tre confirmed the decision over the weekend, citing Dinh Viet Son from the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam. According to Son, China is the only country yet to agree to resume commercial…
- World News
Sharp rise in Southeast Asia flight bookings as countries ease border controls
Online flight search engine Skyscanner has reported a sharp rise in flight bookings for Southeast Asia as several countries ease border restrictions. This will come as welcome news to the region’s airlines, after international travel in Asia-Pacific plummeted 93% last year, compared to pre-pandemic levels. According to a Reuters report, many carriers are relying heavily on the cargo market to…
- World News
Regional low-cost carriers expand routes in Southeast Asia as travel slowly resumes
International flights in the Southeast Asia region continue to resume, with low-cost carriers expanding their routes as countries re-open. According to a TTR Weekly report, the Singapore Airlines subsidiary, Scoot, is resuming the Singapore – Ho Chi Minh route, with 4 round-trip flights a week. A twice-weekly service connecting Singapore and Hanoi is planned from February 22. Last week, Vietnam…
- World News
Malaysia allows two new airlines to operate as industry still reels from Covid-19
The civil aviation regulator of Malaysia has allowed the entry of two new airlines despite the fact that the industry has been reeling from the catastrophic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic for more than two years. According to the Malaysian Aviation Commission (Mavcom), the newly founded ultra-low-cost carrier MYAirline is about to begin its operations soon as it has been…
- World News
Jetstar Asia to operate vaccinated travel lane between Bangkok and Singapore
Jetstar Asia has confirmed it has received approval to launch 2 additional Vaccinated Travel Lane services from next week. TTR Weekly reports that the carrier will operate flights for fully vaccinated passengers from Bangkok and Phnom Penh to Singapore. The Bangkok to Singapore service launches on December 15 and the following day, VTL flights from Phnom Penh to Singapore join…
- Business News
Mass lay-offs at Thai AirAsia as aviation sector continues to struggle
Thailand may have re-opened to international travellers, but the aviation sector continues to struggle as a result of the pandemic. Today, the Bangkok Post reports that Thai AirAsia has announced mass redundancies and extended furlough arrangements for many of its staff. Asia Aviation, the largest shareholder in TAA, says the outlook for the aviation sector remains unstable and the company…
- Tourism News
Emirates A380 to return to Bangkok Suvarnabhumi to meet increased demand
The A380 is to return to the skies over Bangkok as Emirates upgrades capacity on flights to the capital to meet increased demand. TTR Weekly reports that Thailand’s recent re-opening to vaccinated tourists from approved countries has led to strong demand, with around 10,000 arrivals registered at Suvarnabhumi every day. In order to add capacity and frequency to its services,…
- Tourism News
Thai flights up 25%, experts suggest travel bubbles, cheaper Covid tests
Thailand’s reopening isn’t just a boost for Thai tourism businesses; it also provided a ray of hope in Asia for the battered airline industry as the first reopening in the region. The Executive Chairman of Thai AirAsia’s largest shareholder, Asia Aviation, says this sets the tone for flights, the tourism economy, and businesses in the country. Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok,…
- World News
Bangkok Airways to resume flights between Suvarnabhumi and Phnom Penh
Bangkok Airways has confirmed it will resume flights to Cambodia from December, with a service between Suvarnabhumi airport and Phnom Penh. TTR Weekly reports that the announcement follows an earlier sales email from the carrier’s Phnom Penh office that promoted one-way fares to Bangkok. An Airbus A320 will operate the route 4 times a week on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and…
- World News
Malaysia and Singapore confirm travel bubble for vaccinated travellers
From November 29, vaccinated passengers can fly between Kuala Lumpur International Airport and Singapore’s Changi Airport, without having to quarantine. Bloomberg confirms that both countries have agreed a travel bubble arrangement for what is one of the world’s busiest air corridors. It’s understood the agreement could also be extended to land crossings in the near future. Vaccinated travellers will not…
- Business News
More cuts at Thai Airways as flagship carrier continues rehab process
The chairman of the Thai Airways rehabilitation plan says the airline is making good progress with cost-cutting exercises. Piyasvasti Amranand says Thailand’s national carrier has managed to recover 44.8 billion baht by cutting its workforce and ending aircraft lease agreements. “Thai Airways’ operational performance has progressed satisfactorily in many aspects, including cost reduction and organisational restructuring.” According to a TTR…
- China News
Chinese travellers forced to stay home as rest of Asia re-opens to tourism
With Asian countries re-opening to foreign arrivals, there will be one significant tourism market missing for now – the Chinese. In China, according to a Reuters report, international air travel is currently at just 2% of pre-pandemic levels, as officials continue to pursue zero-Covid status. The absence of Chinese visitors will mean a US$255 billion annual spending hole in the…
- Tourism News
Airports of Thailand expects 726,000 passengers in November, mostly domestic
The president of Airports of Thailand says the country’s airports can expect around 726,000 passengers this month, following Thailand’s re-opening. However, Nitinai Sirismatthakarn says most of those will be domestic travellers, with around 270,529 expected from overseas. The Bangkok Post reports that 31 flights, carrying around 2,600 passengers, landed at Suvarnabhumi yesterday. Around 1,500 were international arrivals. Meanwhile, Anucha Nakasai…
- Tourism News
Tourism operators urge government to agree travel bubbles
Thailand’s tourism sector is urging the government to agree travel bubbles with other countries, to ensure quarantine-free travel in both directions. Suthiphong Pheunphiphop from the Thai Travel Agents Association would like to see reciprocal arrangements in place once Thailand re-opens to 46 countries from November 1. According to a Bangkok Post report, he says such an agreement would mean Thai…
- Tourism News
Foreign airlines give up 80% of their slots at Thailand’s airports amid uncertainty of next 5 months
The managing director of Airports of Thailand says international carriers have returned around 80% of their slots at Thailand’s airports. Nitinai Sirisamatthakarn says around 80% of slots between October 31 and March 26 next year have been returned, indicating that airlines are uncertain about any imminent recovery in the aviation sector. Airport slots are the landing and take-off permissions that…
- World News
Singapore Airlines launches 60 minute A380 flights
It’s designed to ferry lots of people long distances, in an ultra-quiet flying experience. So flyers would be used to flying the huge Airbus A380 from LA to London, Bahrain to Frankfurt, Melbourne to Hong Kong. The massive super jumbo airliner wasn’t designed for a short 1 hour hop. But that’s exactly what Singapore Airlines have planned now they’re getting…
- Tourism News
Thai Lion Air adds more aircraft to fleet as Thailand plans further re-opening
Thai Lion Air is expanding its fleet as Thailand plans to re-open more parts of the country to international travel. The carrier’s chief executive, Aswin Yangkirativorn, says the expanded fleet, which includes 2 Airbus aircraft and 2 Boeing 737s, will serve international destinations. The airline has already taken delivery of the Airbus aircraft, with the Boeing delivery expected before the…
- Business News
Thai Airways to resume flights to countries with high vaccination rates
Thai Airways says it will start selling seats on flights to highly-vaccinated destinations from October 1. The struggling national carrier expects to resume flights to the UK, France, and Germany, as well as Japan and Australia. The Bangkok Post reports that airline bosses made the decision after several destinations reported vaccination rates of around 70%. Airline spokesman, Chai Eamsiri, says…
- Business News
Strapped for cash, Thai Airways puts 3 more aircraft up for sale
The beleaguered national carrier, Thai Airways International, is to sell 3 more aircraft in a bid to raise some much-needed funds. Also up for grabs is a flight simulator, as the airline continues with its rehabilitation plan and attempts to modernise its fleet. The Bangkok Post reports that the airline is selling 3 of its Airbus A330-300s, all of which…
- Transport News
Thai government officials offered special promotional fares on Air Asia
Thai Air Asia has launched a promotional deal targeting government officials, members of the Federation of Thai Industries and the Thai Chamber of Commerce, as well as employees of state enterprises. The perks will also apply to their travel companions. The thinking behind the deal is that government officials were some of the first to be vaccinated and are not…
- World News
Survey shows most Singaporeans reluctant to travel internationally for now
A survey carried out by online travel agency, Booking.com, shows that 63% of Singaporeans are not planning to travel abroad for now. While Singapore is on the “green list” for most countries, the survey shows that most Singaporeans remain cautious about overseas travel. In general, over a year and a half since the start of the pandemic, travel in the…
- Business News
Vietjet to launch 4 direct cross-country routes from September
From next month, Vietjet will resume a number of domestic routes between Thai provinces without the need to connect in Bangkok. The carrier is promoting 4 routes for around 389 baht when taxes and other fees are factored in. According to TTR Weekly, the airline has dropped its 1pm – 3pm booking window so passengers now have more time to…
- Business News
Thai AirAsia suspends flights, cuts salaries as financial woes continue
As Thailand’s airlines continue to struggle with the financial fallout from Covid-19, Thai AirAsia has suspended all flights for this month. The carrier is also cutting staff salaries or deferring partial or whole payment until September. According to a Bangkok Post report, the airline’s financial woes are worsening as low passenger numbers show no sign of improving and cash flow…
