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Bangkok Airways donates 1M
for Samui flood mitigation
Bangkok Airways recently donated one million baht to Koh
Samui Municipality to help mitigate the severity of flooding problems on the
island.
The airline representative, M.L. Nandhika Varavarn
(center), vice president for corporate communications, presented the
donation to Koh Samui Mayor Ramnate Jaikwang (second left) at the office of
Koh Samui Municipality.
In addition, Bangkok Airways’ staff and passengers also
jointly donated a total amount of 34,230 baht in cash for this good cause as
well.
Etihad “World’s Leading Airline” for second year running
Peter
Baumgartner (left), Etihad’s chief commercial officer, celebrates winning
the title for “World’s Leading Airline” and “World’s Leading First Class”
airline at the World Travel Awards, with Graham Cooke (right), president and
founder, World Travel Awards, and Etihad cabin crew members.
Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab
Emirates, has been awarded the prestigious title of “World’s Leading
Airline” for a second consecutive year at the World Travel Awards (WTA).
The top airline WTA, the ultimate recognition in the
travel industry, was presented to Peter Baumgartner, Etihad’s chief
commercial officer, at a gala event in London. The Abu Dhabi-based airline
was also named “World’s Leading First Class” airline for the third year in a
row.
James Hogan, Etihad Airways’ chief executive officer
said, “To win the award two years running is a phenomenal and unprecedented
achievement for an airline that is only seven years old.
“It shows that our service ethic is well embedded and
that we have the ability to consistently deliver what customers want. The
aviation industry is fiercely competitive and to win an accolade like this,
and be placed amongst the best in the world, is something we will continue
to strive for year on year.”
The WTA recognize the best airline, hospitality and
tourism brands in the world, with industry experts vetting nominations on
the basis of their customer relations, creativity, quality of service,
product innovation and business acumen.
Etihad was the first Middle Eastern airline to win the
“World’s Leading Airline” award in 2009 and was credited for the excellence
of its onboard product, luxurious airport lounges and strong service ethic
during a period of phenomenal growth.
Hogan said, “The aviation industry continues to face
stern challenges, whether this is in security, the global recession, or
natural disasters like the ash cloud in Europe, but Etihad has shown that it
is equipped to manage through these difficulties and still deliver the best
product and service to its customers.”
The winners for the WTA are selected by more than 185,000
industry professionals and consumers worldwide who cast their vote online.
During the voting session Etihad received considerable praise for
consistently being the best in the air and on the ground.
Etihad’s success in London caps a great year for the
airline as it had won six titles at the WTA ceremony for the Middle East in
May, including the coveted title as the region’s Leading Airline.
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Changi Airport to raise
airline and passenger fees
Gracia Chiang, TTG Asia
Airlines landing at Changi Airport will see an average
increase of 15 percent in their landing, parking and aerobridge (LPA) bill
from April 1 next year, amid other fee hikes for passengers.
A new S$12 (about 280 baht) passenger fee - made up of a
S$9 Passenger Service Charge and a S$3 Passenger Security Service Charge -
will be introduced for transfer and transit passengers passing through the
airport.
Passenger fees for the Budget Terminal have also been
increased to S$18, up from the present S$15.
A spokesperson for Tiger Airways told local media it was
“surprised and disappointed by Changi Airport’s decision to increase fees
for customers, especially when the global economy is in its early stages of
recovery.”
Said Jaclyn Yeoh, managing director, Siam Express: “There
will be some impact on airlines but we don’t know how this will affect fares
yet. Certainly if fares increase, that will affect us.”
Dennis Law, managing director of Star Holiday Mart, said
it was normal to have knee-jerk reactions from the low-cost carriers, but he
expected the increases to have minimal effect on passengers in general.
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Myanmar’s new airline
takes off this month
Rahul Khanna, TTG Asia
Myanmar’s new domestic airline, Asian Wings Airways,
plans to begin operations from the middle of November to capture demand
during the high season and an anticipated rise in arrivals following the
country’s general elections.
Asian Wings Airways general manager Maung Maung Shwe Moe
said the airline plans to offer regular domestic flights from Yangon to
Nyaung Oo, Mandalay, Heho, Thandwe and Sittwe.
It is also eyeing non-scheduled flights to Tachileik,
Lashio, Homalin, Myitkyina, as well as southern destinations such as Dawei,
Kawthoung and Myeik. Flights will be operated using two 70-seat ATR72-500
aircraft.
Details of the airline’s investors would be announced at
the official launch as the airline was waiting for the permission to
operate, he added.
Meanwhile, another new domestic carrier, Air Kanbawza,
owned by Kanbawza Bank, is also expected to start services before year-end.
The two airlines will join four existing domestic
carriers: Air Mandalay, Yangon Airways, Air Bagan and state-run Myanma
Airways.
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Thailand may waive visas
for Chinese tourists soon
Sirima Eamtako,
TTG Asia
Chinese citizens visiting Thailand could get visa
exemptions as early as the first quarter of next year.
Ministry of Transport permanent secretary Supoj Suplom
said the Ministry of Tourism and Sports had proposed that Chinese travelers
be permanently exempted from visas.
“I understand the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will try to
make this materialize before the 2011 Chinese New Year,” said Supoj.
Chinese passport holders are among the nationals of some
21 countries currently required to pre-apply for a visa or obtain a
visa-on-arrival.
Supoj added that Thai Airways International (THAI) also
was undergoing a feasibility study with the Airports of Thailand to launch
more flights from Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport to China.
THAI currently operates 108 flights per week between
Thailand and China. These run at about 80 percent cabin factor, according to
its executive vice-president for strategy and business development Chokchai
Panyayong.
Chinese tourists have returned to Thailand following this
year’s political crisis, and the country is expected to welcome one million
arrivals from China this year and 1.3 million for the next, according to the
Tourism Authority of Thailand and the Thai-Chinese Tourism Alliance
Association.
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U-Tapao airport upgrade a boost for international flights
Sirima Eamtako, TTG
Asia
U-Tapao Pattaya International Airport is expected to draw
more regular international flights once its one billion baht (US$33.35
million) expansion is completed in 2013.
Work is scheduled to begin next year and will involve a
new terminal to hold 1,500 passengers, up from 400 currently.
The existing 3,500m runway and apron for 49 aircraft will
not be upgraded as they can already accommodate all types of aircraft.
Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA) committee member
Thongyoo Suphavittayakorn said the upgraded airport would attract flights
from Pattaya’s key markets - Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent
States (CIS), India, South Korea and China.
Lao Airlines launched a new twice-weekly service from
Vientiane last month, while Bangkok Airways already operates domestic
flights to Koh Samui and Phuket.
The airport also receives charter services from CIS
countries, including one flight every 10 days by Air Company Scat.
Vladivostok Air will operate 10 flights from December 26 to January 24
while, at press time, another charter operator was seeking permission to
operate a twice-weekly winter service from South Korea.
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Pattaya’s new markets counter fall
in European demand
Sirima Eamtako,
TTG Asia
Hotels in Pattaya are seeing the rise of new markets in
Asia and the Middle East against a decline in European markets.
Sunshine Hotels and Resorts marketing and sales vice
president Vinit Chidchanognarth said the group saw a decline of almost
10,000 room nights from German-speaking markets compared to last year.
“The number of guests has not declined, but the length of
stay has dropped from about three weeks to 14 days, due to the currency
situation.”
Vinit added that Russia was currently a key source of
tourist arrivals for Pattaya while South Korea and Iran were new markets.
Marriott Resort and Spa saw new visitors from Eastern
Europe and the Middle East this year, said general manager Somsak
Tanruengsri.
“Next year’s performance for Pattaya hotels will depend
on the Thai political and currency situations,” he said.
Going into 2011, rates would likely see some increment as
supply in the four- to five-star hotel categories stabilized, said Pullman
Pattaya Aisawan general manager Philippe Delaloye.
Delaloye said, “Pattaya welcomed 800,000 new upscale room
nights last year, but only about 120,000 are slated to be added this year,
with none expected for next year.”
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