CHINA: Daxing Airport Opening Next Week.

Aircraft have begun to arrive at Beijing’s new Daxing Airport. The news comes ahead of the airports opening, expected to happen within the next week.

For some time now, Beijing’s Capital Airport (PEK) has been slowly filling up. As such the decision was made not to replace the airport, but to complement it.

The finished project is Beijing Daxing Airport (PKX). Daxing is a new four runway mega airport with plenty of room for future expansion. After years of hard work, the airport is finally set to open within the next week, with China United Airlines set to be the launch operator.

Beijing Daxing Airport will be launched initially with China United Airlines. The carrier is currently the only commercial user of a nearby airport named Beijing Nanyuan Airport. However, it is set to pack up shop and relocate to the new Daxing Airport.

As the airline’s current airport will be closed after it departs, China United Airlines is expected to move all of its assets to Daxing in one overnight operation. This will involve most of the airlines’ Boeing 737 aircraft being ferried across in one go.

China United Airlines’ first aircraft arrived in Beijing a week ago. However, this aircraft appeared unaccompanied, having sat on the ground ever since according to data from FlightRadar24.

The first aircraft to arrive was a Boeing 737-800 which operated the ferry flight with the flight number KN1001.

More recently, China United Airlines has repositioned five more Boeing 737 aircraft under flight numbers ranging from KN1001 to KN1007.

This brings the total number of China United Aircraft on the ground to six. These aircraft may be currently going unused for the airline’s flight schedule, as it could store the aircraft at the new airport today.

For other airlines, the move will be much more simple. Take British Airways and LOT Polish Airlines, for example.

They will both one day depart from Beijing Capital and fly back to their respective bases. The next day they will simply land slightly further south at the new Beijing airport instead.

While the move may be slightly more stressful for the other Chinese carriers, there will still likely be a large amount of planning going on.

However, these airlines don’t have the pressure of an airport closing behind them. As such, if something somehow misses the migration, it is not the end of the world. Around 13 hours ago a China Eastern Airbus A350 also landed at the airport.

Tourism Observer

DENMARK: Menzies Aviation Happy To Welcome New Airlines In Copenhagen And Stockholm

May and June marked an increase in the customer portfolio for Menzies Aviation’s Scandinavian stations, with the ground handler welcoming China Eastern to Stockholm Arlanda and Siberia Airlines to both Stockholm and Copenhagen Airports.

China Eastern inaugurated a new direct route from Shanghai Pudong Airport to Stockholm Arlanda on 16 June, providing connections to destinations in Asia. The airline is China’s second largest airline by passenger numbers, and operates both domestic and international flights.

In addition, Menzies welcomes Siberia Airlines’ first S7 Airlines opened two new routes between St Petersburg and Scandinavia flights to Stockholm and Copenhagen, connecting the two airports with St Petersburg, Russia.

This enables traffic growth between Scandinavia and Eastern Europe. Also known as S7, the airline will operate two flights weekly from both airports.

The airline is Russia’s largest domestic airline and operates throughout Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

Miguel Gomez, Senior Vice President Continental Europe, said: Contract wins such as Siberia Airlines and China Eastern continue to enforce our strategic expansion throughout the Scandinavia region.

Thanks to the Menzies teams at Stockholm and Copenhagen for their hard work and continued excellence.


Tourism Observer

CHINA: China Southern Airlines Bans Shark Fin Shipments, Pledges To Support Conservation

China Southern Airlines, the mainland’s biggest carrier, has banned shark fin shipments and promised to actively participate in animal conservation.

The decision is significant as the company is based in Guangzhou, the world’s largest trading hub for the delicacy, and it narrows the options for Chinese importers.

It means that 51 per cent of international airlines, based on seat capacity, have now banned the cargo.

Flag carrier Air China had already banned shark fin, leaving just China Eastern among the big three state-owned airlines yet to declare a position.

Robust campaigning by wildlife activists over the years has also led the nation’s largest shipper and logistics firm, China COSCO Shipping, to come onside.

In a letter to WildAid Hong Kong, China Southern’s vice-president Han Wensheng said the company attached great importance to the issue and had taken immediate action.

The nation’s largest airline by revenue and eighth biggest globally said it had banned shark fin on passenger and cargo flights as of March 1, but the letter was its first public announcement of the policy change.

I would like to take this opportunity to extend our appreciation to the global coalition of shark and marine conservation groups for your constant attention and support to China Southern’s air transport business, Han said.

The airline said it would shoulder its social responsibility and pledged to actively participate in the cause of wild animal and plants conservation.

Also to jointly promote conservation culture and the sustainable development of the human community with the general public.

Environmentalists have long campaigned against the trade in fins, a staple at weddings and banquets saying the harvesting methods are cruel and that shark populations have declined dramatically.

Other carriers making the same commitment include Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific Airways, British Airways, American Airlines, Emirates and Singapore Airlines.

Worldwide, 17 of the 19 biggest shipping lines measured by container capacity have banned shark fin, impacting 71 per cent of the global market.

Notable signatories include Maersk, the world’s biggest, and former Hong Kong chief executive Tung Chee-hwa’s family company Orient Overseas Container Line, better known as OOCL.

Alex Hofford, wildlife campaigner at WildAid Hong Kong, applauded the move.

This particular shark fin airline ban will be hugely impactful for the simple fact that Guangzhou is the world’s largest shark fin trading hub, even eclipsing Hong Kong, he said.

China Southern’s ban will no doubt send a strong message to the many Guangzhou shark fin traders that their business activities are often illegal, but always unethical, immoral, cruel and unsustainable.

Attention will now turn to the United States with the likes of FedEx and United Airlines whose mistreatment of an Asian-American passenger thrust it into the spotlight likely to face growing pressure to change their ways.

More than a dozen protesters descended on a press conference held by FedEx on Thursday to protest about shark fins as the company launched an online service in Hong Kong to tap into the burgeoning e-commerce and online shopping market.

Questions remain on why United States air carriers FedEx and United Airlines still continue to ship shark fin, often illegally, Hofford said.

Air China became first mainland carrier to ban shark fin cargo.

The airline joined more than 30 others worldwide in battle against controversial trade.

Air China Cargo has become the first mainland carrier to ban the transport of shark fin, dealing another blow to the international trade.

The carrier, which is part of Air China and responsible for cargo shipment on freight planes and the airline’s commercial aircraft, did not specify when the policy change would take effect.

Some 36 airlines have now joined the ban globally.

In a statement posted on its website on Friday, the cargo company said it was committed to playing a bigger role in global sustainability.

“We understand the community’s desire to promote responsible and sustainable marine sourcing practices, and this remains important to Air China Cargo’s overall sustainable development goals,” the statement read.

“Therefore, on the issue of shark fin, we reiterate our ‘No Shark Fin’ carriage policy.”

Last year, budget carrier HK Express became the first local carrier to implement a ban, followed in recent months by Cathay Pacific and Dragonair.

Other major airlines observing the ban include British Airways, Emirates, Singapore Airlines and American Airlines.

Also in July, mainland China’s biggest shipping and ­logistics company, China Ocean Shipping Company (Cosco Shipping), pledged a total ban on shark fin transportation.

The shipping giant is the fourth-largest container operator in the world with a 7.7 per cent market share.

Alex Hofford, a wildlife activist from conservation group WildAid, said Air China’s action to save sharks would be far-reaching.

Scientists estimate that fins from up to 73 million sharks a year are used for shark’s fin soup, with much of the trade in shark fin destined for China, he said.

Air China’s No Shark Fin commitment is therefore hugely significant because, despite government efforts, China including Hong Kong is a country where significant demand for shark’s fin soup still exists.

It’s a bold move and this is likely to have a huge and lasting impact on shark populations and marine ecosystems worldwide, he added.

Hofford said full enforcement of the ban by airlines and shipping lines was vital to ensure its effectiveness in protecting shark populations.

He urged vigilance against deliberate mislabelling of shark fin cargo to stop people from circumventing the ban.

Focus has now turned to mainland China’s other major airlines, especially one of the biggest global carriers by revenue, China Southern Airlines.

The company is based in Guangzhou, an area singled out as a major shark fin trading hub, WildAid said.

According to the group, research suggested that Chinese consumption of shark fin fell by 50 to 70 per cent in recent years.

Hong Kong airlines Cathay Pacific and Dragonair impose total ban on carriage of shark fin.

The two carriers came under increasing pressure from conservationists after they pledged in 2012 to carry fins only from sustainable sources.

Hong Kong’s flagship airline has finally bowed to public pressure by slapping a blanket ban on shark fin being carried on any of its planes.

But Cathay Pacific, the city’s biggest carrier, and its sister ­airline Dragonair have left the door open to a possible U-turn by saying the new policy will be ­subject to review.

The move which will take ­effect immediately comes after budget airline HK Express became the first local carrier to axe shark fin shipments last month.

Cathay has faced sustained pressure from environmentalists, including protests at their check-in desks at Hong Kong International Airport and children petitioning airline executives.

We understand the community’s desire to promote responsible and sustainable marine sourcing practices, and this remains important to Cathay Pacific’s overall sustainable development goals, Cathay said in a statement.

Therefore, on the issue of shark fin, with immediate effect we are happy to agree to ban the carriage. We will continue to review this practice, as we do all our sustainable development policies.

Previously, Cathay chose not to impose an outright ban but instead set up a panel of experts to decide on a case-by-case basis whether each shipment was from a sustainable source.

The policy dates back to 2012, but since then three dozen airlines have gone one step further to implement an outright ban, leaving Cathay exposed to criticism.

Campaigners argue it is often impossible to verify whether cargo is sustainable or not.

The old policy was described by the airline as a more challenging approach than an outright ban.

Cathay said the criticism was unwarranted as it was one of the first airlines to raise awareness of the unsustainability of the global shark fin trade back in 2012.

The government says shark fin imports to Hong Kong dropped by 42 per cent between 2010 and last year to reach 5,717 tonnes. During this period there was also a 72 per cent drop in imports by air to 450 tonnes.

Cathay and Dragonair join British Airways, American Airlines, Qantas, Singapore Airlines and Emirates in banning shark fin.

Alex Hofford, wildlife campaigner for WildAid, said: A responsible corporation like Cathay Pacific should never be seen to be a link in the supply chain for a criminal trade.

That’s why we are so happy that Cathay has done the right thing by no longer carrying any shark fin or shark products. Shipping sharks by air is not just an issue of sustainability, but ethics and legality.

Only Hong Kong Airlines has yet to establish a position on shark fins.


Tourism Observer

NEPAL: Poacers Kill Rare Rhino In Chitwan National Park, Airlines Ask For Reforms

A rare one-horned rhino has been killed by poachers in Nepal’s largest habitat of rhinos, Chitwan National Park, on Saturday.

Officials at the Chitwan National Park (CNP) confirmed that an adult male rhino was shot dead on Friday night and the horns were hacked off.

“We found a dead rhino killed by poachers in a community forest, near the central office of the park, this afternoon (Friday). We have launched investigations into the incident,” Nurendra Aryal, assistant conservation officer at CNP said.

As per the initial reports, the endangered species was shot by rifle while the horn has been cut off with an axe.

The poachers tried their luck during the night-storm and at a time when the security concern has been shifted towards relocation of five rhinos from CNP to far-western region based Shuklaphanta National Park. As part of government’s decision of transferring five rhinos, four have already been released to the new habitat within a week.

The incident comes at a time when Nepal was planning to mark the success of third consecutive “Zero Poaching Year,” thanks to effective conservation efforts and scientific security mechanism. The last rhino-poaching incident occurred in May 2014 in the same region.

Chitwan National Park, located some 150 km from the capital city, is renowned for protection of one-horned rhinoceros, Royal Bengal tiger and Gharial Crocodile. According to Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation, out of total 645 rhinos in Nepal, over 600 are in Chitwan National Park.

Exquisitely hand-painted cakes and cookies were on display both for art and food connoisseurs to feast their eyes (as well as relish) at the Hotel Annapurna in Kathmandu on Tuesday. The delicacies that came in various shapes and sizes were hand-painted/inspired by the works of 12 famous local and international artists who are part of the forthcoming Kathmandu Triennale 2017: S.C. Suman, Laxman Bajra Lama, Prithivi Shrestha, Saurgauna Darshandhari and Sujan Dangol, Ang Tshering Sherpa, Birendra Pratap Singh, Carol Vanderlin, Bard Lowijks, Francis Alys, Heide Hinrichs, Song Dong and Brian Hodgson.

Shalini Rana coordinated the design of the cakes provided by the Cake Shop, Hotel Annapurna during the ‘Cakes, Art and High Tea’ event, a collaborative effort between Hotel Annapurna, My City Pulse and The Kathmandu Triennale 2017.

“Hotel Annapurna is delighted to have this opportunity to showcase local artists and be involved with community organizations that support Nepal. ‘Cakes, Art and High Tea’ is one such event to endorse Nepali Art,” said Suarpana Shahi, Assistant Manager of the Annapurna Hotel.

Speaking about the significance of such event, senior artist S.C.Suman said that he participated in the event to show that food can also be an art piece.

“All these hand-painted cakes look so beautiful that one would be in a dilemma whether to eat these nicely hand-painted cakes or keep it as a work of art. But they are made to be eaten and only prove the point that we first eat with our eyes, “ Suman said, adding smilingly that people don’t prefer to eat anything that doesn’t look nice to them.

Situ Ratna Sthapit, Executive Pastry chef at the Hotel Annapurna, said, that Hotel Annapurna and the artists came together to do this innovative thing of baking hand-painted cakes and cookies to send a message that food is both a science as well as an art.

The event was part of the Kathmandu Triennale 2017, a non-commercial, mega art event organized by Siddhartha Arts foundation to promote Nepali arts and culture. It gives a platform to showcase contemporary (and traditional) art by Nepali and international artists on particular edition themes and develops programming and outreach to explore the pedagogical potential of arts.

The trans-Himalayan district of Mustang was once known as the forbidden kingdom of Nepal.

But since opening to the outside world in 1992, the region bordering China has never failed to enchant its visitors with mysterious and picturesque landscapes.

Located just in the lap of Mount Nilgiri and other Himalayan ranges, Mustang is a unique travel destination due to its remoteness and exclusive high-altitude deserts.

Often listed among the top tourist destinations in the world, Mustang in 2016 alone attracted nearly 40,000 foreign tourists compared to less than 500 a quarter of a century ago.

Foreign tourists are usually found trekking in this Himalayan region that comprises the world’s popular Annapurna trekking circuit.

“The flow of tourists is increasing every year due to its beautiful landscapes, accessibility by road and hotels,” Bal Bahadur Gurung, an officer at the Annapurna Conservation Area Project Mustang, said.

“The fact that the culture and tradition have been preserved by the locals also adds to Mustang as a favorite destination for tourists,” the officer added.

Although Mustang has the second lowest population of all regions in Nepal, it boasts more than 200 registered hotels with 4,500 rooms, with more hotels currently under construction. Also catering to visitors are restaurants serving European coffee, modern bakeries, souvenir shops and pool houses.

Between five and seven morning flights connect to the district headquarters of Jomsom from Lake City Pokhara every day.

One of the major features of Mustang, which lies along the Kali Gandaki River, is its pristine geography and climate. The landscape there reflects a natural architecture and where the weather, usually dry and windy, can be also be unpredictable.

Beside its geography, spectacular lifestyle and unique culture are also attractive. The region hosts a number of prominent festivals like Tenji, Yartung and Lha Phewa in which former royal family members, monks and locals participate.

Though Lower Mustang is easily accessible for travel, foreign tourists need to receive a special permit from the government by paying 500 U.S. dollars to visit Upper Mustang, known as “Lo Manthang,” the unofficial capital city of Mustang.

Lo Manthang, also known as the walled city, is popular for monasteries, centuries-old caves and archaeological sites.

Muktinath temple is one of the major attractions of the Mustang district as it is a pilgrimage center for both Buddhists and Hindus.

Hindus believe that the temple is associated with Lord Vishnu while Buddhists consider the place to be linked with Buddhist master Guru Rinpoche, also known as Padmasambhava.

Located at an altitude of 3,800 meters above the sea level, the temple attracts 200,000 pilgrims every year.

“The cycle of life, death and rebirth goes on until the soul is freed. So this is the place where any human can attain salvation and they will rest in peace after this life,” Krishna Prasad Subedi, who has been serving as the main priest of the temple for the past 20 years, told Xinhua.

The temple is located in the middle of an oasis filled with lush green forest and was established centuries back. The Buddhist-Hindu temple of Vishnu and Chenrezig was built in 1815, according to commonly believed accounts.

One of the most interesting things about Muktinath are the 108 water taps with chilled water in its courtyard. This is where devotees take a bath with a belief that it will wash away all the sins they have committed.

“Muktinath temple is a place for liberation. Our religious leader Shree Swami Narayan travelled to this place many years ago and practiced penance for a long time. So, I wanted to visit this place at least once with my family before I die,” Dr. Mahendra Parmar, an Indian pilgrim, told Xinhua.

After years of isolation, the development of Mustang is now rapid. The road improvement project has already started from the nearest city of Beni to Jomsom, while a two-lane road is being constructed from Jomsom to Koro La Pass.

According to authorities, these road projects will be completed within three years. With the ongoing construction of bridges, schools and health centers and the opening of modern hotels, the once hidden kingdom is witnessing signs of modern progress.

Government authorities believe that Mustang’s potential can be further developed economically through the advancement of tourism, thus enhancing local entrepreneurship and economic growth opportunities.

“There are many important plans for the development of Mustang. Currently, we are constructing five major bridges and a small-scale hydropower project as well as upgrading the roads. The tourism sector is growing very fast, which is the backbone of development in this region,” Bhim Prasad Pokharel, chief district officer of Mustang, told Xinhua,

With a population of just 15,000 people, most of the locals are either fully dependent on tourism or on apple farming. Both avenues can generate an attractive income for individuals and their communities.

Having been exposed to the outside world and modernization, a visible change can be seen in the lives of the locals in terms of awareness and lifestyle.

The locals of Mustang are hopeful that the completion of road construction projects and the opening of the Nepal-China border at Koro La in the near future will provide a new life to this once isolated Himalayan region.

ourism business has now gradually started recovering in the Annapurna Conservation Area Project region after suffering a blow due to the major earthquake on April 25, 2015, state-owned news agency RSS reports. Ghorepani, the major tourism destination in the ACAP region, has seen double the number of tourists visiting the area in a year’s period. This has provided some succour to the local tourism entrepreneurs who had suffered a dwindling business in the year immediately after the earthquake.

Citing the logbook maintained by the Tourist Police Office, Ghorepani, RSS reported that 19 thousand 348 tourists visited Ghorepani in 2072 BS and the number reached 45,685 in the succeeding year.

Ghorepani in Annapurna Rural Municipality of Myagdi district is situated at an altitude of 2,810 metres from the sea level. It offers the visitors a panoramic view of over a dozen mountain peaks as Dhawalagiri, Nilgiri and Annapurna. The tourists can enjoy the sunrise and sunset from the Punhill tower.

More, the place offers glimpses of the typical local Gurung and Magar culture in rural setting. It has also home-stay facilities, besides over a dozen hotels with all the basic amenities.

Ghorepani is the main destination for trekkers travelling on to Mustang from Nayapul in Kaski as well as for those using the route through Thorang-La pass in Mustang in their journey from Manang to Pokhara in Kaski. It lies on the way to some of the famous tourism destinations like Khopralek, Ghandruk and the Annapurna Base Camp.

Eight thousand 335 tourists visited Ghorepani in the last one month period alone, the Tourist Police Office, Ghorepani stated.

Nepalese tourism stakeholders on Wednesday stressed on making air travel between Nepal and China cheaper to promote bilateral tourism, arguing that air transport between the two neighbors is one of the most expensive in the world.

They said at an interaction on the theme of Silk Road Tourism between Nepal and China, organized by China National Tourist Office and Nepal China Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NCCCI) that potential growth of Chinese tourists to Nepal has been hindered by higher air fare and relatively low air connectivity.

China is the Nepal’s second largest source market for tourists after India since 2010. Nepal welcomed 104,005 Chinese tourists in 2016 as arrivals surged by 55.26 percent on year-on-year basis after disastrous 2015 due to deadly earthquake and subsequent blockade in southern border points of Nepal, according to the data of Department of Immigration of Nepal.

NCCCI President Rajesh Kaji Shrestha said that air ticket for Kathmandu-Guangzhou is more expensive than travelling through the Kathmandu-Bangkok-Guangzhou. “Travelling Kathmandu to Kunming is costlier than India’s Kolkata’s to Kunming. Price must be competitive to attract more Chinese tourists to Nepal,” he said.

Currently, four Chinese airlines — China Southern, China Eastern, Sichuan Airline and Air China are serving Kathmandu to Guangzhou, Kunming, Chengdu and Lhasa respectively.

Shrestha said that there should be direct air connectivity between Kathmandu and Beijing, Shanghai to attract more Chinese tourists. Nepal’s national flag carrier Nepal Airlines Corporation is also serving Kathmandu-Hong Kong route currently and also has plan to reach Chinese mainland.

Sunil Sharma, officiating director of Nepal Tourism Board, the main tourism promotion body of Nepal, said that the board has been consistently promoting Nepal’s tourism in China but travel cost has been hindering the potential of Chinese tourist arrivals to Nepal.

Nepalese stakeholders also asked China to ease travel for tourist through land route too, particularly through bordering Geelong port which is currently only international trade route between the two countries.

Chinese ambassador to Nepal Yu Hong said that China was promoting Nepal’s tourism under the Year of Tourism for Nepal 2017 in line with the joint statement signed in 2016.

Fly With China Southern Airline

About China Southern Airlines
China Southern Airlines is majority owned by the Chinese government, and is currently ranked as a 4-Star Airline. China Southern Airlines is Asia’s largest airline in aircraft fleet size. The international and domestic hub for China Southern Airlines is Guangzhou Baiyun Airport and it also operates some international routes from Beijing. China Southern Airlines is a member of SkyTeam Alliance, and the only operator of the Airbus A380 in China.

China Southern Airlines fleet
China Southern Airlines has a large aircraft fleet Asia’s largest airline in aircraft fleet size, and long haul international flights are normally operated by Airbus A380, Boeing 787, Boeing 777-300ER aircraft and Airbus A330 aircraft.

Guangzhou Baiyun Airport
The main airport used by China Southern Airlines is Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, located in southern China, and the 2nd busiest airport in China. The airport is located approximately 28 kms from downtown Guangzhou, and the easiest transportation option is to use a taxi or one of the Airport Express buses. In Beijing, China Southern Airlines operates domestic and international flights from Terminal 2.

China Southern Airlines ground service
Check in service is at a good standard in Guangzhou Airport, and there are many self-serve check-in facilities, together with Sky Priority services. China Southern Airlines also has a separate Premium check in lounge for First and Business class international customers.

China Southern Airlines international First and Business class lounge at Guangzhou Airport is spacious and modern, arranged over 2 floors with a relaxing area and shower facilities located on the upper floor. Lounge catering standards are good, with a seated restaurant area and live cooking station serving freshly prepared dishes. WiFi is available, although speeds mirror many Chinese airport standards by being slow.

China Southern Airlines have applied a lot of attention in recent years to developing and improving the transfer process through Guangzhou Airport for international flights, and this now offers a reasonably easy exercise without long delays. The international departure gates area at Guangzhou Airport do not offer much in the way of facilities for transfer customers, and be warned that food and beverage options are limited and very expensive!

The domestic First Class lounges at Guangzhou Airport are very modern and well presented, delivering a strong 4-Star Airline standard. Facilities offer comfortable and pleasant waiting areas.

Onboard China Southern Airlines
On international flights, China Southern Airlines offer First class, Business Class, Premium Economy and Economy class on their aircraft. Domestic flights normally offer a Business Class cabin, several rows of Premium Economy seating and a main Economy class cabin.

First Class
The new Boeing 777-300ER and Airbus A380 aircraft provides seat pod style flat bed seats, in a 1x2x1 layout, with seat cocoon style flat bed seats on Boeing 787 and Airbus A330 aircraft. The seats are spacious, offer good privacy and there is a large IFE screen. A nice duvet and pillows are supplied, and staff are efficient at providing a turndown service. The onboard catering is ranked at 4-Star standards, with a good choice off both the Chinese menu and Western meal options. A good choice of wines are available. An amenity kit is provided, slippers and nice pyjamas (it is advisable to select the largest size for comfort). Cabin staff service is generally very good, most cabin staff have a good understanding of English, and staff language skills are improving year on year. You may of course find that some staff will not understand if you go off-script, but fellow staff are always able to assist. The choice of reading materials is reasonably good with English language Chinese and some destination titles of newspaper offered, and a selection of English language magazines. The IFE system is good on International aircraft, and a choice of Western movies is offered, as are Western TV programmes.

Business Class
China Southern Airlines widebody aircraft offer flat bed seats / seat pods, arranged in a 1x2x1 layout on Boeing 777-300ER. There are flat bed seats on other aircraft, some arranged 1x2x1 and others a more conventional 2x2x2. A nice duvet and pillow are provided. Pyjamas are not normally supplied, but you receive an amenity kit and slippers. The onboard catering is quite similar to First Class (some service and presentation differences), with a good mix of Chinese and Western options. Cabin staff service is efficient and normally to a friendly and courteous standard. The IFE system is patchy, and you may find that the responsiveness is very slow. The choice of reading materials is reasonably good with English language Chinese and some destination titles of newspaper offered. The IFE system is good on International aircraft, and a choice of Western movies is offered, as are Western TV programmes.

Economy Class
China Southern Airlines Economy class seats provide a reasonable standard of comfort, with an average seat pitch and legroom. For the Cabin Seat Layout plans, we suggest you refer to our Airline Seat Plans guide where you can view Air China aircraft cabin layouts. A blanket and pillow are provided, at a 4-Star quality level. The Economy class onboard catering is ranked at 4-Star quality levels, with a choice of Chinese and Western meal options. Chinese tea is served with the meal and you may have to ask if you want to get a beer or wine served – it is worth specifically asking for this to be served chilled. The cabin staff are quite enthusiastic with a pleasant demeanour. They are trained with standard English language phrases, and you may find that some questions you ask confuse them, but persevere and they normally get a better English speaking member of staff to help. The IFE system is good on International aircraft, and a choice of Western movies is offered, as are Western TV programmes.

Domestic Flights
The majority of China Southern Airlines domestic flights are operated by narrow body Airbus A320/321 and Boeing 737 aircraft types, although some routes may use Airbus A380, Airbus A330 and Boeing 787 aircraft. The onboard narrowbody product is divided by Business Class seats configured 2×2, a few Premium Economy seat rows and standard Economy 3×3 seating. A meal or snack is normally served, subject to flight duration. Some flights offer IFE programming and a tablet loaded with TV/movies is offered in Business class where there is no in-seat IFE system.

Cultural Differences
It is worth remembering that there are clear cultural differences amongst many Chinese travellers, and some of these may be disconcerting to western customers. This is an area that the Chinese government has been trying to address in recent years, and in 2013 the China National Tourism Administration published a 64-page Guidebook for Civilized Tourism (encouraging better manners).

As far as air travel is concerned, you are likely to notice that queuing is often disorderly and when for example flight boarding is announced, there can often be a rapid stampede of travellers pushing and shoving to get through the gate quickly. Loud talking (almost shouting) is another trait you might find disconcerting both on the ground and onboard flights.

Spitting remains an issue despite educational promotions to stop this. Despite airline’s best efforts to keep passengers seated after landing, you may also find a number of passengers standing up to retrieve luggage whilst still taxiing. We guess that bit by bit such practices will gradually improve in coming years, but don’t forget there are 1.4 billion potential Chinese travellers.

VERDICT
China Southern Airlines is the best of the three government controlled airlines in China (Air China, China Eastern and China Southern), and is well ranked as a 4-Star Airline. A lot of progress in both product and service development and improvement has been made during the last 5 years at China Southern Airlines, and it becoming a more recognised name on the international stage. They often provide competitive fares, and on this basis we would recommend them as an airline to try.

TAIWAN: EVA Air Increases Flights To JFK Airport

EVA Air of Taiwan will be adding three additional weekly flights on their direct Taipei (TPE) – JFK route effective July 7, thus bringing the airline’s total number of New York flights to ten weekly.


The Star Alliance member first began service to the New York area in 1992 with service to Newark via Seattle. With the delivery of new Boeing 777-300ER aircraft the route went nonstop in 2008, although a technical stop in ANC in one direction was still required. In 2011 the airline moved to JFK with nonstop flights and eventually increased to a daily frequency.

The additional flights will operate during daylight hours on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday – a great opportunity for local spotters to finally catch the airline’s fun array of ‘Hello Kitty’ inspired aircraft. EVA recently introduced a new corporate livery and has announced intentions of adding Chicago and Washington, D.C. to their route map in the United States.

The airline currently serves Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Seattle, and San Francisco, in addition to Toronto and Vancouver in Canada. Further growth is expected with orders for Boeing 787 aircraft.

EVA Air joins other Asian carriers who have recently increased their JFK frequency, many adding a second rotation on certain days of the week. Among these include ANA, JAL, China Eastern, and Air China who have all added to the market.

Schedule:

BR030 TPE0750 – 1045JFK 77W 246
BR032 TPE1910 – 2205JFK 77W D

BR031 JFK0125 – 0455+1TPE 77W D
BR029 JFK1245 – 1615+1TPE 77W 246

CHINA: China Eastern Temporary Closes Prague Reservation for Apr 2016 Launch

China Eastern has temporary closed reservation for its planned Shanghai Pu Dong – Prague operation, in its recent inventory update. Previously the Skyteam member opened reservation when it loaded this 3 weekly flights earlier this month, scheduled to commence on 02APR16 with Airbus A330-200 aircraft.

Reservation is expected to be re-opened at a later date.

Previously planned schedule as follow.

MU707 PVG1230 – 1815PRG 332 246
MU708 PRG2015 – 1310+1PVG 332 246

China Southern Airlines Exceeds 55x Flights Target to Australia/NZ.

China Southern Airlines is already surpassing its goal of having 55 weekly flights to Australia and New Zealand by the end of 2015. From about 25 weekly flights in 2011, China Southern in Dec-2015 will have 65 weekly flights. This includes three daily flights – one on an A380 – to Sydney, a frequency that compares to Cathay Pacific’s four and Singapore Airlines’ average 4.5.

Competitors are responding with a series of JVs that await regulatory approval. Qantas-China Eastern received a draft rejection while Air New Zealand-Air China awaits approval and Air New Zealand-Cathay Pacific needs re-authorisation. The Qantas-China Eastern initial rejection appears misguided while New Zealand stakeholders are questioning the benefits of the Air NZ-Cathay alliance in a market that where capacity has decreased by 18% while the Air NZ-Singapore Airlines alliance has grown capacity by 20%.

It might appear lines in the market have been drawn, but it is still early days. China Southern’s achievement in the market is only its first. The question is what its next goal is, and the answer is being kept closely guarded.