CHINA: Beijing Daxing Airport Is GatewayTo China

Five years ago, Daxing was a dusty area of farmland to the south of Beijing, largely neglected by visitors to the city. That’s no longer the case, now that an enormous airport has emerged there to thrust China even closer to toppling the U.S. as the world’s biggest aviation market.

Beijing Daxing International Airport, an 80 billion yuan (US$11.2 billion) starfish-shaped structure hailed by state media as a “new gateway” to the country, opened this week, just in time for the People’s Republic of China’s 70th birthday.

A state-of-the-art terminal designed to eventually handle more than 100 million passengers a year is symbolic for President Xi Jinping, who faces a raft of challenges, including a trade war with the U.S., a slowing economy and mass protests in Hong Kong.

Xi has identified aviation as a key strategic industry. The president attended an official opening ceremony for the new airport, designed by the late Zaha Hadid, on Wednesday.

Within two decades, annual passenger traffic in China’s skies will reach 1.6 billion, according to the International Air Transport Association, more than the country’s population today.

China has set a goal of having 450 commercial airports by 2035, almost double the number at the end of 2018. It’s also developed a jet to compete with Boeing and Airbus.

The vast new airport should increase Beijing’s passenger capacity by 60% and help unclog the capital’s other international airport – the second busiest in the world behind Atlanta – to the north, which often has long delays despite a huge new terminal opening there ahead of the 2008 Summer Olympics.

Bottlenecks at Beijing Capital International Airport likely capped annual passenger traffic growth at an average of 4% from 2013 to 2018, Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Denise Wong said.

China has little option but to spend big and fast to have a shot at keeping up with demand. In its latest annual report on the commercial aviation market, Boeing said it expects airline passenger traffic in China to grow 6% a year.

McKinsey & Co. says the extra slots at Daxing – which will initially have four runways and eventually seven, including one for military use – could open new direct connections to places such as San Diego.

Beijing now joins major cities including London, New York and Tokyo with more than one international airport. The high-speed rail connecting Daxing to West Beijing will begin operations at the end of the month.

“It can get 10 if not hundreds of new destinations connected to Beijing over the years,” said Steve Saxon, a McKinsey partner in Shanghai. “This is the power of having large connecting hubs.”

Daxing also upends the government’s traditional one-international-route-per-airline model that left long-haul services from Beijing in the hands of Air China.

The new site will become a launchpad to Europe, Asia and beyond for the other two of China’s “Big Three” carriers: China Eastern Airlines and China Southern Airlines. They’ll both get their first-ever direct flights to cities including Paris and Moscow.

The goal is to restyle Beijing as an international transport hub as air travel surges with China’s expanding middle class and a greater desire to venture overseas.

The opening of Daxing, which will also help closer integrate Beijing with Tianjin and Hebei, should put China on a stronger footing to compete with traditional transits such as Singapore and Hong Kong, as well as younger hubs like Bangkok, Seoul and Kuala Lumpur.

China still trails many major aviation markets in Asia in terms of connectivity, according to a report by OAG Aviation Worldwide published Tuesday.

Singapore and Hong Kong are the region’s most internationally connected hubs, the report showed. Shanghai Pudong International Airport, China’s top entry, came in eighth.

IATA expects 4.6 billion people to take a flight in 2019, a figure that will almost double to 8.2 billion in 2037 as flying penetrates deeper into the enormous populations of India and Indonesia.

Daxing is just one of many airport projects underway in Asia, collectively costing more than US$100 billion, in a race to handle all those passengers. A new terminal opened at Shanghai Pudong International Airport on September 16.

The relaxation of China’s one-route, one-airline policy at Daxing will encourage Chinese carriers to apply for international routes once monopolized by their competitors, said Yu Zhanfu, a partner at Roland Berger Strategy Consultants in Beijing who focuses on aviation. Beijing will be a good spot to take a break without making a big detour.

Among the tons of steel and glass at Daxing, passengers will find five traditional-style Chinese gardens with ponds, wooden pavilions and stone bridges.

The new airport also has facial recognition and paperless check-in systems using technologies from companies including China Unicom and Huawei Technologies.

The Civil Aviation Administration of China is offering airlines incentives to use the new airport. They’ll get priority when it comes to obtaining rights for international flights, CAAC’s deputy director of transport department, Yu Biao, said in July.

Foreign carriers can choose to operate in both airports in Beijing, or one of them, but those that switch to Daxing can acquire new routes or more convenient slots, Yu said.

Daxing expects one fifth of its passengers to be transfers by 2025. Among international flag carriers, British Airways said in July it plans to shift its direct Heathrow-Beijing flights to the new airport from October 27, helping it maximize a code-sharing agreement with China Southern.

China Eastern has kept its Beijing-Shanghai route at the old airport, which is closer to the central business district.

The next step will be for us to keep expanding new routes, said CAAC’s Yu. We’d like to see more foreign carriers operate in Daxing.

NETHERLANDS: China Airlines Support KLM

KLM works with three Chinese airline partners: China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines and Xiamen Airlines. These partners have now stepped in to generously support KLM and the Netherlands by donating many tens of thousands of face masks and gloves to KLM in our struggle against the coronavirus outbreak.

In light of scarce resources at Dutch hospitals, KLM will in turn be helping the Erasmus MC in Rotterdam and other Dutch healthcare institutes.

Today, in the early hours of the morning, the first shipment arrived at Schiphol carried by one of Xiamen Airlines' aircraft.

On behalf of the employees of the three Chinese airlines, KLM President & CEO Pieter Elbers accepted this first shipment of in total around 90,000 face masks and 50,000 pairs of gloves.

KLM's CEO was accompanied by Ernst Kuipers, Chairman of the Boards of Erasmus MC and the Dutch Network for Acute Medical Care (Landelijk Netwerk Acute Zorg -- LNAZ), and Brinio Veldhuijzen van Zanten of KLM Health Services.

Over the past 20 years, KLM has established a broad-based route network, coupled with especially close relations in China.

Before the outbreak of the corona crisis, KLM and its partners operated 59 flights a week from Schiphol to mainland China. Shipments of this nature serve to underscore the enormous significance of connections by air in general, and those with China in particular.

Medical supplies like this can only be transported swiftly and efficiently to the other side of the world by aircraft. This is especially important in times of scarcity and interdependence.

KLM President & CEO Pieter Elbers highlighted that: "Help of this nature from our Chinese partners China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines and Xiamen Airlines is both incredibly generous and much appreciated.

Help like this from our Chinese friends serves to highlight just how close the ties are between China, the Netherlands and KLM. These are incredibly difficult times for our country and our company, so we are very pleased with this support for KLM and for the Netherlands.

Less than two months ago, we at KLM made a donation to China and now we have received fantastic and generous help ourselves. This certainly feels good."

On behalf of all Dutch healthcare institutes, LNAZ is coordinating the stocks of personal protective gear for healthcare workers during the coronavirus pandemic.

Ernst Kuipers, CEO Erasmus MC thanked KLM and said, "This donation will help all Dutch healthcare institutes at a critical phase of caring for patients across the Netherlands. We are also incredibly grateful to KLM's Chinese partners for this."

KLM will be flying from Hong Kong to Amsterdam at 1:35 p.m. on Tuesday, local time. The airline has been granted an exemption from the Dutch aviation authorities for the landing ban that applies to flights from the Chinese city, the Consulate General in Hong Kong announced.

Dutch and residents of other EU or Schengen countries stuck in Hong Kong are advised to contact the Dutch airline.

KLM is flying two final flights from Seoul, South Korea this week. The first will be on Tuesday, the second on Thursday, and both flights may be booked on KLM's website.

Cabin crew members of various airlines are deeply concerned about the risks of flying, especially on repatriating flights filled with passengers. "People are afraid," Chris van Elswijk of the Dutch Cabin Crew Association said to Hart van Nederland. "People are concerned about the distance and contact moments with passengers."

According to Van Elswijk, who is a purser for KLM, cabin crew members are trying to stick to the government guidelines of staying 1.5 meters from others, but that is not always possible. "If you work in a full aircraft with 300 passengers, you cannot meet the guidelines that are set," he said.

Airlines are working on measures to increase the safety of passengers and crew, he said. KLM, for example, adjusted the onboard service schedule so that there is less physical- or close range contact between passengers and crew.

And if crew members do not want to fly on a certain flight, their employers are open to discuss their concerns and alternatives, he said.

Because halting all air traffic is not yet an option, Van Elswijk said to Hart van Nederland. There are still many Dutch people abroad. They still have to be picked up.

Meanwhile, the first batch of Rwandans who were stranded abroad amid the novel coronavirus outbreak arrived in Rwanda Sunday, thanks to the Government’s partnership with Dutch airline KLM.

Most governments placed their countries into lockdown with no flights allowed to fly in as a measure to contain Covid-19, which left many people stranded in other countries, including Rwandans.

Rwanda itself put a stop to passenger planes and only emergence landings and cargo transporters are allowed into the country.

Rwandan nationals especially students who study abroad and other diaspora communities had expressed concern recently after failing to find a way to come back home.

The Government had promised that it was working out an alternative to rescue nationals and legal residents who were facing travel difficulties as a result of restrictions imposed by different countries.

“It’s true there is an arrangement between the Government of Rwanda and KLM! The 1st flight was yesterday, another departed today!” Jean Pierre Karabaranga, Rwanda’s Ambassador to The Hague said.

Karabaranga added that the last flight is expected Wednesday 25.

The Ambassador indicated that they have been spreading information regarding the arrangement by informing the diaspora members.

The Minister in charge of East African Community at the Foreign Affairs Ministry, Olivier Nduhungirehe, said this follows a conversation with ambassadors to facilitate all Rwandans abroad.

We had a video call with all ambassadors on Friday and they are facilitating everyone who wants to come back to Rwanda to be able to get here, he noted.

Rwanda has so far registered 19 Covid-19 cases as of Sunday, according to the Ministry of Health.

TURKEY: China Southern Airlines, China's Largest Airline To Fly More Chinese Tourists To Istanbul

China Southern Airlines, the country's largest airline, is introducing the world's largest passenger aircraft - the Airbus 380 - on its Istanbul route, due to an increased interest in Turkey.

The use of such aircraft and Turkey's flag carrier Turkish Airlines' (THY) new destinations in China, including the central northwestern city of Xi'an, will help Chinese companies bring more tourists to Turkey.

Turkey has seen high interest from Chinese tourists in recent years, boosted by improving cultural and economic ties between the two countries.

According to the Culture and Tourism Ministry data, some 292,000 Chinese citizens came to Turkey in the first eight months of this year, an increase of 12.66% compared to the same period last year.

If this upward trend continues, the number of Chinese tourists is expected to hit 500,000 by the end of the year.

As Chinese airlines launched flights to Turkey one after another to get their share, Chinese companies with existing lines to Turkey have also scheduled additional flights from new destinations.

Last May, China Southern Airlines launched flights from Wuhan, the largest city in Central China with a population of around 11 million, in addition to its Beijing line.

Regarded as China's largest airline in terms of fleet, the company schedules flights from Beijing's Capital airport. And the airline is now planning to carry more passengers to Turkey by expanding the type of aircraft due to intense demand from its citizens.

With necessary permits, the company will resume its flight from Daxing, the second airport of Beijing, to Istanbul Airport with the Airbus 380, which can carry up to 853 passengers in a single-class economy configuration or 555 passengers if in a three-class configuration.

China marked Turkey Tourism Year in 2018 and hosted dozens of events around the country. Around 400,000 Chinese tourists visited Turkey last year.

This number is expected to approach 500,000 this year and surpass 750,000 by 2020. The number of Chinese tourists in the country is expected to rise to 1 million in two years.

Chinese citizens mostly visit Cappadocia, one of the prominent destinations frequented by Chinese tourists in Turkey, Pamukkale, Ephesus and Istanbul.

Meanwhile, Airbus 380s could not use now-closed Atatürk Airport except for special operations due to the lack of suitable runways and taxiways.

However, with runways, taxiways and passenger bridges fit for wide-body aircraft, Istanbul Airport can easily accommodate the A380.

Airbus previously announced that it would halt the production of A380 passenger aircraft and that the final delivery would take place in 2021.

The A380 has a body length of 73 meters, a height of 24 meters, and a wingspan of 80 meters. The aircraft can fly at a top speed of 1,185 kilometers per hour, with a range of 14,800 kilometers.

China Southern Airlines Company Limited is an airline headquartered in Baiyun District, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China.

Established on 1 July 1988 following the restructuring of the CAAC Airlines that acquired and merged a number of domestic airlines, the airline became one of China's "Big Three" airlines alongside Air China and China Eastern Airlines, the world's seventh-largest airline measured by passengers carried and Asia's largest airline in fleet size, revenue, and passengers carried.

With its main hubs at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport and Beijing Capital International Airport, the airline operates more than 2,000 flights to more than 200 destinations daily and was a member of SkyTeam until 1 January 2019.

The airline started a frequent flyer program partnership with American Airlines in March 2019. The logo of the airline consists of a kapok flower which is also the city flower of Guangzhou on a blue tail fin.

The parent company of China Southern Airlines Company Limited is China Southern Air Holding Company, a state-owned enterprise that was supervised by the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council.

China Southern is headquartered in the China Southern Air Building at 68 Qixin Road in Baiyun District, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China.

It was previously at 278 Jichang Airport Road in Baiyun District.

China Southern had plans to open a new headquarters facility on a 988-acre (400 ha) site on the outskirts of Guangzhou, about 4 miles (6.4 km) from Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport. Woods Bagot won a competition for the architect firm which would design the facility.

The proposed site consists of two parcels of land on opposite sides of a highway leading to Baiyun Airport; both sites are shaped like wings. The site will have a bridge and light rail system that operates above the highway to connect the two parcels, which will each have distinct functions.

For instance, the east parcel will house internal functions such as the data center facilities, staff dormitories, and the training center. The airline wants it to be aesthetically pleasing from the air since it sits below a runway approach.

The site will have a lot of outdoor space, which Woods Bagot designed along with Hargreaves Associates and Sherwood Design Engineers.

Jean Weng, a Woods Bagot Beijing-based principal, said most Chinese cities are very dense and very urban, but China Southern wants to create a human-scale campus, that's close to nature. The new headquarters was opened in August 2016.

China Southern Airlines serves 193 destinations in 35 different countries worldwide.

It maintains a strong presence in the domestic market with its main hubs at Beijing Capital International Airport and Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport with secondary hubs at Shanghai Pudong International Airport, Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport, and Urumqi Diwopu International Airport, along with other focus cities in Changchun, Changsha, Dalian, Shenyang, Shenzhen, Wuhan, and Zhengzhou.

The airline plans to continue to develop Chongqing and Urumqi as hubs as well to exploit the domestic market potential.

China Southern offers 485 flights a day from its Guangzhou hub and 221 from its Beijing hub. The airline provides services to 65 international destinations.

Most of the international flights link Guangzhou with world cities. There are also plenty of international flights operated through Beijing, Shanghai, Urumqi notably to Central Asia and Dalian to Japan, South Korea, and Russia.

China Southern Airlines has developed an extensive network to Southeast Asia and also has become the Chinese airline with the largest presence in Australia.

China Southern is also considering expanding into the South American markets, as well as further expansion into the African market.

Guangzhou Baiyun aircraft collision: On 2 October 1990, a hijacked Xiamen Airlines Boeing 737 crashed into a China Southern Airlines Boeing 757, killing 128 people from both aircraft.

China Southern Airlines Flight 3943: On 24 November 1992, China Southern Airlines Flight 3943, a Boeing 737-300, crashed into a hill near Guilin, Guangxi, due to an engine thrust malfunction. All 141 people on board were killed.

China Southern Flight 3456: On 8 May 1997, China Southern Flight 3456, a Boeing 737-300, crashed on approach to Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport killing 35 people and injuring 9.

On 13 November 2017, China Southern Flight 6406, a Boeing 737-800, with 151 passengers, was en route at 7800 meters (FL256) about 90 nm southwest of Changsha (China) when the crew received a cargo smoke indication and decided to divert to Changsha Huanghua International Airport.

The aircraft landed safely on runway 36 about 20 minutes later. The crew initiated an emergency evacuation via slides; one passenger was injured - sprained ankle during the evacuation. Emergency services found no trace of fire, heat or smoke.

On 5 January 2018, during a blizzard that hit the northeastern United States, a China Southern Boeing 777-300ER's wingtip struck the tail end of a Kuwait Airways Boeing 777 while taxiing at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport, causing damage to both aircraft. Nobody was injured.

In 2013, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) ordered China Southern Airlines to pay $11,600 in fines for violations of the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) during the airline's transport of monkeys to laboratories in the United States.

The USDA found the airline had transported more than 1,000 monkeys into the United States without federal permission to do so and had transported the animals in insecure crates.

Previously, the airline had been ordered to pay $14,438 for AWA violations during one transport that left more than a dozen monkeys dead after they went without food and water for an extended period of time.

Following these most recent violations, China Southern announced that it would no longer transport monkeys to laboratories. PETA had protested against the airline for these shipments.

FINLAND: Finnair Steady Growth

Finnair Chief Executive Officer, Topi Manner, started his speech by stating that the goal of the carrier now is to deliver sustainable, profitable growth, as the airline moves forward from its previous phase of accelerated growth.

Finnair, while it’s home market is fairly small, as Finland only has more than 5.5 million people living in the country, the airline and its main hub, Helsinki Vantaa Airport (HEL), became a connecting point between Europe and Asia.

We are also a big, small airline in a sense that we are big enough to do things, we are small enough to get them implemented, the airline’s CEO said, adding that we are agile, we are known to have made courageous and determined decisions.

Like the decision to become the launch customer for the Airbus A350 in Europe. Previously, Finnair also became the global launch customer of the ATR 72 and the MD-11.

Some of these bold decisions are also to be made going forward, notes Manner. So, where does Finnair go next

Helsinki (HEL) became a connecting point between Europe and Asia for Finnair and it would further strengthen ties between Finland and Asia, as the shortest northern route is available due to the optimal geographical position of Helsinki, the airline’s CEO stated.

In the past five years, Manner noted, Finnair doubled its capacity to Asia. Interestingly enough, 50% of the carrier’s revenues come from transfer passengers, while local traffic contributes 30%. 73% of the transferring passengers are from Asia, the airline’s data shows.

And Finnair plans to grow further in the continent by focusing on Asian megacities, such as Beijing, China or Tokyo, Japan, where the company plans to further increase frequencies, rather than adding more destinations in Asia.

Its current business model allows it to be placed between the giant airlines on one hand and low-cost carriers on the other hand, Manner says.

But low-cost carriers, namely Norwegian Air Shuttle, offer no resistance to Finnair in Scandinavia the only two destinations the long-haul low-cost carrier serves are Thailand, namely Bangkok (BKK) and Krabi (KBV), meaning Finnair has absolutely no pressure from the lower price point.

The only other local competitor in Northern Europe is Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS), which flies to Beijing, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Tokyo.

The Finnish airline announced that it would introduce Premium Economy class cabin to further diversify its product on board in 2020. Finnair’s costs in fuel have been growing faster than its revenues, the company’s presentation highlighted, with the former growing by 6.1% since 2014, while the latter has grown 5.5% since 2018.

A premium economy cabin would allow Finnair to cater to the demand of the passengers and offer more comfort, as the Senior Vice President of Customer Experience, Piia Karhu, has highlighted by stating that over 50% of leisure and business class passengers responded that they would very likely or extremely likely travel on the newest cabin offering.

For Finnair itself, Premium Economy makes for very valuable real estate, Karhu said, as the airline is able to sell Premium Economy seats from one and a half to two times higher than basic economy prices, improving yields.

The airline plans to invest between $3.8-4.4 billion (€3.5-4 billion) into its fleet and other assets until 2025. Some of that investment would go into the growth, but most of it would be dedicated to the replacement of its aging fleet.

The average age of Finnair’s 83 aircraft is 10.2 years, with its narrow-body fleet, especially the Airbus A319 (eight aircraft) and the Airbus A320 (10 aircraft), being by far the oldest aircraft that the carrier operates, with an average age of 18.6 and 17.4 per aircraft, respectively.

As of October 30, 2019, Finnair only has five Airbus A350 aircraft on order and no other jets planned, Airbus Order and Deliveries file states.

Over the next six years, the Helsinki-based company plans to operate 100 aircraft in total, with approximately 30 of those being wide-bodies.

Ole Orvér, the Chief Commercial Officer of the company, did not specify any concrete plans about Finnair’s future fleet, however, stated that while the airline was happy with its current narrow-body fleet, not necessarily the same could be said in the future.

Going forward, we will have something that brings low cost, efficient operations and of course a customer proposition that works, Orver said, but whether Finnair will switch to a single type of short-haul aircraft, he was reluctant to answer, stating that it is purely down to price.

During 2019, the airline announced new partnerships with Fiji Airways and China Southern Airlines to further increase capacity and route offerings into Asia, including its existing oneworld alliance agreements with Cathay Pacific, Japan Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, SriLankan Airlines and Qantas.

Furthermore, the Finnish carrier plans to operate more than 100 weekly flights to Asia in Summer 2020. Newest destinations in 2019 include Beijing’s newest airport, Daxing International (PKX), Sapporo, Japan (CTS), while Busan, South Korea (PUS) and Haneda International Airport (HND) in Tokyo, Japan are set to be inaugurated in March 2020.

Currently, the airline has two main time banks when long-haul flights depart, between 5 and 10 AM and between 3 and 7 PM, with some flights departing around midnight.

In 2020, Finnair plans to offer midday departures, to allow smoother connections for transferring passengers. Following the expanded time banks, the airline will utilize its assets in a more efficient way, notes Ole Orvér.

All in all, Finnair’s goals are clear as the snow up in Lapland – expanding into the ever-growing Asian market and securing crucial slots and time windows to land or depart from the busiest airports in the region.

Finnair will hold the monopoly on direct flights between Busan, PUS and Sapporo for now, as no other European airline serves these two Asian cities.

However, the question remains how sustainable this model is long-term, even if the airline secures the limited capacity into the future, as current industry trends are shying away from the hub-and-spoke model and instead focusing on point-to-point traffic.

Nevertheless, the current conditions that Finnair operates in, including its top of the line wide-body fleet of 14 Airbus A350 and eight Airbus A330 aircraft, allows it to be the dominant airline on the Siberian air corridor, a crucial junction between Europe, China and Japan.

The fact that most of its passenger revenues come from transferring travelers, mitigates the risk of low-cost carriers putting a strain on the airline’s earnings on intra-European flights, as passengers are fed through its hub in Helsinki to connect either to or from Asia.

CHINA: Spring Airlines Buys US$122M Into China Southern Airlines

Spring Airlines, a low-cost carrier, has subscribed to China Southern Airline’s A-share non-public offering in a deal worth 846 million yuan (US$122.78 million), becoming the fifth largest shareholder of the company.

Spring Airlines has subscribed for a total 140.53 million A shares in China Southern Airlines, at a price of 6.02 yuan per share.

It accounts for 1.63% of the share capital after the completion of the issuance.

It is the second time that domestic private airlines have invested in one of the three major state-owned aviation enterprises after the Juneyao Group and its private airline Jixiang Airlines bought into China Eastern Airlines in July.

Spring Airlines said it is actively responding to the call of the state to deepen the reform of state-owned enterprises’ mixed ownership, strengthening strategic cooperation between state-owned capital and private capital, and further stimulating capital vitality.

Spring Airlines Co., Ltd. is a low-cost carrier with its headquarters in the Homeyo Hotel in Changning District, Shanghai, China. While the company adopted the English name Spring Airlines, the Chinese name literally means Spring Autumn Airlines.

Spring Airlines is the aviation subsidiary of Shanghai Spring International Travel Service. It reported a net profit of 950 million yuan or $143 million in 2016

The airline was given approval to be established on 26 May 2004. Its first aircraft, an Airbus A320 formerly of Lotus Air, was delivered on 12 July 2005, at Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport.

Spring Airlines started operations on 18 July 2005 and the first flight on that day was between Shanghai and Yantai. Daily flights to Guilin were also initiated.

To keep operating costs low, Spring sells tickets exclusively from its ch.com website and some designated ticket offices, bypassing travel agents.

Spring no longer offers complimentary on-board meals nor complimentary water; however passengers are able to purchase meals and beverages on board. In December 2006, the airline offered a 1-yuan promotional price which caused trouble with government officials.

In late July 2009, Spring's plan to establish overseas routes was granted by the General Administration of Civil Aviation of the People's Republic of China, making it the first budget airline in China to explore the international market.

The airline plans to operate short-distance routes linking mainland Chinese cities to Hong Kong and Macau, as well as neighboring countries such as Japan, South Korea, Cambodia, Singapore, Vietnam and Thailand.

On July 29, 2010, Spring Airlines launched its first international route linking its home city Shanghai and Japan's Ibaraki Airport, about 80 kilometers northeast of Tokyo.

2 months later, on September 28, the airline successfully introduced its first flight from Shanghai to Hong Kong with almost full passengers on board. Spring's daily flights from Shanghai to Macau commenced on 8 April 2011 with further international destinations following in the second half of 2011.

Since January 2015, the company has been listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange.

Spring Airlines also operates a subsidiary in Japan and is the first Chinese airline to do so.

In 2015, Spring announced plans to build a 250-300 room hotel at Chubu Centrair International Airport in Nagoya, Japan, a rare instance of a low-cost carrier entering the hotel business.

The Spring Airlines fleet consists of the following aircraft:

* Airbus A320-200 - 80 Aircraft

* Airbus A320neo _ 1 Aircraft

On June 6, 2014, an Airbus A320 operated by Spring Airlines experienced a runway excursion on the right side of the runway, and striking a light in doing so, the pilot then attempted to go around, but had a tail strike because he pulled up too much at Xiamen, according to another pilot at Spring Airlines.

There were no injuries, but the aircraft sustained substantial damage. An investigation has been opened by China's Accident Investigation Board.


Tourism Observer

MONGOLIA: Genghis Khan Airlines To Commence Flights 2019

Genghis Khan Airlines a new start-up in the Inner Mongolia region of China. However, unlike some airline start-ups, which start seamlessly, Genghis Khan has had a few problems along its route to the sky.

Genghis Khan Airlines was originally marketed as Tianjiao airlines. However, that name was dropped for a more iconic name, which is based on the famed historic Mongolian figure Genghis Khan.

The airline originally planned to start operations with Bombardier CRJ-900 aircraft in March, but it was unable to secure production slots with Bombardier.

Then, in May, the airline was said to be negotiating with Embraer for E190 aircraft to launch operations. The airline was not able to secure production slots or maintenance contracting with Embraer either.

Finally, the airline announced a large order for up to 50 Comac ARJ21 aircraft, including 25 firm orders and options for an additional 25.

The airline plans to receive its first two aircraft in December 2018, with the remaining 23 in the next five years.

Genghis Khan Airlines has also entered into an agreement with Comac in order to establish a flight school for its pilots as well as a maintenance and overhaul facility for the airline’s operations.

The airline’s investors are mostly the Inner Mongolian government, which has invested USD$438 million US dollars into the airline.

The Inner Mongolian government is hoping to increase tourism to the region, which has increased already 12% over 2017, to 202,600 tourists in the first half of 2018.

The airline will be run by a mix of executives who have left various other Chinese airlines, such as Air China, 9 Air, China Southern Airlines, and Qingdao Airlines.

The former chairman of Qingdao Airlines will be in charge of preparing the airline for its commercial operations, and the chairman of the airline will be Hao Yutao.

Genghis Khan Airlines will be the second airline to operate the Comac ARJ21 after the Comac-owned Chengdu Airlines.

Genghis Khan will also be the second-largest operator of the ARJ21 should they exercise their options; Genghis Khan Airlines will follow Henan Airlines and tie with Joy Air.

Should the new carrier choose to do so, the 25 additional aircraft will be delivered 3 years after the original 25 aircraft.

After starting operations, Genghis Khan Airlines plans to launch into the international market once they have received their 25th aircraft.

The airline plans to be operating to 40 destinations with 25 aircraft in 5 years, and then to 80 destinations with 50 aircraft in 8 years. While these plans are ambitious, the airline’s wide investor pool will be able to help finance their expansion plans.

Genghis Khan Airlines yet released its plans for seating configurations on the ARJ21. However, the aircraft is typically equipped with between 78 and 90 seats depending on the number of classes, allowing for some flexibility on the airline’s part.

The aircraft also has a range of up to 3,700 km, which will allow for great flexibility when the airline is considering new routes.

The airline also plans to operate extensive flights within Inner Mongolia from its base at the capital of Hohhot, as there are 20 transport-class airports within the region prepared for the airline to serve them.

Genghis Khan Airlines says that it has completed acquiring the personnel required, including executives, maintenance personnel, pilots, cabin crew, and more.

Genghis Khan airlines look like it has a good chance at being successful in an under served region of China, and although their plans may be ambitious, they have a strong team behind the plans to help see them through.

The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) has approved Genghis Khan Airlines to start operations. The brand-new carrier may commence the flight operations as early as early 2019.

Genghis Khan Airlines was established in 2015 and selected Hohhot Airport as their main hub. Hohhot is the capital city of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of China, which is located at northwest of Beijing and is just a short 90-minute flight away.

Inner Mongolia has an area of 1.183 million kilometers squared. In recent years, an improvement in airport facilities has not attracted carriers as originally planned.

According to the company proposal, the airline will use Chinese-manufactured Comac ARJ21 aircraft and hope to operate a fleet of 25 the type.

It plans to fly 40 destinations and 60 routes within the first five years. In the next eight years, a fleet of 50 aircraft are expected and the airline has set a goal to reach 80 destinations and 150 routes, the route map will be covering the country’s major cities, Mongolia and Russia.

Inner Mongolia has 28 civil airports, the most airports in a region of China. In 2017, 58 airlines served across the region, reaching 116 destinations and 426 routes, including 37 international route and 21 destinations.

In the first seven months of 2018, the total passengers volume of the airports in Inner Mongolia was 14.28 million, an increase of 17.6 percent over the same period last year.

Expecting rapid economic growth, the number of airports will 50 by 2030. At that point, Hohhot will become a major hub for the region.The airline has already employed maintenance personal, safety regulators, safety management teams and customer services agents.

Hao Yutao, the chairman of Genghis Khan, said, the airline has reached an agreement with Commercial Aircraft Cooperation Of China Ltd (COMAC). The company is going to setup Aero institute, aircraft maintenance center and training center in the region and support surrounding airports.

As a result of the rapid economic growth in China, the airline network of Inner Mongolia can’t meet popular demand. Genghis Khan Airlines commencing service may solve the region’s problems.

The airline has to face competition with the high speed train in the long run, meaning the future is cautiously optimistic.


Tourism Observer

ARGENTINA: Air Europa Begins Direct Flights To Puerto Iguazu

Spanish airline will start its flights from Madrid to Puerto Iguazu with weekly frequency operated with the Boeing 787-8, ticket sales started already.

Flight Number UX-45 will depart from Madrid on Saturdays at 23:55 Local Time to arrive in Puerto Iguazu on following day at 07:05 Local Time with a duration of 12:10 minutes and the return of UX-46, will be at 08:35 Local Time, landing at the Spanish capital at 05:10 the next day after a stop in Montevideo.

In addition, the increase of an additional frequency is foreseen with a scale in the opposite direction in the Uruguayan capital, although the date has not been mentioned.

With 2 intense years of negotiations, the Province of Misiones will be able to be connected to Europe through the Hub of the airline in Madrid-Barajas and will further enhance the tourist attractions of the area such as the Iguazu Falls as well as benefit Ciudad del Este with its various shopping centers.

With the addition of Puerto Iguazu, Argentina will become the market with the largest presence in South America, currently flying from Buenos Aires with a daily frequency and Cordoba with a stopover in Asuncion with five weekly frequencies.

Air France-KLM and Air Europa (UX, Palma Son Sant Joan) are set to deepen their existing commercial ties through a tentative joint-venture agreement covering Europe and Central/South America.

The three Skyteam members' current partnership dates back over 15 years and involves codesharing on each other's European services out of Paris CDG, Amsterdam Schiphol, and Madrid Barajas.

A statement issued on Wednesday, August 1, said the parties were currently conducting an integral analysis of the joint venture given the complementarity of their respective networks from/to Central and South America.

Preliminary results show it would provide significant additional benefits to customers in the form of improved connectivity, increased seat availability and a basis to launch new routes and direct flights between the two continents.

The Franco-Dutch carrier group also has strategic partnerships with Virgin Atlantic for transatlantic flights although discussions over strategic cooperation on travel to other parts of the world are underway, Gol Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes in Brazil, China Eastern Airlines, Xiamen Airlines, and China Southern Airlines...

Late last week, lrish low-cost airline Ryanair began offering flights to various destinations at market-breaking prices, including a one-way flight from London to Belfast for €7.

The company is offering a one-way flight from Tel Aviv to Paphos in Cyprus in late October for €20 and a return flight for €32, a €10 discount in each direction.

Flights to Burgas in Bulgaria, for example, are being offered for €34 one-way and €42 for a return flight.

These prices include the flight only, without luggage, with a suitcase costing at least €30 in each direction. The bargain campaign is valid until September 3 at midnight.

A partnership between Ryanair and Air Europa is offering Israelis flights to Miami, Venezuela, Colombia, Peru, and Paraguay with a stopover in Madrid.

For example, a roundtrip ticket to Miami in late October costs €580. Since these flights involve cooperation with a regular airline, in contrast to Ryanair's own flights, the price includes a suitcase weighing up to 23 kilograms and hand luggage weighing up to 10 kilograms.

Following disruptions and cancellations of hundreds of its flights, Ryanair announced that it was recognizing FORSA, the union that its pilots joined.

Ryanair's air teams are distributed among pilots unions in several European countries. The airline's flights in European countries were disrupted by pilots seeking better conditions.

Tens of thousands of the airline's passengers were affected by these disruptions at the height of the vacation season in Europe.

Ryanair announced that 65% of its cabin crew were unionized under agreements recognized by the company. Ryanair's management will now work with representatives of Irish union FORSA.


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

KENYA: China Southern Airlines Increases Frequency Flights And Adds Airbus 330-200 To Nairobi

Travelers between Nairobi and Guanzhou have an extra flight after China Southern Airlines increased its Nairobi to Guangzhou flights from two to three.

The airline has also added an Airbus 330-200 aircraft to its fleet in Kenya for the additional flight.

There is already a booming business, leisure and tourism travel market between the two countries.

However, this is expected to go a notch higher with the increased frequency.

With this development, we are working together to promote the Kenya–China leisure, tour and travel business.

For those wishing to travel to the Far East country during the period before the review, free accommodation will be provided once in Guangzhou.

And for passengers using China Southern Airlines and international code share flights if the flights’ connecting time is more than eight hours, but less than 48 hours.

The new schedule of flights, which are set to start on July 10, will be on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays, with a review scheduled for between then and October 23.

The new aircraft has a 218-passenger capacity - four first class, 24 business class and 190 economy class seats - and adopts the three-cabin layout.

China Southern Airlines which has been flying to Nairobi twice a week, on Mondays and Fridays, will now fly passengers an additional day.

With China Southern Airlines fleet of more than 660 aircraft and an annual transportation record of more than 100 million passengers globally, the airline has can now boast of a good safety record in the oriental country.

The airline also has a bigger international network and a convenient transfer network from the Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, he added.

This latest move by the airline is set to ignite an even stiffer competition with the national carrier, Kenya Airways, which also plies the same route, but has in the recent days been facing headwinds, among other airlines plying the same route.


Tourism Observer

CHINA: China Southern Airlines Acquires First 787-9, To Start Kunming-Islamabad Flights

China Southern Airlines' first Boeing 787-9 has been delivered to its Guangzhou headquarters, joining a fleet of 10 787-8s.

The aircraft is configured with 28 business and 269 economy class seats, and features on-board connectivity that will be available to all passengers.

The airline says that it will operate the aircraft on long-haul routes.

All of the SkyTeam carrier’s 787s are powered by General Electric GEnx-1B engines.

China Southern has a further 19 787-9s on order, which are coming from a mix of direct orders and via lessors AerCap and Air Lease.

Deliveries of those jets are scheduled out to 2020.

Meanwhile, China Southern Airlines Co. Ltd will be starting flights between Kunming and Islamabad from mid of this year.

This was underlined in a meeting of the Airline’s Executives with Pakistan’s Consul General to Chengdu, Muhammad Mudassir Tipu.

The delegation of the airlines Tuesday met the CG in Kunming, capital of Yunnan province, and included Hu Yaohui, Director International Marketing, Ma Yun Deputy Manager and airline’s staff.

China Southern Airlines operates the largest fleet, most developed route network and largest passenger capacity of any airline in China.

The Airline fleet is ranked the first in Asia and the fourth in the world.

It operates more than 2000 daily flights to 224 destinations in 40 countries and regions across the world.

Hu Yaohui in the meeting underscored that, given the depth and breadth of China-Pakistan relations, Pakistan’s strategic location, it’s tourism potential, as well as Pakistan’s economic growth the China Southern had been planning to start three-day-a-week flights from June this year.

The flight will fly on Guangzhou-Kunming-Islamabad route.

The Kunming-Islamabad route’s flight time will be nearly four hour while the return flight will take five hours’.

He added that with commencement of this flight trade, economic, commercial, and tourism ties will expand between China and Pakistan and the broader region.

He hoped that passengers would be able to transit from Islamabad to other Middle Eastern countries via this flight.

The China Southern has approached the Chinese government to authorize start of the flight, the Director maintained.

The Consul General, Muhammad Mudassir Tipu welcomed the start of the flight and emphasized that it was a clear demonstration that Pakistan’s relations with China were vigorously expanding in a host of areas.

The CG hoped that as a consequence of CPEC and OBOR initiatives, as well as Pakistan’s growth trajectory, wider economic and commercial opportunities will be generated necessitating enhanced connectivity between Pakistan and the western China.

The CG underlined that in recent years Pakistan’s tourism industry was significantly flourishing and direct flights will provide impetus to both Pakistan and China’s tourism potential.

The CG offered full co-operation and support to the Airlines for smooth operations of the flight and hoped that Airlines will continue to deepen and expand its relations with Pakistan in future.


Tourism Observer

CHINA: Air China, Emirates Most Popular Domestic And International Carriers For Chinese Luxury Travelers

According to a new report on 2017 luxury travelers in China, travelers have visited an average of 18 countries, and take an average of 3.3 overseas trips annually, amounting to 27 days, of which tourism accounts for 69%.

These are the results of the 2017 Chinese Luxury Traveller report, issued jointlyby Hurun Report and ILTM, focusing on the behaviour and demands of China's high-end tourists, to understand and interpret the direction in which the industry is heading.

When it comes to destinations, Europe and Southeast Asia are preferred by a considerable margin. Europe of course, with its cultural heritage and picturesque natural scenery, is long-established as the destination of choice among the Chinese jet set, while Southeast Asia is more newly established, having surpassed the Americas as one of the hottest destinations for luxury travelers over the past two years.

The latter finds particular favor among the millennial generation, with a staggering 34% choosing it as their top pick, transforming it from the fourth most popular destination last year to the first.

The region's convenient geographical proximity and lush tropical climate are the factors attracting ever-increasing droves of high-end Chinese tourists.

In terms of reasons for travelling abroad, travelling for leisure remains the most common motivation, with 41%. The recent trends of polar exploration and adventure travel continued to grow in popularity, with 31% and 20% respectively.

Island travel saw the most noticeable upsurge in 2016, becoming the third most popular reason for travel at 23%, ahead of taking road trips (13%) and cruises (14%). Among millennial respondents, visiting islands was the most popular choice, with 46%.

Luxury travelers are becoming increasingly adventurous, with the growth in popularity of polar exploration a case in point.

Islands, with their balmy climates and sparkling ocean views and beaches, also hold a particularly strong allure for respondents, especially for the millennial generation.

As well as offering exciting water sport opportunities like surfing and diving for the more active, islands are also viewed as a family-friendly option which allow for a high degree of personal space.

Air China, Emirates Most Popular Domestic and International Carriers

Air China is by far the most popular domestic airline, selected by 53.9%, followed by China Southern Airlines (22.4%) and Cathay Pacific (21.9%).

Between both age categories, Air China comes out on top, earning impressive customer loyalty, with more than half of respondents ranking it the highest due to its good reputation.

For overseas airlines, Emirates and Singapore Airlines set the benchmark for luxury flight experiences, leaving their competitors trailing far behind with figures of 23% and 22% respectively.

Both airlines count cost-effective services among their main selling points.

The fact that Singapore and Dubai airports are such important hubs for flight transfers also contributes to their popularity.

Respondents have taken an average of 1.7 cruises before, although 34% have never been on one.



Tourism Observer
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CHINA: 20 Million Passengers Went Through Changsha Airport in 2016

Changsha Huanghua International Airport handled 21.3 million passengers in 2016 according to CAAC statistics. This was an increase of close to 14% on the previous year and left the airport ranked 13th in China.

This was one place higher than in 2015 when it was still ranked below Wuhan Airport which it has now overtaken. Analysis of OAG Schedule Analyser data indicates that international traffic at the airport was around 7% of the total in 2015, increasing to about 9% in 2016.

Since 2007 passenger demand at the airport has grown by an average of over 11% per annum. Last year’s growth of almost 14% was the airport’s fastest increase in traffic since 2010. The year-on-year increase in passenger numbers was almost 2.6 million, the most in the airport’s history.

The airport finished building a second runway in 2016, which is expected to become operational during 2017. There are also plans to build a third runway in the medium-term.

Last year saw the airport welcome a number of new high-profile international services with Hainan Airlines, with the carrier beginning direct flights to Melbourne and Sydney in Australia, as well as Los Angeles in California.

Hainan Airlines drives growth but China Southern Airlines still #1

China Southern Airlines is the busiest carrier at the airport, accounting for just under 22% of annual scheduled seat capacity. A total of 39 airlines served Changsha in 2016 with the top 15 accounting for 89% of the airport’s capacity.

While China Southern and China Eastern Airlines appear to have both reduced capacity marginally at the airport in 2016, other carriers grew their presence at the airport considerably.

Hainan Airlines has jumped from fourth place in 2015 to second place in 2016 thanks to a 46% increase in seat capacity at the airport. Beijing Capital Airlines, Shanghai Airlines and Tianjin Airlines all grew their capacity at the airport by more than 40% last year.

Beijing is #1 Changsha route; high-speed rail may impact some routes in 2017

The busiest route from Changsha is the 1,355-kilometre sector to Beijing. Capacity on the route is provided by Air China, China Southern Airlines, Hainan Airlines and Xiamen Airlines.

Between them these four carriers offer 116 weekly flights, equivalent to around 17 flights per day. The fastest-growing domestic route in 2016 was Tianjin, where capacity was up almost 40%.

At the end of last year the opening of a new high-speed rail link to Kunming reduced travel time from Changsha from 19 hours to just five. This may have an impact on air travel demand on the 1,099-kilometre route in 2017.

As a result Haikou may become the airport’s second busiest route in 2017.

Currently the airport offers non-stop service to 20 international destinations in 13 countries. The leading international country markets currently are Thailand, South Korea, Taiwan and Malaysia.

There are non-stop flights to Europe, with China Southern Airlines operating a three times weekly service to Frankfurt. North America is now also served directly since Hainan Airlines began twice-weekly flights to Los Angeles in January 2016.

On 21 January 2016 Hainan Airlines celebrated the launch of the first non-stop service between Changsha and an airport in North America. Los Angeles was the lucky destination with the Chinese carrier offering twice-weekly (Mondays and Thursdays) flights using its 787s.

AFRICA: Africa Needs More Chinese Tourists

China has recently become the largest outbound tourist market in the world. The number of Chinese tourists traveling worldwide has grown to over a 100 million, likely to double by 2020. In 2013 Chinese tourists spent a total $102 billion dollars on their trips.

When Chinese-looking persons enter the Nairobi City Market or Massai Market Fair in Kenya’s capital, they are often greeted with “Ni Hao” as they pass shops and stands. Some local shop-keepers have a broader Mandarin vocabulary, which helps them sell African woodcarvings, fabric, or other local souvenirs to Chinese tourists.

Those numbers are expected to keep rising. Many Chinese are weary of traditional destinations, such as Europe and North America. So they are turning to Africa as a great place to spend an exotic vacation.

The numerous bilateral exchanges between China and Africa have encouraged Chinese tourism in African countries. In 2008 only 2.8 % of Chinese tourists chose Africa as a destination.

In 2014, according to the China Outbound Travel Development Report, that number has reached 9.4 %. The annual growth rate of Chinese tourist traffic to Africa has been 50% since 2010 - higher than to any other part of the world.

The most popular destination for Chinese tourists is South Africa; with direct flights currently available between Beijing and Johannesburg. Derek Hanekom, Tourism Minister of South Africa, says China is one of the important sources of tourists for his country and pledges to help create more conveniences to welcome Chinese travelers.

Other destinations popular among the Chinese are Egypt, Kenya, Cameroon, Senegal, Algeria, Angola, Mauritius, Tunisia, and Zimbabwe.

Since the Chinese government has granted Kenya an Approved Destination Status for outbound tourism in 2004, the number of Chinese tourists going there has risen. In 2013, 37,000 Chinese visited Kenya.

The same year, on a visit to China, Kenya’s president Uhuru Kenyatta said his country’s tourism industry had set the goal of attracting a record number of 1.3 million Chinese.

Tourism in Kenya is popular in the summer when migration of animals can be observed in its national parks. When China Central Television (CCTV) aired live broadcasts of the migration of rhinos, zebras, and wilder beasts in 2012-13, that became a well-known wonder in China.

That has attracted thousands of Chinese during the summer season to Kenya.

Zhang Hongtao, director of AA lodges in Kenya, said, Now Chinese tourists book hotels six months in advance to get a room nearby even when the accommodation price doubles or triples.

The majority of Chinese tourists prefer big organized group trips within budget. About 10% of them, however, are high-end travelers who spend 4-5 times more money than the average tourist.

People in this category travel in smaller groups and avoid rough roads by taking charter flights to national parks.

They use secluded private lodges instead of hotels. While in Europe they may buy luxury brands, in South Africa their interests are diamonds.

Some of Kenya’s tour-operators, including Safari Collection, Governor’s Camp, and Loisaba Wilderness, cooperate with Chinese counterparts to promote luxury services.

There are some important tips from experts, which would be helpful to Africans in their attempts to attract more Chinese tourists and make their experience more enjoyable:

1.African governments should make tourism a greater priority on their national agenda by taking the following steps:

a). Improve safety measures around tourist sites.

b). Enhance tourism-related infrastructure.

c). Ease visa procedures for Chinese travelers.

d). Spend more on tourism promotion, which brings much easier and quicker economic returns than industrial investments.

Currently, only few African countries, such as South Africa, Zimbabwe, Namibia, and Morocco have set up tourist promoting agencies in China.

If the Chinese overcome the stereotypical international fear of travel in Africa and realize what a great experience it could be, the number of their visits there would skyrocket.

2.African service and hospitality sector needs to:

a). Hire more Chinese-speakers. Many Chinese business travelers might know English, but their families members who come on a safari often might not.

b). Offer Chinese food at National Park lodges, porridge and noodles for breakfast, complimentary green tea, and hot water – all good gestures of Chinese hospitality.

Many National Park lodges in Kenya, for example do not offer any Chinese food. Some Chinese tourists, especially seniors, may enjoy their safaris, but can’t wait to return to Nairobi for Chinese food.

Even though Chinese travelers, like others, might sometimes be discouraged by problems including the Ebola epidemic in 2013-14 or an occasional terrorist assault, Chinese tourism in Africa will flourish.

Yang Jinsong, a professor of international tourism at the China Tourism Academy, considers this phenomenon astounding. “The number of Chinese tourists to Africa will rise, and rise greatly” said Yang.

South Africa is targeting Chinese and Indian tourists after relaxing its visa rules.

South Africa’s tourism industry is recovering from an ill-fated experiment with stricter visa regulations. The country welcomed nearly 3 million tourists in January this year, 15% up on a year ago, according to the tourism ministry this week.

In the last quarter of 2015, the number of tourists from China fell by nearly half, and visitors from India dropped by 15%, according to the South African Tourism Services Association.

Tourism has consistently made up 3% of South Africa’s economy in the last decade, and is a key source of jobs and foreign income, according to Statistics South Africa, a government agency.

Tourism minister Derek Hanekom attributed the revitalized growth to South Africa’s weakened currency, the elimination of the Ebola outbreak all the way over in West Africa, and scrapping controversial visa restrictions.

The laws were relaxed earlier this year but it could take up to five years for the industry to fully recover, Tourism Business Council of South Africa CEO Mmatati Ramawela said.

In October 2014, South Africa’s Home Affairs department introduced new laws that required all visitors to have their bio-metric data captured in person at an embassy or official visa center.

Children were required to travel with a certified unabridged birth certificate and the written consent of a parent where the child was traveling with one parent or a relative.

The new regulations were aimed at a broad number of issues to “balance South Africa’s openness to legitimate travelers,” home affairs minister Malusi Gigaba said at the time. His department’s main concerns were South Africa’s porous borders and national security.

But it was the legitimate travelers who may have been worst affected, especially from China and India. The tourism minister Hanekom has since traveled to China and India to reassure visitors that South Africa is once again a hassle-free dream destination.

The improved numbers still reflect a bias toward countries that have historically favored passports. Eight of the top ten visiting nationalities come from countries that don’t need visas, meaning remaining restrictions are still deterring a huge tourism market in the developing world.

South Africa is also missing out on tourists from its own continent. More than 98% of African tourists who visited South Africa, all came from countries within the Southern African Development Community.

Citizens of the 15-member trade and diplomatic community do not need visas to travel within the community, a model South Africa, and the rest of the continent, may want to consider expanding.

South Africa saw a huge increase of Chinese tourists in January and the country is expecting a Chinese tourist boom with a series of measures to facilitate their coming, according to South Africa's digital publishing house.

The report said data from Statistics South Africa show that 1,012,641 tourist arrivals to South Africa were recorded in January this year, up 15 percent from that of the same month last year.

It is the first time South Africa had more than one million tourist arrivals in a month, it said.

The report said 79 percent arrived from African countries and the others were from overseas. And of the overseas visitors, arrivals from China grew by 93 percent.

South Africa Tourism Minister Derek Hanekom indicated that despite China's economic slow-down, there is an expected boom of Chinese tourists in South Africa, the report said.

It said a series of measures have been taken to attract expected Chinese tourists.

With an Accredited Travel Company program in China, which was announced by the Department of Home Affairs of South Africa in January, Chinese travelers to South Africa don't need to make in-person applications at visa processing centers any more.

There's also no requirement for Chinese nationals to have transit visas to travel to South Africa's neighboring countries.

South Africa also opened new visa facilitation centers in Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province, and Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong province. The country already had visa centers in Beijing and Shanghai. Five more centers are expected to be open at the end of April in another five provincial capitals.

We are confident that the number of tourists visiting South Africa from China will grow significantly this year. Our discussions with the Chinese travel trade have included measures on how to make the best of the expected boom, Hanekom said.

In 2015, China was the world's top outbound tourist market, with more than 100 million Chinese traveling abroad.

With the opening of direct flights, relaxation of visa regimes and other incentives, many African countries are expecting the arrival of more Chinese tourists.

In 2015, China Southern Airlines launched flights to Kenya's capital, Nairobi, from Guangzhou and Air China also launched direct flights from Beijing to Ethiopia's capital, Addis Ababa.

SAUDI ARABIA: Saudi Arabian Airlines (SAUDIA) Sign Codeshare Agreement With China Southern Airlines

Saudi Arabian Airlines (SAUDIA) has announced a codeshare agreement with China Southern Airlines, enabling travellers to conveniently access additional domestic and international routes across both carriers’ portfolios.

Passengers flying to Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport with the Saudi carrier will be able to connect to further Chinese itineraries, such as Beijing, Shanghai and Wuhan.

Meanwhile, the guests of the Chinese airline will benefit from the access to SAUDIA’s network from the Chinese hub with the option of transiting through Dubai International.

The new partnership follows SAUDIA’s network expansion with two new destinations this year, Multan and Port Sudan, and demonstrates the carrier’s commitment to offer improved travel options and flexibility to its passengers.

Saudia Airlines has announced the expansion of its fleet with the addition of a new Boeing 787-9, the first of 15 jets awaiting delivery, bringing the current number of Boeing aircraft to seven.

Purchasing the state-of-the-art aircraft from major global producers is the carrier's strategy to constantly modernise its fleet, according to the requirements for different types and sizes of the aircraft, reflecting its operational strategies for domestic, regional and international flights.

Presently, the Saudi national airline boasts 129 jets, including the market's latest Boeing and Airbus wide-body aircraft.

airBaltic launched its direct route linking Riga and Aberdeen on May 02, offering convenient travel options for travellers from the UK and Baltic states.

The schedule will operate three times weekly on board a Boeing 737 aircraft.

Carol Benzie, managing director, Aberdeen International Airport, commented, "The route will provide Aberdeen holidaymakers with easy access to a number of increasingly popular destinations in the Baltic states, such as Tallinn, Palanga and Vilnius, which was one of the most requested destinations in a leisure survey we undertook with our local community in 2016."

Qatar Airways has been named the official airline partner of the Paris ePrix, an electric street race, as well as sponsor of the 2017 Qatar Airways Paris ePrix, which will take place in the French capital on May 20.

The carrier has also been named the official airline partner of the first-ever New York City ePrix taking place in Brooklyn on July 15 – 16.

Commenting on the partnership with Formula E, H.E. Akbar Al Baker, group chief executive, Qatar Airways, said, "We are very pleased to be able to support this environmentally-friendly sport that promotes the latest technological innovations in producing alternative energy solutions for electric cars.

Qatar Airways is committed to promoting the importance of sports in bringing people together through our many partnerships

On May 01, Oman Air celebrated its inaugural flight from Muscat International Airport to Manchester Airport.

The daily flight to Manchester, operated by an A330-200, represents the carrier’s third daily frequency to the UK and is expected to further boost the already strong political, economic and social links between the two countries.

Additionally, the direct flight will open up easy access to the carrier’s outstanding range of destinations from both Muscat and Manchester with over 27 locations having connectivity within three hours in both directions.

The launch of the new route is in response to significant customer demand and also demonstrates Oman Air’s commitment to continuing its ambitious and dynamic programme of fleet and network expansion.

Celebrating 10 years of services to Kerala, Etihad Airways has launched a fourth daily nonstop schedule from Abu Dhabi International Airport to Calicut International Airport, bringing the total number of weekly schedules to the state to 63.

The extra itinerary makes Kerala one of the carrier’s most frequent Indian destinations, where the airline flies to the gateways of Kochi, Kozhikode and Thiruvananthapuram, representing more than 30 percent of all Indian frequencies.

Neerja Bhatia, vice president, Indian subcontinent, Etihad Airways, commented, “With our multi-frequency scheduled flights to and from Kerala, Etihad Airways has demonstrated a commitment to this vibrant state by offering convenient global access and boosting the domestic tourism industry.”

CHINA: Guangzhou Internatinal Flights Improve Travel To China

The first direct flight of China to Reunion Island, which opened on February 12, is conducted twice a week aboard an Airbus A340-300. As an overseas territory of France, Reunion Island is a relatively new tourist destination in the South Indian Ocean.

Activities include hiking on a volcano, exploring in a lava tunnel and observing whales and dolphins. The Reunion Island Tourism Board has unveiled a 15-day one-time conditional visa-free policy to Chinese tourists.

Benefiting from the rapid growth of Guangzhou's economy, more and more local residents get rich and choose to travel abroad. To cater to the new surge of travelers, several direct international flights were added this year to the city's some 30 existent routes to foreign destinations on five continents.

The flight, opened on January 21, departs from Guangzhou at 4:30 a.m. and flies back to Guangzhou at 9:40 p.m. Koh Samui, the third-largest island in Thailand, is famous for its long, clean beaches. It still retains its original flavor due to inadequate development.

This flight began on January 24 and takes less than two hours to reach Ða Nang, the fourth-largest city in Vietnam. Famous tourist spots in or near the city include Son Tra Peninsula, well-known for its vast primary forests and rare animals, as well as Hoi'an, home to small local boutiques, artwork shops, bars and well-preserved Chinese and Japanese architecture.

Vietnam provides a visa-on-arrival service to Chinese. All you need are your passport and two color photos with white background.

This flight, to open on April 10, will fly every Monday, Thursday and Saturday. It is cheaper than the previous Guangzhou-Los Angeles-Mexico City flight, according to China Southern Airlines. Besides, tourists with Canadian visas can also enter Mexico.

The 2017 Guangzhou International Travel Fair (GITF), which ran from February 23-25 at the China Import and Export Fair complex in Pazhou, featured new travel programs to the Middle East and exotic islands.

Celebrating its 25th anniversary, GITF attracted nearly 980 exhibitors from 51 countries and regions within a display area of 28,600 square meters.

International exhibitors accounted for 66 percent of the booths, and professional buyers totaled 800, an increase of 2.56 percent over last year.

Middle East tours are becoming popular for Chinese travelers due to more relaxed visa policies in Tunisia and Dubai. Many travel agencies have launched tourism products such as trips to Dubai, Egypt and Tunisia for less than 10,000 yuan.

New island tours also generated attention. Reunion Island and the Italian islands of Sicily and Sardinia are becoming more popular than the traditional leisure islands of Phuket and Bali.

According to Vincent Cong of the Reunion Island Tourism Board China, Reunion Island did not enter the Chinese market until the end of 2014, and by 2016 around 5,000 Chinese tourists had visited Reunion. In order to attract more Chinese visitors, the island has launched a 15-day conditional visa-free policy.

Guangzhou is the first Chinese city to open direct flights to the island. It is predicted that about 8,000 Chinese tourists will visit Reunion in 2017, Cong said.

Reunion Island, as an overseas territory of France, is famous for three ice cirques and has a series of spectacular landforms which are great spots for hiking and other outdoor activities.

From July to September, Reunion Island is a great spot for whale watching as they swim back from the Antarctic.

CHINA: Minsk-Guangzhou Flights To Begin, Guangzhou is building 1,000 Kilometer-long Mountain Climbing Trails

There are plans to launch a direct flight between Minsk and Guangzhou (China), Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko said on 4 May during the meeting with representatives of Chinese central and regional mass media partaking in the press tour to Belarus, BelTA has learned.

The head of state pointed out that Belarus is interested in bolstering ties with China's Guangdong Province. The sides have advanced trade and achieved considerable results in tourism and science.

Guangdong Province is also ready to set up light emitting diode companies in the China-Belarus industrial park Great Stone.

Currently we are discussing the launch of direct air service between Minsk and Guangzhou. The prospects are quite promising, Alexander Lukashenko remarked.

Belarus is ready to bolster ties with other Chinese regions. There are no forbidden topics or problems in our relations. You may rest assured that all your initiatives in Belarus will be supported. I invite you to come over and offer ideas.

We will receive and support you with pleasure, the president underlined. Guangzhou is the capital of China's most developed province Guangdong. The city is the political, economic, scientific and technical, educational, cultural and transport center of South China.

Guangzhou's Airport Economic Demonstration Zone is off to a robust start by attracting big investments and more than 100 new projects.

The zone already is becoming a hot spot for investment and development..

Benefiting from the city's status as a major aviation hub, the zone was established to boost and guide the development of high-end manufacturing and modern service industries.

Based on the air transportation business, the zone is intended to become a modern industrial base, a regional logistics center, and a technological innovation venue and cooperation platform.

The Baiyun airport's location, efficiency and multi-level services supported the Philippines' AirAsia's opening of direct flights between Guangzhou and Manila on April 28, the 12th new airline flying into and from the airport this year.

The opening of more international routes showcases the increasingly enhanced functionality of the Baiyun airport.

According to data released by airport officials, Baiyun's passenger throughput in 2016 reached 59.78 million, up 8.2 percent over the previous year, making it one of the world’s top 15 international airports and establishing its position as a gateway to Southeast Asia and Australia.

Meanwhile, many airline companies are flocking to the airport, further accelerating the development of the economic zone. In late March, Baiyun welcomed a new airline company - Guangdong Longhao Aviation Group. It took only nine months from preparation to construction for its first flight.

Longhao is not the only company that thinks highly of the airport's economic zone. Other international and national airline enterprises also are arriving in a steady stream.

Also, China Southern Airlines signed a strategic cooperation agreement in Guangzhou with American Airlines, the largest airline in the world, opening up a new epoch for international cooperation of large airline companies.

In terms of transportation development in the economic zone, progress has been made, according to Sun Xiuqing, director of the zone’s administrative committee.

The northern extension of the airport's second highway is already under construction; the expansion of intercity rail lines like Guangzhou to Qingyuan, Guangzhou to Foshan, and Guangzhou to Dongguan to Shenzhen is accelerating; Metro Line 9 and Huadu-Dongguan highway are under intense construction.

Apart from the construction of infrastructure and facilities, the economic zone has made breakthroughs in attracting investments and projects.

The zone's authorities have signed strategic cooperation and investment agreements with many companies, including YTO, Minsheng E-Commerce, DHL, China Air Cargo Corporation, and Baoneng, with the total investment reaching 26.96 billion yuan. Also, 500 enterprises have registered in the zone, and a batch of giant projects have started construction.

Among the businesses operating in the zone thus far, e-commerce is the most prevalent.

Guangzhou is building 1,000-kilometer-long mountain climbing trails as part of the National Trails System (NTS) in line with international standards.

The trails will make optimal use of the city's natural resources, history and culture to foster an upscale tourist business, and help enhance public awareness of ecological and cultural protection, while also providing sightseeing and recreational activities in beautiful natural environments, an official of Conghua Bureau of Culture, Broadcasting, Press and Publication said.

The first trail open to the public in Guangzhou is located in Liangkou village, Conghua district, with a length of 60 kilometers. Far away from the bustling metropolis, the Conghua trail is divided into four levels of difficulty to meet the needs of various people.

Summit Challenge Route, the most difficult section on the Conghua trail, offers good opportunities to climb the 1,210-meter Tiantang Peak, the highest mountain in Guangzhou, and enjoy the beautiful landscapes of Huangchayuan Mountain.

Hiking Route, a less difficult trek, is the longest route of the trail.

Leisure Travel Route is a more leisurely hike for people to enjoy the natural beauty and countryside scenery, such as a star observation platform, Qianlonggou Waterfall, Xitou village and Apoliu village.

Lake Loop Route, the easiest of the four, allows visitors to walk by the riverside, linking up four reservoirs – Dashuikou, Baishuidai, Xiabazi and Lianxi, as well as streams and waterfalls.

The NTS refers to the network of scenic, historic and recreation trails created by the U.S. National Trails System Act of 1968. The NTS will help Conghua become a leader in the development of Guangzhou’s trails and rural tourism. It will serve as a model on sustainable use of ecological and cultural resources.

Guangzhou’s foreign trade got off to a strong start in the first quarter, with import and export volume growing 31.9 percent over the same period in 2016 to 242.8 billion yuan.

At the same time, the import and export volume of Guangdong province increased by 15.4 percent year-on-year to 1.45 trillion yuan, according to data released by Guangzhou customs office.

On March 6, Guangzhou officially launched a national pilot mode of market procurement trade, which is a convenient, efficient, sharing and online regulatory platform for market procurement trade.

The platform has 172 businesses with over 10,000 products, of which 155 are foreign trade runners. The market procurement export value in Guangzhou through this platform reached 3.25 billion yuan through March 31.

In the first two months, Guangzhou’s cross-border e-commerce business grew by 16.2 percent over a year ago, ranking first among 60 cities engaged in e-commerce business.

Moreover, Guangzhou’s import of automobiles and diamonds showed good development momentum. Over 4,000 cars reached the Nansha port in Q1, 1.5 times as many as in the same period last year, while total diamond imports increased 26.2 percent.

According to an official of the Guangzhou Municipal Commission of Commerce, in order to enhance the development of foreign trade, Guangzhou continues to attract investments through multiple channels.

In the first three months, over 38,000 enterprises worth 300 billion yuan in registered capital were established in Guangzhou, a growth of 54.1 percent over the same period in 2016. Also, about 300 Fortune Global 500 corporations have launched nearly 800 projects in Guangzhou, according to officials.

Sakai Display Products Corp., a subsidiary of the world's largest electronics contractor, Foxconn Technology Group, plans to invest 61 billion yuan to produce 10.5 generation panel, substrate glass and related product lines in Guangzhou. It is by far the biggest foreign investment project in four decades in Guangzhou.

Guangzhou will accelerate the development of new types of business, including financial leasing, automobile imports and the diamond trade, and will further promote the import and export of high-tech and high-value-added products, such as automobiles, ships, aircraft, electronic products and medical equipment to enhance the transformation and upgrading of trade.