Here’s our weekly roundup of new air routes and other aviation news.
JAL inks codeshare deal with Shanghai Airlines
Japan Airlines (JAL) has signed a codeshare agreement with Shanghai Airlines to expand the carrier’s international network in China.
The partnership will add two routes to JAL’s international network, which includes flights between Shanghai Pudong and Osaka Kansai airport, as well as Toyama airport. Both codeshare flights will be operated by Shanghai Airlines.
LOT flies to Beijing
LOT Polish Airlines has started four-times-weekly flights between Beijing Daxing International Airport and Warsaw Chopin Airport.
The route is operated using a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, with a flight time of less than nine hours.
LO89 departs Warsaw at 22.40 on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, and arrives in Beijing at 14.20 the following day. The return flight LO91 leaves Warsaw at 14.55 on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, and touches down in Beijing at 06.35.
LO90 departs Beijing at 16.00 on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays, and arrives in Warsaw at 18.45 the following day. The return flight LO92 departs Beijing at 08.45 to land in Warsaw at 11.30.
Qatar adds eight destinations to network
Qatar Airways will be adding eight new destinations to its network from Doha this year.
The Middle Eastern carrier will begin twice-weekly flights to Kazakhstan’s capital Nur-Sultan, starting March 30, followed by twice-weekly flights to Almaty, also in Kazakhstan, starting April 1. The latter will be increased to four-times-weekly flights from May 25.
Thrice-weekly flights to Cebu in the Philippines will start April 8, followed by daily flights to Accra, capital of Ghana, beginning April 15. As well, thrice-weekly flights to Trabzon in Turkey will begin May 20, while flights to Lyon in France will be operated five times per week, starting June 23.
Qatar will also operate a four-times-weekly service to Luanda, capital of Angola, starting October 14; followed by a five-times-weekly service to Siem Reap in Cambodia from November 16.
AirAsia takes off for Chengdu
AirAsia will be starting thrice-weekly flights between Penang and Chengdu, the capital city of Sichuan Province, China, from March 8, 2020.
Besides Chengdu, AirAsia currently flies to 12 destinations from its Penang hub, namely, Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, Surabaya, Jakarta, Medan, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Johor Bahru, Langkawi, Melaka, Kota Kinabalu and Kuching.
Vietjet connects Da Lat to Seoul
Vietjet has launched Da Lat-Seoul flights, further expanding its network to North-east Asia.
The Da Lat-Seoul (Incheon) route will operate four-times-weekly starting January 15, 2020. The flight departs Da Lat at 17.10 and arrives in Incheon at 23.55, while the return flight takes off from Incheon at 14.30 and lands in Da Lat at 17.50.
