LESS than 10 days after the launch of IATA’s Cabin OK initiative, the global airline body has announced a pause in roll-out to conduct a “comprehensive reassessment” of its recommendation.

Called Cabin OK, the new set of guidelines launched on June 9 proposed a voluntary Cabin OK label that passengers could use on their bags as long as their luggage are within the dimensions of 55cm x 35cm x 20cm or 21.5” x 13.5” x 7.5″ inches.

Airlines would therefore be able to immediately recognise the bag as compliant with maximum size requirements and be given priority to remain in cabin on full flights where storage capacity has been exceeded, should the airline choose to participate and adopt IATA’s suggestions.

However, the size proposed by IATA is 21 per cent smaller by volume than what most airlines currently allow and though the number of airlines expressing interest in the programme is growing, Cabin OK has been met with some backlash from the industry, particularly in North America.

According to the Chicago Tribune, Airlines for America this Wednesday said US carriers are rejecting IATA’s standards “because it is unnecessary and flies in the face of the actions the US carriers are taking to invest in the customer experience — roughly US$1.2 billion a month — including larger overhead bins”.

Nicholas E Calio, CEO of Airlines for America, was quoted as saying that the initiative is “unnecessary” given that airlines already have guidelines for carry-on baggage.

IATA is hoping to address concerns and has pointed out that Cabin OK is “a guideline for an optimally sized cabin bag, not an industry standard”.

In a statement, the global airline group said it does not seek to limit the size of cabin baggage as that is up to the discretion of the individual airline.

Tom Windmuller, senior vice president, airport, passenger, cargo and security, commented: “This is clearly an issue that is close to the heart of travellers. We need to get it right. Today we are pausing the roll-out and launching a comprehensive reassessment of the Cabin OK programme with plans to further engage programme participants, the rest of our members, and other key stakeholders.”

STATE-RUN Myanmar National Airlines will resume international routes after a 22-year break, starting with services to Singapore in a brand-new Boeing 737 this August.

While the flight schedule has not been finalised, TTG Asia e-Daily understands that the Yangon-Singapore service will run three or four times weekly.

The airline inked a US$960 million deal with GE Capital Aviation Services last February to lease 10 new Boeing commercial aircraft, with deliveries starting this month.

Airline CEO Than Tun said four more destinations in the Asia-Pacific region would be added after the launch of the Yangon-Singapore service.

“After receiving more aircraft, we will expand our international routes such as Hong Kong and Taipei in November and two other cities in China next year. We believe our new B737 will allow us to expand our network to international markets and offer an even better experience for our passengers,” he said.

The airline has the most extensive route network within Myanmar, serving more than 26 domestic locations. It has also ordered six ATR aircrafts to boost its domestic connections.

According to the airline, it received more than 500,000 passengers last year, marking a 26 per cent increase compared to 2013.

AUSTRALIA is holding its arms wide open to Chinese tourists with a freshly announced 10-year, multiple-entry visitor visa that went into pilot testing as of yesterday.

The new visa is part of a landmark free trade agreement between China and Australia signed yesterday, which opened the latter’s doors to more business, as tariffs were dismantled, and also more tourists.

Andrew Robb, Australia’s minister for trade and investment, said in a government statement: “Chinese travellers are growing exponentially and it is estimated that by 2020, more than 200 million Chinese people will be travelling to destinations including Australia.

“Increased visitor numbers in Australia translate into significant benefits for Australians and our economy. China is our largest source of tourism, already worth over A$5 billion (US$3.9 billion) to the Australian economy.”

Assistant minister for immigration and border protection, Michaela Cash, said the Australian government “continues to progress the roll-out of online visa lodgements for Chinese nationals” to reduce red tape while ensuring the visa programme remains effective.

“It is essential that Australia remains at the cutting edge of innovation and is competitive in attracting tourists from our region – we must not forget that here is immense competition from other destinations,” said Cash.

Meanwhile, Tourism & Transport Forum Australia’s CEO, Margy Osmond, has cheered the new 10-year multiple-entry visa for Chinese nationals as a major breakthrough for Australia’s tourism industry.

AIMING to push tourists off the Golden Route of Tokyo, Kyoto, Nara and Osaka, Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) is set to elevate the country’s lesser-known areas that have so far been off the beaten track for foreigners.

Promoting previously unknown destinations to tourists will help inject new life into struggling regions, as well as encourage holidaymakers who have already visited Japan to return for something different.

Tatsuki Miura of the corporate planning department, HIS, said that the company is “fully behind the proposal”.

“We have already started promoting the Toyama region to travellers from Thailand and that is going well,” he said.

“And we are finding that travellers from countries in South-east Asia are particularly interested in going to Hokkaido in the winter,” Miura added. “They do not have four seasons in their home countries so they really want to see snow and winter scenery.”

Hokkaido is to be promoted through JNTO and travel companies as the location of “Asian natural treasures”, while history, culture and food will be the highlights of Akita, Aomori and the rest of the northern Tohoku region.

The central prefectures of Mie and Gifu are expected to benefit from the opening of the new Hokuriku Shinkansen line, and the Inland Sea that divides the main island of Honshu from Shikoku has been identified as another priority destination.

Destinations in Kyoto prefecture that are outside the ancient capital are also being prepared, while the onsen of Kyushu and the spiritual elements of Shikoku, such as the 88-temple pilgrimage route, will also be a focus.

JNTO will work with local authorities to create promotional literature in a number of foreign languages, set up free Wi-Fi networks and provide special excursion passes.

The Ministry of Tourism is allocating 300 million yen (US$2.4 million) to the campaign, with additional funds provided by local governments.