Here’s our weekly roundup of new air routes, codeshare partnerships, and other updates in aviation.
Scoot says Aloha to Honolulu
Scoot has started ticket sales for Singapore-Osaka-Honolulu flights, the airline’s second longhaul service after Athens, which debuted in June this year.
Marking Scoot’s maiden entry in to the US, the four-times-weekly flight serviced by the Boeing 787 Dreamliner is slated to commence on December 19, 2017.
With the route’s launch, Scoot will operate non-stop Singapore–Osaka service, in addition to its existing thrice-weekly services to Osaka via Bangkok and Kaohsiung. The total frequency to Osaka from Singapore will therefore increase from six-times-weekly to 10-times-weekly.
SIA, Lufthansa partnership set for launch
Singapore Airlines (SIA) and Lufthansa Group will launch their joint venture cooperation on October 1, 2017 – covering flights between Singapore, Australia and Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Belgium.
On the same date, flights operated by SIA, Lufthansa and SWISS between Singapore and Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Munich and Zurich will be included in a revenue-sharing agreement between the two airline groups.
Since both airline groups signed the joint venture in November 2015, they have expanded capacity between Singapore and both Germany and Switzerland. This includes the introduction of SIA-operated flights between Singapore and Dusseldorf in July 2016. In March 2017, SWISS deployed its new Boeing 777-300ER aircraft on daily flights between Singapore and Zurich. Lufthansa has also announced plans to re-introduce services between Singapore and Munich from March 2018.
Cathay Pacific ups frequencies
Cathay Pacific will be increasing its services to Madrid, Barcelona, Tel Aviv and Fukuoka.
The airline’s seasonal operation to Barcelona during the summer peak will become a year-round service beginning April 15, 2018. It will start with thrice weekly flights from Hong Kong, before increasing it to four from July 1, 2018.
The new flights will be operated by Airbus A350-900.
In addition, the airline’s existing four-times weekly service to Madrid will be increased to five a week from October 29, 2017.
As well, Cathay will fly more frequently to Tel Aviv, from the current four a week to six from March 25, 2018, increasing to daily throughout October and November.
Meanwhile, Cathay Pacific’s regional carrier Cathay Dragon will be increasing the frequency of its services between Hong Kong and Fukuoka from December 18, 2017.
The airline will initially operate an additional weekly flight to Japan’s fifth largest city, bringing the total number of flights per week to eight, increasing to 11 flights per week between January 14 and March 24, 2018.
PAL links Clark to Basco; adds domestic routes
Philippine Airlines (PAL) has begun flights from Clark International Airport to Basco in Batanes.
The four-times-weekly service is operated by PAL Express, and departs Clark at 11.45 every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Sunday. The return flight leaves Basco at 14.00 on the same days.
The new route is part of PAL’s development of Clark as a third hub of operations, following Manila and Cebu.
In addition, PAL will open three new domestic routes out of Davao – to Zamboanga, Tagbilaran and Cagayan de Oro – on November 1.
AirAsia begins Bangkok-Tiruchirappalli flights
AirAsia has launched four weekly flights between Bangkok and the Indian city of Tiruchirappalli.
Flight FD110 will depart from Bangkok’s Don Mueang international airport at 22.05 on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, and arrive at Trichy at 23.55. The return flight, FD111, will depart Trichy at 00.50 on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays and reach Bangkok at 06.10.
