FROM May 25, Bangkok Airways will launch direct flights from Thailand’s capital to the city of Danang, Vietnam’s gateway to some of the country’s best golf courses.

The new route will be operated by a 144-seater Airbus 319 and depart Suvarnabhumi Airport at 11.00 on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, taking about four and a half hours to arrive at Da Nang International Airport.

Danang, which aims to attract more than 5 million visitors this year, is also served by direct international flights from Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Siem Reap, Seoul, Hong Kong and several cities in China including Shanghai. Danang welcomed 4.6 million visitors in 2015.

EMIRATES and Malaysia Airlines have unveiled new routes as part of their codeshare agreement, providing passengers with more convenient connections and greater opportunities for miles accrual.

The new routes, jointly marketed under Emirates flight numbers, will cover 15 key Malaysian cities such as Langkawi, Penang, Johor Bahru, Kuching and Kota Kinabalu.

The agreement, which began with the Kuala Lumpur-Dubai route on February 15, saw Malaysia Airlines placing its code and flight numbers on Emirates services, represented by three-daily flights on Boeing 777 aircraft and daily flights on the Airbus A380 between the two cities.

Commenting on the new codeshare routes, Thierry Antinori, executive vice president and chief commercial officer, Emirates, said: “The codeshare with Malaysia Airlines will provide more seamless travel options for our passengers to visit 15 cities in Malaysia and elsewhere in the region with a convenient connection in Kuala Lumpur.

“Reciprocally, travellers from the region will also benefit from an expanded network including 90 destinations spanning Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Americas.”

Apart from enjoying the convenience of a single combined ticket for Emirates and Malaysia Airlines-operated flights, connecting passengers will also be able to receive their tickets as well as check in their baggage at a single point.

Members of the airlines’ frequent flyer programmes, Emirates Skywards and Malaysia Airlines’ Enrich, will be able to accumulate and redeem miles on all international and domestic flights operated by both airlines.

SINGAPORE welcomed a record 500,000 US travellers in 2015 and the US market grew three per cent last year, according to the New York office of the Singapore Tourism Board’s (STB) Singapore Exhibition & Convention Bureau (SECB).

Kershing Goh, regional director, Americas, international group, of STB and SECB, said there was a 50-50 split between BTmice and leisure travellers.

Goh attributed the good showing to the strong US dollar and good economic conditions as well as SECB’s efforts in targeting US incentive groups and corporate travellers last year. But she noted that US outbound growth was more strongly driven by leisure traffic.

She said: “Every region in the world, including Asia, is seeing growth. China is a big magnet and US arrivals into Japan grew by double digits.

“The launch of United Airlines’ Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner direct non-stop service between Singapore and San Francisco on June 3, and the additional frequencies by Asian carriers such as EVA Air and All Nippon Airways would continue to open up opportunities to tap the US outbound market.”

“This year, we are ramping up efforts to promote leisure travel as well as business travel from Silicon Valley,” she added.

Kathryn Loh, general manager, destination management, inbound, SingExpress Travel commented that distance is still a major obstacle in cracking the US MICE nut, but observed business travel is increasing.

“United’s direct non-stop flight will help, but direct non-stop flights on Singapore Airlines from the US will be more critical in tapping and growing US meeting and incentive groups,” Loh said.

Aloysius Arlando, CEO, SingEx Holdings, added there has been a rise in US delegates at conventions and exhibitions held at its venue in the last two years, in particular for sectors such as aerospace and aviation, IT and healthcare. He added that the number of US delegates attending MRO (Maintenance, Repair Overhaul) Asia increased between 10 and 12 per cent.

“US business travellers are coming to Singapore to explore establishing an office or R&D base to springboard to other parts of the region,” he said.

Arlando noted that while “larger US SMEs wanting to break into the Asian market will find Singapore a good entry point”, Singapore players must be industry focused to tap the US market.

He elaborated: “Asia is now part of a number of mega MLM (multilevel marketing) events with up to 12,000 participants and for the big achievers, money is no object. Of those numbers, some two to three per cent of attendees are from he US headquarters who also make follow-up business development trips and to seal new business.”

Arlando observed the last “spike” in US BTmice numbers was in 2007/08 before the global financial crisis.

Gordon Wilson, president and CEO, Travelport

TRAVELPORT has bought over its third-party distributor in the world’s fourth largest economy, Galileo Japan, which previously belonged to a group of airline owners.

The acquisition allows the GDS to establish a consolidated Travelport Japan entity in the country, having operated in the market on a franchise basis for the past 30 years. Travelport will still offer customers a choice of Apollo or Worldspan platforms.

All former Galileo Japan employees, including managing director Yoshinobu Aoyama, will transition to the new Tokyo-headquartered Travelport entity. There will also be two satellite offices, one in Nagoya and another in Osaka.

Commenting on the acquisition, Gordon Wilson, president and CEO, Travelport, said: “The decision to transform from a distribution franchise to a wholly owned operation is commensurate with our goals to further expand our successful business across Asia.

“Japan is a major travel market and owning our operation here, whilst continuing our other successful strategic partnerships in Japan, will enhance our growth prospects in the country.”