THE popular beach destination of Boracay will get better air access with the upcoming launch of Manila-Caticlan services by two new airlines – Skyjet and Seair International.

Seair I (read as Seair one), will start Caticlan services beginning November though an exact date has not yet been announced, according to Patrick Tan, Seair I’s COO.

Said Tan: “We will be using our Dornier 328s, and it will be a luxury service – with a VIP lounge and check-in service from the lounge, so (guests won’t) have to check in at the counter.”

He added that the airline’s 35-minute service would be the fastest flight to Boracay.

Meanwhile, Seair I plans to set up a hub in Puerto Princesa, Palawan to cater to inter-Palawan flights. Although Tan declined to share more, he and Avelino Zapanta, Seair I president and CEO, have suggested in previous reports that these would include El Nido, Taytay and Cuyo links.

Seair I has no ties to Seair, now rebranded as Tigerair Philippines (TTG Asia e-Daily, July 18, 2013), and was launched in July 2012 to serve missionary routes such as Batanes and Palawan, routes formerly served by Seair.

Likewise, new domestic airline Skyjet will commence operations to Caticlan later this year.

The carrier, launched in February this year, currently operates thrice weekly flights to eco-cultural destinations, Batanes, Busuanga, Virac and Surigao.

Joel Mendoza, president and CEO, Skyjet and director, Batanes Cultural Travel Agency, said: “I want to replicate the success (we had in promoting) Batanes to other far-flung destinations.”

Skyjet operates two 94-seater British Aerospace BAe 146-200 jets, which Mendoza claims are “the safest aircraft for commuter regional flights…specifically built to run and land on short runways”.

JETSTAR Group is ramping up its presence in Indonesia through a 48 per cent boost in flight capacity to the country by end-October and the opening of a third Jetstar Travel Shop in Indonesia.

Out of Singapore, Jetstar Group (Jetstar and Valuair) will increase frequencies to Medan and Surabaya from six to 10 flights a week each, to Jakarta from 22 flights per week to 28 flights a week, and to Bali from 12 flights a week to 14 flights a week as of October 27.

This adds 14,352 more seats per month between Singapore and Indonesia for a total of 96,720 seats.

The group also launched its third Jetstar Travel Shop in Jakarta last week, the Indonesian capital’s second outlet.

Speaking during the opening of Jetstar Travel Shop Pecenongan last week, Jetstar Asia CEO, Bara Pasupathi, said: “Indonesians are getting more technology-savvy, and (reliance on the) Internet is getting stronger. (However), Indonesia is a very service-driven, customer-friendly market. Face-to-face interaction for customers is very important, especially when you are dealing with a sophisticated journey with multiple destinations, involving multiple parties.”

Aiming to lift sales and distribution in Indonesia, Jetstar opened its first shop in Kelapa Gading Jakarta, second in Supermal Pakuwon Indah Surabaya and third in Pecenongan Jakarta within the last 12 months.

Direct bookings through point of sales, online and travel shops, contributes between 60 and 70 per cent of the airline’s business in Indonesia.

Jakarta Express/TX Travel managing director, Anton Thedy, said: “We have partnered Jetstar since the launch of Valuair 10 years ago. We have been wholesaling the airline for the Indonesian market, and the travel shop will be our retail end.”

Asked if there would be a conflict of interest with other retail companies the company serves, Thedy said: “The prices for retail agents have to be, and will be, cheaper than that at the travel shop, otherwise I’m killing my own wholesale company.”

INSIGHT Vacations has appointed Corporate Information Travel (CIT) as the company’s general sales agent – Malaysia.

CIT will therefore be responsible for sales and marketing as well as reservations and operations for both B2B and B2C markets across the whole of Malaysia.

The company was appointed general sales agent for 15 states and federal territories of Malaysia, excluding Penang, last year.

Sheryl Lim, regional director of Asia, Insight Vacations, commented: “The synergy from our collaboration (with CIT) has led to growth of 35 per cent in sales in the Malaysian market. Particularly in Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh and Kuching, growth has averaged 50 per cent from 2012 to 2013. This has given us the impetus to work with them for the entire Malaysian region as we envisage even greater sales performance in 2014.”

Established in 1985, CIT handles corporate incentive programmes and event trips, as well as individuals, families and smaller groups.

INDIA’S Planning Commission has proposed a host of sweeping changes to the country’s visa regime that will streamline inbound travel, including expanding the scope of the visa-on-arrival programme and reducing the number of visa categories.

These ideas were mooted at a meeting at the Planning Commission’s grounds and attended by officials from the various ministries of home, external affairs, tourism, as well as officials from the intelligence bureaus and prime minister’s office.

The think tank has suggested India offer visa on arrival at four more airports – Goa International Airport, Amritsar’s Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport, Chandigarh Airport and Gaya Airport. The service is currently available at eight international airports including New Delhi, Kochi and Hyderabad.

It also wants the government to increase the number of countries allowed visas on arrival to include the US, UK, Canada, Brazil, Australia, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Germany, France, Italy, Sweden, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Spain, among others, on top of the 11 countries it currently allows.

Planning Commission has also lobbied for a global online visa application system and the reduction of visa categories from 16 to just three: employment, business and visitor.

Montek Singh Ahluwalia, deputy chairman of the Planning Commission, said: “We wanted to develop a world-class visa regime. We will write to the home minister on the outcome of the meeting aimed at liberalising the visa regime.

“The tourism ministry was willing to share its budget with the home ministry so that more officers can be posted on immigration counters to facilitate visas on arrival.”

Gainwell Travel & Leisure’s general manager, Seema Ahmad, noted: “There have been difficulties in obtaining travel visas to India in the past, which could have led to an unusually low rate of inbound tourists. The new revised visa norms should definitely augment inbound arrivals, by about 20 to 25 per cent annually.”

Planning Commission’s proposal has yet to be ratified by the relevant ministries, but is expected to be rushed through in the run-up to the general elections of 2014 and in order to boost India’s dismal current account deficit.

“I believe that extending the visa-on-arrival facility to tourists from the UK, US, France and Germany, which are our traditional source markets and contribute close to 40 per cent of our inbound arrivals, will have a very positive impact in terms of earning more foreign exchange and developing our inbound tourism,” said Peter Kerkar, director, Cox & Kings.

Kerkar added that allowing secondary airports to issue visas on arrival would spare tourists the additional burden of landing in major airports and then travelling to secondary destinations.

“The government has now firmly signalled its intent to move towards a more liberalised visa regime. We are requesting the Home Ministry and other agencies to ensure that the requisite infrastructure, in terms of technology and personnel, is provided, so that this welcome initiative can be in operation at the earliest,” said SM Shervani, president, Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Association of India.

Additional reporting by Rohit Kaul

MALAYSIA Airlines (MAS) subsidiary and commuter airline MASwings’ flight MH3002 yesterday afternoon crashed into a house in Kampung Sin San, Kudat, resulting in two fatalities.

The MASwings Twin Otter had departed from Kota Kinabalu and was slated to arrive in Kudat at 14.45, before leaving for Sandakan at 15.00.

However, local paper New Straits Times reported Malaysia’s deputy defence minister and Kudat member of parliament, Abdul Rahim Bakri, as saying strong winds had hit the area at the time the plane was about to land.

Co-pilot March Joel Bansh died last night from serious injuries, while passenger Tan Ah Cai, 96, was pronounced dead at Kudat Hospital earlier that afternoon, according to the daily.

Said MASwings chairman and MAS CEO, Ahmad Jauhari Yahya, in a press statement: “We deeply regret the incident of Kudat of flight MH3002 on Thursday, October 10, 2013…The investigation will be carried out by the authorities. MAS together with MASwings are fully cooperating and assisting the investigation in every possible way.

“As per aircraft maintenance record, the Twin Otter was fit to fly and was in good condition before the accidents. MAS and MASwings will continue to monitor the situation at the crash site and update on the situation, and will provide information relating to the flight itself and updates on steps being taken.”

A 24-hour call service has been activated and a Go Team has been set up in Kudat to look after the families of passengers and keep them informed.

VIETNAM Airlines recently announced it would boost domestic services during the Vietnamese New Year (Tet) holidays next year to meet increased demand.

Between January 19 and February 16, the carrier is offering a total of 835 flights on its nine busiest routes. This includes a 23 per cent increase in flights on the Hanoi-Ho Chi Minh City-Hanoi route for 385 services in total.

The airline is also raising frequencies on the Danang-Ho Chi Minh City-Danang route by 26 per cent for 218 services, and by eight per cent for seven other routes out of Ho Chi Minh City: to Thanh Hoa, Hai Phong, Vinh, Nha Trang, Phu Quoc, Quy Nhon and Buon Ma Thuot.

Vietnam Airlines will also schedule a number of night flights just before Tet, January 25 to 29, and after, from February 2 to 9.

Tung Dao, director of sales and marketing of Silk Path Hotel in Hanoi, welcomed news of additional flights but said many of the extra passengers would be inbound foreign visitors rather than Vietnamese people. “Tet is not our busiest period of the year. The high season from November to March is when we see the most business, but it is welcome news to hear travel will be made easier during the Tet holiday.

“I expect these extra flights will be accommodating inbound visitors.”