MALINDO Air is adding another two international destinations to its network following the launch of its maiden flight from Kuala Lumpur to Dhaka on August 28 (TTG Asia e-Daily, August 14, 2013).

Daily Kuala Lumpur-Jakarta flights will begin on September 23 and Kuala Lumpur-Bali services on September 26. Both will be operated with 180-seater Boeing 737-900ER aircraft.

Inbound travel consultants in Malaysia said they would leverage Malindo’s new flights to sell packages including destinations beyond the country’s capital.

Raaj Navaratnaa, general manager of Johor-based New Asia Tours & Travel, said he would promote packages combining a one-night stay in Kuala Lumpur with two nights in Johor, as well as target Indonesian families with packages bundling Legoland and the Puteri Harbour Family Theme Park.

Meanwhile, Andy Muniandy, director of sales and business development at Asian Overland Services Tours & Travel, said: “Indonesians from Bali and Jakarta usually come to Kuala Lumpur for shopping. For those who wish to stay beyond the average two or three nights, we will push East Malaysia, as Malindo offers good airfares from Kuala Lumpur to Sabah and Sarawak.”

With increased seat capacity between both countries, Ally Bhoonee, executive director of World Avenues, said he hopes to see 10 per cent year-on-year growth in the number of Indonesian travellers to Malaysia.

The company set up a marketing office in Jakarta two years ago.

HOTEL 1929 has been sold for S$35 million (US$27.5 million) but will continue to be operated by the same entity, controlled by Loh Lik Peng, under a leaseback agreement.

According to The Business Times, a company owned by Cheong Keng Hooi acquired the hotel on Keong Saik Road in a deal brokered by Historical Land.

Loh, founder of Unlisted Collection to which Hotel 1929 belongs, will continue running the property and its restaurant, Ember.

In an interview with the broadsheet, Loh said there were no intentions to sell the four-storey freehold property, but the “attractive offer” and “optimal timing” sealed the deal.

Unlisted Collection owns three boutique hotels in London and a hotel in Shanghai, as well as restaurants in both cities and Singapore.

It was also reported that the group plans to open a hotel in Sydney within the next two years.

SINGAPORE Changi Airport will get a fifth terminal that can handle up to 50 million passengers a year as part of an ambitious expansion plan spanning over a decade.

Announced at a media briefing last Friday, The Straits Times reported that the aim was “to seal the airport’s premier hub status”, in view of growing competition from other air hubs in the region and beyond.

Slated for opening in 2025, Terminal 5 will be bigger than Terminals 2 and 3 combined. It could either be a single building or a smaller facility connected to a satellite terminal through an underground rail link.

It will be located at Changi East, linked to the rest of the airport, and possibly have its own MRT station.

When completed, Changi expects the new terminal to catapult the airport’s total passenger capacity to 135 million annually, up from 66 million currently.

Meanwhile, Yap Ong Heng, director general of the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore, said there are plans to “stretch” the airports existing two runways. Singapore’s third runway at Changi East will be operational around 2020.

AMANRESORTS has expanded its South-east Asian footprint with the launch of its first property, Amano’i, in Vietnam.

Situated north-east of Ho Chi Minh City on the coast of Nui Chua National Park, Amano’i offers 31 Pavilions, private swimming pools and five Aman Villas, all with a view of Vinh Hy Bay.

Notably, Aman Villas consist of four or five free-standing bedroom pavilions, as well as living and dining pavilions and a private swimming pool. They also come with a live-in housekeeper and cook.

The resort’s recreational facilities include the full-service Aman Spa, a gym, a pilates studio, a lakeside yoga pavilion, two outdoor tennis courts and the expansive Beach Club.

Amanresorts is also in Phuket (Amanpuri), Siem Reap (Amansara) and Luang Prabang (Amantaka).

JET Airways will further increase connectivity between India and Singapore with the commencement of a second daily service from Mumbai to the Lion City this November.

A Boeing 737-800 aircraft will be deployed for the day flight, complementing the existing daily late-evening Airbus A330 flight.

From November 1, Flight 9W 10 will depart Mumbai at 09.50 to arrive in Singapore at 18.00, while Flight 9W 09 will depart Singapore at 20.05 to arrive in Mumbai at 23.10.

The additional frequency will also make Jet Airways the only Indian carrier to operate six daily direct flights connecting Singapore with New Delhi, Chennai and Mumbai.

AMADEUS has launched its VIP Innovation Series Workshops, with the aim to provide travel agencies with an in-depth look at the trends and new technologies that will shape the industry over the next 18-36 months.

Having recently held its inaugural workshop in Bangkok for more than 20 participants representing Asia-Pacific’s top travel agencies, VIP Innovation Series is the first of many planned for the region over the next 18 months.

Attendees will have an exclusive peek at Amadeus’ new suite of solutions that will be introduced to travel agencies over the coming year, including mobile and social media solutions that will help them increase sales, enhance customer service and improve operational efficiency.

Amadeus Asia-Pacific vice president for customer solutions, Bruno des Fontaines, said that constant innovation is key to staying ahead in a rapidly evolving industry.

“These workshops are a great opportunity to build on mutually beneficial long-term relationships and to better understand how we can help our customers. Our role in Asia-Pacific is to develop new solutions and continue to support our customers’ success. We believe these workshops are just one way to do that,” he added.

SINO Group of Hotels announced yesterday the opening of The Johnston Suites, the first serviced apartments under its management.

The property on 74-80 Johnston Road was formerly Frasers Suites Hong Kong. It offers 87 apartments ranging from 52.1m² to 92.9m², with a special monthly rate starting from HK$36,500 (US$4,707).

Each apartment comes with a separate spacious living room, dining room, bedroom and kitchen. Recreational facilities include outdoor terraces and rooftop leisure areas, a jet pool, a whirlpool and a gym.

In a press statement, the group’s executive director and group general manager, Nicholas Yim, said: “We see a rising demand for the serviced apartment market in Hong Kong, and foresee an average occupancy rate at an uptrend of 85 to 90 per cent for The Johnston Suites.”