CATHAY Pacific Airways will commence four-weekly flights between Hong Kong and Hyderabad, the state capital of Andhra Pradesh, on December 1.

Cathay Pacific chief executive, John Slosar, said: “Hyderabad is a fast-growing technology hub and we are excited by the opportunities it offers.”

“This latest addition to the Cathay Pacific passenger network will promote ties between India and Hong Kong, and help to strengthen Hong Kong’s position as a leading aviation hub,” he added.

Operated using Airbus A330-300 aircraft, the Hyderabad service will depart from Hong Kong on Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings, and will complement the flag carrier’s existing flights to Mumbai, New Delhi and Chennai.

The new service will also offer travellers from India onward connections to China, Australia and North America via Hong Kong.

THE Philippines’ Department of Tourism (DoT) has rolled out the It’s more fun in the Philippines campaign in India, targeting the southern cities of Bengaluru and Chennai to reach out to an extended customer base.

Last year, 50,000 Indians – the majority from New Delhi and Mumbai – visited the Philippines, a 23 per cent increase over 2010.

Speaking to TTG Asia e-Daily at The Great Domestic Tourism Bazaar last weekend, Tess H Mauricio, DoT’s officer-in-charge of marketing and promotions, said the NTO was planning to promote Cebu, Bohol, Boracay and Palawan to the Indian market.

Vicky Soin, assistant vice president–outbound MICE of Abercrombie & Kent India, said: “The average length of stay for Indians is seven days. While Manila is the focal point for Indian business travellers, Boracay and Palawan offer the kind of leisure options Indians like.”

Arjun Shroff, director, Shroff Travel Center Philippines, said: “The lack of (direct) air connectivity impedes larger Indian inbound numbers to the Philippines. However, we expect to see very good growth from India in 2013.”

Currently, Indian travellers to the Philippines have to transit via Bangkok, Singapore or Hong Kong.

INDIA has earmarked health and wellness tourism as niche segments to boost inbound travel, with spa and hospital certification under way.

Speaking to media at the recently concluded The Great Domestic Tourism Bazaar in New Delhi, India’s tourism minister Subodh Kant Sahai said: “India has potential for health tourism, (but this sector) is yet to be fully exploited. India has always been known for its rich heritage of wellness traditions and has enormous possibilities to offer in this field.”

To ensure quality standardisation, Sahai stressed that all spas and hospitals in the country would be certified by the National Accreditation Board for Hospital & Healthcare Providers. He also urged inbound operators to leverage India’s strengths in pilgrimage tours, and to add spiritual tourism products to encourage extended stays among wellness tourists.

Mitesh Dani, director, Parul Tours & Travels Mumbai, said: “Wellness tourism has been a major contributor to the increase in inbound (arrivals) in 2011, and we have seen a growth of 20 per cent in the first half of 2012 in this segment.”

India will host the Global Spa & Wellness Summit 2013, which offers an opportunity to showcase Indian wellness products on an international platform.

FIREFLY, which earlier this month introduced four-weekly flights between Singapore and Kota Bharu, the state capital of Kelantan (TTG Asia e-Daily, June 29, 2012), is keen to launch more routes from Singapore, but has to first overcome the limited slot availability at Changi International Airport.

Firefly CEO, Ignatius Ong, said: “Changi is highly congested, especially in the morning. We are constantly in talks with Changi Airport Group to negotiate for more slots, but for the time being, as far as we know, none are available.”

“That’s why we’ve had to reduce our weekly services between Subang and Singapore to accommodate the new Kota Bahru-Singapore route, and use what slots we have creatively,” he explained.

Ong said the Singapore-Kota Bharu flights were targeted at business and VFR travellers, and that Firefly was expecting “around 60 to 70 per cent of traffic to originate from Kelantan, with the remainder coming from Singapore”.

The Malaysia Airlines subsidiary, which will shift its Singapore operations from Changi Airport’s Budget Terminal to Terminal 2 from September 25 (TTG Asia e-Daily, March 1, 2012), has also boosted its Kuantan-Singapore services to a daily from four flights a week previously.

“Firefly is constantly evaluating the viability of new routes, and we are hoping to (acquire) two to three more ATR planes in the medium term to extend our reach,” Ong added.

MARRIOTT International has opened the Renaissance Shanghai Caohejing Hotel, the group’s sixth Renaissance property in the city.

Simon Cooper, Marriott International’s Asia president & managing director, said: “The opening of the Renaissance Shanghai Caohejing represents our 19th hotel in this vibrant city. It also demonstrates our confidence in the strength of the Renaissance brand, which continues to grow in China.”

The Renaissance Shanghai Caohejing offers 383 deluxe rooms, club rooms and suites. Facilities include 14 meeting rooms of varying sizes, a divisible, pillar-free 570m2 Grand Ballroom, four restaurants, a fitness centre and a spa.

Situated near Metro Line 9 in the Caohejing New Technology Development Zone in Xuhui district, the hotel also boasts easy access to the Hongqiao and Xujiahui districts.

THE Qantas Group posted its first annual loss since being privatised 17 years ago, forcing the airline to put its fleet renewal on hold and cancel firm orders for 35 Boeing B787-9 Dreamliner aircraft.

The flag carrier registered a net loss of A$244 million (US$253 million) in the 12 months till June 30, 2012, compared to a net profit of A$250 million in the preceding 12 months.

Qantas CEO, Alan Joyce, said the dismal results could be attributed to the carrier’s record fuel bill, up A$645 million (18 per cent) to A$4.3 billion; A$194 million in costs incurred during last year’s prolonged industrial dispute; and transformation costs of A$376 million as the airline continues to address its legacy cost base and turn around its international business.

“We confront very difficult and uncertain trading conditions in Britain, Europe and the US, and the fuel price is also uncertain,” said Joyce. “The high Australian dollar will continue to create ripple effects throughout Australia. But Asia will continue to offer high growth potential as the middle class grows and travels.”

Joyce said the biggest challenge for Qantas was turning around its international business, while ensuring that its transformation remained on track.

“Qantas has cut loss-making (international) routes, and successfully used gateways and partnerships to extend our reach and create better options for customers, while restraining our costs,” he said.

“With existing partners Jetstar, China Eastern, Japan Airlines, Jet Airways and Cathay Pacific, we do take our customers to and between the largest Asian hubs.”

FMI Air Charter, a subsidiary of First Myanmar Investment (FMI), will begin offering three flights a day between Yangon and Nay Pyi Taw from September 9.

The service will be operated using two aircraft – a 44-seat ATR 42 and a 16-seat Beech 1900D – leased from state-run Myanma Airways, and will depart at 07.00, 11.30 and 16.00.

FMI Air Charter’s marketing director, U Soe Thiha Hlaing, said the new connection would fill a gap in the market as established airlines currently offer only irregular flights to the capital.

“In view of the expanding economy and increasing governmental and commercial traffic to Nay Pyi Taw, we feel that this is an opportune time to introduce this air service,” he said.

“We are working together with Myanma Airways because it helped us by providing technicians and skilled staff. Our company only focuses on operational matters such as services.”

U Soe Thiha Hlaing added that the company was planning to expand its charter services to other domestic destinations in the “near future”.

THE Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur, the inaugural Grand Hyatt in Malaysia, opened its doors last Friday.

“We are thrilled to be able to bring the Grand Hyatt brand to the Malaysian community,” said Larry Tchou, managing director, Hyatt Hotels & Resorts – Asia-Pacific. “Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur’s opening echoes Hyatt’s development strategy, which is to focus on the gateway cities and markets where customers are travelling.”

Situated next to Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre and within walking distance of the Petronas Twin Towers and the Golden Triangle shopping area, the 370-room, 42-suite Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur offers some of the largest rooms on the market, starting at 47m2.

Boasting floor-to-ceiling windows, each guestroom comes equipped with high-speed wireless Internet connectivity and a docking station for MP3 players.

There are three F&B options at the hotel, including THIRTY8, an all-day dining restaurant serving international cuisine; JP teres, featuring Malaysian dishes; and Poolside, an alfresco outlet offering international and local favorites.

The Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur also offers more than 3,300m2 of meeting and events space with six venues to choose from, including the pillarless Grand Ballroom and Grand Salon.