THAI Airways International (THAI) intends to invest 118.6 billion baht (US$3.9 billion) on 37 new aircraft. Scheduled for delivery between 2012 and 2017, the planes are part of THAI’s plans to upgrade its aging fleet, now operating at an average age of 11.7 years.

THAI’s president, Piyasvasti Amranand, said at a press conference yesterday that the aircraft acquisition, approved last week by the airline’s board, was clear of improper procedures that had plagued the national carrier in the past.

Of the total investment, about 49.5 billion baht has been allocated for the purchase of six Boeing B777-300ERs and five Airbus A320s, to be delivered between 2014 and 2015, and four A350s, to be delivered between 2016 and 2017.

The remaining 69.1 billion baht will be spent on a 12-year operating lease of 22 aircraft – six A320s to be delivered between 2012 and 2013, eight B787s to be delivered between 2014 and 2017, and eight A350s to be delivered between 2016 and 2017.

In a further development, the Thai flag carrier is planning to acquire 38 more aircraft through a budget of 229 billion baht, for delivery between 2018 and 2022.

Meanwhile, THAI is in the process of retrofitting 12 existing B747-400s, scheduled for completion between this year and 2013. The first upgraded aircraft returned to serve on the Bangkok-Frankfurt route at the end of last month, complete with new seats and an improved in-flight entertainment system.

SOFITEL Luxury Hotels will open a new hotel in Kunming in early 2014. This will be the first Sofitel property in Yunnan province, China.

Markland Blaiklock, senior vice president of Sofitel Asia Pacific, said: “With this additional presence, Sofitel Luxury Hotels will have a total of 27 hotels in Greater China, including upcoming projects in Sanya, Haikou and Lianyungang which will come on line in the next three years.”

The Sofitel Kunming will feature 405 hotel rooms and suites, three restaurants and two bars, a large pillar-free ballroom and a multi-function room, eight meeting rooms of various sizes, the group’s signature So SPA, a fitness centre and an indoor swimming pool. It will also have an executive lounge and a fully-equipped business centre.

The new hotel will be located in downtown Kunming. In the hotel’s immediate vicinity, Luosi Bay Central Business District is being redeveloped under an ambitious urban planning scheme, and is set to become a focal point of the city.

INDIAN low-cost carrier (LCC) IndiGo Airlines is expanding beyond domestic services, and will offer a daily Delhi-Singapore flight from September 15. Dubai and Bangkok are its other preliminary international destinations.

IndiGo will operate a daily flight from Delhi to Dubai from September 1. Daily flights on the Delhi-Bangkok route will begin on September 8.

Starting October 2, the LCC will run daily Mumbai-Dubai and Mumbai–Bangkok services.

All flights will be operated using Airbus A320 aircraft configured for international operations.

The LCC will offer a promotional return fare of S$275 (US$223) on its Singapore-Delhi-Singapore service.

The carrier’s next tranche of international routes is expected to include Mumbai–Singapore, Mumbai–Muscat and Delhi–Kathmandu links, while expansion to Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Jeddah is also on the cards.

Indian start-up carriers are obliged to complete five years of domestic service before they can apply to operate on international routes. SpiceJet was the last Indian carrier to achieve this qualification (TTG Asia e-Daily, November 11, 2010).

THE RITZ-CARLTON Hotel Company has launched a major expansion and development initiative, which will bring the number of properties in its global portfolio to over 100 by 2016.

The initiative, which will involve 36 hotels and residential projects, represents an investment of more than US$2 billion.

Herve Humler, the company’s president and COO, said: “Throughout the world, especially in Asia and the Middle East, we expect to be the leading top-tier luxury hospitality and lifestyle brand by 2016.”

Properties including The Ritz-Carlton, Riyadh, The Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi, Grand Canal, and The Ritz-Carlton Residences in Singapore are scheduled to debut by end 2011.

Hotel openings in emerging destinations such as Chengdu, and an expansion of The Ritz-Carlton, Dubai are slated for 2012.

By 2013, Ritz-Carlton plans to have a presence in places such as Quy Nhon in Vietnam, and Cairo in Egypt.

2014 wil see Ritz-Carlton opening a resort in Sawangan, Bali. The Residences are also due to open in Bangkok and Similan Beach, while a third Japanese property will be launched in Kyoto.

The company’s plans for 2015 include a second property in Palm Hills, Cairo, and a Residences in Kuala Lumpur.

This will be followed in 2016 by the opening of The Ritz-Carlton, Qingdao Green Town.

GOLDEN Tulip Hotels has signed an agreement to manage the Golden Tulip Samudra Hua Hin, which is scheduled to open as a boutique property in August.

Mark van Ogtrop, managing director of Golden Tulip South-east Asia, said: “We are very excited to open this hotel in the resort destination of Hua Hin, as the destination is growing aggressively. The infrastructure is also maturing, and we strongly believe in the future of Hua Hin and Cha-Am as a boutique destination.”

“This hotel will further strengthen the footprint of Golden Tulip in Thailand, being the fourth hotel to open in the country for the group,” he added.

Golden Tulip Samudra will form part of The Samudra beach resort and residences, an integrated resort in Hua Hin, and will offer studios, one- and two-bedroom suites, as well as lofts.

The hotel will have large pools, a modern café/restaurant and a rooftop F&B outlet overlooking the Gulf of Thailand.

VIETNAM Airlines is ramping up flight frequencies and expanding its fleet and route network in Asia-Pacific.

From today, the Vietnamese flag carrier’s Hanoi-Ho Chi Minh City-Melbourne services will be boosted from five-weekly to seven-weekly, while its Hanoi-Ho Chi Minh City-Sydney services will be increased from six-weekly to seven-weekly.

From June 16, the carrier will introduce a direct daily flight between Hanoi and Kuala Lumpur, bringing its services between Vietnam and Malaysia to three-daily.

From July 16, the airline will double its Hanoi-Bangkok service from one to two flights per day, and boost its Hanoi-Singapore service from four-weekly to a daily flight.

Vietnam Airlines is also planning to launch later this year a direct service between Vietnam and the UK, starting with four flights per week, and increasing to daily flights by 2014.

The carrier is expanding its fleet from 70 to 115 aircraft by 2015, and is scheduled to receive 34 Airbus A321-200s during this period.

NINE international cruise liners will be making calls at Yangon during the current fiscal year from April 2011 to March 2012, up from six ships during the preceding 12 months.

Thet Lwin Toh, managing director of Myanmar Voyages Travel and Tour, said his company would be handling five of the nine cruise liners, including one mega ship carrying between 1,000 and 2,000 passengers and crew.

The other groundhandlers for international cruise liners in Myanmar include Destination Asia (Tour Mandalay), Diethelm Travel and Sunbird Tours.

A spokesperson from Yangon-based Diethelm Travel said the company had received Germany-based MV Columbus with 300 passengers in April, and was scheduled to handle a visit from German cruise liner MS Europa in March next year.

Most cruise ships dock in Yangon for two nights, allowing passengers to look around the city and visit nearby Bago. In some cases, passengers travel to destinations further afield, such as Bagan.