Changi Airport will begin construction of its fifth terminal in 2025, as land preparation and drainage works at Changi East comes to a conclusion.
In an update today, transport minister S Iswaran said the new terminal will be operational around the mid-2030s.
Changi Airport Terminal 5 will be operational in the mid-2030s
The project was frozen earlier due to the pandemic, and the facility underwent a redesign to be able to operate more safely and flexibly during a pandemic.
In support of the development, the Singapore government has injected an additional S$2 billion (US$1.48 billion) into the Changi Airport Development fund.
In a CNA report today, Iswaran said Changi Airport Group and airport stakeholders have worked out “operational plans” to be ready for additional flights and passengers at the other terminals in the run-up to Terminal 5.
The aviation workforce currently stands at about 90 per cent of pre-pandemic levels, with a full recovery expected by this year, he said.
Traveloka and Philippine Airlines have strengthened their cooperation to provide services to meet travellers’ needs and grow tourism in the Philippines and in South-east Asia.
Stanley Ng, president and chief operating officer of Philippine Airlines, said: “Our intent is for the partnership to unlock new travel options for our customers to fly with Philippine Airlines to various wonderful destinations all around the Philippines, and to diverse international destinations as well.”
Traveloka and Philippine Airlines will collaborate to grow tourism in the Philippines and in South-east Asia
Under this partnership, domestic and foreign tourists will find it easier to visit various destinations in the Philippines, such as Siargao Island, El Nido, Coron and Balabac Islands.
Iko Putera, CEO of transport – Traveloka, noted that during the post-lockdown period, people’s enthusiasm for business and tourism travel has increased along with the return of consumers’ confidence.
He said: “Since 2015, Traveloka has expanded to six countries in South-east Asia, including the Philippines. Our presence in the market shows our commitment to offering services that focus on increasingly dynamic consumer needs (and) providing easy access through the adoption of technology to fulfil consumers’ travel aspirations in South-east Asia.
“Our platform offers various travel solutions and services, from accommodation options to local activities through Traveloka Xperience. We hope this partnership will positively contribute to tourism recovery in the Philippines and South-east Asia.”
Based on data from the Philippines Department of Tourism, around 83,000 tourists visited the Philippines from the South-east Asia region in 2020, a dramatic drop from over 526,000 in 2019 due to global border restrictions.
At the end of 2022 however, the number of South-east Asian visitors heading to the Philippines more than doubled, hitting 188,000 travellers.
Traveloka’s internal data from 2021 to 2022 depicted a recovery in the travel sector, with the number of visitors heading to the Philippines from South-east Asian countries – where Traveloka has operations – having increased by eight times. The number of passengers using the flight network of Philippine Airlines to various international destinations has also almost doubled.
One year after acquiring Air India and embarking on a major transformational programme for the airline, Tata Group has said the company aims to operate only with two airline brands – a full-service carrier and a low-cost carrier.
Presently, the group’s carrier portfolio besides Air India includes Vistara in the full-service airline domain, with Air India Express and Air Asia India in the low-cost carrier space.
Wilson: there is an immense opportunity to operate point-to-point in longhaul markets
The brands that will continue to operate in the future are Air India and Air India Express. Vistara will, therefore, cease to exist.
While speaking on the fate of Vistara, in which Singapore Airlines (SIA) owns 49 per cent stake, Campbell Wilson, CEO and managing director, Air India said: “Vistara has been a successful airline primarily operating on domestic routes, though in recent years it has expanded in international markets too.
“We will use Vistara merger in Air India to accelerate our transformation programme, as we intend to keep a lot of processes and practices of the former.”
In November 2022, SIA and Tata agreed to merge Air India and Vistara, with SIA also investing US$250 million in Air India as part of the transaction. SIA and Tata aim to complete the merger by March 2024, subject to regulatory approvals. Air Asia India also became a fully-owned subsidiary of Tata Group last November.
Earlier this month, Air India announced a mega order to purchase 470 aircraft from Boeing and Airbus, worth US$70 billion, to support its growth plans. Tata is further investing US$400 million dollar on refurbishments for all seats and inflight entertainment on existing aircraft. It expects to deploy refreshed aircraft on operational routes by the middle of next year.
Air India sees a major opportunity in serving longhaul markets through non-stop flights in Europe and North America. The airline recently resumed non-stop flights between Delhi and Vienna, as well as Mumbai and New York. It also relaunched non-stop service between Delhi and Copenhagen.
Wilson commented: “Considering the size of India’s population, and its diaspora of about 37 million people who are often among the wealthiest in their country of residence, there is an immense opportunity to operate point-to-point in longhaul markets.”
He added that a layover of four to five hours would be inconvenient, thus Air India intends to “fly from just not one hub but multiple ones in the country” to serve more people with “a product that they are wanting but are not getting”.
Fairmont Hotels & Resorts and Asset World Corp Public Company (AWC), have signed the first Fairmont hotel in Thailand, Fairmont Bangkok Sukhumvit, which is slated to open in 2024.
The first project signed under AWC’s multi-property framework agreement with Accor will elevate Bangkok as a global hub for luxury leisure, business and group travel. Together, AWC and Accor will open more than 1,000 keys across multiple Accor-branded hotels in key tourist destinations throughout the country, strengthening Thailand as a sustainable tourism destination.
Fairmont Bangkok Sukhumvit will be the first project signed under AWC and Accor’s partnership
Located in the Sukhumvit mid-town and Asoke junction, Fairmont Bangkok Sukhumvit will serve as a home away from home for guests with its 419 rooms, featuring a variety of specialty restaurants and bars, swimming pool, fitness centre, spa and wellness centre.
As the first fully integrated luxury MICE hotel in Thailand, the hotel will also offer extensive meeting facilities. The property will have easy access to the BTS Skytrain and underground MRT train network, and Queen Sirikit National Convention Center.
Mark Willis, CEO, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, said: “We are confident that this partnership with AWC and our shared vision will create a new benchmark for world-class luxury in Bangkok, supporting both the continued growth of the tourism industry in Thailand, as well as the ongoing expansion of the Fairmont brand across South-east Asia.”
Wallapa Traisorat, CEO and president, AWC, stated: “Fairmont Bangkok Sukhumvit will be the first AWC-affiliated hotel to be managed by Accor, and the top integrated luxury MICE hotel in Thailand, enhancing the capital as a global hub for the luxury MICE market. The introduction of the Fairmont brand will also strengthen the Thai tourism industry, create long-term value, and elevate the surrounding communities and society.
“As one of the most popular destinations in the world for both leisure and business travellers, Bangkok is renowned for its food and culture, and its reputation as a lifestyle destination with strong logistics infrastructure and convenient transportation. Therefore, Fairmont Bangkok Sukhumvit will be ideally positioned to meet the needs of a new era of luxury events with a distinctive and unique design,” she added.
Aligning with both Fairmont’s and AWC’s commitments to sustainability, the hotel will meet LEED and WELL green building standards that prioritise energy saving and a circular economy model on waste management.
AirAsia X (AAX) has resumed its services to Shanghai, China on March 2 with four weekly flights from Kuala Lumpur.
AAX plans to ramp up capacity and increase the frequency of services to Shanghai with 11 weekly flights by 2Q2023. The airline has also restarted its weekly flight to and from Hangzhou.
AirAsia X guests travelling from Shanghai to Kuala Lumpur at Shanghai Pudong International Airport on March 3
The Kuala Lumpur-Shanghai service operates every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, while the Shanghai-Kuala Lumpur route flies every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.
Marriott International has named Yibing Mao as president of the company’s operations in Greater China, reporting to president and chief executive officer, Anthony Capuano.
Based in Shanghai, Mao will lead the next chapter of growth for Marriott in Greater China in her new role.
She joined Marriott in 1996 and held the title of senior vice president & chief counsel, Asia Pacific, prior to stepping down in 2020. In that role, she managed a large legal team across seven offices in Asia that was responsible for more than 700 hotels in the region, and was actively involved in all aspects of the business.
Prior to joining Marriott, Mao held positions at law firms in both the US and Hong Kong, including McGuireWoods LLP, Slaughter and May and Milbank.
This Easter, Shangri-La Rasa Sentosa Singapore has a celebration planned for guests with the Easter Fun Getaway stay package.
The resort offers an array of family-friendly facilities, including pool with water slides, fun activities by the pool, access to private beach with sea sports, and the opportunity to meet Toots, the resort’s mascot.
Shangri-La Rasa Sentosa celebrates Easter with a fun stay package for families
The package is for two adults and two children under 12, and includes daily breakfast buffet, an Easter Picnic set, a take-home bag and mat, Easter cocktails and mocktails, tie-dye workshop for kids, and access to the resort’s private beach with unlimited use of sea sports activities.
Available from SG$570 (US$423) per room per night, bookings must be made by March 25 for stays from April 1 to 10.
With an aim to double the number of leisure travellers and pilgrims to Saudi Arabia from Singapore this year, the Saudi Tourism Authority (STA) was in Singapore on Wednesday to put forth a number of initiatives to raise awareness of the Middle Eastern nation.
The first initiative is the launch of Nusuk, a platform that provides pilgrims and leisure visitors an easy-to-use planning tool that will help with planning and booking their trips to Makkah, Madinah and beyond.
From left: Saudi Tourism Authority Alhasan Aldabbagh’s and Association of Muslim Travel Agents Singapore’s Ustaz TM Fouzy Jumat
When asked how the Nusuk platform benefits travel agents, Alhasan Aldabbagh, STA’s president Asia-Pacific, told TTG Asia: “We are here to enable them and help them realise bigger opportunities in Saudi Arabia. Through Nusuk, travel agents will have access to the Saudi supplier space – DMCs, hotels, and ground handling and operations as they build new travel packages for their clients.”
This is a major change from its previous legacy system that was only restricted to a few operators, which resulted in a monopoly and inflation of prices, he elaborated.
Alhasan pointed out that one of the largest challenges now for the market in Singapore and Asia-Pacific, is the need to “raise awareness about the different destinations in Saudi Arabia”, and the “diversity of its offerings” that can meet different travel needs.
This is why STA’s other initiative, the roll out of Umrah+ packages, have been designed to portray Saudi Arabia as a great holiday destination beyond pilgrimages. It highlights attractions such as Saudi Arabia’s six UNESCO World Heritage sites, and its more than 10,000 archaeological areas such as Al Balad in Jeddah and Turaif in Diriyah.
Singapore is one of the 49 countries that is eligible for an e-visa, which lasts for a year and allows for multiple entries for stays up to 30 days. In 2022, 30,000 Singaporean travellers visited Saudi Arabia, and STA aims to double that this year.
“Singapore is an important market, as it is able to influence other markets in the region,” Alhasan opined.
In the same vein, five Memoranda of Understanding to promote travel to Saudi Arabia were also signed at the event, with the Association of Muslim Travel Agents Singapore, and four Singaporean travel companies Azza Travel & Tours, Shahidah Travel & Tours, TM Fouzy Travel & Tours, and TravelConnect.sg.
Aside from Singapore, STA is also focused on attracting visitors from Malaysia, Indonesia, South Korea, Japan, India, as well as China – China will be the next stop for STA, where it will be visiting four cities there, shared Alhasan.
The last initiative revealed during the media session was the 96-hour Stopover Visa, which is open to all flying through the country on Saudia or Flynas. Travellers will be able to stopover for up to 96 hours to explore the country, as well as enjoy a complimentary one-night hotel stay.
When asked how much investment was being pumped into tourism, Alhasan shared with TTG Asia: “We are investing hundreds of billions of dollars into the tourism ecosystem. This includes the development of infrastructure projects like Neom, and the Murabba in Riyadh, (as well as) in investments in marketing, working with celebrities and influencers in each market, hosting fam trips, and other trade events.”
IHG Hotels & Resorts expects to introduce 7,000 new jobs this year in over 100 of its open hotels, and 90-strong pipeline, across South-east Asia and South Korea.
IHG is committed to creating a strong and inclusive culture, as well as providing flexible working conditions, and has evolved its recruitment and retention strategy by elevating the focus on people development to attract the market’s best talent from inside and outside the industry.
The hotel team at Sindhorn Midtown Hotel Bangkok Vignette Collection
Rajit Sukumaran, managing director, South East Asia and Korea, IHG, said: “We know how highly candidates value working for a company with a strong culture and values, job stability as well as a true sense of purpose – and we agree with them. That’s why we’re providing people with the chance to build a career with us while enjoying a work-life balance and increasing learning and development opportunities. It’s all part of our people-orientated strategy that’s ensuring our colleagues love being part of the IHG team.”
IHG has developed a series of programmes to support talent entering the industry including creating career pathways fort aspiring hoteliers – in-class training and access to global standards throughout its operations, along with doing purposeful work for its communities and the planet, will also be provided for all staff.
The company also recently launched IHG Skills Academy, a virtual training programme that offers free online education and courses in multiple languages for young people to become ‘employment ready’ and explore a career in hospitality. In addition, staff can benefit from IHG University that helps them find their path to building skills, knowledge and capabilities.
In addition, IHG has rolled out revolving hotel roles enabling staff to be seconded to conversions and new openings as a way to advocate a culture of mobility for staff to ensure the right talent are in the right roles.
Sukumaran added: “We are first and foremost a people business and are always on the lookout for great talent with a passion for the work that we do. This includes people from a great variety of backgrounds, and we’re very keen to attract talent from outside of the hospitality industry as well as from within it.
“There are wonderful career pathways that people can choose to embark on based on their skillsets, preferences and personality, with opportunities to work across borders and provinces, across different brands and different functions, and every single one of our colleagues get on-the-job training from day one.
Accor has teamed up with Ecotourism Australia to certify all Accor hotels, apartments and resorts across Australia and the Pacific as Sustainable Tourism certified businesses.
Introduced in 2022, Ecotourism Australia’s Sustainable Tourism Certification programme is recognised by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC). The certification is designed for all tourism operators and businesses in the tourism supply chain to meet and gain recognition for best practice sustainability initiatives.
Derry: sustainability is redefining our business model
Assessing businesses across the four pillars of sustainability – sustainable management, environmental impacts, cultural impacts, and socio-economic impacts – the Sustainable Tourism Certification is an extension to the existing ECO Certification programme that has been in Australia for more than two decades.
Ecotourism Australia CEO, Elissa Keenan, said: “Accor’s significant presence across regions, including Ecotourism Australia certified ECO Destinations Port Douglas Daintree, Bundaberg and the Coffs Coast, and seventeen other regions currently undertaking certification, and throughout regional areas and capital cities, demonstrates their commitment to sustainability in Australia and the Pacific’s unique environments.”
Sarah Derry, CEO of Accor Pacific, shared: “Sustainability is redefining our business model and we are proud to lead the industry forward by investing in our sustainability actions and activities in the region.
In 2022, Accor Pacific removed single-use plastic items from guest areas in over 80 per cent of hotels. Further action will be taken to remove single-use plastics from back of house operations, micro plastics in laundries and sourcing for long-term solutions to replace plastic water bottles this year.
“We know there is a lot more to do and our teams will continue to focus on driving sustainability actions. There are no limits to our ambition,” Derry said.
She joined Marriott in 1996 and held the title of senior vice president & chief counsel, Asia Pacific, prior to stepping down in 2020. In that role, she managed a large legal team across seven offices in Asia that was responsible for more than 700 hotels in the region, and was actively involved in all aspects of the business.
