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Guangzhou getting a new airport, India’s SpiceJet starts service to the PRD

Posted: 08/4/2012 11:00 am

A lot can happen in a week, and in the latest PRD aviation round-up of the thriving sector, The Nanfang gives you new and expanding airports, bigger planes and new destinations.

Baiyun Airport gets bigger, so will the number of Guangzhou’s airports
In the latest gathering of Guangzhou’s political decision-makers, the Standing Committee approved plans to construct a third runway at Baiyun Airport with construction starting this month. In other news, construction will begin on the airport’s new second terminal – just north of the existing facility – by the end of the year.

However, if that isn’t enough, China Daily reports that the airport extension is in line with current plans to create a second Guangzhou airport to the south of the city. If plans come to fruition, the PRD will become one of the most congested regional airspaces in the country catering for Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Zhuhai, Shenzhen and Macau.

China Southern’s first A380 international flight
There was a lot of hype, fanfare and attention on China Southern Airlines (CSA) newest arrival, the double-decker A380, last year. Then it headed into a year-long domestic exile. Now though, it’s going international: It’s off to Hollywood.

The carrier’s upgraded service will take off on October 12 as the first and only Chinese superjumbo to head across the Pacific.

While China Southern already flies to Los Angeles, it believes it can tap into a greater share of the Trans-Pacific market. In doing so, Airline Route reckons overall capacity will soar 78 per cent, meaning CSA has its work cut out for itself.

CSA has three superjumbos in its fleet with two more on the way, which will be deployed on international routes and primary domestic cities.

India’s SpiceJet heads to the PRD’s busiest airports
India’s budget airline SpiceJet has won government approval to expand international operations, starting with daily services to Hong Kong and Guangzhou. The Nanfang earlier reported on India’s aviation reforms aimed at revitalising the sector.

As SpiceJet plans for a China arrival, Dragonair prepares for a second Indian landing
Dragonair is extending its reach away from the Far East and South East Asia. Starting November 2, a new four-times-a-week service to Kolkata, in the eastern state of West Bengal, will take off. The move will also help support Cathay Pacific, its parent company, as a feeder and codeshare airline. Cathay already flies to five major Indian cities.

And two major updates on stories The Nanfang trailed last week on Shenzhen-Sydney, Delhi-Hong Kong-Osaka Kansai and Delhi-Hong Kong-Seoul Incheon. Air India is resuming flights to Seoul Incheon and Osaka Kansai via Hong Kong earlier than planned. The Delhi-Hong Kong-Osaka Kansai route resumes with three weekly flights starting on August 21 and Delhi-Hong Kong-Seoul Incheon resumes the following day with four flights a week.

Hainan Airlines has postponed resuming its Sydney service until December 3.

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China Southern Airlines boosts GZ-London flights; Shenzhen-Sydney starts

Posted: 07/26/2012 6:00 pm

China’s major airlines are heading into some turbulence: slowing traffic, government controlled jet fuel prices, and the depreciation of the RMB are all dampening aviation ambitions. It seems most major airlines are issuing profit warnings, too. Despite the problems, it seems there’s never a shortage of new routes being opened up, especially down here in China’s manufacturing hotbed.  Here is a round up of the latest news around the airlines affecting the Pearl River Delta.

China Southern ramps up London service
It wasn’t long ago that China Southern Airlines (CSA) launched their new Guangzhou-London service, and they’re already increasing the frequency of flights. Starting October 28, Heathrow will get daily service from Guangzhou, the only non-stop flight between the two cities.

Shenzhen starts-up Sydney service again
Hainan Airlines is returning to Sydney, Australia once more starting October 29 after a near nine-month hiatus – also making it the furthest international destination from Shenzhen to anywhere in the Asia-Pacific, let alone the world.

China Southern’s South East Asia shuffle
From September 21, Kuala Lumpur gets an extra daily flight from Guangzhou, taking the total to three flights a day.

Starting September 24 there will be extra flights from Guangzhou to Ho Chi Minh City, Singapore and Yangon. Ho Chi Minh goes thrice-daily, Singapore has been increased to four-a-day while Yangon temporarily doubles to four-a-week until October 26. Finally, starting October 1, twice-daily service resumes on the Guangzhou-Manila route after passenger traffic took a knock over rising political tensions between the mainland and the Philippines earlier this summer.

Hong Kong’s winter blues
Winter is the time of year where wings are clipped in the northern hemisphere as far as long-haul goes. British Airways are keeping to its 14 weekly departures from Heathrow, previously aiming for 17, while European rival Lufthansa reduces daily departures to a five or six flights a week service.

And in recent weeks, Hong Kong has been hit by strikes at Air India. While there’s been a resolution, flights from Delhi to Hong Kong and onwards to Osaka Kansai and Seoul Incheon are still suspended until September 1.

Emirates A380 Hong Kong u-turn
The Dubai-carrier has backed out of plans to introduce a 14-weekly A380 service to Hong Kong. It will stick to its previous seven A380 departures via Bangkok, with four other aircraft going to Hong Kong non-stop.

There’s still hope
It’s not all bad news in Hong Kong. Hong Kong Airlines is boosting services to Shanghai Pudong starting August 1. Its introducing an extra three flights on top of the 14-weekly in an all-new business class only flight. And from September 10, the number of flights will rise to 21 a week.

Source: Airline Route

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India’s aviation reforms to create new routes to Guangzhou and Macau

Posted: 04/30/2012 7:31 am

Guangzhou and Macau are big winners in new reforms to India’s Bilateral Air Services Agreement. The move paves the way for Indian airlines to expand their global reach with flights from the capital Delhi, to within the borders of the PRD.

Sandeep B. Kumar, Consul for Politics and Commerce at the Indian Consulate General in Guangzhou, told The Nanfang that the popular Indian discount airline, Spice Jet was "very interested" in creating new routes between Delhi and Guangzhou. Spice Jet Boeing 737 (c) Ashok Prabhakara

Sandeep B. Kumar, Consul for Politics and Commerce at the Indian Consulate General in Guangzhou, told The Nanfang that while a specific carrier has yet to capitalize on the reforms, the popular Indian discount airline, Spice Jet was: “very interested” in creating new routes between Delhi and Guangzhou. Air India has also expressed an interest in starting flights between the two cities. Kumar added: “We feel very happy about this news. This connects places, people, business, and improves relations between our nations.”

(c) Air India

While flights between Delhi and the PRD are looking to expand, Kumar lamented the lack of flights between the PRD and southern India, including the financial capital of Mumbai: “It’s a great opportunity for more redevelopment.”

Although Macau has yet to be exploited as a destination for Chinese and Indian airlines, that is slowly changing. China Southern Airlines now flies seven times a week to Delhi from Baiyun Airport; a move which should provide more capacity, and increased competition on the route.

While no official word has been released as to when the new routes will commence, Kumar says an announcement on Indian airlines flying to Guangzhou could be made as soon as July.

 

 

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