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AirAsia Philippines to fly Manila – Hong Kong

By Budget Airline News

AirAsia Philippines has announced it will begin flying from Manila (Clark) to Hong Kong in July 2012. This will be the budget airline’s second international destination, following the launch of flights to Kuala Lumpur on June 9.

AirAsia Philippines, the regional wing of AirAsia, will offer direct daily flights to from Manila (Clark) to Hong Kong.

Marianne Hontiveros, the Air Asia Philippines CEO, made the announcement: “We will fly once daily to Hong Kong in July. This will be our second international destination since we got our AOC in February.”
“We have plans to also fly to Singapore. That’s in the works. We are also looking at Bangkok, South Korea, points in China and Macau. If we can get the Category 2 status lifted, we want to fly to Japan as well,” she added.

The latest information about this new route, including flight times and prices, can be found at www.airasia.com.

Tiger Airways launches flights to Sri Lanka

By Budget Airline News

Tiger Airways’ newest destination from Singapore’s Changi airport is Colombo, Sri Lanka. Direct Singapore – Colombo flights launched on May 31, 2012, and one-way fares start from $98 SGD.

The budget airline will initially offer 3 round-trip flights per week using an A320 aircraft. Flights will be available on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays.

In a statement, Tiger Airways’ commercial director Dave Perring said: “Singapore is now a hop away for Sri Lankans wanting to explore the sights and sounds of the garden city. Likewise, the rich history and natural beauty of Sri Lanka is within easy reach.”

Spring Airlines to offer international flights to Thailand, South Korea

By Budget Airline News

Spring Airlines, China’s only low-cost carrier, will expand its international network with new routes to Thailand and South Korea.

Starting July 20, 2012, Spring Airlines will offer a daily direct flight between Shanghai, China, and Bangkok, Thailand, will begin on July 20, 2012. To South Korea, Spring Airlines will offer four flights per week between Shanghai and Cheongju and three flights per week between Shanghai and Jeju Island.

Visit http://www.china-sss.com/en for the latest information about Spring Airlines.

AirAsia terminates Kuala Lumpur – Solo flights

By Budget Airline News

AirAsia has announced it will be terminating its route from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to Solo, Indonesia, effective from September 2, 2012. Previously, the budget airline operated 7 flights per week on this route.

Customers who have booked flights on this route will be contacted by AirAsia staff and offered the choice of a refund or changing their flight.

A statement from AirAsia read: “The route suspension is in line with AirAsia Group’s business plan to realign and strengthen AirAsia Indonesia’s operations.  More connectivity will be allocated for routes between Kuala Lumpur and other destinations in Indonesia soon.”

IndiGo increases Delhi – Mumbai flights

By Budget Airline News

From May 25, 2012, IndiGo has increased the frequency of flights on the popular Delhi – Mumbai route. The budget airline now offers 11 round-trip flights per day on this route.

In an official statement, IndiGo President Aditya Ghosh said: “We are looking at providing affordable fares on these new routes for our travellers. IndiGo will continue to expand its network to meet the requirements of both business and leisure travellers wherever they demand it.”

Founded in 2006, IndiGo has already captured 23.8% of the Indian domestic air travel market. The airline currently flies to 32 destinations.

AirAsia Japan ticket sales start May 30, flights on August 1

By Budget Airline News

Tickets for new budget airline AirAsia Japan will be available for online sales starting on May 30, 2012. The airline is expected to launch domestic services on August 1, 2012.

AirAsia Japan will be based at Tokyo Narita International Airport and offer domestic flights to Fukuoka, Okinawa, and Sapporo. International operations will begin on October 1, 2012, with flights to Seoul and Busan, South Korea.

Visit www.airasia.com for the latest information.

Jet Airways plans to buy 100 new planes

By Budget Airline News

While many of India’s low cost airlines are struggling, that is not the case for Jet Airways. Jet Airways, parent company of JetKonnect, is planning to purchase 100 new aircraft.

The airline is known to be working on a deal with Airbus for 100 of their narrow-body A320 aircraft. The deal is estimated to be worth 3.75 billion dollars. The airline may also lease 10 A330s to expand their international services to Europe.

AirAsia X announces Kuala Lumpur – Beijing route

By Budget Airline News

AirAsia X has announced it will offer direct flights between Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and Beijing, China. The new route will begin on June 22, 2012, with four flights per week.

AirAsia rep Kathleen Tan said: “China is a key market for AirAsia X, and our entry into Beijing is another major milestone for us.”

“We are confident travel demand to Beijing will be strong and hope many will take the opportunity to visit Malaysia and use AirAsia as a gateway to the many exotic, far-flung destinations across the region.”

As a result of this new route, AirAsia X will be suspending its route from Kuala Lumpur to Tianjin, China, which is about 100 km from Beijing, effective June 21, 2012.

Peach Aviation begins international flights

By Budget Airline News

Peach Aviation began international operations on Tuesday, May 8, 2012, with its inaugural flight from Osaka to Seoul, South Korea. The low-cost airline will initially offer one round-trip flight per day on its first international route, increasing to three flights per day in July.

One of three Japanese low-cost airlines debuting in 2012, Peach Aviation launched on March 1, 2012, with domestic flights to five major cities across Japan. Later this year the airline will launch more international routes from Japan to Hong Kong  and Taipei.

Peach Aviation is Japan’s first true low-cost airline and one-way fares from Osaka to Seoul are as low as 5,280 Yen ($66 USD).

AirAsia to develop Singapore hub

By Budget Airline News

AirAsia, the biggest budget airline in Asia, is planning to develop a hub at Changi Airport in Singapore. The airline has been lobbying for years in Singapore to get a air operator’s certificate (AOC) and it will be issued in the near future.

Singapore will be the airline’s fourth hub after Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, and Manila. Having canceled long-haul routes to Europe earlier this year, AirAsia plans to develop itself as a regional carrier with long-term plans to have hubs in all of the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries.

But AirAsia will have plenty of competition in Singapore, as the city-state is also a hub for low cost carriers Tiger Airways, Jetstar, and the up-coming Scoot Airlines.