Emirates begin Airbus A380 flights to Dubai and Amsterdam

Amsterdam-bound passengers on Emirates will welcome the arrival of the airline's Airbus A380 on flights from Dubai, starting in August.The airline currently uses a Boeing 777-300ER plane on the route, but the A380 is a step up in terms of personal space, comfort and cabin quietness, especially in business class where there's also a stand-up bar at the back of the A380's upper deck so you can stretch your legs en route.Take a look at what you'll find on board in our review of Emirates' Airbus A380 business class and compare it to what you'll find in business on the Boeing 777 From 1 August, Amsterdam-bound flight EK147 departs Dubai at 0825, arriving in Schipol at 1330.

The return EK148 leaves at 1530 and gets into Dubai at 2359.Westbound flights take just over 7h20, while eastbound flights are 30 minutes shorter thanks to prevailing winds.Those timings provide connections to Amsterdam with a layover of just under three hours from the inbound A380 EK413 flight from Sydney for an all-A380 trip to Europe.The Sydney-bound flight, however, has either a 1h40 connection on EK414 (on a less comfortable 777) or a 10h15 stop on A380 flight EK412 providing the possibility of a night's sleep at Dubai's transit hotel if you prefer the more comfortable A380.Emirates' 20 A380s currently flights to Auckland, Bangkok, Beijing, Hong Kong, Jeddah, Johannesburg, Kuala Lumpur, London Heathrow, Manchester, Munich, New York JFK, Paris, Rome, Seoul, Shanghai, Sydney and Toronto. Amsterdam will become the 19th A380 destination after the superjumbo starts flying to Tokyo in July.

BB Airways starting flights from Kathmandu Sept 13

BB Airways is starting scheduled flights from Kathmandu to seven different international destinations from Sept 13.According to a statement issued Sunday, Bhawan Bhatta, chairman of the company, met with Prime Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai on the day to inform the latter about preparations regarding the launch of flights.

BB Airways had acquired operating license last month. It has received permission to operate flights to New Delhi, Bangkok, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Doha. As per the permission, the airline must acquire three aircraft two in the first phase and the third one must be procured within three years of starting operation.The airline is planning to acquire Boeing 767-300 aircraft.Promoted by TBI Group an investment company of Non-Resident Nepalis, the airline had applied for permission to operate international flights on Sept, 2011.Once into opration, BB Airways will be the country´s third airline to fly to international destinations.

Qantas launch daily A380 flights from Melbourne to LA,London,Singapore

Qantas continues to ramp up its superjumbo services this week with the introduction of daily Airbus A380 flights between Melbourne and Los Angeles, Singapore and London.Beginning tomorrow, Tuesday January 17th, the Melbourne-Los Angeles flights QF93/QF94 will feature an A380 every day, up from a previous four days per week with a Boeing 747-400 on the other days.Likewise, the Melbourne-Singapore-London QF9/QF10 service goes A380 every day, up from six days per week.

This weekend also saw Qantas debut the Airbus A380 between Sydney and Hong Kong, making it only the fourth city after Singapore, London and Los Angeles graced by the flagship of the Red Roo fleet.However, those superjumbo flights are restricted to four days per week on the morning QF127 service from Sydney to Hong Kong, and the companion QF128 flight from Hong Kong to Sydney.The remaining three days of QF127/128 will continue with the Boeing 747-400. A Qantas spokeswoman told Australian Business Traveller there are no plans for a daily A380 Hong Kong service at this stage.

Qantas took delivery of its twelfth Airbus A380 in December, although the fleet is still one short of full capacity while the A380 severely damaged in the November 2010 mid-air engine explosion of QF32 undergoes repairs in Singapore, ahead of an expected return to service in March.Two more A380s are due for the Red Roo this year, but delivery of six more superjumbos has been deferred by up to six years as the airline seeks to slash costs.

Air Pacific to increase its flights to Sydney

Air Pacific will increase its flights to Sydney by flying 13 times everyday in a week except on Monday.Managing Director and CEO, Dave Pflieger said that the increase in flights will come into effect on January 15th.He said that from Tuesday to Sunday, there will be a 6:30am and 12:55pm Sydney- Nadi service.

From Nadi, there will be a daily 9am service to Sydney.In addition there will be evening flights every day except on Sunday, departing Nadi at 6.30pm.Pflieger also confirmed that from January 19th, they will be upgrading their service to use the B747-400 jumbo jet aircraft on this route by flights to Hong Kong on Thursdays and Saturdays.

Emirates begins flight from Dubai to Melbourne

Emirates said, it has welcomed its 20th Airbus A380 to its rapidly expanding fleet by announcing Melbourne and Tokyo as two new destinations for its flagship aircraft in 2012.Melbourne joined the Emirates network in 1996 and the airline now operates three daily flights from Dubai, one non-stop, one via Singapore and the other via Kuala Lumpur. The A380 will operate as EK406, the non-stop flight from Dubai to Melbourne and on to Auckland from 1st October 2012.Melbourne's A380 service will be Emirates' second A380 operation in Australia and New Zealand, following the introduction of the aircraft on the Dubai-Sydney-Auckland route in 2009.

In 2012, Emirates will be celebrating its tenth year of services between Dubai and Japan, and its third year of operating to Narita International Airport. Demand on the Dubai-Tokyo route has continued to grow, prompting the need for the daily service to be operated by an A380 from 1st July 2012. Emirates' A380 service to Tokyo will operate as EK318 departing Dubai at 0250hrs and arriving at Narita International Airport at 5:35pm the same day. The return flight of EK 319 departs Narita at 2200hrs and touches down in Dubai at 0415hrs the following day.This announcement demonstrates our commitment to the Far East and Australasian region, as Emirates takes delivery of its 20th Airbus A380 aircraft,said Richard Jewsbury, Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations, Far East and Australasia.

Emirates not only offers a world-class in-flight experience but a superior global network. The announcement of enhanced services into Melbourne and Tokyo comes as we introduce flights from Dubai to Dublin, our 29th European destination and Dubai to Buenos Aires, via Rio de Janeiro, our latest South American destinations, added Jewsbury.Emirates took delivery of its first A380 in July 2008 and since that date the number of A380 destinations on the Emirates network has grown and will reach 17 on 1st January 2012 with the addition of Kuala Lumpur.Set in a three-class configuration (14 First, 76 Business and 399 Economy Class seats), the Emirates A380 offers a level of comfort and space never seen before on a commercial airliner. Spread over two levels, the entire upper deck is dedicated to Premium Class passengers.Emirates' A380 currently operate services from Dubai to London Heathrow (double-daily, triple daily from 24th January 2012 and four times a day from 25th March 2012), Manchester, Paris Charles de Gaulle, Rome, Munich, Toronto, Seoul, Bangkok, Beijing, Shanghai, Jeddah, New York, Hong Kong, Sydney, Johannesburg and Auckland. From 1st January 2012, the A380 will be deployed on the Kuala Lumpur route.

SEAIR increase flights to Hong Kong Christmas season

South East Asian Airlines (SEAIR) announced that it will increase the number of its Hong Kong flights this Christmas season.Two flights from Clark to Hong Kong and vice versa were added on Fridays and Sundays, the airline said.An extra flight on Saturdays will also be added starting December 3, 2011.Hong Kong is a very important destination for Filipino migrant workers and tourists alike, especially at this time of the year when families are gathering together for the holidays,said SEAIR president Avelino Zapanta in a press statement.

SEAIR, which currently has the most flights from Clark to Hong Kong and Macau, will have one roundtrip Clark to Hong Kong flight on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, and two roundtrip flights on Friday, Saturday and Sunday during the holiday season.Airfares for Clark to Hong Kong flights are priced at P1,299 until November 30, 2011 for travel until July 31, 2012.SEAIR uses the 144-seater Airbus 319 for its international flights.

Direct flights to Hong Kong and Singapore

For the first time the 6.7 million residents of Russia's huge Federal Far East District can flights direct to Hong Kong and Singapore. The twice weekly route was opened on October 21 this year (2011) by Vladivostock Air, the largest airline in the region.Locally known as VladAir the carrier has served destinations in neighbouring mainland China and Korea for a number of years but this autumn has been spreading its wings to Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City and Delpasar in Bali.

Based in Vladivostok, the largest city in the region with 617,500, the IATA member airline is obviously gearing up for the increased business between the Pacific coastal port city of Vladivostok and the surrounding Russian region and the Asian Pacific Region which is expected to be spurred by the APEC Summit in the city a year from now.Vladivostok is having a make-over with a new iconic suspension bridge being built linking the mainland with the Russkiy Ozera island which will be the site of the summit. A barren hilly island with only a few dwellings the summit location is being built from scratch and the new complex is scheduled to become the new Federal University of the Far East when the APEC leaders depart.

Vladivostok Air began operations in 1932 and until September 2008 operated only between Vladivostok and Khabarovsk. However the closure of debt-ridden regional airline Dalavia in 2008 paved the way for a dramatic expansion of Vladivostok Air into the leading airline in Russia's Far East with an expansion of domestic and international routes.With a total of 19 aircraft including 10 Airbus and 11 Mi-8 helicopters the airline carries about 1,100,000 passengers annually between 24 domestic and 13 international destinations. The airline is 51% owned by the state and 49% by employees.Flights are on Tuesdays and Fridays.

The new service introduces a new holiday destination for Singapore residents. For Russian Far East travelers, a potential market of 6.5 million, Singapore is not only a destination for tourism, medical, and education activities, but an excellent transit point to destinations in Southeast Asia and the Southwest Pacific.Mr. Yam Kum Weng, Singapore Changi Airport Group’s Executive Vice President for Air Hub Development, said:With the introduction of world-class tourism offerings in Singapore, we are seeing more Russian visitors twinning Singapore with another Southeast Asian destination to create fun-filled ‘city-plus-beach’ holiday experiences. With its extensive network and flight options to Southeast Asia, Changi Airport is a convenient gateway for Russian travelers to reach many renowned resort destinations such as Bintan, Bali, and Phuket.

CEB adds four more weekly flights to Manila-Kuala Lumpur

The Philippines’ largest national flag carrier, Cebu Pacific adds four more weekly flights to its direct Manila-Kuala Lumpur service, making it double daily starting January 8, 2012.CEB currently operates a daily service that leaves Manila at 8:55 p.m., and a Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday service that leaves Manila at 10:10 a.m.

The additional four times weekly Manila-Kuala Lumpur-Manila flights will depart Manila at 2 p.m. every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. The return flight will depart Kuala Lumpur at 6:30 pm.We are happy to finally increase our flight frequencies to Kuala Lumpur, given the strong demand for direct flights from Manila, not Clark which is two hours away. CEB flights will offer more flight schedule options to business and leisure travelers for their convenience in January,said CEB VP for Marketing and Distribution Candice Iyog.

Iyog said that CEB holds a Malaysia seat sale from September 20-21, 2011 or until seats last.For travel from October 15, 2011 to February 29, 2012, passengers can buy seats as low as P488 from Manila to Kota Kinabalu. Meanwhile, they can also buy Manila-Kuala Lumpur seats for P1,488, for travel from October 15 to December 31, 2011.Flights from Malaysia to Manila are also on sale, for as low as MYR 134 from Kuala Lumpur and MYR 94 from Kota Kinabalu. CEB will continue to boost tourism and trade in the destinations it flies to with its trademark lowest fares,she added.

International seats to Macau, Taipei, Hong Kong, South Korea, Osaka, Beijing, Brunei, Guangzhou, Jakarta, Shanghai and Singapore are also on sale until September 21, 2011.CEB also puts all its domestic and international flights from Cebu on sale, along with flights from Manila to Cagayan de Oro, Iloilo, Zamboanga, Tawi-Tawi, Boracay Caticlan, Dumaguete, Iloilo, Kalibo and Surigao, among others.CEB currently operates 10 Airbus A319, 15 Airbus A320 and 8 ATR-72 500 aircraft. By the end of 2011, CEB will be operating a fleet of 37 aircraft with an average age of less than 3.5 years one of the most modern aircraft fleets in the world.

Daily non-stop flights to Chicago launched by Cathay Pacific

Cathay Pacific Airways celebrated the launch of its daily non-stop flights to Chicago with a gala event held at The Peninsula Chicago on 8 September. Around 200 guests, including business partners and government officials, attended the celebration hosted by the airline’s Chief Executive, John Slosar.Officiating at the event was guest of honour The Hon Leong Che-hung, Member of the Executive Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government.

Cathay Pacific’s first flight from Hong Kong to Chicago took off on 1 September and the new service will play a pivotal role in connecting two of the world’s greatest cities. The daily non-stop service is being operated by recently arrived Boeing 777-300ER aircraft and features the airline’s new Business Class seat.Chicago is the 50th passenger destination launched by Cathay Pacific as part of its ongoing commitment to enhance connectivity for passengers around the world. With Chicago added to the airline’s expanding network, passengers from the US now have easy access to Mainland China and other parts of Asia through the airline’s hub in Hong Kong. At the same time, passengers flying to the US can enjoy the convenience of connecting to the Midwest through the Chicago gateway at O’Hare International Airport .

Speaking at the event, Cathay Pacific Chief Executive John Slosar said:I am very glad to be here in Chicago, among good friends, to celebrate the launch of our daily passenger flights to and from this fantastic city. Our new service will offer to Chicago businessmen and women access to great markets within the Cathay Pacific network, and access to the people who know them, especially China.Guest of honour The Hon Leong Che-hung, Member of the Executive Council, said:The American Chamber of Commerce expects an increase of some 60 per cent in US business investment in Hong Kong in the next 12 months. A direct flight to and from Chicago will undoubtedly increase this 60 per cent further by facilitating connections from the Midwest and Central US to Hong Kong.Highlights of the celebration included energetic performances by a Chinese percussion group and local percussion legends the Chicago Bucket Boys. Cathay Pacific’s signature Walking on Air show was also a big hit with the audience, showcasing the airline’s history through its uniform developments.

Virgin Atlantic seeing strong demand for flights from London to Sydney via Hong Kong

Virgin Atlantic passengers have been showing strong demand for flights from London to Sydney via Hong Kong, the airline has revealed.Announcing figures for the 2010-11 financial year, the company said that average load factors on the route reached 80%.Revenue increased by 13%, partly as a result of a significant rise in sales generated in Australia.

Virgin Atlantic highlighted the strong performance of its London to Sydney route as one factor that contributed to its pre-tax operating profit of £18.5m and revenues of £2.7bn in 2010-11.Luke Fisher, the carrier's country manager for Australia, said: 'Virgin Atlantic in Australia has made a positive contribution to Virgin Atlantic's overall 2010-11 results.Profitability on the highly competitive Sydney to London route improved markedly, largely thanks to a fantastic 22% growth in revenues from the local market.'The introduction of new flights has also boosted business, with services from London to Accra in Ghana and from Manchester to Las Vegas launched in the past year.cheap flights, hotels and car hire - let the journey begin!

Finnair to begin Direct Flight to Chongqing Next May

Finnair, the flag carrier and largest airline of Finland, said on Tuesday that it will launch direct flights between Helsinki and southwest China's Chongqing Municipality in May next year.The carrier will be the first European airline to offer direct flights to Chongqing, a city with more than 30 million people.Finnair will operate the route using Airbus A340 aircraft, with four weekly flights. The flight time is expected to be eight and a half hours.

Chongqing will become the carrier's fourth Chinese destination, after Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong.Finnair President and CEO Mika Vehvilainen, said:Western China is an important growth area, and the new route will strengthen our market share in the growing Asian markets.In addition to Chongqing, Finnair plans to launch direct flights to another 10 destinations in Asia.Currently, the carrier flights to Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong with a total of 26 weekly flights.