Mexicana Joins Oneworld As Its 11th Full Member

Mexican airline Mexicana has joined Oneworld as its eleventh full member, with its subsidiaries MexicanaClick and MexicanaLink becoming affiliate members of the alliance. The 3 airlines bring forth an extensive Central American network to Oneworld, extending the alliance’s reach to almost 700 destinations in nearly 150 countries.

 

As part of Oneworld, members of the MexicanaGo frequent flyer program can now earn and redeem mileage awards on any of its partner airlines, with Conquer, Discover and Explore cardholders being accorded Oneworld Emerald, Sapphire and Ruby status respectively. The 100 million members enrolled in the frequent flyer programs of the other Oneworld member airlines will also be able to earn and redeem awards, as well as receive benefits on Mexicana and its subsidiaries.

 

To commemorate the joining, Mexicana has unveiled 2 aircraft, an Airbus A320 and a Boeing 717, in a special Oneworld livery at its hub at Mexico City’s Benito Juárez International Airport as part of a rebranding and marketing campaign. The airline will also have its logo added to the alliance and its member airlines’ marketing platforms, while featuring the Oneworld emblem on its aircraft, advertising, publications and stationery.

 

Together with its affiliates, Mexicana serves 67 destinations in 14 countries using a combined fleet of 105 Airbus, Boeing, Bombardier and Fokker aircraft from its hubs in Mexico City, Cancun and Guadalajara. The airline joins American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Iberia, Japan Airlines, LAN, Malév Hungarian Airlines, Qantas and Royal Jordanian in Oneworld, which was recently voted the World’s Leading Airline Alliance at the 2009 World Travel Awards for the seventh year running.

 

For more information, visit www.mexicana.com and www.oneworld.com.

Air Astana Begins Almaty – Kuala Lumpur, Tiger Airways Resumes Singapore – Hat Yai

Air travellers in Southeast Asia now have greater options when flying beyond and within the region. Kazakh national carrier Air Astana has commenced flights from Almaty to Kuala Lumpur, while low cost carrier Tiger Airways returns to the southern Thai city of Hat Yai.

 

Air Astana Links Malaysia With Kazakhstan

Travellers now have a direct link when flying between Kuala Lumpur and Almaty. Air Astana has launched a weekly, nonstop service using a 2-class Boeing 767-300ER aircraft with 30 Business and 190 Economy Class seats.

 

The inaugural flight on 31 October 2009 was welcomed at Kuala Lumpur International Airport by Malaysia’s Minister of Transport, YB Dato’ Sri Ong Tee Keat, and officials of Malaysia Airports. Onboard the flight was the Deputy Chairman of Kazakhstan’s Committee for Civil Aviation, Talgat Lastaev, accompanied by Ibrahim Canliel, Vice-President of Marketing and Sales at Air Astana and members of the media from Kazakhstan. 

 

Flight KC 935 departs Almaty International Airport every Saturday at 0055 hrs, arriving in Kuala Lumpur International Airport at 1055 hrs. The return flight, KC 936, takes off from Kuala Lumpur at 2335 hrs, landing back in Almaty at 0625 hrs the next morning.

 

Kuala Lumpur is Air Astana’s 7th international destination in Asia and the Middle East, joining Bangkok, Beijing, Delhi, Dubai, Seoul and Urumqi. From its hubs in Almaty, Astana and Atyrau, the airline flies to 44 domestic and international destinations with a fleet of Airbus A319, A320, Boeing B757, B767 and Fokker 50 aircraft.

 

For more information, visit www.airastana.com.

 

Tiger Airways Returns To Hat Yai

Singapore-based Tiger Airways has resumed flights to Hat Yai in southern Thailand. The low cost carrier will operate 3 flights a week every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

 

Flight TR 132 departs Singapore at 1325 hrs, arriving in Hat Yai at 1350 hrs. The return flight, TR 133, takes off from Hat Yai International Airport at 1420 hrs, landing back in Changi International Airport at 1645 hrs. Tiger Airways will operate a 180-seat Airbus A320 aircraft on the route.

 

The resumption of flights to Hat Yai increases the number of Thai destinations in Tiger Airways’ network to 4, including Bangkok (served triple daily), Phuket (served double daily) and Krabi (served 4 times weekly), which was also recently restarted in October 2009.

 

For more information, visit www.tigerairways.com.

Air France Takes Delivery Of First A380

French carrier Air France has taken delivery of its first Airbus A380, becoming the first European airline to operate the double-decker jet. The aircraft, registered F-HPJA, landed at Charles de Gaulle International Airport at 1627 hrs following its delivery flight from Hamburg.

 

Configured in a 3-class layout, Air France promises greater space and comfort for the 538 passengers onboard. In the La Première cabin located at the front of the main deck, passengers are guaranteed high levels of privacy and exclusivity with only 9 seats available. The seats have also been improved with seat covers made from “Climatex” fabric and a new innovative handset. La Première passengers will also have their own private changing cabin with a dressing table opposite 2 built-in shelves containing beauty products from Clarins and a wardrobe where they can place their belongings. An exclusive bar with magazines and a buffet selection will also be available for passengers to mingle and relax.

 

Located on the upper deck, the Affaires business class cabin accomodates 80 passengers in a 2-2-2 configuration. With the larger cabin of the A380, Air France has fitted an improved version of its Affaires seat onboard. The 2-meter long seat has a more comfortable seat recline for takeoff and landing, with an in-seat power supply and 15-inch personal screen, the largest in business class across the Air France fleet. In a world first, Air France has dedicated the area in the front of the upper deck as a gallery for its premium passengers. The open-plan space incorporates 38-centimeter screens showcasing artwork from major museums and artistic institutions worldwide, with the famous Louvre museum offering the theme of “Titan, Tintoretto, Veronese…Rivals in Renaissance Venice” in November 2009.

 

449 Voyageur economy class seats are located on the main and upper decks. Fitted in a 3-4-3 configuration, passengers will enjoy greater space with the enhanced seats featuring armrests that are 30% wider and better legroom. A large 8.4-inch personal screen delivers inflight entertainment, while passengers can charge their laptops at sockets located around the cabin. Air France has also fitted 3 self-service bars (2 on main deck and 1 on upper deck), which are stocked with refreshments throughout flights.

 

The Air France A380’s inaugural flight from Paris to New York will take place on 20 November 2009, with the airline donating the proceeds from an auction of its seats to charity. The aircraft will then enter scheduled service on the route daily from 23 November 2009, with Johannesburg being introduced in early 2010. Air France is the 4th airline to operate the A380, after Singapore Airlines, Emirates and Qantas.

 

For more information, visit www.airfrance.com.

AirAsia X Begins Kuala Lumpur – Chengdu Flights

Malaysian low-cost carrier AirAsia X has launched flights between its Kuala Lumpur hub and the Chinese city of Chengdu. The inaugural flight, D7 2622, arrived in Chengdu International Airport at 1340 hrs with 378 passengers onboard the Airbus A330-300.

 

AirAsia X will fly the route 4 times weekly with different flight timings depending on the day of operation. Every Tuesday and Saturday, flight D7 2622 departs Kuala Lumpur International Airport at 0900 hrs, arriving in Chengdu at 1340 hrs. On Thursdays, flight D7 2626 will take off at 1800 hrs from Kuala Lumpur and arrive in Chengdu International Airport at 2240 hrs, while flight D7 2624 departs Malaysia at 1330 hrs every Sunday to arrive in the capital city of Sichuan province at 1810 hrs.

 

On the return leg, flight D7 2623 departs Chengdu at 1455 hrs, landing back in Malaysia at 1935 hrs on Tuesdays and Saturdays.  The Thursday evening service, D7 2627, will take off from Chengdu International Airport at 2355 hrs, arriving back in Kuala Lumpur International Airport at 0435 hrs the next morning. Every Sunday, flight D7 2625 will depart at 1925 hrs to land back in Kuala Lumpur at 0005 hrs the next day.

 

Chengdu is the 3rd destination in China for AirAsia X, after Hangzhou and Tianjin. The airline is promoting the city as a gateway to China’s western regions such as UNESCO World Heritage Site Jiuzhaigou and Tibet. AirAsia X’s short-haul affiliate, AirAsia, also connects Kuala Lumpur with Guilin, Haikou and Shenzhen.

 

For more information, visit www.airasia.com.

Etihad To Return To Colombo In 2010

The national carrier of the UAE, Etihad Airways, has announced it will resume flights from its Abu Dhabi base to Colombo. Beginning January 2010, the airline will operate a 2-class Airbus A320 aircraft configured with 20 Pearl Business and 120 Coral Economy class seats 4 times weekly between both cities.

 

Flight EY 266 will depart Abu Dhabi International Airport at 2155 hrs on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, arriving at Bandaranaike International Airport at 0345 hrs the next day. The return flight, EY 267, takes off from Colombo at 0445 hrs and lands back in Abu Dhabi at 0800 hrs.

 

The airline has timed the flights to allow passengers convenient connections with key destinations in its network, including Moscow, New York and Toronto. Etihad is targeting increased tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka following the end of the civil conflict, as well as the large expatriate Sri Lankan community in the UAE and the Middle East.

 

Etihad stopped flying to Colombo in September 2007, but maintained service with codeshare partner Sri Lankan Airlines. With the resumption of flights, Sri Lankan Airlines will place its ‘UL’ code on the Etihad-operated services.

 

For more information, visit www.etihadairways.com.

Garuda Indonesia To Reopen Jakarta – Amsterdam Service

Following a 5-year absence, Indonesian flag carrier Garuda Indonesia is to return to Europe with the reopening of its flagship Jakarta-Amsterdam route, operated via Dubai, from June 2010. Amsterdam is the first of several European services planned by Garuda Indonesia, which was recently permitted to operate in the European Union following improvements to its safety standards.

 

Flight GA 088 departs Jakarta at 2100 hrs, arriving in Dubai at 0209 hrs the next morning before departing again at 0315 hrs for a 0800 hrs arrival into Amsterdam. The return service, GA 089, takes off from Amsterdam Airport Schiphol at 1000 hrs, landing in Dubai at 1830 hrs and departing for Jakarta at 1945 hrs, where it lands at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport at 0710 hrs the next morning.

 

Garuda Indonesia will operate a 2-class Airbus A330-200 aircraft, configured with the airline’s latest cabin products. Passengers will enjoy 36 full-flat beds in Executive Class, while the Economy Class seats feature a 32-inch seat pitch and 6 inches of recline. Individual touch-screen monitors deliver audio-video on-demand entertainment in both classes.

 

The airline joins several airlines already established on the route, including KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Lufthansa and Singapore Airlines. Garuda Indonesia currently flies to 17 international destinations including Bangkok, Beijing, Dubai, Hong Kong, Jeddah, Kuala Lumpur, Melbourne, Osaka, Perth, Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore, Sydney and Tokyo.

 

For more information, visit www.garuda-indonesia.com.

Air Arabia Adds New Routes From Casablanca And Sharjah

Middle Eastern low-cost carrier Air Arabia is to add 2 new destinations in Russia and Switzerland from its hubs in Sharjah and Casablanca respectively.

 

Sharjah – Samara

From 26 October 2009, Air Arabia will fly twice weekly to Samara, Russia. Situated on the banks of the Volga River, the city is among the top 10 Russian cities in terms of national income and industrial volume.

 

Flight G9 247 departs Sharjah at 0900 hrs on Mondays and Fridays, arriving in Samara at 1330 hrs. The return flight, G9 248, takes off from Samara at 1430 hrs and lands back in Sharjah International Airport at 1855 hrs in the evening. Air Arabia will operate its 162-seat Airbus A320 on the route.

 

Samara is the airline’s third destination in Eastern Europe, following services between Sharjah and Almaty, Kazakhstan and Kiev, Ukraine.

 

Casablanca – Basel

Air Arabia’s affiliate airline, Air Arabia Maroc, will also expand its network from Casablanca with the launch of flights to Basel in Switzerland from 25 October 2009. Located on the Swiss border, the city provides easy access to France and Germany, with EuroAirport serving Basel, as well as Mulhouse in France and Freiburg in Germany.

 

Flight 3O 360 departs Casablanca at 1730 hrs on Fridays and Sundays, arriving in Basel at 2135 hrs. The return flight, 3O 361, takes off from EuroAirport at 2210 hrs, landing back in Mohammed V International Airport at 0030 hrs the next morning.

 

Air Arabia Maroc will fly the route twice weekly using its 164-seat Airbus A320 aircraft. The airline began operations in April 2009 and currently operates services from Casablanca to destinations in Belgium, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Turkey and the UK.

 

For more information, visit www.airarabia.com.

In-Flight Internet Returns Onboard Lufthansa Flights

German airline Lufthansa is set to re-introduce its inflight broadband service FlyNet. From the middle of 2010, passengers will be able to enjoy communications options on-par with powerful wireless hotspots or upmarket hotels onboard the airline’s long-haul flights by logging on the network using their computers or GSM/GPRS-enabled devices from any point in the aircraft.

 

Partnering with Panasonic Avionics Corporation, Lufthansa aims to install FlyNet on a major part of its intercontinental aircraft fleet within the first year of operation for the service. The improved FlyNet allows passengers to not only surf the internet wirelessly, but also send and receive emails, text messages and transfer data via their smartphones. Lufthansa is focusing on the high-bandwidth service to facilitate web surfing, file transfer and Virtual Private Networks (VPN), which will benefit business travellers who need to catch up on work whilst in the air.

 

Specific prices for the use of FlyNet has not yet been determined by Lufthansa, but the Cologne-based airline has plans to introduce different pricing models, ranging from an hourly rate to a monthly flat rate. Passengers may also be able to utilize their frequent flyer miles for the use of the service.

 

FlyNet was first introduced by the airline in January 2003, before being withdrawn at the end of 2006 by Lufthansa’s then-partner Connexion by Boeing. 69 of Lufthansa’s long-haul aircraft were fitted with the system, which had approximately 30,000 users each month. Lufthansa’s re-introduction of FlyNet follows similar services offered or planned by its competitors, including American Airlines, British Airways, Delta Airlines and Virgin America.

 

Today, Lufthansa operates a fleet of Airbus A330, A340 and Boeing 747 on intercontinental flights from Dusseldorf, Frankfurt and Munich. The airline is set to take delivery of the double-deck Airbus A380 in early 2010.

 

For more information, visit www.lufthansa.com.

Oman Air Unveils First Class Product On A330-300s

Muscat-based Oman Air has unveiled its new First Class product to be fitted onboard its new 3-class Airbus A330-300 aircraft. The announcement follows the debut of the airline’s new Business Class and Economy Class seats with the delivery of its first A330-200.

 

Referred to as a “mini-suite”, the new seat measures 82 inches in length, with a seat pitch of 85.5 inches and a width of 25.5 inches. The backrest, legrest, seat depth, as well as an 8-point massage system, are electronically controlled, with the seat converting into an full-flat bed. The cabin is configured with 6 mini-suites, ensuring passengers enjoy high levels of comfort, space and privacy.

 

Content from the inflight entertainment system is delivered through a 23-inch personal monitor and wireless handset, with a power outlet and 2 USB ports for passengers that prefer to use their own electronic devices during the flight. The system is also built with provisions to accomodate full wi-fi and mobile communications connectivity upgrades.

 

The new A330-300 aircraft also features Oman Air’s Business and Economy Class products announced earlier. The airline will introduce 3-class service to a range of routes across Asia and Europe, including its flagship Muscat-London (Heathrow) service.

 

For more information, visit www.omanair.aero.

New Southeast Asian Route Updates From KLM, Silkair

Beginning in December 2009, KLM and Silkair will add new flights to Bali and Penang respectively. The new services mark KLM’s return to the Indonesian resort island, while Silkair takes over the morning flight from sister carrier Singapore Airlines.

 

3 Times Weekly Amsterdam-Singapore-Bali Flights From KLM

Following a 12-year absence, KLM resumes services to Bali in Indonesia from 6 December 2009. KLM will operate a 2-class Boeing 777-300ER aircraft configured with 35 seats in World Business Class and 390 seats in Economy Class on the route.

 

Flight KL 835 departs from Amsterdam at 2100 hrs on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays, arriving in Singapore at 1620 hrs the next day before taking off at 1730 hrs for a 2010 hrs landing at Ngurah Rai International Airport. The return flight, KL 836, departs Bali at 2130 hrs on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, landing in Changi International Airport at 0005 hrs the next morning before continuing back to Amsterdam at 0120 hrs where it arrives at 0800 hrs.

 

The tropical destination is popular amongst Dutch and European holidaymakers. With the new flights, KLM will operate 10 flights each week between the Netherlands and Indonesia, where it also flies to the capital Jakarta via Kuala Lumpur.

 

For more information, visit www.klm.com.

 

Silkair To Fly Triple-Daily On Singapore-Penang Route

Singapore-based regional carrier Silkair will increase flights on the Singapore-Penang route from 1 December 2009 when it takes over the daily morning service from affiliate Singapore Airlines. Rich in culture, history and heritage, Penang is one of Malaysia’s top tourist destinations with its charming colonial buildings and famous food such as the Penang laksa and char kway teow.

 

Flight MI 352 will depart Changi International Airport Terminal 2 at 0850 hrs, arriving in Penang International Airport at 0930 hrs. The aircraft returns as flight MI 351 at 1025 hrs, landing back in Singapore at 1150 hrs.

 

Passengers who have made bookings to travel between Singapore and Penang on Singapore Airlines will be re-accomodated on Silkair flights. The airline, which began flying the route in June this year, currently operates an afternoon and evening flight using a 2-class Airbus A320. Silkair also flies to Kota Kinabalu, Kuala Lumpur, Kuching and Langkawi in Malaysia.

 

For more information, visit www.silkair.com.