New Business Lounge For Qantas Passengers In Hong Kong

Australia’s Qantas Airways has opened a new International Business Lounge at Hong Kong International Airport. The new facility replaces the original lounge opened in 1998 and is the latest in a series of lounge upgrades for the airline, following Sydney, Melbourne, Auckland, Perth, Tokyo (Narita), Los Angeles and Honolulu.

 

To provide greater comfort and personal space for passengers, Qantas has rearranged the seating layout and furnished the lounge with a new furniture range. Plush armchairs, dining chairs and bar stools combining wood, leather and fabrics are paired with chocolate brown carpets, as well as designer elements such as Moooi lighting and an Akira Isogawa rug.

 

The food and beverage offering has been expanded to include a greater selection of hot and cold foods, beverages and snacks, while 11 bathroom and shower suites with Molten Brown bath amenities let passengers relax and freshen up before their flight. Complimentary internet access, power and data ports, as well as 14 individual workstations equipped with PCs support the needs of business travellers who need to catch up with work.

 

The Qantas International Business Lounge is open to all Business Class, Chairman’s Lounge, Platinum and Gold Frequent Flyers, Qantas Club members and eligible passengers travelling on Oneworld marketed or operated flights. Qantas is also upgrading and expanding its First Lounge in Hong Kong, due to reopen in early December 2009.

 

From Hong Kong, Qantas operates flights to Brisbane, London (Heathrow), Melbourne, Perth and Sydney.  For more information, visit www.qantas.com.au.

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.

Singapore Airlines Inaugurates A380 Flights To Melbourne

Singapore Airlines has launched a daily A380 flight to Melbourne. The inaugural flight, SQ 227, departed from Changi International Airport Terminal 3 at 2101 hrs yesterday and arrived in Tullamarine International Airport at 0543 hrs this morning.

 

Melbourne is the second Australian destination and sixth city in the Singapore Airlines network to receive A380 service, after Hong Kong, London, Paris, Sydney and Tokyo. The airline currently operates 21 weekly flights between Singapore and Melbourne, using Boeing 777 aircraft.

 

Flight SQ 227 departs Singapore at 2100 hrs daily, arriving in Melbourne at 0610 hrs the next morning. The return flight, SQ 228, takes off from Tullamarine International Airport at 1550 hrs for a 2140 hrs landing back at Changi International Airport.

 

Singapore Airlines currently has 10 A380s in its fleet, with a further 9 aircraft on order. The airline is the second operator of the aircraft type in Melbourne, following Australian carrier Qantas, which flies the double-deck aircraft from Melbourne to Los Angeles.

 

For more information, visit www.singaporeair.com.

Air Mauritius Returns To Sydney In 2010

Air Mauritius has announced it will resume flights from July 2010 to the Australian city of Sydney. The resumption of the once-a-week service, an extension of its Mauritius-Melbourne route, increases the airline’s Australian operations to 3 cities.

 

Mauritius-Melbourne-Sydney 

Beginning 5 July 2010, Flight MK 942 will depart Mauritius at 1945 hrs every Monday and arrives in Melbourne the next morning at 1140 hrs, before continuing to Sydney at 1255 hrs, where it lands at Kingsford Smith International Airport at 1420 hrs. The return flight, MK 943, takes off from Sydney at 0715 hrs on Wednesday mornings and lands in Melbourne at 0845 hrs. The aircraft continues on from Melbourne at 0955 hrs to Mauritius, arriving at 1525 hrs.

 

Mauritius-Perth

From 3 July 2010, Air Mauritius’ flight MK 940 will depart Mauritius on Saturdays at 2245 hrs, arriving in Perth at 0935 hrs the next morning. The return flight, MK 941, takes off from Perth at 0130 hrs on Monday mornings to arrive back in Mauritius at 0540 hrs.

 

Flights will be operated using Air Mauritius’ Airbus A340-300 aircraft and offer passengers connections in Mauritius to the airline’s other destinations in Europe, Kenya, Madagascar, Reunion Island, Rodrigues Island and South Africa. Port Louis-based Air Mauritius is the national airline of Mauritius and currently flies to 25 destinations around the world.

 

For more information, visit www.airmauritius.com.

A380 To Debut Over Antarctica On New Year’s Eve

Australia’s Qantas Airways will operate a special A380 charter sightseeing flight over Antarctica on New Year’s Eve. The unique service marks the first commercial flight over the southern polar region by the double-deck aircraft.

 

Organized by Melbourne-based Antarctica Sightseeing Flights, the aircraft will take off from Sydney and fly via Melbourne to Antarctica. Passengers will reach the continent at midnight and be the first in the world to view the sun rise on New Year’s Day in 2010. While the aircraft will not land in Antarctica, it will fly a figure-of-8 routing that will take passengers over the polar icecap, the South Magnetic Pole, the french scientific base at Dumont d’Urville, rugged coastal cliffs, massive glaciers and the Trans-Antarctic Range before returning to Australia.

 

Onboard the flight, passengers will be accompanied by a panel of experts, including accredited Antarctic scientists, glaciologists, explorers, adventurers and mountaineers, who will share their personal experiences. A camera in the flight deck will provide a pilot’s eye view of the terrain and videos about Antarctic life and history will be screened over the inflight entertainment system. There will also be a live jazz band to help usher in 2010 with a party onboard the aircraft. 2 full international meals, as well as snacks and drinks will be available to passengers during the flight, which is estimated to take approximately 11.5 hours, including up to 4 hours above the continent.

 

Being the only aircraft flying over Antarctica on New Year’s Eve, the A380 will be able to select from 19 flight routes depending on the weather conditions and pilots will be able to request a change of course to maximize viewing opportunities. The aircraft will be permitted to descend to a minimum altitude of 3,077 meters above sea level or 615 meters above the highest terrain under strictly controlled conditions, affording passengers the best possible views of the landscape.

 

Together with Qantas, Antarctica Sightseeing Flights have operated 85 flights over the continent and taken more than 30,000 people to experience Antarctica since 1994. 2 other Antarctic flights are planned for the southern summer, with a second A380 service from Sydney on 24 January 2010 and a Boeing 747-400 flight from Melbourne on Valentine’s Day. All flights will be operated by senior Qantas pilots, with the captain-in-command required to have previously operated Antarctic sightseeing flights.

 

For more information, visit www.antarcticaflights.com.au.

Qantas Adds Fourth A380 To Fleet

Australia’s Qantas Airways has increased the size of its Airbus A380 fleet, taking delivery of a fourth aircraft today. The aircraft, registered VH-OQD and named Fergus McMaster in honour of one of the airline’s founders and first Chairman, landed in Sydney after a delivery flight from Toulouse.

 

With the addition of the jet, Qantas passengers can look forward to further expansions to the airline’s A380 flying schedule. Beginning 7 September 2009, Qantas will operate the double-decker jet 5 times a week on its popular Sydney-Singapore-London route and 4 times a week on its Sydney-Los Angeles services.

 

Sydney – Singapore – London

Flight QF 031 will now operate with the A380 on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, departing Sydney at 1625 hrs and landing in Singapore at 2230 hrs, before taking off again at 2359 hrs for a 0640 hrs arrival the next morning. The return flight, QF 032, departs London at 1215 hrs and arrives in Singapore at 0810 hrs the next morning. The flight then continues to Sydney at 0940 hrs where it lands at Kingsford Smith International Airport at 1905 hrs.

 

Sydney – Los Angeles

Flight QF 011 departs Sydney at 1015 hrs every Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, arriving in Los Angeles International Airport at 0945 hrs. The return flight, QF 012, takes off from Los Angeles at 2230 hrs, arriving back in Sydney at 0615 hrs the next morning.

 

The Qantas A380 is configured with 450 seats in a 4-class layout (First, Business, Premium Economy and Economy). 2 more aircraft are scheduled to join Qantas’ fleet by the end of the year, after which Qantas will operate the Kangaroo Route daily with the A380 and increase Melbourne-Los Angeles flights to 3 times a week.

 

For more information, visit www.qantas.com.

V Australia Launches New Routes From Brisbane, Melbourne

V Australia has announced the next phase of its expansion with the unveiling of new routes to Phuket and Johannesburg, as well as services to and from Melbourne. Beginning in November 2009, the airline will introduce 4 new flights from Brisbane and Melbourne.

 

Brisbane – Phuket

Beginning 22 November 2009, V Australia will fly twice weekly on Fridays and Sundays from Brisbane to Phuket. Flight VA 023 will depart Australia at 0945 hrs and arrive in Thailand at 1540 hrs. The return flight, VA 024, takes off from Phuket at 1815 hrs in the evening every Thursday and Sunday, landing back in Brisbane at 0540 hrs the next morning.

 

Melbourne – Phuket

From 3 December 2009, the airline will also launch flights to Phuket from Melbourne, flying once a week on Thursdays. Flight VA 019 departs Melbourne at 1200 hrs and arrives in Phuket at 1640 hrs in the afternoon. The return flight, VA 020, takes off at 1925 hrs on Fridays for a 0800 hrs arrival back in Australia the next day.

 

Melbourne – Los Angeles

V Australia will also connect Los Angeles direct with a third port in Australia, with twice-weekly Melbourne flights commencing on 1 December 2009. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, flight VA 011 departs Melbourne at 1055 hrs, arriving in Los Angeles International Airport at 0625 hrs. The return flight, VA 012, takes off at 2230 hrs and arrives back in Melbourne Tullamarine International Airport at 0915 hrs 2 days later.

 

Melbourne – Johannesburg

The airline will also launch flights to Johannesburg in South Africa, a 15-hour long route, from 13 March 2010 in time for the FIFA World Cup tournament. Flight VA 015 will operate on Tuesdays and Saturdays, taking off at 1100 hrs and arriving in OR Tambo International Airport at 1715 hrs. The return flight, VA 016, departs Johannesburg at 1925 hrs and lands back in Melbourne at 1800 hrs the next day.

 

All flights will be flown using V Australia’s Boeing 777-300ER aircraft configured with 33 full-flat beds in Business Class, 40 seats in Premium Economy and 288 seats in Economy Class.

 

For more information, visit www.vaustralia.com.au.

Middle Eastern Carriers Unveil New Routes, Schedules

Middle Eastern carriers Etihad Airways, Gulf Air and Qatar Airways have announced new routes and flight timings for their upcoming destinations, continuing a trend of expansion amidst the worldwide slowdown in air travel.

 

Etihad To Begin Abu Dhabi – Hyderabad

The national carrier of the UAE, Etihad Airways, has announced it will launch flights from its Abu Dhabi base to the Indian city of Hyderabad beginning November 2009. Initially, the airline will operate a 4 times weekly service, before increasing frequency to daily flights in 2010.

 

Flight EY 274 departs Abu Dhabi International Airport at 2200 hrs, arriving in Hyderabad at 0300 hrs the next day. On the return leg, flight EY 275 takes off from Hyderabad International Airport at 0415 hrs and lands back in Abu Dhabi at 0700 hrs.

 

Hyderabad is Etihad’s seventh destination in India, where it operates 38 flights per week from Abu Dhabi to Chennai, Mumbai, New Delhi, Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Kozhikode. The airline will operate a 2-class Airbus A320 aircraft configured with 20 Pearl Business and 120 Coral Economy Class seats on the route.

 

For more information, visit www.etihadairways.com.

 

Gulf Air To Link Bahrain With 3 Iraqi Cities

Bahrain’s Gulf Air will begin flights to 3 destinations within Iraq, beginning with a 5 times weekly Bahrain-Baghdad service on 1 September 2009. The airline will also begin flying to Najaf and Erbil later that month.

 

Flight GF 201 will depart Bahrain at 0945 hrs every Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, arriving in Baghdad at 1130 hrs. The return flight, GF 200, takes off from Baghdad at 1245 hrs for a 1425 hrs arrival back in Bahrain. All flights will also be operated with Gulf Air’s 2-class Airbus A320 aircraft configured with 136 seats.

 

Flight schedules for the Bahrain-Najaf and Bahrain-Erbil flights will be announced at a later date. The airline first began flying to Iraq in 1976, serving the capital city Baghdad.

 

For more information, visit www.gulfair.com.

 

Qatar Airways Releases Timetable For Melbourne Route

Doha-based Qatar Airways has revealed the flight schedule for its upcoming Doha-Melbourne flights. Beginning on 6 December 2009, the airline will fly 3 times weekly between both cities using a 2-class Boeing 777-200LR with 42 Business and 217 Economy Class seats. 

 

Flight QR 030 will depart Doha at 0045 hrs on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, arriving into Melbourne at 2225 hrs. The return flight, QR 031, takes off from Melbourne Tullamarine International Airport at 2355 hrs and lands in Doha International Airport at 0625 hrs the next morning. From 1 January 2010, Qatar Airways will upgraded the flight to daily service.

 

Melbourne will be Qatar Airways’ first destination in Australia, with flights to Sydney to follow. The flight timings allow for convenient connections to and from Europe at Qatar Airways’ Doha hub, as well as the airline’s flights within its regional Middle East network.

 

For more information, visit www.qatarairways.com.

Frequency Increases From AirAsia X, Tiger Airways

Asian low cost carriers AirAsia X and Tiger Airways have announced flight frequency increases on the Kuala Lumpur-Melbourne and Singapore-Bangalore routes respectively. Responding to growing demand on the routes, AirAsia X will fly between the Malaysian capital and Melbourne 11 times a week from 1 December 2009, while Tiger Airways will operate 5 times weekly services between Singapore and Bangalore from late October 2009.

 

AirAsia X To Add 4 Weekly Flights To Melbourne

Malaysia’s AirAsia X, the long-haul affiliate of low cost carrier AirAsia, will increase the number of flights it flies every week between its Kuala Lumpur hub and the Australian city of Melbourne. The airline will add an additional 4 weekly flights on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays.

 

Flight D7 2722 will become a daily service, with an additional departure on Sundays from Kuala Lumpur at 1320 hrs, arriving in Melbourne at 0010 hrs the next day. The red-eye flight D7 2724 will operate on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays in addition to the existing Sunday service, taking off from Kuala Lumpur at 2140 hrs and landing in Melbourne at 0830 hrs the next morning.

 

On the return leg, flight D7 2723 becomes a daily service departing Melbourne Tullamarine International Airport at 0125 hrs, arriving back in Kuala Lumpur International Airport’s Low Cost Carrier Terminal at 0635 hrs in the morning. Flight D7 2725, the daytime service, will now operate on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, taking off from Melbourne at 1005 hrs and landing in Kuala Lumpur at 1515 hrs.

 

The new schedule will take effect from 1 December 2009 and will be operated with AirAsia X’s Airbus A330-300 jets.

 

For more information, visit www.airasia.com.

 

Tiger Airways To Introduce Saturday Service On Singapore – Bangalore Route

Beginning 25 October 2009, Singapore-based Tiger Airways will add an additional Saturday service to the Indian city of Bangalore. The frequency increase marks a 25% rise in the airline’s capacity on the route, which it has flown since June 2008. 

 

Flight TR 652 departs Singapore at 2115 hrs on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, arriving in Bangalore at 2300 hrs. The return flight, TR 653, takes off at 2350 hrs and lands back in Singapore at 0630 hrs the next day.

 

With the new flight, Tiger Airways’ travellers can now travel between both cities 5 times a week. All flights will be operated by Tiger Airways’ Airbus A320 aircraft configured with 180 seats.

 

For more information, visit www.tigerairways.com.

South African Developments For UAE Carriers

The major carriers of the UAE, Etihad Airways and Emirates, have announced developments for their operations in South Africa. Abu Dhabi-based Etihad will be launching daily flights to Cape Town in September 2009, while Dubai’s Emirates has opened its latest international lounge in Johannesburg.

 

Etihad Airways To Fly Abu Dhabi – Johannesburg – Cape Town

From 30 September 2009, Etihad Airways will commence daily flights to Cape Town, its second South African destination. The service will operate via Etihad’s existing Abu Dhabi-Johannesburg route with an Airbus A330-200.

 

Flight EY 602 will depart Abu Dhabi at 2220 hrs, arriving in Johannesburg at 0455 hrs the next morning, before continuing to Cape Town at 0625 hrs for a 0825 hrs arrival. The return flight, EY 601, departs Cape Town at 1050 hrs, arriving in Johannesburg at 1250 hrs and taking off again at 1355 hrs back to Abu Dhabi, where it lands at 0010 hrs the next morning.

 

Etihad began flying to Johannesburg in December 2005 and the service has proven popular with travellers. The new flights to Cape Town will offer further travel choices to and from South Africa in time for the 2010 World Cup tournament.

 

For more information, visit www.etihadairways.com.

 

Africa Gets Its First Emirates Lounge

Emirates has opened its first airport lounge in Africa. The new facility at Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International Airport is the Dubai-based airline’s fourth new lounge to be opened this year, following similar facilities in Dusseldorf, Mumbai and Beijing.

 

The lounge features furnishings and services catering to passengers’ leisure and business requirements. As with other Emirates Lounges around the world, there are plush couches and comfortable seating areas, designer showers, full bar service and a selection of hot and cold food available. The fully-equipped business center with individual workstations and complimentary wireless high speed internet access allow business travellers to keep up to date with work before their flight.

 

Emirates is one of a few international airlines to invest in its own lounge facilities outside of its base at Dubai International Airport, with 23 lounges across its global network. Emirates Lounges are located in Auckland, Bangkok, Beijing, Brisbane, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, Johannesburg, Kuala Lumpur, London (Gatwick and Heathrow), Melbourne, Mumbai, Munich, New York (JFK), Paris (Charles de Gaulle), Perth, Singapore, Sydney and Zurich.

 

For more information, visit www.emirates.com.