Direct air routes connecting India, HCM City launched

India’s Jet Airways officially inaugurated direct air routes between the country’s cities of New Delhi and Mumbai and Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City on November 5.

The move is part of a cooperation agreement signed on October 28 between Jet Airways and Vietnam Airlines during Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung’s visit to India.

Vietnamese Ambassador to India Ton Sinh Thanh and Jet Airways executives cut the ribbon to officially launch the routes. He also attended a prayer ceremony for the flights’ safe and effective operation.

After the launch, Jet Airways Chief Commercial Officer Raj Sivakumar told reporters that the opening of direct routes to HCM City aims to expand the company’s operations in Southeast Asia, adding that the Vietnamese southern city is its 22 nd international destination.

The firm plans to introduce more routes between India and ASEAN countries, including Vietnam’s capital, Hanoi.

Sivakumar said direct air routes would help foster the Vietnam-India partnership in various spheres, particularly tourism, noting that the countries held a large potential for aviation cooperation since a number of Indian travel agencies were offering tours to Vietnam.

Source: VNA
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Flights To India To Be Increased By Etihad Airways

Etihad Airways is to greatly increase options for travel to and from India, introducing more flights and wide-body jets by the end of this year, with further increases and new routes next year, subject to regulatory approval.

From 1 November this year, Etihad Airways plans to more than triple the number of seats it now offers on the prime Abu Dhabi – Mumbai and Abu Dhabi – New Delhi routes, reflecting the growing importance of the Indian market, and delivering significant economic benefits to the economies of India and Abu Dhabi.

James Hogan, President and Chief Executive Officer of Etihad Airways, said: “India is one of the world’s fastest-growing destinations, and a key market in the growth strategy of Etihad Airways ... Following the recent signing of a new air services agreement between India and the UAE, we now have the opportunity to add significant capacity between the two countries, not only meeting existing demand for trade and tourist travel but also ensuring that we can meet the continued strong growth which is expected between our two countries. The big winners will be our passengers and freight customers and the economies of India and Abu Dhabi.”

By 31 December, 2013, Etihad Airways plans to:

- Increase from daily to double-daily its Abu Dhabi-Mumbai and Abu Dhabi-New Delhi flights;

- Use wide-bodied Airbus A340-600 aircraft on one of the daily Abu Dhabi – Mumbai flights, offering First, Business and Economy Classes;

- Use wide-bodied Airbus A330-200 aircraft on one of the daily Abu Dhabi - New Delhi flights, offering Business and Economy Class; and

- Upgrade daily Abu Dhabi – Chennai flights from 136-seat Airbus A320s to new Airbus A321s, seating 174 passengers.

Subject to regulatory approval, Etihad also intends to codeshare on a wide range of flights operated within India by Jet Airways.

Specific details of new routes between Abu Dhabi and India and codeshare services with Jet Airways are expected to be unveiled progressively, as approvals are received and operational details are finalized.

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New India - Singapore Route from Jet Airways

Jet Airways, India’s premier international airline, announces the enhancement of a second daily frequency from India to Singapore with the introduction of a second daily Boeing 737 flight from Chennai.

This new service effective August 1st, 2013 will complement the night flight currently in operation, on the high demand Chennai-Singapore route.

This second service at noon offers guests a convenient flight out of Chennai providing seamless connections at Singapore to Australia, New Zealand and to Pacific destinations beyond, through Jet Airways code share and interline partners, and vice versa. The new Jet Airways service, flight 9W 14 will depart Chennai daily at 1215 hrs and arrive Singapore at 1905 hrs (Local Time). On the return, flight 9W 13 will depart Singapore at 2020 hrs (LT) and arrive in Chennai at 2205 hrs (LT). The additional flight will complement   the daily flight being operated between the two destinations by Jet Airways.

Jet Airways presently operates two flights out of Delhi and one flight each from Mumbai and Chennai.

The airline will deploy a state-of-the-art Boeing 737-800 Next Generation (NG) aircraft on this route, offering Premiere and Economy guests Jet Airways' famed in-flight service, its award-winning In-flight Entertainment (IFE) programme, all this, along with  the airline's hallmark concept of hospitality.

Sudheer Raghavan, Chief Commercial Officer, Jet Airways said “Jet Airways is happy to introduce a second service on the high density Chennai-Singapore route following an increased demand due to tourist and business traffic. With the introduction of this additional service, we aim to popularize this amongst guests wanting seamless connectivity to Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Vietnam via Singapore, with our code share partners. The new flight would also help in connecting our guests flying into Chennai from the south and other neighboring cities.”

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AirAsia To Grow India Joint Venture

Asia’s largest budget carrier AirAsia outlined plans to grow its Indian joint venture, including by adding 10 planes a year and focusing on flying new routes.

AirAsia chief executive Tony Fernandes said more than 50 staffs; including pilots and engineers have been recruited for the new no-frills airline, which plans to start operations in India later this year.

Fernandes said the new airline plans to add 10 Airbus A320s a year to its fleet, which will focus on routes in southern India, rather than Mumbai and New Delhi, before expanding elsewhere in the country.

“India’s aviation has not grown. There are lots of routes which have not been done and lots of airports are under used,” Fernandes told reporters in Mumbai. “We will give the lowest possible fares,” he added.

Malaysia-based AirAsia won approval from India’s foreign investment panel in March to set up the airline in a joint venture with the giant Tata group and entrepreneur Arun Bhatia’s Telstra Tradeplace.

The new venture will be the first by a foreign airline since India relaxed foreign investment rules in September allowing overseas carriers to take up to a 49% stake in domestic firms.

AirAsia will own 49%, Tata group 30% and Telstra 21%.

Fernandes said making the new airline a success would be “challenging” but he was determined to persevere.

Low-cost carriers already dominate Indian skies with a near 65% market share.

India’s aviation sector, once vaunted as a symbol of the nation’s economic vibrancy, has seen its fortunes fade in the face of multiple problems including aggressive fare rivalry, a slowing economy, rundown infrastructure and high airport charges.

Last week, AirAsia terminated its joint venture with Japan’s All Nippon Airways as business slumped amid management clashes.

Fernandes on Monday called it a “bad partnership” but said he was open to looking for a new alliance.

Fernandes, a former record industry executive, took over insolvent AirAsia in 2001 and turned it into one of the aviation sector’s biggest success stories.

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Vietnam - Laos exhibition highlights mutual relationship

Laos- Vietnam

From Threeland Travel's Blog - August 2012

Traditional friendship, fighting solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Laos are reflected through 300 photos, documents and artefacts on display at an exhibition opened in Hanoi on August 15.

The exhibition is one of activities marking the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties, 35 years of the signing of the Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation between the two countries and the Vietnam-Laos Friendship and Solidarity Year 2012.

The exhibits depict important events in the Vietnam-Laos relationship over half a century such as President Ho Chi Minh’s meetings with President Suphanouvong in Viet Bac in 1948 and President Kaysone Phomvihane in 1966 and a discussion between President Ho Chi Minh and Prince Suphanouvong on Vietnam-Laos coordination in resistance war in Hanoi in 1945.

They also reflect Lao people’s close attachment and assistance for Vietnamese volunteer soldiers.

The exhibition, which will last until September 15, also introduces a collection of the Lao State’s orders and medals presented to Vietnamese military units and individuals.

(Indochina Travel News)

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