In a statement here Wednesday, AirAsia said the promotion will be available exclusively online via its website during the promotion period for a travel period from March 23-31 this year.

The discounts for its domestic and international destinations will be available for AirAsia’s nine regional hubs namely Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu, Penang, Bangkok, Phuket, Jakarta, Bali, Surabaya and Bandung stretching across 20 countries to over 130 routes.

The promotion excludes domestic destinations within Thailand and the new routes to India (Banglore, Hyderabad, Mumbai, New Delhi and Chennai from Kuala Lumpur and to Chennai from Penang) for which sales were opened recently, where promotional fares are still available online until February 21.

Its regional head of commercial, Kathleen Tan said guests will be able to book flights to favourite destinations such as London, Australia, China as well as regional favourites like Siem Reap, Bali, Phuket, Bangkok, Jakarta, Singapore and Ho Chi Minh City during the four-day promotion.

Those planning on domestic travel in Malaysia will also benefit from the promotion as domestic destinations are included, she said.

Source: Bernama

“The extra flights during Chinese New Year cover the Singapore-Ipoh route on Feb 9, 11, 12, 13, 16, 17 and 21 and the Subang-Alor Setar route on Feb 13,” its marketing and communications head Angelina Fernandez said in a statement Monday.

Details can be obtained from the website or at all Firefly airport and city ticketing offices and Malaysia Airlines ticketing offices.

Source: Bernama

The service is available at the Low Cost carrier Terminal (LCCT)-Kuala Lumpur, Johor Bahru, Kota Kinabalu, Kuching, Jakarta, Bali, Bangkok, Phuket, Chiang Mai and Hat Yai.

For added comfort and convenience, customers can also utilise its web-based check-in service, the carrier said in a statement here today.

AirAsia said the initiative was part of its on-going mission of using the information, communication and technology (ICT) forefront to exploit technology and practice cost efficiency.

By adopting a cost effective service and liberating the traveling experience for customers, the innovative service will also avoid airport congestion, long queues and reduce waiting time at no extra cost, it said.

According to AirAsia, customers can still opt to check-in the conventional way, at its airport counters.

“We have invested quite a significant amount to develop our ICT facilities in order to keep-up with global standards.

“Now, we have equipped ourselves to fully exploit the benefits of it and achieve a competitive excellence in the market,”

AirAsia Bhd’s group chief executive officer, Datuk Seri Tony Fernandes said.

Source: Bernama

Air Asia, which services the most extensive route network in South East Asia with over 70 destinations, said it was the only airline from Kuala Lumpur to start direct daily flights to Kochi.

Kochi is one of the airline’s latest Indian destinations which opened for sale recently, alongside Kolkata and Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum).

Since opening of these routes less than two months ago, the airline experienced an overwhelming response with nearly 100,000 seats being sold on the sector, it added.

The flight was welcomed by Consul General of Malaysia for Southern India based in Chennai, Anuar Kasman, Noor Arif Mohd. Noor, director of Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board in Chennai, Manoharan, director of Tourism Malaysia – Southern Asia accompanied by AirAsia regional head of Commercial, Kathleen Tan.

“With Kochi now added to our extensive network, AirAsia is unlocking the potential of international air travel from Kuala Lumpur to Southern India and its surrounding areas,” said Tan.

“We are thrilled to be serving Kochi direct, a huge market that no other airline is serving directly. With the commencement of this direct service to Kuala Lumpur, the people of Kerala and India can now use Kochi as a gateway to our extensive route network to Asean and beyond,”

she added.

Source: TradeArabia News Service

He said about 120 Korean tourists are expected to be on board for six hour and 20 minutes on the B737-700 aircraft scheduled to land at the Kuching International Airport here on Christmas eve.

“Sarawak is desirous of collaborating with Eastar Jet in developing tourism opportunities in the state,”

he told reporters here Thursday.

“We are hopeful to tap into the Korean market and attract more tourists to the state with the signing of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the chartered direct flights Seoul-Kuching-Seoul,”

he said.

Earlier, Manyin on behalf of the Sarawak state government and Eastar Jet’s chairman Lee Sang-Jik signed the MoU at the minister’s office here Thursday.

Eastar Jet, solely owned by KIC Group, made its maiden flight from Gimpo International Airport to Jeju International Airport on Jan 7 this year, and recorded the highest load factor from January to June this year in the domestic flights.

Manyin said the state would promote its golf courses here to attract golfers from South Korea to Sarawak.

“Golfing is an expensive sports in Korea. The cost of golfing for one month in Korea is equivalent to one year in Sarawak. We are targeting the eight million golfers in South Korea to play cheap golf in Kuching,”

he said.

Lee said Eastar Jet was planning to fly to the resort city of Miri in Sarawak.

“We are still in talks with the Sarawak state government,” he said.

On the chartered direct flight Seoul-Kuching-Seoul, Lee said more than 1,300 Korean tourists have been booked in the 11 flights, scheduled between Dec 24 and January next year.

The flight frequency is one in three days.

Eastar Jet currently has a fleet of five B737s and will acquire an additional five by next year.

Source: Bernama

The airline is offering from as low as RM129 all-in fares one way for the booking period from Oct 15 to 20, 2009.

This is for the travel period from Nov 12, 2009, to July 31, 2010, for Kochi, from Nov 16, 2009, to July 31, 2010, for Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum) and from Nov 19, 2009, to July 31, 2010, for Kolkata.

“While most airlines are cutting back during these tough economic times, AirAsia is aggressively expanding its India route network as we believe there is robust demand in low fare travel,”

said its regional head of commercial, Kathleen Tan, in a statement on Thursday.

“We believe our low fares and outstanding innovative services, will definitely open up new markets, stimulate new travel demand and enable more people to fly with us, thus promoting tourism which is beneficial for the economies of both countries,” she said.

Promotional seats are limited and available on first-come, first-served basis and made available online via the website and mobile.airasia.com.

Kolkata is located in the east Indian state of West Bengal while Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram are both located in the south Indian state of Kerala.

AirAsia launched its first route to Trichy, India, which is situated in the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu on December 1, 2008.

The launch of the first frequency to the city recorded an average load factor of 85 per cent, it said.

To date, AirAsia has carried over 100,000 passengers to and from Trichy.

Source: Bernama

AirAsia will be the first airline to fly direct from Kuala Lumpur to Chengdu, the capital city of Sichuan province in southwestern China, with four weekly flights from October 20, it said in a statement.

The carrier said the new route would be operated by its long-haul affiliate AirAsia X.

AirAsia already flies to Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Guilin and Haikou in the southern region, Hangzhou in the east and Tianjin in the north. It also has flights to Hong Kong and Macao.

With China a key trading partner for Souteast Asia, the new route will also boost trade and tourism, AirAsia said.

AirAsia X, which began long-haul operations in November 2007, currently flies from Kuala Lumpur to London, Australia, Taiwan and China. Last week, it announced it would launch flights to Abu Dhabi in November, marking the group’s first foray into the Middle East.

Source: Forbes

Ipoh

Another new low cost carrier, Silverfly Sdn Bhd with the cooperation of Riau Airlines is expected to make its maiden flight serving the Ipoh-Medan-Ipoh route beginning this September 9.

Datuk Bandar of Ipoh, Datuk Roshidi Hashim in announcing this, said that the air service was a proactive move taken by the state government to bring about benefits and facilities to the people in the state.

“The Silverfly air services will certainly bring a lot of benefits for the people as it involves three flights weekly, namely Monday, Friday and Sunday,” he told reporters after officiating the MATTA Perak Travel Fair 2009 here Friday.

He earlier witnessed the signing of a joint flight service agreement between Silverfly and Riau Airlines.

Roshidi said the the flights will also activate the Sultan Azlan Shah Airport here and promote tourism activities between the two countries.

Meanwhile the Regional Manager of Silverfly Sdn Bhd, Eddy Azuan Sidik, said that the flights will cost RM369 for a two-way trip and RM259 for one way travel.

The airline will be using the Fokker-50 which has a 48-passenger capacity, while the flight from Ipoh to Medan has been scheduled at 12.30 pm.

Source: Bernama

Firefly Airlines

Currently operating four times weekly, the move will increase the flight frequency between the two cities to seven flights weekly.

“We are confident that these new flights will serve to stimulate more travel and growth prospects between Ipoh and Singapore,” Angelina Fernandez, head of marketing and communications for Firefly, said in a statement on Friday.

Firefly is offering an all inclusive one-way ticket for RM88 for the route and the travelling time is about one hour and 20 minutes.

Source: Bernama

The new Kuala Lumpur-Abu Dhabi route, operated by the carrier’s long-haul affiliate AirAsia X, will begin Nov. 23 with five weekly flights in time for the peak travel season for Muslims, it said in a statement.

AirAsia X Chief Executive Azran Osman-Rani said it indicated the group’s expansion plans were on track despite the global economic slump.

Abu Dhabi

The airline sees a potentially lucrative market in Abu Dhabi, the largest city in the United Arab Emirates with a population of 2 million — of which more than 80 percent are frequent traveling expatriates, he said.

“We believe our low fares will help to stimulate and trigger new travel demand, and will help to boost tourism potential on both ends,” he said.

The carrier is offering a promotional fare of 99 ringgit (8) for a one-way ticket, which is exclusively available online Aug. 20-26 for travel between Nov. 23 and July 31, 2010.

AirAsia X, which began long-haul operations in November 2007, currently flies from Kuala Lumpur to London, Australia, Taiwan and China.

Airlines worldwide are suffering as the economic slump cuts demand for air travel.

Source: BusinessWeek