Asia News Desk

Tiger and Jetstar start price war

Prahok — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 23:12:01 +0000

AFP reports that Jetstar Asia and Tiger Airways will start operating flights between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur from 1 February. And the price war has begun to promote this new route. To kick off the new flights to KL, both Jetstar and Tiger have come up with various promotions. Tiger is giving away 15,000 seats free when passengers book online from Monday, 7 January. Jetstar is offering seats from 88 Singapore cents since its promotion started on 5 January.

Lion Air buy 22 more 737s

Prahok — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 02:59:36 +0000

AFP reports that Boeing has won an order from Lion Air for 22 single-aisle 737s, in a deal valued at more than US$1.7b at list prices. Boeing said it was confirming a previously unidentified Lion Air order for 22 Next-Generation 737-900ER (Extended Range) airplanes that had been placed during 2007 Q2. The order brings Lion Air’s combined orders for the 737-900ER to 122, Beoing said.

Pacific Airlines offers super-cheap flights

Prahok — Tue, 25 Dec 2007 10:47:58 +0000

VietNamNet Bridge reports that Pacific Airlines is offering 100,000 one-way tickets at discount rates for domestic flights between Ho Chi Minh City and Hai Phong to promote its new route. Prices start at just VND15,000 (not including fees, taxes etc) one-way. Under the latest promotional campaign, tickets must be booked via the Pacific Airlines website and paid for with credit cards before May 31, 2008.

Adam Air to expand fleet to 50-60 jets in next five years

Prahok — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 03:14:07 +0000

Antara reports that Adam Air is embarking on a fleet expansion plan that could see it flying 50 to 60 jets within five years. “We plan to add more planes to our fleet, around four or five additional aircraft each year. So in five years we will have about 50 to 60 aircraft. Right now we have 23,” spokesman Danke Dradjat said. He said that it was undecided yet whether Adam Air would continue to fly only Boeing 737 series jets or switch to Airbus, but it would depend on “terms and conditions” offered by the two manufacturers.

Vietnam Airlines to buy 30 Airbus

Prahok — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 22:54:07 +0000

Reuters reports that Vietnam Airlines on Thursday said it would sign a contract to buy 10 Airbus A350-900XWB passenger jets and 20 single-aisle A321 jets on Friday. “This is part of the agreement reached earlier,” an official of Vietnam Airlines said. In early October, the airline signed a draft agreement to buy the 30 Airbus aircraft during a visit to Paris by Vietnamese PM Nguyen Tan Dung. The Airbus deals are worth US$3.8b at list prices, including $2.4b for the crucial A350 order where the competition between Boeing and Airbus is at its fiercest.

Orient Thai plans US$2.5b Boeing order

Prahok — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 06:36:58 +0000

Reuters reports that Orient Thai Airlines plans to order 20 new aircraft, eight Boeing 787-9s and 12 Boeing 737-900s, at a cost of US$2.5b in April 2008, chairman Udom Tantiprasongchai said Wednesday. Delivery of the first plane was expected in 2011 and the new aircraft would replace ageing ones and expand its fleet to 30-35 from 18 now, Udom said. “The new aircraft will help expand our fleet and replace existing ones. We have 18 planes and some of them are due to be decommissioned,” he said.

Tiger Airways to exercise option to buy 20 A320s

Prahok — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 06:35:12 +0000

Ap reports that Tiger Airways will exercise an option to buy 20 more A320s to expand its Asia-Pacific network, the airline’s CE said Tuesday. “We are placing another firm major order for 20 Airbus planes. The group will have 70 Airbus planes by 2016,” Tiger Airways CE Tony Davis said at a briefing on the airline’s outlook.

Pacific Airlines begins Ho Chi Minh City to Hai Phong

Prahok — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 06:31:21 +0000

Thanh Nien Daily reports that Pacific Airlines will launch the Ho Chi Minh City-Hai Phong flight route this week. The inaugural flight will take off on Friday at 12:15 p.m. from Saigon and at 4:45 p.m. from Hai Phong. The flights will run daily.

Tiger considers Darwin to Clark

Prahok — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 02:47:02 +0000

Northern Territory News reports that Tiger may start a new route between Darwin and the Philippines. Tourism Minister Kon Vatskalis met Tiger CE Tony Davies in Singapore on Sunday evening. They discussed expanding services out of Darwin. “He didn’t make any promises,” Vatskalis said, “But we did talk about a possible Philippines service.”

Jetstar’s Christmas treats

Prahok — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 02:27:18 +0000

Jetstar has just announced their Xmas “specials”, including:

Phuket from $15
Bangkok from $25
Phnom Penh from $39
Siem Reap from $39
Ho Chi Minh City from $45
Jakarta from $48
Surabaya from $48
Macau from $48
Manila from $75
Denpasar from $88
Hong Kong from $109
Taipei from $109
Rangoon from $109

To take advantage of these deals, you need to book by 16 December and travel between 07 January and 31 May 2008. Fares quoted above are for one-way travel and exclude a raft of extra charges including airport taxes, admin fees, insurance surcharge, fuel surcharge and facilitation fee — they’re also not valid for peak periods and public holidays.