Saturday, April 19 2025 | ASIA TODAY INTERNATIONAL - Reporting the Business that Matters in Asia
~~AIR CHINA is offering special fares from AUD350 return (plus airport taxes/fuel surcharge) from Melbourne or Sydney to a range of destinations in China – Shanghai, Guangzhou, Zhengzhou, Changchun, Chongqing, Chengdu, Dalian, Fuzhou, Harbin, Shenyang, Qingdao, Jinan, Wuhan or Xian.
GUANGZHOU - China Southern Airlines has signed off on a commercial agreement with Qantas covering codeshare flights in both Australia and China – the two airlines are also assessing other areas of potential co-operation, including pilot training assistance from Qantas and cargo opportunities.
SYDNEY - Virgin Atlantic is offering Upper Class return fares from Sydney to Hong Kong from AUD3,188 inclusive of taxes and surcharges until December 5. Special Upper Class fares are also available for departures from Adelaide, Brisbane, Ballina, Coffs Harbour, Canberra, Hobart, Launceston, Maroochydore, Melbourne, Coolangatta and Port Macquarie. Call Virgin Atlantic Sales support on (61 2) 9004- 5535 or visit www.virginatlantic.com (ATI).
TOKYO - Japan Airlines (JAL) and Qatar Airways (QR), both members of the oneworld alliance, have entered an agreement to begin codeshare flights from December 3 on QR-operated flights between Tokyo (Narita) and Doha as well as between Osaka (Kansai) and Doha. Meanwhile, QR will place its flight indicator on JL-operated flights between Tokyo (Narita) and Sapporo (New Chitose), Fukuoka, and the flights from Tokyo (Haneda), Sapporo (New Chitose) to Osaka (Kansai), from Osaka (Itami) to Tokyo (Narita), from Nagoya (Chubu) to Tokyo (Narita) and from Tokyo (Narita) to Okinawa (Naha).
TOKYO - Japan Airlines (JAL) has signed its first purchase agreement with Airbus - for 31 A350 XWBs (18 A350-900s and 13 A350-1000s), plus options for a further 25 aircraft. JAL and Airbus aim for entry into service from 2019, with the airline's A350 XWBs replacing its ageing fleet over a six-year period.
BALI - A report by the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) and the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) shows that visa facilitation could create up to 2.6 million new jobs, and an additional US$8 billion in international tourism receipts generated by 57 million more tourists in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) economies by 2016.