Short Takes
June 3rd 2016
AIRLINES: Air China has temporarily shelved plans for a thrice-weekly Shanghai-San Jose A330-200 flight. The first A330-200 for Tibet Airlines – China’s first 242-tons MTOW variant – has performed its first flight. Read More » Garuda Indonesia has trialled Soekarno Hatta’s new third terminal. Cathay Pacific Airways hopes to replace the A340-300 with the A350-900 on the daily Auckland service beginning October 30. China Airlines’ first A350-900 has left the paint shop, and is expected to arrive in Taipei in mid-July. Indonesian Sriwijaya Air has started a Kuala Namu-Guangzhou service, its first to China. Beijing Capital Airlines plans to grow its fleet to 150 aircraft by 2020, and it plans to acquire used A340-500/600s for new direct services to Mexico City and Havana. Xiamen Airlines has taken delivery of its 154th aircraft, another B737-800. Qingdao Airlines is now offering a premium economy cabin.
ROUTES: China Southern Airlines will increase frequency on the Guangzhou-Kota Kinabalu A320 route from thrice-weekly to daily from July 1, and it has temporarily shelved plans for a Guangzhou-Toronto B777-300ER nonstop service. EVA Air will increase frequency on the Taipei-Brisbane A330-200 route from twice- to five-weekly starting October 6. IndiGo Airlines has launched a daily Kolkata-Lucknow A320 service, and it will add a daily Hyderabad-Coimbatore and a daily Hyderabad-Nagpur A320 service from June 22, respectively. Malindo Air will start a daily Kuala Lumpur-Miri B737-800 flight commencing July 1. THAI will convert its daily Bangkok-Penang B777-200ER service to a Thai Smile A320 route starting July 15. Tigerair Taiwan will add a five-weekly Taipei-Hakodate A320 route from August 12.
