Tag Archives: long haul

Vietjet, Airbus sing deal for 20 A330neo aircraft

Vietjet and Airbus officially signed a contract for the purchase of 20 new-generation wide-body A330neo (A330-900) aircraft, totalling USD7.4 billion based on the manufacturer’s list price, at the Farnborough International Airshow 2024. This represents one of the largest deals at this year’s Airshow.

The newly-ordered aircraft will be deployed for Vietjet’s growing long-haul services as well as on high-demand routes in the region. They are slated to replace Vietjet’s current fleet of A330-300s and support the airline’s strategic plan to expand its intercontinental flight network.

Dr. Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao, Chairwoman, Vietjet, said, “The new A330neo aircraft strategically enhance Vietjet’s fleet development, boosting the airline’s operational capacity to support its global expansion. The introduction of advanced, fuel-efficient A330neo aircraft into Vietjet’s fleet is part of our sustainable development strategy and ESG goals, aiming for Net-Zero emissions by 2050. Passengers will soon enjoy safer, more comfortable, and modern long-haul flights. Airbus planes have enabled Vietjet to bring cost-effective flying opportunities to over 200 million passengers, including many first-time flyers, connecting peoples, nations, and continents, and promoting economic development and cultural exchange.”

“We are pleased to finalise this milestone order with one of Asia’s fastest-growing carriers,” said Benoît de Saint-Exupéry, Executive Vice President Sales, Airbus Commercial Aircraft. “This is another vote of confidence in the latest generation of Airbus widebody product lines. It demonstrates the tremendous versatility of the A330neo for all types of business models and networks, from domestic and regional to long-haul routes. The award-winning Airspace cabin also enables airlines to provide the best flight experience for passengers, fully adaptable to each business model. This will be the perfect platform for Vietjet Air to fly more people, farther, and at lower costs while also reducing fuel consumption and carbon emissions.”

With a fleet of over 105 aircraft and a constantly growing passenger volume, Vietjet is actively expanding its intercontinental flight network, developing new and modern fleets in collaboration with global strategic partners such as Airbus.

Additionally, in India, the airline has established several strategic expansions, operating a total of 29 weekly round-trip flights and creating direct connections between Vietnam and four key Indian cities – New Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, and Kochi. VietJet’s footprint and connectivity between Vietnam and India are well established, expanding through modern fleets, dedicated crews, and attractive promotions specific to Indian customers.

 

Vistara Clinches Coveted ‘Ch-Aviation World’s 4th Youngest Aircraft Fleet Award 2024’

Also receives ‘ch-aviation Asia’s 2nd Youngest Aircraft Fleet Award 2024’

Vistara, the full-service carrier in India and a collaborative venture between the Tata Group and Singapore Airlines, has achieved two prestigious awards at the ‘ch-aviation Youngest Aircraft Fleet Awards 2024.’ These awards include the “ch-aviation World’s 4th Youngest Aircraft Fleet Award 2024” and the “ch-aviation Asia’s 2nd Youngest Aircraft Fleet Award 2024.”

It is noteworthy that Vistara has consistently earned recognition for possessing the third youngest aircraft fleet in Asia over the past two years. The awards are determined by ch-aviation, a Switzerland-based airline intelligence provider and research company, renowned for maintaining extensive databases of aircraft, their operators, and owners globally.

Vinod Kannan, Chief Executive Officer, Vistara, said, “We are delighted to receive these accolades at the ch-aviation Youngest Aircraft Fleet Awards 2024 – securing a position in the World’s Top Five for the first time and advancing to the second position in Asia. They are an acknowledgement of our continued investment in maintaining a young and modern fleet with the objective of keeping our CO2 emissions at their lowest. We thank ch-aviation for recognizing our efforts.

Thomas Jaeger, CEO, ch-aviation, said “ch-aviation established the Youngest Aircraft Fleet Award to revere airlines worldwide who understand the value and necessity of investing in their fleets, introducing new-generation aircraft that considerably reduce CO2 emissions in the aviation industry and improve fuel economy. Sustainability represents a significant challenge and will continue to require giant leaps forward for the aviation industry. Hence, ch-aviation has decided to honour them with this award that celebrates their effort. It is essential to say that this Award is entirely based on non-manipulable fleet data. There is no jury or any other subjective parameter involved.”

Vistara’s current fleet, with an average age of 2.94 years, consists of A320NEO, A321NEO, and B787-9 Dreamliner aircraft, all powered by cutting-edge technologies and advanced systems that result in reduction in engine noise as well as nitrogen oxide and carbon dioxide emissions.

In March 2023, Vistara achieved an important milestone of operating a wide-body aircraft for a long-haul international flight using a 30% SAF blend, reducing 150,000 pounds of CO2 emissions. Extending this success, Vistara also operated a commercial domestic flight on a wide-body aircraft using SAF, another industry-first initiative. This flight, utilizing a blend of 17% SAF and 83% conventional jet fuel, resulted in a reduction of approximately 10,000 pounds of CO₂ emissions. Vistara also became the first airline in India to implement Aerowash, an automated aircraft exterior washing and cleaning solution. Furthermore, Vistara deployed SITA eWAS and SITA OptiClimb® solutions for optimising flight planning and operations, aiming for a yearly reduction of 15,000 tons of carbon emissions.

Travel remains top priority for 2024 with 39% projected increase in spend: Skyscanner Report

Travel marketplace Skyscanner published a new report exploring the latest trends in global travel. Titled Skyscanner Horizons: 2023/4 destination and booking insights, the report unpacks and explores a combination of consumer survey and proprietary search and booking data to provide a unique view of how travellers are thinking about their plans for the next 12 months.

Survey data from 18,000 consumers in 15 markets reveals insights about key indicators such as travel propensity, spend, trip type, mobile device actions and the trip planning process, including the top sources of destination inspiration. Skyscanner search and booking data is overlayed to provide additional information about booking windows by haul type, trending destinations as well as snapshots of three important travel markets – India, Saudi Arabia and the USA.

Key Report Findings 
Travel planning
Positive outlook for 2024 in terms of travel demand, with 42% of travellers planning to travel more and 39% planning to spend more.
Globally, the expected number of trips is set to increase to 2.7 from 2.3.
Insurance, seat selection, food, baggage, and lounge are the top flight ancillary requests. 20% of travellers surveyed also indicated a willingness to upgrade to business or first class.
Airfares (30%) and hotel (21%) costs are the biggest decision-making factors in travel planning.
Travellers surveyed highly engaged on mobile devices in the travel planning and booking process, researching destinations (48%), comparing flight and hotel options (47%), booking (40%), with a fifth (22%) having used an AI chatbot.

Destination Planning

Cultural experiences top the 2024 agenda, with destination choice influenced not by just the weather (60%), food (58%) and culture (54%), but the overall ‘vibe’ (41%).
In-destination activities also play a role, in particular local cuisine (46%), sightseeing (42%) and beach (40%).
Globally, YouTube is the top source of travel inspiration, followed by word-of-mouth recommendations (35%) and Instagram (33%), however there are big variations by market. Guidebooks (27%) and TikTok (21%) also feature.
Skyscanner has identified seven travel vibes and trip types that travellers are seeking in 2024: gig tripping, main character energy, budget bougie foodie, destination zzz, analogue adventurers, celebration vacationers and lux-for-less seekers.

Booking windows
EMEA travellers are booking flights further in advance, with most booking over 90 days ahead for both short-haul and long-haul trips.
AMER travellers are booking further ahead for long-haul, with 90+ day booking windows exceeding 2022 levels.
APAC travellers show greater volatility in short-haul booking windows compared to other regions. For long-haul flights, there’s been a surge in last-minute bookings.

Trending destinations

EMEA travellers are seeking out smaller hidden gems away from larger cities. Top destinations include Rayong (Thailand), Ouarzazate (Morocco), Pristina (Kosovo), and Klagenfurt (Austria).

AMER travellers are looking towards Asia and island getaways. Top destinations include the Cayman Islands, French Polynesia, Osaka (Japan), and Tokyo (Japan).

Japanese destinations dominate the top 10 list for APAC travellers with six cities featuring. This is evident of Japan’s recent bounce back after lifting its Covid restrictions.

Mike Ferguson, Director of Destination Marketing, Skyscanner, said, “2023 has been a seminal year in travel. In all regions we see that travellers are highly engaged in the booking and planning process, searching for destination inspiration from a variety of sources and planning long-haul trips further in advance. Destination choice is increasingly influenced by not only cultural factors but also the particular ‘vibe’ that aligns with individual preferences and motivations.”

Hugh Aitken, VP of Strategic Relations and Development, Skyscanner, added, “Airlines continue to restore and re-orientate their global networks to meet traveller demand. Countries such as India and Turkey have outlined ambitious plans and will be important drivers of both domestic and international air connectivity in 2024 and beyond. At the same time, travellers in many markets are signalling a willingness to upgrade their fares and build customised itineraries that provide them with the best value.”

Nick Hall, CEO of Digital Tourism Think Tank, stated, “High travel propensity means destinations must focus on values and experiences. This report is a clear demonstration that travel is well and truly back, with propensity remaining high now and into the future, even amongst a climate of global economic uncertainty. With travel spend a key priority for consumers globally, destinations, along with their industry partners, must focus on value proposition more than ever. Honing in on what sits at the very core of the destination’s brand values is key to winning travellers’ hearts. Yet, driving demand, with timely product proposition, is key to shaping decisions.”

Marco Navarria, Global Content and Marketing Director at CAPA, said, “As highlighted in the 2023/24 Skyscanner Horizons report, travellers are increasingly opting for connections to smaller niche markets over the major tourist destinations of years gone by. Recovery from the pandemic has allowed airlines to rebuild and expand their networks to explore new and different locations. This willingness to venture into new routes and build new markets supported the rebuild of global capacity to pre-pandemic levels in 2023. There are increased expectations that airlines will go beyond this in 2024, connecting the globe better than ever before.”

 

Air India to get 20 new long-haul jets by March

According to the airline’s MD & CEO Campbell Wilson, Air India will get 20 modern wide bodies — six new Airbus A350s and 14 Boeing 777s — by March 2024. And then, the airline will begin the complete overhaul of the old wide body fleet of Boeing 777s and 787s under a $400 million project.

Also, AI is collaborating with Apple and Stanford University to see how it can improve its financial performance and reduce its carbon footprint. Every Friday, Wilson gives an update to employees regarding revival of AI, which seen as most challenging task in airline history. “One key step on the transformation journey is our new fleet. So I am delighted to share that DGCA this week issued the ‘letter of type acceptance’ for our RollsRoyce-powered A350s. This paves the way for us to initiate various activities related to the induction of this aircraft, the first of which is now only a few months away,” Wilson said in his July 21 message. (Source TOI)

Australia & Worldwide Travel appoints Global Destinations as Sales and Marketing Representative in India

Australia and Worldwide Travel, an inbound tour operator and DMC in Australia, with an intent to set foot and leverage growth potential in India, has assigned Global Destinations the mandate to build sales and develop brand awareness in-market.

The Australia and Worldwide Travel management team have years of experience and knowledge in inbound tourism. The company specialises in Australia & the South Pacific regions and was formed in April 2022 under the experienced Managing Partners, Leon Ellas and Ian D’Nazareth.

Leon Ellas brings with him over 40 years of travel experience, extensive product and sales knowledge in the Inbound travel market and has worked with Qantas Holidays, Australia heading up their inbound division, and Qantas Holidays UK.

Ian D’Nazareth endorses over 25 years of international travel experience with reputed travel agents and airlines, one of them being Emirates Airlines, Dubai. With excellent working relationships with travel agents locally and overseas, he has developed an extensive network of agents.

Sumaira Kabir, Country Manager India, based in Mumbai, heads up the operational team. She has an in-depth knowledge of Australia, having worked with Tourism Australia, India office.

Australia and Worldwide Travel specialise in tailormade FIT itineraries, leisure groups, large groups series, incentive travel and have a dedicated team in Sydney.

Talking about the Indian market, Leon Ellas, Managing Partner Australia and Worldwide Travel, said, “India is a very important market for us. Australia has witnessed a strong growth of Indian arrivals in the last few years. To leverage this growth, we needed to have a strong representation in India. We felt that Global Destinations is the ideal partner to have in India because of their highly professional team, excellent track record and their undisputed knowledge of travel trade in India. We are delighted to appoint Global Destinations as our representation company.”

Pranav Kapadia, Founder & Director, Global Destinations, shared, “Being a leading holiday destination that attracts more than a million guests annually, Australia is undeniably one of the top long-haul outbound destinations from India. Under this alliance we aim to build a strong brand recognition for Australia and Worldwide Travel in India, along with implementing a robust sales strategy and optimising their full potential from the India market.”

 

Air India to introduce premium economy class in certain long haul flights next month, says CEO and MD Campbell Wilson

Air India will be introducing premium economy class in some of its long haul international flights next month, its chief Campbell Wilson said as the Tata group-owned airline works on ways to expand its market share as well as the global network.

Addressing an event organised by JRD Tata Memorial Trust in Mumbai, Wilson also said opportunities are there for India and Air India to become major players in world aviation within the next decade.

Wilson, who is the managing director and chief executive officer of Air India, said the airline will increase its market share to at least 30 per cent in domestic and international routes.

Air India is implementing a long-term revival plan and over the next five years, it aims to grow its wide-body and narrow-body fleet as well as expand the global network, he added.

“The short-term actions have been to replace carpets, curtains, seat cushions and covers. To fix defective seats and inflight entertainment systems as fast as supply chains will allow. And where parts are no longer available in the market, to work with the likes of Tata Technologies to design and manufacture parts ourselves.

“We’ve recently completely revamped the domestic inflight menu, and will be doing likewise, as well as launching premium economy on certain long haul international flights next month,” he said.

According to Wilson, the airline has restored nearly 20 aircraft that had been grounded for years due to lack of parts and money. Leaving aside cabin interiors, this has required procuring over 30,000 parts that had been cannibalised over the years to keep other aircraft flying, he added.

In addition to restoring long-grounded aircraft, he said the airline has finalised leases for 30 additional aircraft being delivered over the next 12 months, starting next week, with more in the final stages of negotiation.

“Beyond these short-term additions, we are in deep discussion with Boeing, Airbus and engine manufacturers for a historic order of the latest-generation aircraft that will power Air India’s medium and long-term growth. At the risk of gross understatement, the investment will be substantial,” he said.

Noting that Air India’s transformation journey will be in phases, Wilson said over the next six months it will be taxiing, fixing the basics and readying itself for growth. (Source HT)