Troubled carrier Japan Airlines (JAL) will discontinue a total of 16 routes starting next month as part of its own efforts to reduce operating costs and cut losses. The airline said it will cut eight international passenger routes, mainly to destinations in Asia along with a further eight domestic passenger routes, including short-haul flights like Tokyo to Kobe, as well as one cargo route. JAL also said it will downsize the aircraft used ona further five routes. Flight frequency on five … [Read more...] about JAPAN: JAL cuts 16 routes, reduces capacity on others

Nippon Cargo Airlines is the latest carrier to turn to the pharmaceutical and perishables sector to help ride out the volatile air cargo market. The Japanese all-cargo carrier has introduced a temperature-controlled service that targets primarily the health care and pharmaceutical industries utilising containers provided by Envirotainer. The containers employ active dry ice-cooling technology and active electrical heating and compressor cooling technology to allow finer temperature … [Read more...] about JAPAN: Nippon Cargo Airlines latest to join pharma trend

Indochina Airlines will expand its aircraft fleet and add more flights when it resume service in mid-December, the airline chairman said, denying closure rumours, according to a Thanh Nien Daily report. “We will come back with at least two planes and more routes. At the same time, the airline will be restructured with the assistance of consultant firms VinaSecurities, Malaysian banking group CIMB and US … [Read more...] about VIETNAM: Indochina Air will survive and expand: Chairman

Vietnam Airlines plans to launch a Hanoi-Osaka Kansai code-share service in January to fill the void left by Japan Airlines, which is withdrawing from the route. The service will be operated at least three-times weekly and JAL will place its code on the service as part of an agreement between the carriers to codeshare on flights on the Vietnam- Japan sector. … [Read more...] about VIETNAM: Vietnam Airlines plans Japan service

Vietnamese Minister of Transport Ho Nghia Dung called on ASEAN transport ministers to push for early implementation of transport agreements among their respective countries and to co-operate with their partners to implement effective infrastructure development. Speaking at the 28th ASEAN Senior Transport Officials Meeting (STOM) held in Ha Noi, Dung discussed the implementation of the ASEAN connection initiative which would benefit the community in 2015. Dung highlighted the importance of … [Read more...] about VIETNAM: Vietnam pushes ASEAN transport links

Jetstar Pacific, the Vietnamese arm of Australia’s budget airline brand, has lost its chief executive as a result of what Australia’s Herald Sun newspaper described as “ideological differences”. Qantas holds 27 per cent of the Vietnamese brand. The move is a major setback for the Australian carrier, which is under orders from the Vietnamese Transport Ministry to strip the Jetstar name and distinctive orange branding off the six-jet fleet by October because … [Read more...] about VIETNAM: Ideology grounds Jetstar Pacific chief