Budget Airline Guide

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Singapore Budget Terminal to close for renovations

By Budget Airline News

The budget terminal at Singapore’s Changi Airport will soon be shutting down for renovations. The 5 budget airlines currently operating from the budget terminal – Berjaya Air, Firefly, SEair, Cebu Pacific and Tiger Airways – will begin to move to Terminal 2 as early as April 2012.

The construction of the new Budget Terminal is expected to take about 2 years. The current Budget Terminal can handle only 7 million passengers per year, and renovations are necessary to accommodate the growing number of budget airlines operating out of Singapore. Currently, about 28% of all flights from Changi Airport are with budget airlines.

Philippine AirAsia will launch in March 2012

By Budget Airline News

Philippine AirAsia, the new budget airline, will launch domestic operations on March 28, 2012. Its first routes will be Manila – Davao and Manila – Kalibo.

The initial schedule will be two flights per day from Clark International Airport to Francisco Bangoy International Airport in Davao and Kalibo International Airport in Kalibo.

“In celebration of our very first promo in the Philippines, there are a total of 20,000 free seats up for grabs,” said AirAsia CEO Marianne Hontiveros. For this promotion, customers only pay 250 Pesos to cover the fuel surcharge and taxes.

Bookings can be be made at www.airasia.com.

Jetstar Pacific now majority-owned by Vietnam Airlines

By Budget Airline News

After months of rumors about ownership restructuring, it has been announced that Vietnam Airlines will become the new majority stake-holder in budget airline Jetstar Pacific. Vietnam Airlines will hold approximately 70% of the shares with Australian Qantas holding the other 30%.

“This partnership brings together the proven low cost model of Jetstar with the unique local knowledge and existing networks of national carrier Vietnam Airlines,” Qantas chief Alan Joyce said in a statement.

Under the new structure, the struggling Jetstar Pacific airline will receive $25 million in funding to upgrade its fleet. The new Jetstar pacific CEO and Chairman are expected to be named in the following weeks.

Mandala Airlines to Re-launch in April 2012

By Budget Airline News

Mandala Airlines has announced plans to re-launch operations in April 2012. The Indonesian budget airline was grounded in 2011 as it was facing bankruptcy.

One factor that has helped the revival of Mandala Airlines is an influx of funds after Tiger Airlines, the Singapore-based budget airline, purchased a 33% stake in the company.

Before it was grounded, Mandala Airlines flew 16 domestic routes in Indonesia routes and four international routes. The routes for the re-launch have not yet been announced.

Tiger Airways to fly Singapore – Kochi

By Budget Airline News

Tiger Airways will operate direct flights between Singapore and Kochi, India, starting on April 27, 2012. There will be four flights per week on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

This will be the budget airline’s fifth destination in India, including Bangalore, Chennai, Thiruvananthapuram, and Tiruchirappalli.. One-way fares start from $110 SGD.

 

Jetstar Japan launching in July 2012

By Budget Airline News

Jetstar Japan, a new budget airline, has announced it will commence domestic flights on July 3, 2012. From its base at Tokyo Narita Airport, the new airline will fly to Osaka, Sapporo, Fukuoka and Okinawa.

This launch date comes ahead of schedule, giving Jetstar Japan an advantage over other up-coming Japanese budget airlines like AirAsia Japan.

Jetstar Japan also announced that “”The launch network of Tokyo (Narita), Osaka, Sapporo, Fukuoka and Okinawa will be serviced by an initial fleet of three new A320 aircraft” and “”Fares and schedules will be announced soon”.

Scoot to start flights to Gold Coast in mid-2012

By Budget Airline News

Scoot, the new low-cost wing of Singapore Airlines, has revealed its second destination: Gold Coast, Australia. The airline will offer 5 direct flights per week from Singapore to the Gold Coast starting in mid 2012. Tickets will go on sale sometime during the first quarter of 2012.

“This has been a fantastic partnership between Scoot, Tourism Queensland and the Gold Coast tourism industry and we can’t wait to welcome our first visitors,” Tourism Queensland CEO Anthony Hayes said. “The Gold Coast has always been famous for fun, so it is the perfect holiday destination for Scoot’s customers.”

“Scoot’s all about offering great value, fun and a unique attitude, “Scootitude”. Where else in Australia offers more value and fun than the Gold Coast? And Singapore, with so many new developments in recent years, has reinvented itself to become one of Asia’s hottest leisure destinations. Scoot’s connecting these two great locations is therefore a perfect fit. Choice. Empowerment. Great value airfares. Direct access to one of the world’s premier air hubs for Queensland and North New South Wales, and to one of the world’s best holiday destinations for Singapore. This should be as exciting for the two locations as it is for us,” said Campbell Wilson, Scoot’s CEO.

AirAsia Japan OK’ed by Japanese government

By Budget Airline News

AirAsia Japan, the up-coming budget airline, has officially received its air transportation business license from the Japanese government. This is a major step in getting AirAsia Japan off the ground, and the airline hopes to launch in summer 2012.

AirAsia Japan plans to offer domestic flights from Tokyo’s Narita Airport to Sapporo, Fukuoka and Okinawa by August 2012. In October, it plans to launch international flights to Seoul-Incheon and Busan, South Korea.

The plans for the new AirAsia Japan, a joint venture between Malaysia’s AirAsia and Japan’s ANA, were announced in 2011. It will be the second low-cost airline to be based in Japan, after Peach Aviation.

Thai Smile announces first route: Bangkok – Macau

By Budget Airline News

Thai Smile Airline, the up-coming budget wing of Thai Airways, has announced its first destination: Macau. Direct flights from Bangkok to Macau will begin on July 1, 2012. The initial schedule will see two flights per day and ticket sales will begin in April.

Thai Smile will take delivery of its first aircraft in June 2012 and will begin operations shortly after. Chokchai Panyayong, the Thai Airways Executive Vice President for Strategy and Business Development, has said that the pilots and crew are ready.

Thai Smile is expected to have a fleet of four aircraft by summer 2012. Planned routes for August 1 launch are Bangkok – Chiang Mai and Chiang Mai – Phuket and international routes from Bangkok to Jakarta, Kolkata and Phnom Penh. By winter 2012 Thai Smile will take over Thai Airway’s flights Surat Thani and to Gaya and Varanasi, India.

Thai Smile to launch on July 1, 2012

By Budget Airline News

Thai Smile, an upcoming budget airline, has announced plans to commence its first flight on July 1, 2012. This new budget airline will be based out of Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport and is wholly owned by Thai Airways.

Destinations have not yet been announced, but Thai Smile is expected to begin as a domestic airline then expand to being a regional carrier. Potential destinations include Kochi, Hyderabad, Luang Prabang, Yangon, Seoul, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Macau, Danang, Phuket, Penang, Kuala Lumpur, and Singapore.

As Thai Smile expands its fleet, it will also expand its destinations. The airline is expected to take delivery of four narrow-body aircrafts this year, the first in June. The airline plans to expand its fleet with six new planes in 2013, eight in 2014, and eleven by 2018.