Asia and Oceania route updates – January 2024

We are coming to the end of the January report, and we bring one of the last markets, with the Asia and Oceania update. You can read the previous reports for the United States and Canada, Latin America and Europe by clicking on the links below:

United States and Canada – January 2024.
Latin America – January 2024.
Europe – January 2024.

 

In this edition of Asia and Oceania post we will focus, in particular, on routes. The following are some of the highlights:  

Air India’s first scheduled Airbus A350 flight.

 

Cathay confirms its return to Barcelona, Spain.

 

Fiji Airways wants to resume operations to Tuvalu.

 

Hainan inaugurated a new route to Ho Chi Minh City.

 

Qantas will launch its second international connection from Darwin.

 

Turkish will start flying to Oceania.

 

Apart from the routes, there is also a special mention for Air Japan, the new low cost company owned by ANA, which took delivery of its first Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner. The airline will start flights on February 9th.

Aero K

The carrier will begin services between Cheongju and Manila from February 28th. In line with its website, Aero K plans three weekly flights with 186-seat Airbus A320-200 aircraft.

Monday, Wednesday and Friday

RF 551  Cheongju CJJ 22:15 · 01:05+1 MNL Manila

 

Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday

RF 552  Manila MNL 02:00 · 06:35 CJJ Cheongju

 

Manila will be the company’s second destination in the Philippines after Clark, where it operates with the following schedule:

Daily

RF 521  Cheongju CJJ 13:00 · 15:50 CRK Angeles City Clark
RF 522  Angeles City Clark CRK 16:50 · 21:30 CJJ Cheongju

 

Air India

On January 22nd, the airline began scheduled services with its Airbus A350-900. As announced on our networks, the A350, registered as VT-JRA, had arrived in India last December.

At the moment, Air India will operate domestic flights to/from New Delhi, with the first international flights to be planned soon.

These were its first routes:

Map by gcmap.com

AI 589  Bengaluru BLR · BOM Mumbai

 

AI 589  Mumbai BOM · MAA Chennai
AI 589  Chennai MAA · BLR Bengaluru

 

AI 587  Bengaluru BLR · MAA Chennai
587  Chennai MAA · HYD Hyderabad
AI 587  Hyderabad HYD · BLR Bengaluru

 

AI 868  Bengaluru BLR · DEL New Delhi
AI 869  New Delhi DEL · BLR Bengaluru

 

Air India fleet

Airbus A319-100: 17
Airbus A320-200: 9
Airbus A320neo: 36
Airbus A321-200: 13
Airbus A321neo: 4
Airbus A350-900: 1
Boeing 777-200: 8
Boeing 777-300(ER): 15
Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner: 27

 

Air India Express

Following with Air India, but focusing on its express subsidiary, the company confirmed some new routes that will have with its Boeing 737 MAX 8. Operations will commence between March 31st and April 5th.

Map by gcmap.com

Lucknow (LKO) – Dubai (DXB): March 31st
Mumbai (BOM) – Dammam (DMM): March 31st
Goa Dabolim (GOI) – Dubai (DXB): April 1st
Hyderabad (HYD) – Dammam (DMM): April 1st
Trivandrum (TRV) – Dubai (DXB): April 2nd
Cochin (COK) – Dubai (DXB): April 3rd
Indore (IDR) – Dubai (DXB): April 5th

 

Air Japan

The Japanese low-cost carrier, owned by All Nippon Airways, took delivery of its first Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, which has the registration JA803A. The aircraft is 11 years old and is ex-ANA.

According to its website, the Boeing 787 has 334 seats configured in economy class. Air Japan will begin service from February 9th with the Tokyo – Bangkok route, and on February 22nd, operations to Seoul from the Japanese capital will be launched.

Air Premia

In accordance with its website, as of August 31st, the South Korean company will increase its flights between Seoul and Los Angeles. Air Premia, which operates with Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft, currently offers six services per week.

Increases to daily

YP 101  Seoul ICN 13:30 · 07:20 LAX Los Angeles
YP 102  Los Angeles LAX 09:50 · 16:10+1 ICN Seoul

 

With respect to other U.S. destinations, the airline has four weekly flights between Seoul and New York JFK.

Azimuth

The Russian carrier started a new route from Ufa effective January 26th. Flights will be operated with Sukhoi Superjet 100s.

Friday

A4 4065  Ufa UFA 06:50 · 08:50 TBS Tbilisi
A4 4066  Tbilisi TBS 09:50 · 13:40 UFA Ufa

 

Azimuth offers 14 weekly to the capital of Georgia to/from Moscow VKO.

Cathay Pacific

The company will resume scheduled operations between Hong Kong and Barcelona from June 17th. According with its booking site, Cathay will offer three services per week using Airbus A350-900 aircraft.

Monday, Thursday and Saturday

CX 321  Hong Kong HKG 0025 · 08:30 BCN Barcelona
CX 318  Barcelona BCN 13:00 · 07:05+1 HKG Hong Kong

 

Cathay’s current destinations in Europe:

Map by gcmap.com

Amsterdam (AMS): 7 weekly · Airbus A350
Frankfurt (FRA): 5 weekly · Airbus A350
London (LHR): 24 weekly · A351/77W
Madrid (MAD): 3 weekly · Airbus A350
Manchester (MAN): 4 weekly · Airbus A350
Milan (MXP): 3 weekly · Boeing 777-300(ER)
Paris (CDG): 6 weekly · Boeing 777-300(ER)

 

Fiji Airways

As of March 18th, Fiji Airways intends to resume regular flights to Tuvalu. The carrier plans to operate a weekly frequency between Nadi and Funafuti with ATR 72 turboprop planes.

Following its website, this will be the timetable:

Monday

FJ 289  Nadi NAN 07:45 · 10:20 FUN Funafuti
FJ 288  Funafuti FUN 11:05 · 13:35 NAN Nadi

 

FlyArystan

The airline, which originally scheduled to start services between Almaty and Mumbai in November, inaugurated operations on this route last January 4th. FlyArystan will perform two flights a week with 180-seat Airbus A320 aircraft.

Thursday and Saturday

KC 7857  Almaty ALA 09:15 · 13:35 BOM Mumbai
KC 7858  Mumbai BOM 14:50 · 19:50 ALA Almaty

 

Greater Bay Airlines

On January 24th, Greater Bay Airlines increased its operations between Hong Kong and Ho Chi Minh City. The Hong Kong carrier will serve four weekly on 189-seat Boeing 737-800s.

Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday

HB 261  Hong Kong HKG 00:40 · 02:25 SGN Ho Chi Minh City
HB 262  Ho Chi Minh City SGN 03:25 · 07:10 HKG Hong Kong

 

Previously, it offered two per week.

Flights of other airlines between these two cities:

Cathay Pacific

Daily

CX 767  Hong Kong HKG 08:25 · 10:35 SGN Ho Chi Minh City
CX 766  Ho Chi Minh City SGN 11:35 · 15:20 HKG Hong Kong

  Daily

CX 799  Hong Kong HKG 16:45 · 18:35 SGN Ho Chi Minh City
CX 764  Ho Chi Minh City SGN 19:35 · 23:15 HKG Hong Kong

 

VietJet Air

It currently has four per week, but will go to daily on February 1st.

VJ 876  Ho Chi Minh City SGN 15:10 · 18:50 HKG Hong Kong
VJ 877  Hong Kong HKG 19:50 · 21:30 SGN Ho Chi Minh City

 

Vietnam Airlines

Monday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday

VN 594  Ho Chi Minh City SGN 10:15 · 14:15 HKG Hong Kong
VN 595  Hong Kong HKG 15:20 · 17:05 SGN Ho Chi Minh City

 

Hainan Airlines

The airline launched regular services between Haikou and Ho Chi Minh City last January 15th. Hainan will offer twice-weekly flights with 164-seat Boeing 737-800 aircraft in two classes.

Monday and Thursday

HU 767  Haikou HAK 00:35 · 01:40 SGN Ho Chi Minh City
HU 768  Ho Chi Minh City SGN 02:45 · 05:55 HAK Haikou

 

Haikou is Hainan Airlines’ only destination in the Vietnamese city.

Jetstar

The company announced it will increase its flights on three routes between Australia and Asia starting next June. Singapore and Thailand will be the markets with developments:

Map by gcmap.com

Melbourne (MEL) – Bangkok (BKK): from 3 to 5 weekly · June 21st
Melbourne (MEL) – Phuket (HKT): from 3 to 5 weekly · June 22nd
Melbourne (MEL) – Singapore (SIN): from 6 to 7 weekly · June 25th

 

Juneyao

From February 2nd, Juneyao Airlines plans to commence operations between Shanghai and Vladivostok, Russia. In accordance to its website, the Chinese carrier will fly twice a week with Airbus A320-200s.

Tuesday and Friday

HO 1349  Shanghai PVG 22:20 · 03:25+1 VVO Vladivostok

 

Wednesday and Saturday

HO 1350  Vladivostok VVO 04:25 · 06:05 PVG Shanghai

 

Qantas

The company announced that it will add a second international destination from/to Darwin as of December 9th.

Qantas will have five weekly services to Singapore with Embraer 190 aircraft.

Daily except Tuesday and Thursday

QF 353  Darwin DRW 18:05 · 21:25 SIN Singapore
QF 354  Singapore SIN 22:25 · 04:45+1 DRW Darwin

 

At present, Dili in Timor Leste is Qantas’ only international destination from Darwin, where it operates one service per day.

Royal Brunei

Beginning March 31st, the carrier will expand its flights to Malaysia from Bandar Seri Begawan, the country’s capital. The schedule will be as follows:

Map by gcmap.com

Kota Kinabalu (BKI): from 7 to 8 weekly · Airbus A320neo
Kuala Lumpur (KUL): from 9 to 10 weekly · Airbus A320neo

 

The airline also operates in Malaysia to Kuching, four times a week with the same airplanes.

Sichuan Airlines

Sichuan, which operated three flights a week between Chongqing and Phuket, increased its frequency on January 18th. The company will have a daily service on this route with Airbus A320 aircraft.

Daily

3U 3705  Chongqing CKG 15:25 · 18:35 HKT Phuket
3U 3706  Phuket HKT 19:35 · 00:15+1 CKG Chongqing

 

Thai AirAsia

Starting February 2nd, the airline will inaugurate operations between Bangkok Don Mueang and Shanghai Pu Dong airports. Thai AirAsia will perform five weekly on Airbus A320-200s with 186 single-class seats.

Daily except Tuesday and Thursday

FD 470  Bangkok DMK 21:25 · 02:45+1 PVG Shanghai

 

Daily except Wednesday and Friday

FD 471  Shanghai PVG 03:45 · 07:20 DMK Bangkok

 

Turkish Airlines

The company announced the inauguration of flights to Melbourne effective March 15th. Turkish will operate services to/from Istanbul with a stopover in Singapore using the 300-seat Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft.

Melbourne will be the 346th destination in the Turkish Airlines network, and Australia will become the 130th country with operations, reaching six continents with its services.

Monday, Wednesday and Friday

TK 168  Istanbul IST 17:30 · 08:50+1 SIN Singapore

 

Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday

TK 168  Singapore SIN 10:20 · 20:40 MEL Melbourne
TK 169  Melbourne MEL 22:30 · 03:00+1 SIN Singapore

 

Wednesday, Friday and Sunday

TK 169  Singapore SIN 04:30 · 11:15 IST Istanbul

 

VietJet

The Vietnamese ultra low cost carrier will boost flight frequency between Da Nang and Hong Kong on February 3rd. VietJet currently offers four operations a week with the 222-seat Airbus A321 jets.

According to its site, the company will increase to seven weekly.

Daily

VJ 966  Da Nang DAD 17:30 · 20:15 HKG Hong Kong
VJ 967  Hong Kong HKG 21:15 · 22:05 DAD Da Nang

 

VietJet destinations to/from Da Nang

Map by gcmap.com

Hong Kong

Hong Kong (HKG): 4 to 7 · Airbus A321

 

Singapore

Singapore Changi (SIN): 7 weekly · Airbus A321

 

South Korea

Busan (PUS): 7 weekly · Airbus A321
Daegu (TAE): 7 weekly · Airbus A321
Seoul (ICN): 21 weekly · Airbus A321

 

Vietnam

Can Tho (VCA): 4 weekly · Airbus A320
Haiphong (HPH): 4 weekly · Airbus A321
Hanoi (HAN): 35 weekly · A320/A321
Ho Chi Minh City (SGN): 48 weekly · A320/A321

 

Xiamen Airlines

The airline plans to duplicate its flights between Xiamen and Singapore as of February 1st. Xiamen, that currently has two daily operations on this route, increased to three a day on January 27th and will reach 4 in February.

Daily

MF 851  Xiamen XMN 09:25 · 14:05 SIN Singapore
MF 852  Singapore SIN 15:45 · 20:10 XMN Xiamen

 

Daily

MF 885  Xiamen XMN 17:30 · 22:15 SIN Singapore
MF 886  Singapore SIN 08:55 · 14:05 XMN Xiamen

 

Eff Jan 27th · Daily

MF 859  Xiamen XMN 22:00 · 02:25+1 SIN Singapore
MF 860  Singapore SIN 03:25 · 07:35 XMN Xiamen

 

Eff Feb 1st · Daily

MF 873  Xiamen XMN 23:10 · 03:45+1 SIN Singapore
MF 874  Singapore SIN 04:45 · 08:50 XMN Xiamen

 

Aircraft used

MF 851/852: Boeing 787 Dreamliner
MF 885/886, 859/860, 873/874: Boeing 737-800

   

 

Cover photo: MelbourneYang – JetPhotos (Melbourne).

The post Asia and Oceania route updates – January 2024 appeared first on Flightradar24 Blog.

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