FedEx Express named Partner of the Year at Changi Airline Awards 2013

SINGAPORE, 7 May 2013 – Changi Airport Group (CAG) honoured its top airline partners this evening at the Changi Airline Awards 2013, where a total of 34 awards were presented to the airline community for contributing to Changi Airport’s development as a vibrant and world-class air hub for the past year. The annual awards event, into its eighth year, was graced by Mr Lui Tuck Yew, Minister for Transport, at the Regent Hotel.

Awards were presented in five categories, namely:

• Top airlines by passenger and cargo carriage;
• Strongest growing carriers for passengers and cargo; and
• Partner of the Year

This year’s Partner of the Year award was presented to FedEx Express, in recognition of its strong partnership with CAG to grow and strengthen Changi Airport’s air hub status, as well as to enhance Changi’s express cargo handling capability and capacity.

In October 2012, FedEx opened its South Pacific Regional Hub at Changi Airport. The 282,700-square feet hub is the first and only express transportation facility in Singapore and the largest FedEx consolidated cargo facility in Asia Pacific that houses air and ground operations, as well as security clearance under one roof. With this new hub, FedEx is able to sort up to 12,000 packages in an hour, increasing throughput by 100%. This, together with other collaborations with CAG — such as the incorporation of Customs clearance within the facility has enabled FedEx to strengthen its leading position in the express freight business, in turn boosting Changi’s express cargo handling capability.

FedEx – the world’s largest express transportation company with delivery capabilities to more than 220 countries and territories – has enhanced Changi Airport’s airfreight connectivity with its 34 weekly flights in and out of Singapore to nine destinations in Asia and the United States. This is the highest number of dedicated flights for any international express company operating its own aircraft fleet. More importantly, FedEx uses Singapore as the transshipment point for its Asia Pacific shipments in and out of Australia, New Zealand and Southeast Asian countries. This contributed strongly to FedEx’s tonnage growth in 2012 despite the challenges faced by the airfreight industry.

Mr Khoo Seng Thiam, Managing Director, FedEx Express Singapore, said, “FedEx is honoured to be recognised as Changi Airport’s Partner of the Year. This award reflects the close collaborative efforts between FedEx and CAG to support Singapore’s aim to be a leading air cargo hub in the region, and underscores FedEx long-term commitment to Singapore.”

Top carriers at Changi

FedEx Express was the second largest cargo carrier at Changi in 2012, up from its third spot a year ago. The other cargo carriers in the top ten spots remained largely unchanged, with Singapore Airlines Cargo continuing to head the list.

For passenger carriers, the list of top 10 airlines at Changi Airport in 2012 saw a new entrant with PT Lion Mentari Airlines coming in at the eighth spot. While the top four spots were maintained by Singapore Airlines, Tiger Airways Singapore, SilkAir and Jetstar Asia respectively, AirAsia Berhad climbed two spots to become the fifth largest airline by passenger carriage for the year.

Airlines which registered the strongest growth in passenger traffic by region were also recognised for their contributions. These were Singapore Airlines (Singapore), AirAsia Berhad (Southeast Asia), Cathay Pacific Airways (Northeast Asia), Jet Airways (South Asia), Jetstar Airways (Southwest Pacific), Qatar Airways (Middle East), British Airways (Europe) and Delta Air Lines (Americas). Cathay Pacific, AirAsia and Jet Airways were repeat winners in their respective categories.

Partnerships for a new chapter of growth

Changi Airport saw steady passenger traffic growth in the first quarter of 2013. A total of 13.05 million passengers passed through its gates from January to March 2013, an increase of 6.2% over the same period in 2012. Airfreight movements however had experienced a 2.2% dip for the first three months, with 434,000 tonnes of cargo handled.

Speaking at the event, Mr Lee Seow Hiang, CEO of Changi Airport Group, thanked CAG’s airline partners who have been instrumental in the steady growth of Changi Airport. “The Changi Airline Awards were launched in 2005 when Changi Airport handled only 32 million passenger movements. Eight years on, Changi Airport has grown to become a thriving air hub and an important gateway to the rest of the world, and is one of just seven airports in the world handling more than 50 million international passengers each year. You, our partners, gathered here today have been instrumental to this success. We are extremely grateful to our airline partners who have supported us over the years. Your unyielding support has made Changi what it is today.”

Mr Lui Tuck Yew, Minister for Transport, in rallying the aviation community to form tighter collaborations to achieve greater heights, said, “The annual Changi Airline Awards celebrates the strong partnership between Changi Airport and its airline partners, without which Changi’s success as a leading aviation hub would not be possible.”

“I would like to encourage all aviation partners to continue to work closely together in the year ahead, so that we can build on the success of 2012 and continue to make Changi Airport the hub of choice for airlines and air travellers,” he added.

Changi Airport is the world’s seventh busiest airport for international passenger traffic. As at 1 April 2013, Changi serves more than 100 airlines operating over 6,500 weekly scheduled flights to more than 250 cities in some 60 countries and territories.

 

The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) and the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) have signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) to establish the Air Traffic Management Research Institute (ATMRI), Singapore’s first institute dedicated to research and development (R&D) in air traffic management (ATM). Over the next five years, CAAS will provide S$50 million to fund ATM R&D activities undertaken by the ATMRI, as well as ATM experts for the research projects, while NTU will provide in-kind contributions of S$22 million, including research manpower and facilities.

“The ATMRI is a key element of CAAS’ larger effort to build Singapore as a Centre of Excellence for ATM. Through the conduct of high quality ATM R&D of world class standard, the ATMRI will develop innovative solutions to catalyse ATM

transformation in Singapore and the Asia Pacific region, harmonised with ATM developments globally for interoperability. In addressing the ATM needs of Singapore, the ATMRI will contribute to enhancing safety and efficiency of air traffic, thereby maintaining Singapore’s position as a leading air hub. The ATMRI will also contribute to progress towards seamless ATM in the region, in the face of robust air traffic growth,” said Mr Yap Ong Heng, Director-General, CAAS.

Professor Freddy Boey, Provost of NTU, said, “NTU has established globally recognised strengths in engineering and science and is well placed to lead in this area of ATM Research. Our School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE), which will be championing this initiative, is one of the largest mechanical engineering schools in the world, with globally recognised expertise in design, advanced manufacturing, robotics, aerodynamics, human factors engineering and operational research.” Professor Boey continued, “Through the new Institute, NTU will be able to translate more of our fundamental research – what we call yet-to-be- applied research – into feasible applications in the real world, not only generating knowledge and know-how but also providing critical manpower needed for research in ATM. It will help our efforts to build up and nurture intellectual and human capital for ATM R&D in Singapore and beyond. With a vibrant ATM R&D community in Singapore, we will be able to retain a strong research talent pool in the long run.”

The CAAS-NTU collaboration will see synergy in CAAS’ domain knowledge in ATM, and NTU’s research capabilities and talent. As a leading air navigation services provider in the region, CAAS has vast expertise and experience in ATM operations and has contributed actively to ATM modernisation and harmonisation efforts in the region. NTU is a world-renowned research-intensive university with deep and diverse research expertise, including in the areas of human factors, operational research, and information management system design and development, all of which are highly relevant to ATM R&D.

The ATMRI will undertake research projects that seek to create air traffic capacity and enhance efficiency of flight operations, starting with the areas of:

 Air-Ground Traffic Management: Improve runway throughput through more efficient management of air traffic and airspace around the airport.

 Weather Forecast and Information Management: Enable advance planning of air traffic flows by minimising weather-induced disruptions to fight operations.

 Aircraft Separation Management: Optimise aircraft-to-aircraft separation to boost runway throughput by using better prediction and modelling tools.

 Human Performance: Enhance human-machine interface to reduce human errors arising from increased automation, and optimise workflow efficiency.

The ATMRI will also collaborate with international entities with interests and expertise in ATM. This will facilitate knowledge and expertise transfer to contribute to jump-starting ATM research efforts in Singapore. Partnerships with such foreign entities will also inject global perspectives to the work undertaken by the Institute and ensure that the concepts and solutions developed here are aligned and harmonised with international developments.

The ATMRI will have an office and laboratory of over 1,000 square metres of space at NTU.

source: CAAS

Opening Address by the President of the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), Mr. Roberto Kobeh González, to the 4th World Civil Aviation Chief Executives Forum

“Aviation’s Future: Embracing Change, Strengthening Partnership”

I am truly delighted to return to Singapore for this 4th World Civil Aviation Chief Executives Forum. I wish to thank the Minister for Transport of Singapore, Mr. Lui Tuck Yew, for his kind invitation to speak before you.

I also want to recognize the contribution of the State of Singapore and the Singapore Aviation Academy to the evolution of civil aviation in the Asia/Pacific Region and around the world, particularly in the areas of training, assistance and international cooperation.

By your actions, you personify the theme of this year’s Forum – embracing change and strengthening partnership.

In a very real sense, aviation has always embraced change – and as a community, we have always worked closely together.

We created a global air transport system that today maintains 57 million jobs worldwide, generates 2.2 trillion US dollars in economic activity, and supports the world’s largest industry – travel and tourism. It is also as safe, secure and environmentally friendly as it has ever been.

As we look ahead, our collective challenge is to build on those achievements. By 2030, the number of passengers on scheduled services is expected to more than double, from the current 2.9 billion a year to six billion. Aircraft departures should double as well, from 30 million to 60 million annually. Growth will certainly vary from region to region, but the pressure will be enormous everywhere on our global air transport network, on the ground and in the air.

Later in the Forum, Nancy Graham, Director of the ICAO Air Navigation Bureau, will outline a bold strategy for further improving aviation safety and the overall efficiency of the global air navigation system. She will explain how the innovative Block Upgrades concept for building a globally-harmonized air navigation framework will help meet the safety and efficiency imperatives, while providing investment certainty for stakeholders.

In terms of security, we are constantly upgrading our procedures, expertise and intelligence networks in order to keep one step ahead of terrorists and others who would harm air transport. Our goal is also to reduce the costly burden on airline operations at airports and to improve the overall travel experience of passengers. The High-level Conference on Aviation Security last September-2-

endorsed strategies and actions based on international cooperation, improved information-sharing and proactive approaches. There was agreement on establishing processes for identifying and handling high-risk air cargo and protecting supply chains. Another area of accord was tighter measures to address potential threats posed by airport, airline and cargo sector personnel. Finally, a blueprint for monitoring State compliance with security provisions through ICAO security audits was endorsed.

On the environment front, our strategy covers four key areas: global aspirational goals; States’ action plans; sustainable alternative fuels; and market-based measures. On this last point, let me add that the Council of ICAO last November created a High-level Group to focus on climate-related policy issues, including those relating to market-based measures. The purpose is to accelerate and guide related technical solutions now being investigated. The Group is to report back to Council in March and June on its progress concerning a proposal for a Resolution to be submitted to the 38th Session of the Assembly next fall.

Obviously, all of these actions are essential to ensure the continued growth of air transport in the decades ahead. But they are clearly not enough. In today’s globalized and liberalized marketplace, we must consider the long-term sustainability of aviation. It would be irresponsible not to do so.

Last year, the Council of ICAO modified its vision and mission statement to underscore the importance of achieving a sustainable, global air transport network. We also created a distinct new Strategic Objective for the realization of a sound and economically viable air transport system.

By sustainable, we mean safe, secure, and efficient air transport operations that provide airlines and airports with a reasonable expectation of profitability – while supporting competitive economies and promoting balanced regional development. Other benefits include better returns on investment, more funding for equipment and financing for infrastructure, better passenger service and a greater ability for air transport to weather the storms ahead – be they natural or man-made. Greater overall efficiency can also mean a greater contribution to the global GDP and a more environmentally friendly aviation industry.

This will not be an easy task. A major impediment to sustainability is the nature of the regulatory framework itself, which is largely based on national sovereignty. To some extent, this is at odds with the concept of international aviation operations. Consumer protection is a good case in point. A number of States or groups of States have already adopted rules to protect the rights of passengers. Although the intent is commendable, different rules in different parts of the world can be confusing and counterproductive. For this and other issues, globally-harmonized regimes and policies are essential.

Another critical obstacle to growth is the financing of infrastructure projects. Dozens of airports must be modernized and new ones built. Likewise, huge sums of money must be invested in the upgrading of air navigation systems. And financing is not always easy to come by.

A viable and increasingly popular option is the involvement of the private sector in the design, construction and management of airports and air navigation facilities. This makes it possible for States to benefit from modern infrastructure at little or no cost, generate additional revenue and shift spending to more pressing national priorities, while retaining control of airport facilities.

This approach fits the growing trend towards liberalization of the global economy. It also recognizes that privatization or other forms of corporatization often lead to greater efficiency gains, increased revenues, more regular upgrading and modernization of facilities, as well as more rapid decision-making.

For privatization to succeed, government policy must be clearly expressed, supported and overseen, with established safeguards built-in to their regulatory frameworks. In other words, government needs to be a strong and supportive partner.

A third obstacle to sustainability is the general disparity and inequality within the air transport value chain – especially for air carriers, who have one of the lowest investment returns of the sector. This makes it extremely difficult to raise capital for new, more efficient aircraft or to respond to unexpected demands.

Complementary to this are the restrictions on air carrier ownership and control, and the proliferation of taxes, charges and other levies on air transport. These represent a particularly unsustainable aspect of our current global framework.

It is imperative that we resolve these and many other impediments to the sustainable growth of air transport. And that is precisely the objective of the Sixth Worldwide Air Transport Conference being convened next month in Montréal and to which you are all invited.

Together, we will develop policies and guidelines that address the critical issues of air transport viability, anticipate future challenges and ensure the long-term sustainability of air transport. The day prior to the Conference, a Symposium will define concrete actions that can be taken by all stakeholders, under the leadership of ICAO, to bring the global regulatory framework more in line with today’s, and especially tomorrow’s realities.

To stimulate discussion at the panel sessions in this Forum and to help us prepare for the Air Transport Conference, I have a few thoughts and questions.

We live in a rapidly changing world. Air transport is not immune to this. On the contrary, it is an integral part of the change process. As industry executives and regulators, we should be ready to question any mindset or outmoded way of thinking that stands in the way of ensuring the growth of a vibrant and responsive industry. Along the way, we must promote convergence between the realities of the global marketplace and the existing perspectives on regulatory issues.

As we open our minds to new ideas, let me ask the following:

1. If an airline is not financially viable, what should governments do? 2. Should they act before an airline defaults or wait until after it collapses? 3. Should governments play a role in the protection of passengers and employees when an airline

ceases to operate? 4. In the drive for short-term profits, what is the place for long-term planning? 5. If airlines or other air transport organizations become too large, is competition still possible?

And finally, deregulation has been with us for some forty years now. Is it perhaps time to update or even regulate deregulation?

As you can see, there will be no shortage of interesting issues on which to debate at the Air Transport Conference. I look forward to seeing you there and I count on your active participation to help build the global regulatory framework of the future.

Let the Conference be another opportunity for embracing change and strengthening partnership.

source: CAAS

Growth supported by strong air travel demand within Asia-Pacific, healthy Europe traffic

SINGAPORE, 31 January 2013 – Singapore Changi Airport experienced its busiest month ever last month to cross the 50-million passenger movements mark for the first time in the airport’s 31-year history. Passenger traffic for the year totalled 51.2 million, increasing by 10.0% over the whole of 2011. Flight movements grew 7.6% to 324,700 while cargo volumes declined 3.2% to 1.81 million tonnes, suppressed by uncertainties in the global economy.

For December 2012, Changi Airport registered 4.92 million passenger movements, a growth of 8.6% year-on-year. Changi’s daily record was broken on 22 December 2012, the Saturday before Christmas Day, with 180,400 passengers passing through during the 24 hours.

There were 29,000 landings and take-offs last month, 4.7% more than a year ago. The airport ended the year by handling 152,900 tonnes of airfreight in December, 8.2% less than a year before. As at 1 January 2013, Changi Airport handles more than 6,500 weekly scheduled flights with 110 airlines connecting Singapore to 240 cities in 60 countries around the world.

European traffic robust despite downturn

Despite weak market conditions in the Eurozone, there was encouraging improvement in demand for travel to and from Europe. In 2012, passenger traffic between Singapore and Europe grew 7.5%. Closer to home, Changi continued to experience strong growth in the

South Asia (12.4%), Northeast Asia (9.9%), Southeast Asia (9.7%) and Southwest Pacific (9.4%) regions, accentuating its position as a key air hub in Asia-Pacific.

In terms of Changi’s busiest routes, Jakarta, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and Manila occupied the top five positions in 2012 (See Annex B for list). Within the top 10, Bangkok and Tokyo saw robust increases of more than 10%, as traffic recovered following the floods in Thailand and the earthquake in Japan in 2011.

Changi Airport also enjoyed positive growth to and from gateway hubs. Beijing, Frankfurt and Guangzhou registered the strongest percentage increase in passenger traffic to and from Singapore, among sectors with at least half a million passengers.

Besides increasing demand on traditional gateway routes, Changi Airport’s connectivity to secondary cities was also enhanced during the year – Australia’s Gold Coast, Paro in Bhutan, Taiyuan in China, Visakhapatnam in India, Padang in Indonesia, Kota Bahru in Malaysia and Iloilo in the Philippines were additions to Changi’s global network of city links. During the year, non-stop services were also launched to the Chinese cities Tianjin and Wuhan. As at 1 January 2013, Changi Airport is connected to 25 cities in China.

In 2012, Changi Airport welcomed five new carriers. Singapore-based Scoot commenced operations at Changi, providing travellers with more choice with its low cost medium haul offerings to destinations in Australia, China, Japan and Taiwan. Other airlines that started services at Changi included Bhutan flag-carrier Drukair, AirAsia Philippines, Shenzhen Airlines and all-cargo carrier Yangtze River Express.

Economic uncertainty softens airfreight demand

On the cargo front, economic uncertainty in many parts of the world dampened airfreight volumes at Changi Airport. Shipments to and from China and the United States, Changi’s top cargo markets, declined after positive growth in 2011.

Despite the downward pressure on cargo volumes, niche segments such as perishables, live animals and pharmaceuticals grew during the year. Notably, Changi also achieved growth in cargo tonnage to and from Africa and the Oceania region.

During the year, CAG worked with its partners to enhance infrastructure and offerings at the Changi Airfreight Centre. It welcomed the opening of the FedEx Express South Pacific Regional Hub, a facility that consolidates FedEx’s air, ground and customs clearance operations within Changi’s Air Cargo Express Hub.

30 Best Airport awards in 2012

Changi Airport continued to be viewed favourably among travellers and the industry. Changi received 30 awards during the year including Business Traveller’s Best Airport in the World accolade for the 25th consecutive time. The cargo community also honoured Changi with the Airport of the Year award at the inaugural Payload Asia Awards. The full list of accolades achieved in 2012 is in Annex C.

CAG’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr Lee Seow Hiang, said, “2012 was indeed a good year for us. In spite of the economic challenges faced by the aviation industry, we stayed nimble and worked extremely closely with our partners. We introduced initiatives such as the Changi Transit Programme and Changi Connects to enhance Changi’s value proposition as a transfer hub. We enjoyed strong growth in transfer traffic in 2012 and will be looking to sustain our market share with these new initiatives.

“For our millions of passengers, CAG remains committed to improving the Changi Experience so that they and airport visitors alike continue to discover delightful moments while at Changi. This commitment will drive our development plans for the new Terminal 4, construction of which will begin this year.

“In the near term, Changi Airport’s performance will depend largely on how quickly markets recover from the slowdown. But we are confident that CAG’s strong partnership with our stakeholders will see Changi through the challenges that lie ahead.”

Annex

Top 10 Changi City Links in 2012*

Jakarta, Indonesia, Hong Kong S.A.R., Bangkok, Thailand, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Manila, Philippines, Tokyo, (Japan)

London (United Kingdom), Denpasar (Bali), Indonesia, Sydney, Australia, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

SINGAPORE 16th November 2011 — UBM International Media, organizers of the annual Cruise Shipping Miami, the world’s largest and most important international tradeshow and conference serving the cruise industry, today launched Cruise Shipping Asia 2011. The inaugural event begins today, 16th November and will end on 18th November 2011, at the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore.

The new event aims to unlock the region’s potential as Asia emerges as the industry’s next major growth market. “Globalization of the cruise passenger is one of the key areas of growth for the cruise market,” said Michael Kazakoff, vice president, UBM International Media. “As the industry expands from a North American base to passengers worldwide, we see Asia’s growing number of passengers as a strong indication that this region will continue to expand.”

The event include a tradeshow and conference program focusing on the Asian cruise market. “The arrival of this major cruise event in Asia underscores the growing recognition of this market’s strong potential, and will greatly complement our ongoing efforts in promoting Asia’s cruise industry development,” said Jennifer Yap, spokeswoman for Asia Cruise Association and managing director of Royal Caribbean Cruises (Asia) Pte Ltd. “We look forward to giving our support to and working with the organizers as well as cruise companies and travel agents across Asia to make its debut a success.”

Michael Duck, senior vice president of UBM Asia, said: “We are delighted to bring Cruise Shipping Asia back to Singapore. It has been 10 years since we last organized a cruise event here and today the Asian market is primed for tremendous growth. Singapore has rejuvenated itself in the past few years as an exciting cruise destination and now plays an important role as a platform for the global and regional industry to showcase itself.”

Cruise Shipping Asia’s exhibition also feature product sectors including destinations, itinerary planning, shore excursion services, port and terminal development as well as ship operations, ship services and hotel operations.

Conference sessions led by panels of industry experts aims to highlight and discuss pertinent industry issues.

NEW LEADERSHIP FOR ACI ASIA-PACIFIC

November 2, 2011 – Hong Kong ACI Asia-Pacific announced new leadership for the Regional Office. After leading the Regional Office for five years, Mrs. Maggie Kwok has retired with effect from November 1, 2011 and Mrs. Patti Chau will lead the ACI Asia-Pacific Regional Office as the new Regional Director.

The ACI Asia-Pacific Regional Board has accepted Mrs. Maggie Kwok’s decision on her retirement and expressed their deep gratitude and appreciation for Mrs. Kwok’s years of service to the Regional Office. Ms. Kwok has joined ACI at a very critical time when the ACI Asia and ACI Pacific regions merged. Under her very capable leadership, the two regions have merged successfully in 2008.

Tan Sri Bashir, President of ACI Asia-Pacific said, “Mrs. Kwok has been an effective leader and I have no doubt that the ACI Asia-Pacific Regional Office will benefit far into the future because of the lasting impact of her work. On behalf of the ACI Asia-Pacific Region, I wish her a happy, healthy and prosperous retirement.”

The Regional Board has appointed Mrs. Patti Chau as the new Regional Director at the Board Meeting held on October 31, 2011 in Marrakech, Morocco. Mrs. Chau is a Certified General Accountant who joined the Regional Office in May 2004 and has previously worked in Vancouver Airport Services prior joining ACI.

Mrs. Patti Chau, Regional Director of ACI Asia-Pacific said, “I feel honored to be appointed as the Regional Director of ACI Asia-Pacific, a region that has the most diverse membership and with the fastest growing passenger traffic. To support the growing membership, we will continue our efforts to enhance member services while maintaining the mission of promoting our members’ interests.”

Vladivostok Air connects Singapore to the Russian Far East

SINGAPORE, 21 October 2011 – Singapore Changi Airport today welcomes the arrival of Russian carrier Vladivostok Air. One of Russia’s most established airlines, Vladivostok Air will operate twice-weekly services between Singapore and Vladivostok via Hong Kong. Vladivostok, in the Russian Far East, is the ninth new city link for Changi this year.

With growing trade and tourism ties between Singapore and Russia, the addition of Vladivostok Air to Changi’s network of airlines comes at an opportune time. Since the launch of the Russia-Singapore Business Forum (RSBF)1 in 2006, bilateral trade between the two countries has more than doubled to reach S$5.2 billion2 in 2010.

With several Singapore-based companies already establishing inroads to the Russian Far East, Changi’s new connection to Vladivostok will stimulate further business links between Singapore and Vladivostok as well as the greater Primorsky Krai region – the largest economy in the Russian Far East.

Passenger traffic between Singapore and Russia reached an all-time-high of 65,000 in 2010, representing a 31% growth year-on-year. Singapore also welcomed 55,000 Russian visitors3 in 2010, an increase of 9% compared to 2009. During the first eight months of this year, air traffic movements and visitor arrivals from Russia increased by a further 34% and 5% respectively compared to the same period last year.

Vladivostok Air will operate the A320 aircraft in a two-class configuration on this route. The service will depart Vladivostok International Airport on Tuesday and Friday mornings and arrive in Changi Airport at 1820 hours on the same day. The return flight will depart Changi at 2010 hours and arrive in Vladivostok the following morning. The flight schedule is as follows:

Vladivostok Air’s new service introduces a new holiday destination for Singapore residents. For Russian Far East travellers, a potential market of 6.5 million, Singapore is not only a destination for tourism, medical and education activities, but an excellent transit point to destinations in Southeast Asia and Southwest Pacific.

Mr Yam Kum Weng, Changi Airport Group’s Executive Vice President for Air Hub Development, said, “With the introduction of world-class tourism offerings in Singapore, we are seeing more Russian visitors twinning Singapore with another Southeast Asian destination to create fun-filled ‘city-plus-beach’ holiday experiences. With its extensive network and flight options to Southeast Asia, Changi Airport is a convenient gateway for Russian travellers to reach many renowned resort destinations such as Bintan, Bali and Phuket.

“Vladivostok Air’s entry into the Singapore market is therefore timely to serve the growing demand of Russian travellers wanting to explore Singapore and other parts of Southeast Asia. We look forward to working closely with the airline to sustain and grow this important link between Russia and Singapore.”

source:

Travel Industry Heavyweights Gather at ITB Asia 2011 To Inaugurate Four New Conferences

SINGAPORE, 19th October 2011 – Messe Berlin (Singapore), organiser of ITB Asia, ‘The Trade Show for the Asian Travel Market’, has officially launched four new conference sessions to this year’s show. These include panel discussions on ‘Loyalty Programmes’, ‘Boutique Hotels’, ‘Women in Action’ and a ‘Business Travel Plenary Session’. Held from 19-21 October in Suntec Singapore, ITB Asia delegates can look forward to a powerful speaker line-up for all four sessions which will take place across the three days of the show.

This year’s conference programme is already the show’s largest line-up to date, with the addition of the inaugural TTG Travel Agent Conference, the Asia for Asia Conference organised by Singapore Tourism Board, as well as the second instalment of the successful ITB Asia Association Day.

“The conference component has always been a key element of ITB Asia’s knowledge-sharing platform and this year’s programme is all set to be even bigger and better with over 3000 minutes of high powered content, about 40% more compared to 2010,” said Nino Gruettke, Executive Director of ITB Asia.

“To ensure that ITB Asia truly represents the travel industry, an exciting and more in-depth programme that will probe into the most relevant issues surrounding the industry this year has been put up. All sessions will be addressed by key industry players who will provide case studies and share first hand experiences and valuable insights not only from the Asia Pacific region but from around the world,” added Gruettke.

The conference programme kick-off on the first day of the show with a keynote speech from Paul Brown, Hilton Worldwide’s President of Global Brands & Commercial Services, who will address the impact of demography and technology on MICE business in Asia.

The panel on loyalty programmes held on the same day is represented by industry heavyweights that include Paul Kerr, President & CEO of Small Luxury Hotels of the World, Robert M. Rush, President & CEO of LRA Worldwide, a leading global research and consulting company focused on customer experience management, Maria Taylor, Vice President Loyalty and Direct Sales, Asia Pacific for Accor, Sung-A Hong from Starwood’s Loyalty and Partner Marketing division, Alfie Yee, Director of Marketing, Asia Pacific, Hilton Worldwide and Sim Beng Koon, Regional Director of the Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE).

“Delegates will learn the key to getting the balance right when executing loyalty programmes from these industry experts. They will also learn how to stay relevant to travellers’ needs,” added Gruettke.

The session on boutique hotels which will feature speakers from some of the best brands in the business, including Small Luxury Hotels of the World, Wanderlust, New Majestic, Hotel 1929, The Scarlet Hotel, W Hotels Worldwide and Design Hotels. In this discussion, boutique hotel industry leaders will share some of their trade secrets and big chains will also reveal their strategies on countering competition from the niche players.

The Business Travel Plenary session will include research findings on ‘The Economic Impact of Business Travel in Asia Pacific’ by Adam Sacks, Managing Director of Tourism Economics. The company designs market strategy models, tourism policy recommendations, tourism forecasting models, and tourism economic impact studies. This session will take place on the second day of the show, 20 October.

The final conference session which is scheduled to take place on 21 October, will put the spotlight on female travel leaders. These ‘Women in Action’ will share the stories of their journeys, what they have done to achieve success and their vision for the future of travel and tourism. Speakers confirmed so far for this panel include Claire Chiu, Director of Business Development from Warwick International Hotels, Jeanette Ho, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Raffles Fairmont Hotels, Aya Aso, President & CEO of Agora Hospitalities who manages the Nojiriko Hotel EL BOSCO, a boutique resort hotel in Nagano Prefecture, Japan and Barbara Gallay, President, FROSCH New York. Gallay also sits on various advisory boards including The Ritz-Carlton, Rosewood Hotels & Resorts, and Starwood Luxury Collection. She was featured in Crain’s ‘Top 100 Businesswomen in New York’ and Forbes’ ‘Top 25 Women in Travel’.

ITB Asia is a unique international platform that unites the travel and tourism industry to exchange valuable insights and business leads; attracting 6,605 attendees and 720 exhibitors from over 60 countries in 2010.

ITB Asia is also a partner event of TravelRave, a mega travel and tourism festival week organised by the Singapore Tourism Board.

For more information on the conferences, please visit http://www.itb-asia.com.

About ITB Asia 2011

ITB Asia will take place at the Suntec Singapore Exhibition & Convention Centre, 19-21 October, 2011. It is organised by Messe Berlin (Singapore) Pte Ltd and supported by the Singapore Exhibition & Convention Bureau. The event will feature hundreds of exhibiting companies from the Asia-Pacific region, Europe, the Americas, Africa and the Middle East, covering not only the leisure market, but also corporate and MICE travel. ITB Asia 2011 will include exhibition pavilions and tabletop presence for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) providing travel services. Exhibitors from every sector of the industry, including destinations, airlines and airports, hotels and resorts, theme parks and attractions, inbound tour operators, inbound DMCs, cruise lines, spas, venues, other meeting facilities and travel technology companies are all expected to attend. http://www.itb-asia.com.

ITB Asia is on Twitter! @ITBAsia

Become a fan of ITB Asia on Facebook facebook.com/itbasia

September 2, 2011, Hong Kong – Ms Angela Gittens, Director-General of Airports Council International (ACI) spoke at a conference organized by the Aerospace Forum Asia in Hong Kong today.

Senior executives from the aviation industry including Mr. Stanley Hui, CEO of Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK) and Mr. John Slosar, CEO of Cathay Pacific Airways attended the conference together with experts from local concern groups and economists to review arguments for and against the construction of a third runway and associated facilities proposed by AAHK in the Hong Kong International Airport Master Plan 2030.

Ms Gittens started the speech by highlighting the social and economic benefits that travel and tourism industry brings to the society. She then presented ACI’s forecast which showed that Asia-Pacific has recorded, and will continue to record, the strongest growth in both passenger and cargo throughput comparing to other regions in the world. Hong Kong will benefit from the high GDP growth of China and is forecast to reach 100 million passenger throughput by year 2027.

At the same time, Hong Kong faces keen competition from neighboring airports for originating and destination traffic, transit traffic as well as cargo services. Competition also comes from other transport modes, particularly high speed rail. To stay competitive, Ms Gittens suggested that Hong Kong should build capacity to cope with the air traffic growth before the traffic is diverted to other airports.

Ms Gittens added that for any development to be sustainable, it requires the reconciliation of environmental, social and economic demands, the three pillars of sustainability. Aircraft noise, greenhouse gas emissions and local air quality are some of the key areas to be considered regarding environmental concerns. On the subject of greenhouse gas management, Ms Gittens said that ACI has been working closely with the International Civil Aviation Organization in setting energy efficiency goals whereby carbon neutral growth is to be achieved from 2020 and absolute carbon reduction of 50% by 2050.

Ms Gittens concluded her speech with the following message, “Our industry’s growth is inevitable, the question is which airport operators will step up to provide the capacity to meet demand.”

About Airports Council International Asia-Pacific
Airports Council International (ACI), the only worldwide association of airports whose prime purpose is to represent the interests of airports and to promote professional excellence in airport management and operations.
ACI Asia-Pacific, one of the five ACI regions, is based in Hong Kong and represents the interest of 95 members who operate over 480 airports in the Asia-Pacific Region which spans the Middle East, former CIS States, the Indo-Pakistan subcontinent, Northeast and Southeast Asia, Oceania, the Pacific Islands, Hawaii.