Asia

Air China will return to London Gatwick in November, eight months after switching the last route it operated there to London Heathrow.

United Airlines will begin service between four of its US hubs and Tokyo's Haneda International Airport from next spring.

After handling a record 46.5 million passengers in 2018, Taoyuan International Airport is on course for further growth this year. Yuanhung Ting, director of business planning and marketing, explains more about the airport’s marketing strategy and why it has been so successful in attracting new air services.

Finnair is adding a second destination in South Korea to its network as it continues to pursue its Europe-Asia connecting strategy.

Japan Airlines’ new long-haul low-cost carrier has been granted an air transport business license, paving the way for its first flights to launch in May 2020.

With annual passenger numbers forecast to double to 50 million by 2040, Brisbane is positioning itself as Australia’s future international gateway. Routesonline speaks to Jim Parashos, the airport’s executive general manager of aviation development and partnerships, to find out more about its growth and how it intends to fulfil its ambitions.

A comprehensive air transport agreement between the European Union and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is nearing completion - which would provide a significant boost to air traffic and connect a combined population of 1.2 billion.

Eastar Jet and SilkAir are set to launch services between Singapore and Busan as part of efforts to promote trade, business and tourism.

Rwanda’s flag carrier has confirmed Guangzhou, the host of World Routes in 2018, will be its second destination in Asia.

Four years after operating its last service to mainland China, South African Airways is set to return to the market later this year. It is also negotiating a codeshare agreement with Hong Kong Airlines.

This week: Air Astana’s new low-fare unit FlyArystan set to expand its network; Lucky Air to serve second point in Russia; and Air Italy to resume service to the Maldives.

Delta Air Lines will serve Mumbai from New York John F Kennedy, rather than Atlanta, as it seeks to re-establish itself in the fast-growing Indian market. The planned launch comes despite the suspension of services by Jet Airways, which would have provided feeder traffic.

Jet Airways has temporarily suspended all its domestic and international flights after failing to find fresh funding.

As China Eastern schedules its latest new route to Western Europe, Routesonline looks at the growth of the market and the new services set to start in the coming months.

Singapore Airlines (SIA) and Garuda Indonesia are now codesharing on each other’s flights between Singapore and the Indonesian capital Jakarta after expanding an agreement that started nine years ago.

This week: Thai AirAsia is adding its first flight to China from Chiang Rai; HK Express to resume Okinawa; and Turkish Airlines plans to introduce additional service to Azerbaijan.

Cathay Pacific is set to enter the low-cost market after striking a deal to buy HK Express, Hong Kong’s only budget carrier. If completed, the deal would take the Oneworld member’s share of departure seats from Hong Kong to more than 50 percent.

More than 830 hours of meetings, 1,000 delegates and in excess of 100 airlines saw the route development forum for the Asia Pacific region reach new heights.

Air Belgium has cancelled plans to resume its Hong Kong service, but the start-up has vowed to begin routes two destinations in mainland China this summer and hopes to begin flights to the Americas by next winter.

With Routes Asia heading to Chiang Mai in Thailand in 2020, Routesonline looks at some of the key facts and figures shaping the Southeast Asian country’s market.

ASM consultant Hang Zhao has outlined the huge growth in outbound Chinese tourism to nearby destination markets.

Countries across the Asia Pacific region need to fully apply World Slot Guidelines in order to ensure that demand does not outstrip capacity.

Our live blog from Routes Asia 2019, the only route development event dedicated to the Asia Pacific region.

Brisbane Airport (BNE) was named the overall winner after earlier winning the Over 20 Million Passengers category.

Tourist boards need to work more closely with airlines to help sell the destinations they represent. Jetstar executive manager commercial planning Alan McIntyre told delegates at Routes Asia 2019 that getting good-quality, original content from the boards can help sway consumers' minds when they consider a destination.