Chinese Embassy sets up new Visa Application Service Centre
A new Visa Application Service Centre has been set up by the Chinese Embassy in Singapore to cater to the higher demand for visas to China.
The Chinese Embassy said it sees some 130,000 visa applicants each year.
And it hopes the centre, located in the Royal Brothers Building at Malacca Street, will help better facilitate the application process.
Singapore citizens require a visa if they want to stay in China for more than 15 days.
Officials said they expect to see 1,200 applicants a day at the new centre.
The centre allows Singapore citizens to book their appointments online and get their visas in two days under the 'Rush Service'.
A new S$25 to S$45 application service fee will be implemented on top of the current visa fees.
-News courtesy of Channel Newsasia-
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Monday, May 17, 2010
Ash closes main Dutch airports
Iceland volcano ash closes main Dutch airports
Ash clouds from an erupting Iceland volcano forced the closure of Amsterdam's Schiphol airport and those in Rotterdam and Groningen until 2:00 pm (1200 GMT) Monday, Dutch officials said.
Two other airports, at Eindhoven and Maastricht, were open.
"Until 2:00 pm local time there will be no air traffic from and to Amsterdam and Rotterdam", whose airports have been closed since 6:00 am (0400 GMT), as well as Groningen, which closed at 8:00 am (0600 GMT), air traffic control spokeswoman Marjolein Wenting told AFP.
The decision was based on information from the Dutch meteorological service, she said earlier.
The ash clouds are over "the western part of the country and are moving slowly east", she added.
All 500 flights scheduled at Schiphol, the Netherlands' main air hub, were cancelled until 2:00 pm (1200 GMT), airport spokeswoman Antoinette Spaans told AFP, leading to disruptions for 60,000 passengers.
Travellers at the airport were asked to return home.
-News courtesy of Channel Newsasia-
Ash clouds from an erupting Iceland volcano forced the closure of Amsterdam's Schiphol airport and those in Rotterdam and Groningen until 2:00 pm (1200 GMT) Monday, Dutch officials said.
Two other airports, at Eindhoven and Maastricht, were open.
"Until 2:00 pm local time there will be no air traffic from and to Amsterdam and Rotterdam", whose airports have been closed since 6:00 am (0400 GMT), as well as Groningen, which closed at 8:00 am (0600 GMT), air traffic control spokeswoman Marjolein Wenting told AFP.
The decision was based on information from the Dutch meteorological service, she said earlier.
The ash clouds are over "the western part of the country and are moving slowly east", she added.
All 500 flights scheduled at Schiphol, the Netherlands' main air hub, were cancelled until 2:00 pm (1200 GMT), airport spokeswoman Antoinette Spaans told AFP, leading to disruptions for 60,000 passengers.
Travellers at the airport were asked to return home.
-News courtesy of Channel Newsasia-
London airports reopen
London airports reopen after ash shutdowns
London's main airports Heathrow and Gatwick reopened Monday after being forced to close by the volcanic ash cloud, but airports in Northern Ireland and others around Britain remained shut.
Heathrow, Europe's busiest airport, reopened at 07:00 am (0600 GMT) as did Gatwick.
However restrictions remained on flights because of their proximity to a dense section of the shifting ash cloud from a volcano in Iceland.
Airports inside the no-fly zone were shut until 1200 GMT with all airports in Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man to remain closed until then.
Scotland's busiest airport, Edinburgh, plus Aberdeen and Inverness were closed while Wales's main airport Cardiff was shut, as was Swansea.
In England, Bristol in the southwest and Farnborough, southwest of London, were also closed until 1200 GMT.
In the Netherlands meanwhile, the authorities announced the closure of the airports in Amsterdam and Rotterdam from 6:00 am (0400 GMT) to 2:00 pm Monday.
The latest ash closures came at the beginning of a week where air travel disruption was already expected due to a five-day strike by British Airways cabin crew set to kick off Tuesday.
Europe's skies were partially closed for up to a week in April following the eruption of Iceland's Eyjafjoell volcano, in the biggest shutdown of the continent's airspace for more than 50 years.
Experts fear the volcanic ash can damage jet engines and create a serious risk of a crash.
"There is slightly increased activity for the past two days, there has been some ash fall around the glacier," Bjoern Oddsson a University of Iceland vulcanologist told AFP.
"The column (of smoke) has increased and rises up to eight kilometres (five miles)," as opposed to six kilometres in previous days.
But its effect on European flights depended entirely on the winds, he added.
-News courtesy of Channel Newsasia-
London's main airports Heathrow and Gatwick reopened Monday after being forced to close by the volcanic ash cloud, but airports in Northern Ireland and others around Britain remained shut.
Heathrow, Europe's busiest airport, reopened at 07:00 am (0600 GMT) as did Gatwick.
However restrictions remained on flights because of their proximity to a dense section of the shifting ash cloud from a volcano in Iceland.
Airports inside the no-fly zone were shut until 1200 GMT with all airports in Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man to remain closed until then.
Scotland's busiest airport, Edinburgh, plus Aberdeen and Inverness were closed while Wales's main airport Cardiff was shut, as was Swansea.
In England, Bristol in the southwest and Farnborough, southwest of London, were also closed until 1200 GMT.
In the Netherlands meanwhile, the authorities announced the closure of the airports in Amsterdam and Rotterdam from 6:00 am (0400 GMT) to 2:00 pm Monday.
The latest ash closures came at the beginning of a week where air travel disruption was already expected due to a five-day strike by British Airways cabin crew set to kick off Tuesday.
Europe's skies were partially closed for up to a week in April following the eruption of Iceland's Eyjafjoell volcano, in the biggest shutdown of the continent's airspace for more than 50 years.
Experts fear the volcanic ash can damage jet engines and create a serious risk of a crash.
"There is slightly increased activity for the past two days, there has been some ash fall around the glacier," Bjoern Oddsson a University of Iceland vulcanologist told AFP.
"The column (of smoke) has increased and rises up to eight kilometres (five miles)," as opposed to six kilometres in previous days.
But its effect on European flights depended entirely on the winds, he added.
-News courtesy of Channel Newsasia-
European SIA flights rescheduled
Two SIA flights out of Europe rescheduled due to volcanic ash
Singapore Airlines said on Monday that two of its flights out of Europe to Singapore have been rescheduled due to the volcanic ash cloud moving over the continent.
In an update on its website, the airline said flight SQ 323, which was originally scheduled to leave Amsterdam at 1130 hours (Amsterdam time) on Monday will now be delayed by 4-1/2 hours.
Flight SQ317 out of London will, however, take off about 30 minutes earlier at 1125 hours (London time).
SIA said all other flights to Europe are not affected at this point.
However, it added that the situation remains fluid and it will continue to monitor the situation closely.
It said it will provide updates as soon as information is available.
It has advised customers booked on flights to, from and via points in Europe to check www.singaporeair.com regularly for updates.
-News courtesy of Channel Newsasia-
Singapore Airlines said on Monday that two of its flights out of Europe to Singapore have been rescheduled due to the volcanic ash cloud moving over the continent.
In an update on its website, the airline said flight SQ 323, which was originally scheduled to leave Amsterdam at 1130 hours (Amsterdam time) on Monday will now be delayed by 4-1/2 hours.
Flight SQ317 out of London will, however, take off about 30 minutes earlier at 1125 hours (London time).
SIA said all other flights to Europe are not affected at this point.
However, it added that the situation remains fluid and it will continue to monitor the situation closely.
It said it will provide updates as soon as information is available.
It has advised customers booked on flights to, from and via points in Europe to check www.singaporeair.com regularly for updates.
-News courtesy of Channel Newsasia-
Ash cloud shuts UK airports
Ash cloud shuts UK airports
Several British and Irish airports closed Sunday as the ash cloud returned, drifting south and east following fresh eruptions from the Icelandic volcano.
Manchester Airport in northwest England and Dublin Airport, among the 20 busiest airports in Europe, were among those affected by the cloud, with the ash levels deemed too dangerous to fly through.
Manchester -- Britain's busiest airport outside London, where airports were so far unaffected -- was among a host of northern British airports to shut from 1200 GMT to 1800 GMT, including all those in Northern Ireland.
Dublin, Ireland's main airport, was to close from 1800 GMT until at least 0800 GMT Monday.
Europe's skies were closed for up to a week last month following the eruption of Iceland's Eyjafjoell volcano, in the biggest shutdown of the continent's airspace since World War II.
The volcanic ash, which can cause serious damage to jet engines, has continued to cause disruption on a smaller scale in certain parts of Europe.
A vulcanologist from the University of Iceland said Eyjafjoell activity had worsened in recent days.
"There is slightly increased activity for the past two days, there has been some ash fall around the glacier," said Bjoern Oddsson, who was travelling to the volcano to assess the new situation.
"The column (of smoke) has increased and rises up to eight kilometres," he told AFP, as opposed to six kilometres in previous days.
As for the effect on European flights triggered by the rise in activity, that "all depends on the winds", said the geologist from the Institute of Earth Sciences at the University of Iceland.
Travelling southwards towards the Atlantic Ocean, it should turn towards inner Iceland on Tuesday, according to weather forecasts.
In Britain, the other airports shut from 1200 GMT to 1800 GMT as the no-fly zone extended southwards and eastwards were regional air hubs like East Midlands, Liverpool, Leeds-Bradford, Doncaster and Humberside.
Some Scottish airports, including their fourth busiest, Prestwick, shut down, while all Northern Ireland airports closed for the period. Isle of Man airport also shut.
National Air Traffic Services, which manages British airspace, said the no-fly zone had moved east and south for the 1200 GMT to 1800 GMT period, and it would issue further updates as necessary.
Britain's Department of Transport had warned Saturday that British airspace was likely to face partial closures from Sunday until Tuesday due to the volcanic ash cloud.
-News courtesy of Channel Newsasia-
Several British and Irish airports closed Sunday as the ash cloud returned, drifting south and east following fresh eruptions from the Icelandic volcano.
Manchester Airport in northwest England and Dublin Airport, among the 20 busiest airports in Europe, were among those affected by the cloud, with the ash levels deemed too dangerous to fly through.
Manchester -- Britain's busiest airport outside London, where airports were so far unaffected -- was among a host of northern British airports to shut from 1200 GMT to 1800 GMT, including all those in Northern Ireland.
Dublin, Ireland's main airport, was to close from 1800 GMT until at least 0800 GMT Monday.
Europe's skies were closed for up to a week last month following the eruption of Iceland's Eyjafjoell volcano, in the biggest shutdown of the continent's airspace since World War II.
The volcanic ash, which can cause serious damage to jet engines, has continued to cause disruption on a smaller scale in certain parts of Europe.
A vulcanologist from the University of Iceland said Eyjafjoell activity had worsened in recent days.
"There is slightly increased activity for the past two days, there has been some ash fall around the glacier," said Bjoern Oddsson, who was travelling to the volcano to assess the new situation.
"The column (of smoke) has increased and rises up to eight kilometres," he told AFP, as opposed to six kilometres in previous days.
As for the effect on European flights triggered by the rise in activity, that "all depends on the winds", said the geologist from the Institute of Earth Sciences at the University of Iceland.
Travelling southwards towards the Atlantic Ocean, it should turn towards inner Iceland on Tuesday, according to weather forecasts.
In Britain, the other airports shut from 1200 GMT to 1800 GMT as the no-fly zone extended southwards and eastwards were regional air hubs like East Midlands, Liverpool, Leeds-Bradford, Doncaster and Humberside.
Some Scottish airports, including their fourth busiest, Prestwick, shut down, while all Northern Ireland airports closed for the period. Isle of Man airport also shut.
National Air Traffic Services, which manages British airspace, said the no-fly zone had moved east and south for the 1200 GMT to 1800 GMT period, and it would issue further updates as necessary.
Britain's Department of Transport had warned Saturday that British airspace was likely to face partial closures from Sunday until Tuesday due to the volcanic ash cloud.
-News courtesy of Channel Newsasia-
Travellers heading to Bangkok
Travellers still heading to Bangkok despite violence there
It appears to be business as usual for travellers at Singapore's Changi Airport who are heading to Bangkok.
But Thais like Nathaporn Tangyotkhajorn are hoping that they will be able to return home to some peace and quiet.
The 31-year-old banker is going back after a business trip and wants to see swift and firm action to end the violence.
She said: "I think the government should do something within these few days or else I do not think that people can stand it anymore.
"It is very violent and for the city people like us, I do not think we feel really safe going out to work."
Most travellers heading to Bangkok said they were not overly concerned with the violence there, but will take careful steps to stay out of harm's way.
How about those who were there and have returned to Singapore?
One person said: "Just do not go downtown, so it is not that bad."
Another added: "I spoke to several army soldiers and policemen, and they were friendly enough and they were speaking to me in a very non-threatening manner."
Over at Golden Mile Complex, shops relying on supplies from Bangkok have been affected.
One shop owner said: "I must go to Bangkok to buy things. But with traffic jams, we all cannot go there and buy things."
Sales of Thai newspapers, however, have doubled over two months, according to vendors, as Thais are hungry for the latest on what is happening back home.
-News courtesy of Channel Newsasia-
It appears to be business as usual for travellers at Singapore's Changi Airport who are heading to Bangkok.
But Thais like Nathaporn Tangyotkhajorn are hoping that they will be able to return home to some peace and quiet.
The 31-year-old banker is going back after a business trip and wants to see swift and firm action to end the violence.
She said: "I think the government should do something within these few days or else I do not think that people can stand it anymore.
"It is very violent and for the city people like us, I do not think we feel really safe going out to work."
Most travellers heading to Bangkok said they were not overly concerned with the violence there, but will take careful steps to stay out of harm's way.
How about those who were there and have returned to Singapore?
One person said: "Just do not go downtown, so it is not that bad."
Another added: "I spoke to several army soldiers and policemen, and they were friendly enough and they were speaking to me in a very non-threatening manner."
Over at Golden Mile Complex, shops relying on supplies from Bangkok have been affected.
One shop owner said: "I must go to Bangkok to buy things. But with traffic jams, we all cannot go there and buy things."
Sales of Thai newspapers, however, have doubled over two months, according to vendors, as Thais are hungry for the latest on what is happening back home.
-News courtesy of Channel Newsasia-
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Jetstar to start low-cost long-haul flights
Budget carrier Jetstar plans to start low-cost long-haul flights
Jetstar, the low-cost offshoot of Australian flag-carrier Qantas, said Wednesday it will launch long-haul flights from Singapore to Australia, North Asia and Europe to tap on growing demand.
The new budget service is expected to commence from Singapore's Changi airport late this year, Jetstar said in a statement.
"Jetstar continues to grow strongly as we build our pan-Asian presence," chief executive Bruce Buchanan said in the statement.
Company spokesman Simon Westaway said Jetstar's plans to operate the long-haul budget service out of Singapore reflects the carrier's ambitions to tap growing demand for air travel in the region.
"IATA figures say the Asian market is now the largest in the world," Westaway told AFP after a press briefing in Singapore.
"It's only going to expand. The reason that we are doing all the investment in Asia is that we want us to be an Asian success in Asia because that's where the growth is."
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) said earlier this year the Asia-Pacific region had overtaken North America as the world's largest air travel market with 647 million passengers in 2009.
Jetstar's experience from its international flights out of Australia has demonstrated that there is travel demand even in a shrinking market if the pricing is competitive, Westaway said.
He cited the Australia-Japan route as an example where Jetstar has enjoyed 35 percent growth in annual traffic even though the overall market is shrinking.
"So even in contracting markets, what's happening is that the customer base is moving towards the value-based providers because of obviously affordability," he said.
Westaway said the first long-haul flight out of Singapore is expected to take off in December but the destination has not yet been finalised and that the carrier will offer competitive fares.
"We will be very low-fare in the market. We will try to bring the overall low fares down by around 30 percent," he said.
Jetstar's fare pricing is on average 35-40 percent below that of Qantas, Westaway said.
Two new A330-200 jets will be deployed for the new service and Jetstar will be taking delivery of the first aircraft in November.
The carrier already operates long-haul services from Australia to destinations including Bali, Tokyo, Osaka, Bangkok, Phuket and Honolulu.
It's Singapore-based affiliate Jetstar Asia currently flies to short-haul destinations from the city-state.
-News courtesy of Channel Newsasia-
Jetstar, the low-cost offshoot of Australian flag-carrier Qantas, said Wednesday it will launch long-haul flights from Singapore to Australia, North Asia and Europe to tap on growing demand.
The new budget service is expected to commence from Singapore's Changi airport late this year, Jetstar said in a statement.
"Jetstar continues to grow strongly as we build our pan-Asian presence," chief executive Bruce Buchanan said in the statement.
Company spokesman Simon Westaway said Jetstar's plans to operate the long-haul budget service out of Singapore reflects the carrier's ambitions to tap growing demand for air travel in the region.
"IATA figures say the Asian market is now the largest in the world," Westaway told AFP after a press briefing in Singapore.
"It's only going to expand. The reason that we are doing all the investment in Asia is that we want us to be an Asian success in Asia because that's where the growth is."
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) said earlier this year the Asia-Pacific region had overtaken North America as the world's largest air travel market with 647 million passengers in 2009.
Jetstar's experience from its international flights out of Australia has demonstrated that there is travel demand even in a shrinking market if the pricing is competitive, Westaway said.
He cited the Australia-Japan route as an example where Jetstar has enjoyed 35 percent growth in annual traffic even though the overall market is shrinking.
"So even in contracting markets, what's happening is that the customer base is moving towards the value-based providers because of obviously affordability," he said.
Westaway said the first long-haul flight out of Singapore is expected to take off in December but the destination has not yet been finalised and that the carrier will offer competitive fares.
"We will be very low-fare in the market. We will try to bring the overall low fares down by around 30 percent," he said.
Jetstar's fare pricing is on average 35-40 percent below that of Qantas, Westaway said.
Two new A330-200 jets will be deployed for the new service and Jetstar will be taking delivery of the first aircraft in November.
The carrier already operates long-haul services from Australia to destinations including Bali, Tokyo, Osaka, Bangkok, Phuket and Honolulu.
It's Singapore-based affiliate Jetstar Asia currently flies to short-haul destinations from the city-state.
-News courtesy of Channel Newsasia-
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