Monday, January 22, 2018
Tuesday, January 16, 2018
马航全新空巴A350 往返吉隆坡-伦敦启航
马航全新空巴A350 往返吉隆坡-伦敦启航
马航全新空中巴士（Airbus）A350-900型飞机MH4今天在吉隆坡国际机场举行启航仪式，该飞机即日起往返吉隆坡-伦敦的航线。
马航今天发文告说，MH4于今早9时15分从吉隆坡国际机场起飞，预计今天下午3时25分抵达伦敦希思罗机场。英国与大马的时差为8小时。
马航总执行长依占依斯迈上尉及总商务长慕伦也在场欢送MH4的255名乘客起飞。
A350型飞机共有4个头等舱座位、35个商务舱座位，以及247个经济舱座位。
文告说，这架新飞机提供更宽阔的经济舱座位，以及带来全新的机上娱乐体验。
~以上新闻转自光华日报~
马航全新空中巴士（Airbus）A350-900型飞机MH4今天在吉隆坡国际机场举行启航仪式，该飞机即日起往返吉隆坡-伦敦的航线。
马航今天发文告说，MH4于今早9时15分从吉隆坡国际机场起飞，预计今天下午3时25分抵达伦敦希思罗机场。英国与大马的时差为8小时。
马航总执行长依占依斯迈上尉及总商务长慕伦也在场欢送MH4的255名乘客起飞。
A350型飞机共有4个头等舱座位、35个商务舱座位，以及247个经济舱座位。
文告说，这架新飞机提供更宽阔的经济舱座位，以及带来全新的机上娱乐体验。
~以上新闻转自光华日报~
Monday, January 15, 2018
Malaysia and Singapore to sign RTS
Malaysia and Singapore to sign RTS
Malaysia and Singapore will sign an agreement on the Rapid Transit System (RTS) rail track linking Johor Baru and Woodlands in Singapore which is expected to commence in 2024.
The signing of the agreement tomorrow will be witnessed by the two prime ministers – Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and Lee Hsien Loong – after their eighth annual retreat here.
The RTS is another notch in connectivity links between Malaysia and its southern neighbour which will also see the High Speed Rail (HSR) between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore starting in 2026.
The RTS, first announced after Najib and Lee’s annual retreat in 2010, will integrate with public transport services in Johor Baru and Singapore. It was originally targeted to be operational by 2018.
Malaysian High Commissioner to Singapore Datuk Zulkifli Adnan in a media briefing yesterday said while waiting for the rail link to start operations, there must be efforts to reduce the congestion at the Causeway.
“We have seven more years to go, so what are we doing to address the present congestion?
“Transport ministers of the two countries have been discussing the possible solutions, including increasing the Tebrau bus shuttle service from 26 trips to 31 each way and reviving ferry links,” he said.
Najib, who is arriving today, will be accompanied by seven Cabinet ministers including Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman, International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Rahman Dahlan.
Zulkifli said a memorandum of understanding on educational cooperation will also be signed.
The Prime Minister will pay a courtesy call on President Halimah Yacob who was sworn in as the eighth president last year.
Lee and Najib will also launch the Marina One and Duo projects jointly developed by Khazanah Nasional Bhd and Temasek.
The two projects are part of a land swap deal for KTMB land in Singapore, with Marina One in the Marina Bay area and Duo in Ophir-Rochor Road boasting of office space, retail shops and luxury apartments.
~News courtesy of The Star~
Malaysia and Singapore will sign an agreement on the Rapid Transit System (RTS) rail track linking Johor Baru and Woodlands in Singapore which is expected to commence in 2024.
The signing of the agreement tomorrow will be witnessed by the two prime ministers – Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and Lee Hsien Loong – after their eighth annual retreat here.
The RTS is another notch in connectivity links between Malaysia and its southern neighbour which will also see the High Speed Rail (HSR) between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore starting in 2026.
The RTS, first announced after Najib and Lee’s annual retreat in 2010, will integrate with public transport services in Johor Baru and Singapore. It was originally targeted to be operational by 2018.
Malaysian High Commissioner to Singapore Datuk Zulkifli Adnan in a media briefing yesterday said while waiting for the rail link to start operations, there must be efforts to reduce the congestion at the Causeway.
“We have seven more years to go, so what are we doing to address the present congestion?
“Transport ministers of the two countries have been discussing the possible solutions, including increasing the Tebrau bus shuttle service from 26 trips to 31 each way and reviving ferry links,” he said.
Najib, who is arriving today, will be accompanied by seven Cabinet ministers including Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman, International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Rahman Dahlan.
Zulkifli said a memorandum of understanding on educational cooperation will also be signed.
The Prime Minister will pay a courtesy call on President Halimah Yacob who was sworn in as the eighth president last year.
Lee and Najib will also launch the Marina One and Duo projects jointly developed by Khazanah Nasional Bhd and Temasek.
The two projects are part of a land swap deal for KTMB land in Singapore, with Marina One in the Marina Bay area and Duo in Ophir-Rochor Road boasting of office space, retail shops and luxury apartments.
~News courtesy of The Star~
Saturday, January 13, 2018
South East Asia in the grip of chilly weather
South East Asia in the grip of chilly weather
Temperatures across South-east Asia have dipped beyond the norm in recent days, with non-stop rain and strong winds contributing to chillier tropics.
The thermostat has dropped to as low as 22°C in Kuala Lumpur and Singapore and 17ºC in Bangkok, cold bouts have been reported in Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines, and ice slabs have even been found in parts of Myanmar.
The weather has become so chilly that Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak tweeted on Friday (Jan 12): "Wow, Malaysia's weather is really cold today, just like in Jeddah!" He had just returned from a trip to Saudi Arabia.
The Malaysian Meteorological Department attributed the chill to the north-east monsoon, but did not expect temperatures to dip further. The agency forecasts all-day rain to last until Sunday in Kuala Lumpur.
Thailand has been experiencing a cold snap since last month, with fog blanketing its northern regions and frost forming on mountains.
In Hanoi, the Vietnamese capital, the temperature fell to as low as 8ºC, the lowest this winter for the city.
Though Cambodia was also struck by the cold weather this week, it was not as bad as last month, when the temperature plunge caused a sweater-shopping frenzy, and baby elephants had to wear hand-knitted coats.
The Philippines has been experiencing generally colder weather too, a result of the El Nino-La Nina weather dynamics, and the chilling Arctic air called the polar vortex. "We have seen a cold blast in the Pacific and Atlantic regions," said the local weather bureau's forecaster Nikkos Penaranda. The lowest temperature recorded recently was 12.2ºC in the northern city of Baguio on Jan 1.
Meanwhile, Indonesia's Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency said it recorded moderately lower-than-usual temperatures in the Riau Islands, an Indonesian province closest to Singapore, and in Nusa Tenggara Timur, east of the country's main tourist island of Bali. On Friday, the two locations registered temperatures of 23ºC to 25ºC.
All other provinces are seeing relatively normal temperatures, state weather forecaster Risda Novikarani told The Straits Times.
Over in South Asia, the northern parts of India were also in the midst of a cold spell, but meteorological officials said this was well within the range for winter months. "Temperatures have fallen and the cold wave condition is more severe in January than December," said Mahesh Palawat, director of private weather forecaster Skymet. "It is a normal winter."
According to India's Meteorological Department, minimum temperatures in most parts of northern India this week continued to be between 5ºC and 10ºC, and would remain so until Monday (Jan 15).
~The Straits Times/Asia News Network~
Temperatures across South-east Asia have dipped beyond the norm in recent days, with non-stop rain and strong winds contributing to chillier tropics.
The thermostat has dropped to as low as 22°C in Kuala Lumpur and Singapore and 17ºC in Bangkok, cold bouts have been reported in Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines, and ice slabs have even been found in parts of Myanmar.
The weather has become so chilly that Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak tweeted on Friday (Jan 12): "Wow, Malaysia's weather is really cold today, just like in Jeddah!" He had just returned from a trip to Saudi Arabia.
The Malaysian Meteorological Department attributed the chill to the north-east monsoon, but did not expect temperatures to dip further. The agency forecasts all-day rain to last until Sunday in Kuala Lumpur.
Thailand has been experiencing a cold snap since last month, with fog blanketing its northern regions and frost forming on mountains.
In Hanoi, the Vietnamese capital, the temperature fell to as low as 8ºC, the lowest this winter for the city.
Though Cambodia was also struck by the cold weather this week, it was not as bad as last month, when the temperature plunge caused a sweater-shopping frenzy, and baby elephants had to wear hand-knitted coats.
The Philippines has been experiencing generally colder weather too, a result of the El Nino-La Nina weather dynamics, and the chilling Arctic air called the polar vortex. "We have seen a cold blast in the Pacific and Atlantic regions," said the local weather bureau's forecaster Nikkos Penaranda. The lowest temperature recorded recently was 12.2ºC in the northern city of Baguio on Jan 1.
Meanwhile, Indonesia's Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency said it recorded moderately lower-than-usual temperatures in the Riau Islands, an Indonesian province closest to Singapore, and in Nusa Tenggara Timur, east of the country's main tourist island of Bali. On Friday, the two locations registered temperatures of 23ºC to 25ºC.
All other provinces are seeing relatively normal temperatures, state weather forecaster Risda Novikarani told The Straits Times.
Over in South Asia, the northern parts of India were also in the midst of a cold spell, but meteorological officials said this was well within the range for winter months. "Temperatures have fallen and the cold wave condition is more severe in January than December," said Mahesh Palawat, director of private weather forecaster Skymet. "It is a normal winter."
According to India's Meteorological Department, minimum temperatures in most parts of northern India this week continued to be between 5ºC and 10ºC, and would remain so until Monday (Jan 15).
~The Straits Times/Asia News Network~
Wednesday, January 10, 2018
MAS resumes flights to Brisbane
MAS resumes flights to Brisbane
Direct flights between Kuala Lumpur and Brisbane will start again on June 6.
Malaysia Airlines will be using an A330-300 with up to 290 seats for the four times weekly service.
The airline will be operating every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday, said Malaysia Airlines CEO Izham Ismail.
In conjunction with the reopening of this route, Malaysia Airlines will kickstart its New Year Deals campaign with promotional all-inclusive return fares on Economy Class to Brisbane from RM2,009.
The sale ends on Jan 14. The travel period is from Jan 16 to May 31, with the exception of Brisbane from June 6 to Oct 31.
To grab this promotion, customers can visit the airline’s preferred travel agents, via mobile app or its official website.
Tickets to Brisbane are now on sale at www.malaysiaairlines.com.
~News courtesy of The Star~
Direct flights between Kuala Lumpur and Brisbane will start again on June 6.
Malaysia Airlines will be using an A330-300 with up to 290 seats for the four times weekly service.
The airline will be operating every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday, said Malaysia Airlines CEO Izham Ismail.
In conjunction with the reopening of this route, Malaysia Airlines will kickstart its New Year Deals campaign with promotional all-inclusive return fares on Economy Class to Brisbane from RM2,009.
The sale ends on Jan 14. The travel period is from Jan 16 to May 31, with the exception of Brisbane from June 6 to Oct 31.
To grab this promotion, customers can visit the airline’s preferred travel agents, via mobile app or its official website.
Tickets to Brisbane are now on sale at www.malaysiaairlines.com.
~News courtesy of The Star~
Thursday, January 4, 2018
Singapore Airlines ranked among safest carriers for 2018
Singapore Airlines ranked among safest carriers for 2018
Singapore Airlines (SIA) is one of 20 airlines deemed the safest in the world for 2018, according to aviation analysis website AirlineRatings.com.
The 20, in alphabetical order, are: Air New Zealand, Alaska Airlines, All Nippon Airways, British Airways, Cathay Pacific Airways, Emirates, Etihad Airways, EVA Air, Finnair, Hawaiian Airlines, Japan Airlines, KLM, Lufthansa, Qantas, Royal Jordanian Airlines, Scandinavian Airline System, Singapore Airlines, Swiss, Virgin Atlantic and, Virgin Australia.
SIA was also within the top 20 in 2017 and 2016.
"These airlines are standouts in the industry and are at the forefront of safety, innovation, and launching of new aircraft," said AirlineRatings.com editor-in-chief Geoffrey Thomas.
"Qantas has been the lead airline in virtually every major operational safety advancement over the past 60 years and has not had a fatality in the jet era,” said Thomas. “But Qantas is not alone. Long-established airlines such as Hawaiian and Finnair have perfect records in the jet era.”
Ten budget carriers were also identified as the safest low-cost airlines: Aer Lingus, Flybe, Frontier, HK Express, Jetblue, Jetstar Australia, Thomas Cook, Virgin America, Vueling, and Westjet.
The website said it referred to a variety of factors that influence safety for its shortlists, including audits from aviation’s governing bodies and lead associations; government audits; the airline’s crash and serious incident record and the fleet age.
“All airlines have incidents every day and many are aircraft manufacture issues, not airline operational problems ... It is the way the flight crew handles incidents that determines a good airline from an unsafe one," Thomas said.
"Our top 20 safest airlines are always at the forefront of safety innovation, operational excellence and the launching of new more advanced aircraft like the Airbus A350 and Boeing 787."
AirlineRatings.com, launched in June 2013, rates the safety and services of 409 airlines worldwide.
Source: Channel News Asia
Singapore Airlines (SIA) is one of 20 airlines deemed the safest in the world for 2018, according to aviation analysis website AirlineRatings.com.
The 20, in alphabetical order, are: Air New Zealand, Alaska Airlines, All Nippon Airways, British Airways, Cathay Pacific Airways, Emirates, Etihad Airways, EVA Air, Finnair, Hawaiian Airlines, Japan Airlines, KLM, Lufthansa, Qantas, Royal Jordanian Airlines, Scandinavian Airline System, Singapore Airlines, Swiss, Virgin Atlantic and, Virgin Australia.
SIA was also within the top 20 in 2017 and 2016.
"These airlines are standouts in the industry and are at the forefront of safety, innovation, and launching of new aircraft," said AirlineRatings.com editor-in-chief Geoffrey Thomas.
"Qantas has been the lead airline in virtually every major operational safety advancement over the past 60 years and has not had a fatality in the jet era,” said Thomas. “But Qantas is not alone. Long-established airlines such as Hawaiian and Finnair have perfect records in the jet era.”
Ten budget carriers were also identified as the safest low-cost airlines: Aer Lingus, Flybe, Frontier, HK Express, Jetblue, Jetstar Australia, Thomas Cook, Virgin America, Vueling, and Westjet.
The website said it referred to a variety of factors that influence safety for its shortlists, including audits from aviation’s governing bodies and lead associations; government audits; the airline’s crash and serious incident record and the fleet age.
“All airlines have incidents every day and many are aircraft manufacture issues, not airline operational problems ... It is the way the flight crew handles incidents that determines a good airline from an unsafe one," Thomas said.
"Our top 20 safest airlines are always at the forefront of safety innovation, operational excellence and the launching of new more advanced aircraft like the Airbus A350 and Boeing 787."
AirlineRatings.com, launched in June 2013, rates the safety and services of 409 airlines worldwide.
Source: Channel News Asia
SIA to start charging credit card fees for flights departing Singapore
SIA to start charging credit card fees for flights departing Singapore
Some Singapore Airlines (SIA) passengers booking flights departing from Singapore could soon incur a fee if they use a credit card to pay for their tickets.
From Jan 20, there will be a 1.3 per cent "service fee" based on the total cost of the booking, capped at a maximum charge of S$50 per passenger.
This currently applies only to tickets issued under its soon-to-be-launched Economy Lite category, said SIA on its website on Wednesday (Jan 3).
The credit card service fee will apply to tickets issued on and from Jan 20, and is non-refundable.
"Since November 2016, we have implemented a similar credit card service fee in Australia and subsequently in other markets," SIA said in response to queries from Channel NewsAsia. "The fee implementation in Singapore is therefore a progressive initiative," it added.
An alert informing customers that a new credit card fee will apply for Economy Lite tickets. (Screengrab: SIA website) Advertisement
The new service fee coincides with a tweak in airfare pricing structure announced by SIA last month. Effective Jan 20, SIA will replace, among other things, its current economy class categories with three new offerings named Lite, Standard and Flexi.
SIA explained on its website that the credit card fees are to recover "costs relating to the acceptance of credit cards".
The new fee will not affect passengers who use their KrisFlyer miles to book tickets and their credit cards to pay for any associated taxes and other charges.
The credit card fee also does not apply to added extras such as preferred seat selection or excess baggage.
EXISTING SIA CREDIT CARD SERVICE FEES
Currently, SIA charges credit card service fees for flights departing from Australia, Belgium, Netherlands, New Zealand and United Kingdom. The fees vary for each country.
For example, tickets for SIA flights departing from New Zealand can incur a credit card fee of 1.7 per cent for each ticket. The credit card fee, which was implemented on Apr 3, 2017, is the highest out of all the countries the fee applies to.
The lowest credit card fee, at 1 per cent, applies to flights departing from the UK.
SIA's credit card surcharge is not unique in the competitive aviation industry.
Middle Eastern carrier Emirates, for example, charges a credit card fee for flights departing from the UK, Ireland, Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Poland, Turkey, New Zealand and Australia.
At Air France, a flat rate of S$20 is charged for tickets booked using a credit card, with the exception of tickets for infants.
Singapore budget airline Scoot also includes a "processing fee" for customers paying for their tickets using credit cards.
There are no service fees for payment through debit cards or PayPal.
Source: Channel News Asia
Some Singapore Airlines (SIA) passengers booking flights departing from Singapore could soon incur a fee if they use a credit card to pay for their tickets.
From Jan 20, there will be a 1.3 per cent "service fee" based on the total cost of the booking, capped at a maximum charge of S$50 per passenger.
This currently applies only to tickets issued under its soon-to-be-launched Economy Lite category, said SIA on its website on Wednesday (Jan 3).
The credit card service fee will apply to tickets issued on and from Jan 20, and is non-refundable.
"Since November 2016, we have implemented a similar credit card service fee in Australia and subsequently in other markets," SIA said in response to queries from Channel NewsAsia. "The fee implementation in Singapore is therefore a progressive initiative," it added.
An alert informing customers that a new credit card fee will apply for Economy Lite tickets. (Screengrab: SIA website) Advertisement
The new service fee coincides with a tweak in airfare pricing structure announced by SIA last month. Effective Jan 20, SIA will replace, among other things, its current economy class categories with three new offerings named Lite, Standard and Flexi.
SIA explained on its website that the credit card fees are to recover "costs relating to the acceptance of credit cards".
The new fee will not affect passengers who use their KrisFlyer miles to book tickets and their credit cards to pay for any associated taxes and other charges.
The credit card fee also does not apply to added extras such as preferred seat selection or excess baggage.
EXISTING SIA CREDIT CARD SERVICE FEES
Currently, SIA charges credit card service fees for flights departing from Australia, Belgium, Netherlands, New Zealand and United Kingdom. The fees vary for each country.
For example, tickets for SIA flights departing from New Zealand can incur a credit card fee of 1.7 per cent for each ticket. The credit card fee, which was implemented on Apr 3, 2017, is the highest out of all the countries the fee applies to.
The lowest credit card fee, at 1 per cent, applies to flights departing from the UK.
SIA's credit card surcharge is not unique in the competitive aviation industry.
Middle Eastern carrier Emirates, for example, charges a credit card fee for flights departing from the UK, Ireland, Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Poland, Turkey, New Zealand and Australia.
At Air France, a flat rate of S$20 is charged for tickets booked using a credit card, with the exception of tickets for infants.
Singapore budget airline Scoot also includes a "processing fee" for customers paying for their tickets using credit cards.
There are no service fees for payment through debit cards or PayPal.
Source: Channel News Asia
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