Oakwood to Open 7th Property in Thailand in May
(25 Feb 2021) Oakwood plans to open its seventh property in Thailand, and the fourth in the Kingdom's capital city, in May.
The Oakwood Hotel & Residence Bangkok, scheduled to open on 19 May 2021, will add 142 studios and one-bedroom apartments to the Thai capital.
Located a short distance away from Asiatique The Riverfront and ICON SIAM, the Oakwood Hotel & Residence Bangkok is situated between two BTS train stations – Saphan Taksin and Surasak.
“Oakwood Hotel & Residence Bangkok will enhance the hospitality landscape surrounding the iconic Chao Phraya River and offer an elevated experience for guests seeking a residential
Emirates Operates First Flight with Fully Vaccinated Team
(25 Feb 2021) Emirates has operated its first flight with fully vaccinated frontline teams servicing customers at every touchpoint of the travel journey.
Flight EK215, which departed Dubai for Los Angeles at 08:30, was supported by check-in, security, Business and First Class lounge and boarding gate employees, as well as engineers, pilots and cabin crew who have made the choice to be fully vaccinated.
Also supporting the flight’s operations were fully vaccinated aircraft appearance, loading and special handling teams from dnata, as well as SkyCargo teams working on the cargo and logistics requirements for EK215.
Inmarsat Appoints Rajeev Suri as CEO
(25 Feb 2021) Inmarsat has appointed Rajeev Suri as CEO, effective 1 March 2021.
Rajeev will also become a director of Connect Bidco Limited, the holding company for Inmarsat.
He succeeds Rupert Pearce who is stepping down as CEO of Inmarsat on 28 February 2021.
Rajeev joins Inmarsat from Nokia where he was President and CEO for six years. Prior to that, he was the CEO of Nokia Siemens Networks for five years, a joint venture company that merged Nokia’s and Siemens’ networks businesses. Rajeev has also worked in senior advisory roles with private equity firms Warburg Pincus and Apollo
Optimism from Thai AirAsia CEO as AAV Reports Net Loss of THB 4.7 Billion
(25 Feb 2021) Asia Aviation (AAV), the major shareholder of Thai AirAsia, has reported a Q4 2020 revenue of Baht 4,158.6 million and a net loss of Baht 1,114.4 million (1.1 billion Thai Baht equals approximately US$36.5 million).
The loss was partially caused by the impairment on right-of-use assets equating to Baht 1,416 million. Thai AirAsia was EBITDA positive in the quarter, excluding the fuel hedging loss of Baht 799 million.
Domestic flight services performed exceptionally well in Q4 2020 with Thai AirAsia operating 107 percent of the number of seats it did in the corresponding period in 2019, prior
IATA Expects Airline Industry to Remain Cash Negative Throughout 2021
(25 Feb 2021) IATA has announced that it expects the airline industry to remain cash negative throughout 2021.
Previous analysis (November 2020) indicated that airlines would turn cash positive in the fourth quarter of 2021. At the industry level, airlines are now not expected to be cash positive until 2022.
Estimates for cash burn in 2021 have ballooned to the $75 billion to $95 billion range from a previously anticipated $48 billion. The following factors play into this estimate:
Weak Start for 2021: It is already clear that the first half of 2021 will be worse than earlier anticipated. This is because governments have tightened travel restrictions in response
Southeast Asia to Need 4,400 New Airplanes by 2039
(25 Feb 2021) Boeing anticipates airlines in Southeast Asia will need 4,400 new airplanes valued at US$700 billion to support expanding demand for air travel over the next 20 years.
The intra-Southeast Asian market will become the fifth largest in the world by 2039, and the vast domestic and regional air-travel network across the region positions it well for a post-pandemic recovery, according to Boeing’s 2020 Commercial Market Outlook (CMO).
With low-cost carriers providing affordable service and added capacity, the CMO projects passenger traffic growth in Southeast Asia to grow by 5.7% annually throughout the forecast period. Through the period, Southeast Asia will become
(25 Feb 2021) British Airways has launched two new fare brands for its trade customers.
The Select and Select Pro fares are available, exclusively for agents, via GDS and NDC.
They fares are both refundable which will give customers the flexibility to cancel a flight and claim a full or partial refund should their travel plans change. There will also be no change fee payable for Select and Select Pro bookings.
The fares will sit alongside the current Basic, Standard/Plus and Fully Flexible fares, and will enhance the suite of fare options available to suit the different budgets and flexibility needs of customers.
(25 Feb 2021) TFE Hotels has opened the world's very first A by Adina-branded hotel.
Located at Constitution Place, the new-build A by Adina Canberra represents the global debut of this new brand.
The Bates Smart-designed apartment hotel is also the centrepiece of Capital Property Group’s much-anticipated $300m upscale Constitution Place precinct and will play a key role in the strategy to enliven Canberra’s central business district.
TFE Hotels CEO, Antony Ritch, said, “We are of the belief that different stays shouldn’t need a different hotel each time. So, our A by Adinas bring to life the idea of ‘hotel living’ by embracing
COVID19 Changes IT Spending Priorities for Airlines and Airports
(24 Feb 2021) The ongoing global COVID19 pandemic refocused IT spending priorities for airlines and airports in 2020 as revenue plunged and the industry faced various new health and operational requirements.
Among the key findings from SITA’s 2020 Air Transport IT Insights, published on 24 February, was an accelerated investment in automated passenger processing focusing on touchless and mobile services.
There was also a strong focus on virtual and remote IT services that allowed employees to work from home while ramping up communications with passengers. Cybersecurity and cloud services – that helped automate operations and drive new
Nobu Signs Hotel in Hamburg, Germany
(24 Feb 2021) Nobu, the lifestyle brand founded by Nobu Matsuhisa, Robert De Niro and Meir Teper, has signed a hotel in Hamburg, Germany.
The hotel will be located within the Elbtower, a mixed-use development rising 245m and 64 stories over the River Elbe.
Designed by celebrated architectural firm, David Chipperfield Architects, the Elbtower will also feature a variety of retail shops, restaurants, and co-working spaces.
Trevor Horwell, CEO Nobu Hospitality, said, "Hamburg is an economic powerhouse in Germany and is an exciting destination for travellers whether for business or pleasure and perfectly fits with our global clientele. The Elbtower itself is a