Airlines in the Asia Pacific region are steadily increasing and resuming flights to destinations that were shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic, including China and Australia. This news comes as international travel begins to pick up again, with borders slowly reopening around the world.
Air New Zealand is among the airlines that have resumed seasonal direct services between Auckland and the Sunshine Coast in Australia, flying three times a week on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. Air New Zealand General Manager Short Haul Airline, Jeremy O’Brien, stated that the route has always been popular for Kiwis looking for a winter getaway to the beautiful Sunshine Coast. Air New Zealand flies to nine destinations around Australia, including Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Hobart, Adelaide, Cairns, the Sunshine Coast, and the Gold Coast.
Korean Air also announced that it will increase its flights on its China network from 17 March following an agreement with China to increase the number of flights to pre-pandemic levels. The airline’s weekly flight frequency on its China routes will reach 38 percent and 43 percent of 2019 levels in March/April and May/June, respectively. This move will provide more convenient schedules between Incheon and Gimpo Airports and major cities in China, such as Beijing and Shanghai.
Vietjet has also announced that it is restoring two more services that connect Hong Kong to Phu Quoc and Da Nang on 27-28 April. As the only direct service between the two destinations, the Phu Quoc – Hong Kong route will operate from 27 April with three weekly flights on every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. Additionally, from 26 March, the Ho Chi Minh City – Hong Kong service will increase from five to seven flights per week.
Vietjet’s announcement will be welcome news to international travelers to Phu Quoc, who are eligible for a 30-day visa waiver. The Da Nang – Hong Kong route will be in service from 28 April with four weekly flights on every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday.
The resumption and addition of flights are promising signs of recovery for the aviation industry in the Asia Pacific region. It’s also a positive sign that the global effort to combat the COVID-19 pandemic is yielding results and allowing the world to start to recover.
Source: Asian Aviation
First love never dies. I fell in love with airplanes and aviation when I was a kid. My dream was to become a pilot, but destiny led me to another path: to be an aviation digital media content creator and a small business owner. My passion for aviation inspires me to bring you quality content through my website and social accounts. Aviation is indeed in my blood and blog!
