You’re all busy bees so we’ve made this short and sweet. We wanted to say ‘just like us’ but our colleagues reckon we’re tall and rude.
Whooshkaa takes off with Virgin
Podcast platform Whooshkaa is taking off in 2018, bringing new podcasts to millions of high-flyers aboard Virgin Australia flights.
Whooshkaa and Virgin Australia have come together to deliver select podcasts to listeners in the skies from February 1. On launch, shows include the popular Business Insider, Meshel Laurie’s Australian True Crime, myBody+Soul’s Healthy- ish and Rachel Corbett’s You’ve Gotta Start Somewhere with more to follow.
Whooshkaa also partners with the Australian Radio Network, Wil Anderson, Osher Günsberg, the Sports Entertainment Network, Sky News, Fox Sports and more, making it the nation’s largest host of Australian podcasting content.
In December 2017 Virgin Australia flew nearly two million passengers to 58 destinations on almost 14,000 domestic and international flights.
Air Astana profit rebounds in 2017
Air Astana posted a profit of US$39.1 million in 2017, returning to profit after its first ever loss in 2016. The airline recorded passenger growth of 12 per cent and revenue growth of 22 per cent in 2017, after negative growth in both 2015 and 2016 following the devaluation of the Kazakh Tenge in mid-2015. The airline carried 4.2 million passengers in 2017 and recorded total revenues of US$754 million.
Air freight uplift also grew by 23 per cent. Capacity grew by seven per cent, with new routes added between Astana and Delhi and Astana and Kiev, and increased frequencies on flights to Bangkok, Beijing, Dubai, Istanbul, London, Moscow, Novosibirsk, Omsk, St. Petersburg, Seoul, Tashkent, Tbilisi, Urumqi and Yekaterinburg.
The airline took delivery of its second Airbus A320 neo Family, an A321, and confirmed an order for five Embraer new-generation E2 regional jets, with deliveries starting in October 2018, bringing its total outstanding aircraft orders to 23 (15 Airbus A320neo Family, five Embraer E2s and three Boeing 787s).
KrisFlyer to launch world’s first blockchain-based airline loyalty digital wallet
The SIA Group’s KrisFlyer frequent-flyer programme is to launch a world-first blockchain-based airline loyalty digital wallet capability that will help unlock the value of KrisFlyer miles to enable everyday spending at retail partners.
A new KrisFlyer digital wallet app utilising this innovative technology is expected to be rolled out in about six months. It will allow the extensive KrisFlyer membership base to use ‘digital KrisFlyer miles’ for point-of-sale transactions at participating retail merchants.
Following a successful proof-of-concept exercise carried out in collaboration with KPMG Digital Village and Microsoft, KrisFlyer will now be signing up retail merchant partners, initially in the Singapore market.
The first-of-its-kind lifestyle digital wallet app for an airline loyalty programme will be enabled through blockchain technology, using an SIA-owned private blockchain involving only merchants and partners.
Naumi Auckland Airport now open
Naumi Hotels, the Singapore-based design hotel group, is delighted to announce that Naumi Auckland Airport is now officially open. The brand’s first location in New Zealand, Naumi Auckland Airport has been designed to exude a contemporary vibe, with bold accents of colour and playful details at every turn. The property heralds a wider expansion plan in Australasia and will be followed by a new location in Sydney, Australia.
A game-changer in the surrounding area and in Auckland as a whole, Naumi Auckland Airport brings a refuge from the predictable and joins Naumi Hotel Singapore and Naumi Liora Singapore as the third property by the award-winning group. Located in the airport precinct, south of the city centre and just minutes from the international and domestic airports, the hotel offers a perfect stylish stopover for leisure and business travellers.
With 193 spacious rooms and suites offering private patios and balconies, an outdoor swimming pool, a perfectly manicured English garden, restaurant and bar, fully-equipped gym and over 500 sqm of conference and meeting space, the property offers all the signature Naumi comforts with the idiosyncratic design and personalised, authentic service the brand is known for. For those with time to explore, the hotel is near New Zealand’s famous winery, Villa Maria Wine Estate, as well as the historic Otuataua Stonefields Reserve and Mangere Mountain.
Port Moresby Jackson’s international airport boosts connectivity with SITA Airporthub
Papua New Guinea’s National Airport Corporation has selected SITA AirportHub™ to boost connectivity at Port Moresby Jackson’s International Airport. SITA AirportHub is an airport-wide shared connectivity platform that enables Port Moresby airport to provide airlines, ground handlers and other tenants with secure and reliable bandwidth, including wireless connectivity to access off-airport applications. The system is currently operational at more than 440 airports and provides 7,000 customer connections around the world.
AirAsia and Avalon Airport to commence international flights
AirAsia and Avalon Airport announced today that AirAsia will move its Melbourne operations to Avalon Airport from Melbourne Airport, effective later this year.
AirAsia X Malaysia will operate twice daily flights as the first international carrier at the airport, making long-haul flying affordable for Melbourne and the Victorian region, and improving access to more than 130 destinations in Asia and beyond.
A total of 500,000 international passengers are projected to move through Avalon Airport in the first year of operations.
The move was announced at an industry event at Avalon Airport today with special guests including the Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Hon. Julie Bishop, AirAsia Group CEO and AirAsia X Co-Group CEO Tony Fernandes, Founder of Linfox, Lindsay Fox AC, Executive Chairman Linfox Airports, David Fox, AirAsia X Malaysia CEO Benyamin Ismail, Minister for Industry and Employment, the Hon. Ben Carroll, Avalon Airport CEO Justin Giddings, and local TV personality Catriona Rowntree as master of ceremonies.
Emirates Group celebrates outstanding employees at annual Najm Chairman’s Awards
The Emirates Group has honoured its top employees for their extraordinary commitment to excellence, performance, and service.
The ‘Najm Chairman’s Awards’ ceremony took place at Emirates’ Group Headquarters, and was presented by His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline & Group. Colleagues, families and friends of this year’s winners also gathered to support and cheer on their loved ones and colleagues.
Najm, means ‘star’ in Arabic, and is the Emirates Group’s rewards and recognition system that recognises employees for their commitment to excellence and innovation. This is the 11th edition of the annual Chairman’s award, which has seen more than 70 employees recognised for individual and collective achievements within the Emirates Group. Award nominations run through a rigorous review, selection and voting process by heads of departments and members of the senior executive team.
The Najm Chairman’s Award 2017/2018 winners were recognised for a range of outstanding achievements, from saving lives and providing support in difficult situations, to creating innovative business solutions.
Finnair unveils its first Japanese Signature Menu chef
Finnair continues its Signature Chef program by introducing the airline’s first Japanese Signature Chef.
Finnair Corporate Sales Manager Australia, Sanna Ruuskanen said Tokyo-based top chef, Rika Maezawa, had designed a series of five seasonal signature menus to be served in the Business class of Finnair´s flights from Tokyo to Helsinki commencing 7 February 2018.
Rika Maezawa opened her first restaurant in Tokyo in 2003 after receiving training at several well-known Japanese restaurants. Her food philosophy places a strong focus on vegetables and seasonal flavours from Japanese home cooking.
She also takes her inspiration from Japan’s history – as far as the Edo period from 1603 to 1868 – as well as from overseas influences to create modern yet nostalgic vegetable centric meals that go beyond the conventional boundaries of Japanese cuisine.
