Thai VietJet Air (TVJA) has set a definite date for its long-pending launch that has been delayed for years. Though the Thai subsidiary of VietJet Air has yet to officially announce its launch, TVJA's debut is fixed for Sept 15. The airline recently commenced taking reservations online for 3 domestic routes. TVJA will become the first Thai-registered LCC in over 2 and a half years to take to the skies, which are increasingly crowded with budget flights. The previous LCC entry was Thai Lion Air, part of Indonesia's Lion Airline Group, which started commercial services in Dec 2013. The arrival of TVJA will intensify competition among no-frills carriers. TVJA's entry in the Thai domestic market will contribute to the oversupply of seat capacity on domestic routes, the airline cautioned. <br/>
unaligned
Pegasus Airlines recorded a sharp deterioration in its half-yearly financial figures, with the airline making a net loss of TL202.9m (US$70m) widened from a deficit of TL42.2m for the same period last year. Half-year revenue was up 5% at TL1.49m, compared to TL1.42m last time. The airline said it had experienced “challenging conditions” in the tourism sector, which makes up a substantial proportion of its revenue. A series of terrorist bombings in Turkey, together with an effective ban by Russia on its citizens taking holidays there following the downing of a Russian strike aircraft by Turkish interceptors late in 2015, has seen inbound tourism figures plummet. The Russian action has recently been rescinded following a rapprochement between the two nations. <br/>
The state of Hawaii aims to finish building a new immigration facility at Kailua-Kona's airport one month before Hawaiian Airlines begins direct flights there from Tokyo. Transportation deputy director Ross Higashi said Thursday the state is "feverishly moving" to get the facility ready by November. Hawaiian plans to start flying to Kona from Tokyo Dec. 20. The immigration facility will be temporary. A permanent facility would cost US$50m. The department plans to seek money from the state's general fund to cover the expense, he said. That's because the new flight from Tokyo will generate general excise tax, transient accommodations tax and corporate income tax revenue that will feed the general fund, he said. Hawaiian's new route will bring a regularly scheduled direct flight from Japan to the Big Island for the first time since 2010. <br/>
GoAir has announced it will expand its fleet size by March 2017. With an aim to expand its fleet size, the carrier also said it would recruit 500 crew members, including pilots. The carrier said it plans to induct 5 new aircraft to its fleet, which means the airline will have a fleet size of 26 aircraft to fly overseas by next year. "We need to build up for the expansion that we are going for. Every aircraft (inducted) needs 100 increase (in manpower) approximately. So we will naturally hire," Wolfgang Prock-Schauer, GoAir's CE, said. The expansion of the fleet would automatically result in hiring employees. At present, GoAir has about 2,300 employees. Earlier this month, GoAir reportedly received the govt's approval to fly overseas to 9 countries. Some of the countries include Iran, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. <br/>
After the Union of Cabin Crew (UCC) stormed out of a meeting with tourism minister Edward Zammit Lewis late Friday, the govt has started a recruitment process for Air Malta cabin crew adverts published in various newspapers. In view of the stand-off between the two sides, this could be seen as a thinly veiled threat by the govt to apply pressure on current Air Malta cabin crew to comply with what is being offered. The advertisement calls on all trained cabin crew to apply for a 3-day refresher course starting Monday. This is not the first conflict to unfold in relation with embattled Air Malta, with the Airline Pilots Association previously taking industrial action over a collective agreement that expired last year. Sources have said that the UCC had been offered a similar package to what had been offered to ALPA. <br/>