Asiana Airlines Inc. announced Sunday it will increase fees for excess baggage on its international flights starting Jan. 2, 2025. Those fees apply to baggage in excess of the airline's free allowance. Fees for baggage exceeding the quantity limit will go up by as much as 40,000 won ($29.66) depending on routes, Asiana said. For short-haul routes within 90 minutes from Korea, the excess baggage fee will rise from 60,000 won per piece to 90,000 won. For flights to Europe, Africa and Oceania, the fee will go from 140,000 won to 180,000 won per piece. Every extra piece of baggage on flights to the United States will cost 240,000 won, up from the current 200,000 won. Asiana will also raise its excess weight fees, with 23 kilograms being the limit. On non-U.S. international flights, each piece of baggage weighing between 24 kg and 28 kg requires passengers to pay a fee of 35,000 won to 90,000 won, while pieces weighing between 29 kg and 32 kg cost passengers 50,000 won to 110,000 won. Asiana will combine those weight ranges and charge passengers 60,000 won to 110,000 won. Asiana, South Korea's second-largest airline, said this will be its first increase of excess baggage fees since July 2019. "Considering the rise in operation costs, among others, this was an inevitable step," Asiana said. "We will offer a 10% discount to passengers who pre-purchase additional baggage allowance."<br/>
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Thai Airways International expects to exit business rehabilitation by the second quarter of 2025, as it works through capital restructuring for the rest of this year. The disclosure comes as it outlines its new growth strategy – called “Fly for the new pride” – to ensure “sustained profitability” in the long term. Chair of Thai’s business rehabilitation plan executive committee Piyasvasti Amranand says the airline is undertaking a capital restructuring which will see it convert existing creditor debt into capital and granting its creditors the right to convert their additional debt into capital. This also includes the offering of additional common shares to existing airline shareholders “to strengthen Thai Airways’ capital” and prepare for an eventual relisting on the Thai bourse. “After the capital restructuring under this rehabilitation plan, it is expected that the [Thai] Ministry of Finance will remain a major shareholder, but the shareholding proportion will be reduced to provide opportunities for other investors,” adds Piyasvasti. When the restructuring is completed by the end of the year, Thai will have a new board of directors and will file a petition with the country’s Central Bankruptcy Court to exit rehabilitation. An embattled Thai filed for bankruptcy protection in 2020 as it was heavily impacted by a collapse in air travel during the pandemic. Since then, it has restructured its operations, merging its regional unit Thai Smile into mainline operations, and trimming the number of employees and aircraft types in its fleet. Its financial results have seen a turnaround too: the airline posted post-pandemic profits following the resumption of international travel. “This business rehabilitation plan is a major transformation of the organisation, in terms of restructuring the organisation from being a state enterprise to…a private company that operates efficiently, flexibly and transparently,” notes Piyasvasti. Airline chief Chai Eamsiri, speaking about the airline’s new business strategy, says Thai is “aiming for sustainable growth…by revolutionising our business, building a strong network of partners and upgrading our service standards”.<br/>
From Oct 7 to Nov 3, Japanese commuters will be greeted by floral batik patterns adorning the exteriors of some Nagoya Railway trains. These batik motif-themed trains were rolled out by Singapore Airlines (SIA) to mark its 35 years of flying to and from Nagoya, said the national carrier in a press statement in Japanese on Oct 4. The airline said it began operating three flights a week from Nagoya to Singapore in October 1989. SIA said the batik motif, which is featured on SIA’s sarong kebaya uniforms, represents the history and tradition of the airline, as well as the lush garden city of Singapore. The trains with the special livery will operate on 12 lines including the Nagoya Main, Toyokawa, Inuyama and Tokoname lines. SIA passengers departing from Nagoya from Oct 1 to 26 will also be treated to in-flight meals using specialities from the Chubu region.<br/>