Hong Kong (September 18, 2008) /China Newswire/ — An Early Bird Discount is available – Book this week!

The event, to be held 2-4 December 2008 at the Langham Place Hotel in Hong Kong, follows on from Ti's successful conference in Amsterdam, The Netherlands in May. As with the previous event, delegates will benefit not only from the high level presentations made by leading Experts in the logistics sector, but uniquely from research and analysis delivered by its own experts.

A host of influential decision makers across a range of sectors are confirmed to make keynote presentations within the knowledge packed programme. The conference has already attracted senior decision makers from a wide range of companies and sectors – go to www.ticonferences.com to see the attendee breakdown.

Among the industry executives confirmed to make keynote presentations at the conference include:

Mark Holloway, VP Customer Service & Logistics Excellence, Unilever who will discuss the challenges of supplying the region's markets whilst delivering world class customer satisfaction.

Poul Hansen, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), who will talk about the difficulties of incorporating developing markets into global supply chains and its impact on economic development.

Jürgen Rogner, VP, Deutsche Bahn who will discuss the issues and challenges involved in establishing a rail link between China and Europe: the Eurasian Landbridge.

Joe Gallick, VP, Penske Logistics who will provide an insight into its logistics operations in the automotive sector and the challenges faced in building an Asia Pacific distribution network.

To find out more about sponsorship, exhibition or delegate opportunities please email Sarah Smith at ssmith@transportintelligence.com or visit www.ticonferences.com.

Singapore (September 08, 2008) /China Newswire/ — Negotiation is an indispensable tool at the hands of the procurement executive, and is exercised to achieve cost savings, augment supplier performance, enhance quality of procured products and services, and resolve disputes. In today's global economy, bargaining with a few local suppliers and managing business operations with a handshake are things of the past. As each contract is unique, it is extremely crucial for supply management professionals to hone their negotiation skills; securing concessions that are in line with their organisation's business model, and developing proficiencies in constructing win-win agreements for both the buyer and seller.

This 2-day interactive workshop on Advanced Procurement Negotiations is designed for senior-level supply chain professionals who desire to expand their effectiveness and learn new techniques to improve on their Planning, Preparation, and Execution activities related to high-dollar negotiations with suppliers. Consisting of in-depth explorations into supply chain subjects and addressing key supply chain issues inherent in Asia and other areas around the globe, the workshop will empower delegates to leverage on their negotiating competencies to achieve superior results through a combination of innovative instruction, role-playing exercises and "best practice" techniques used by leading organisations.

Mark Trowbridge, Principal of Strategic Procurement Solutions will be leading the 2-day workshop. Mark has worked with past clients such as Apple Computer, Intel Corporation, Adobe Systems, Johnson & Johnson, Colgate-Palmolive, Volvo Trucks, Bristol Myers Squibb, Invensys Controls, LG Electronics, Federal Express & Jones Lang LaSalle.

Endorsed by industry authority in Asia: Procurement and Sourcing Institute of Asia; the event aims to address new techniques to achieve superior results when negotiating with your suppliers. 

About Pacific Conferences

Pacific Conferences specialises in organising business conferences aimed at providing interactive, insightful information and analysis about issues facing businesses in Asia-Pacific.

CONTACT INFORMATION

• Ms. Chee Seow Hui
  Pacific Conferences Pte Ltd
  Tel: (65) 6372 2204   Fax: (65) 62271601
  E-mail: seowhui@conferences.com.sg
  Website: http://www.conferences.com.sg

Singapore (August 4, 2008) /China Newswire/ — Pacific Conferences is organising a 2-day Advanced Procurement Negotiations Workshop on 20-21 October 2008 and 23-24 October 2008 in Singapore & Hong Kong respectively.

Negotiation is an indispensable tool at the hands of the procurement executive, and is exercised to achieve cost savings, augment supplier performance, enhance quality of procured products and services, and resolve disputes. In today's global economy, bargaining with a few local suppliers and managing business operations with a handshake are things of the past. As each contract is unique, it is extremely crucial for supply management professionals to hone their negotiation skills; securing concessions that are in line with their organisation's business model, and developing proficiencies in constructing win-win agreements for both the buyer and seller.

This 2-day interactive workshop on Advanced Procurement Negotiations is designed for senior-level supply chain professionals who desire to expand their effectiveness and learn new techniques to improve on their Planning, Preparation, and Execution activities related to high-dollar negotiations with suppliers. Consisting of in-depth explorations into supply chain subjects and addressing key supply chain issues inherent in Asia and other areas around the globe, the workshop will empower delegates to leverage on their negotiating competencies to achieve superior results through a combination of innovative instruction, role-playing exercises and "best practice" techniques used by leading organisations.

Mark Trowbridge, Principal of Strategic Procurement Solutions will be leading the 2-day workshop. Mark has worked with past clients such as Apple Computer, Intel Corporation, Adobe Systems, Johnson & Johnson, Colgate-Palmolive, Volvo Trucks, Bristol Myers Squibb, Invensys Controls, LG Electronics, Federal Express & Jones Lang LaSalle.

Endorsed by industry authority in Asia: Procurement and Sourcing Institute of Asia; the event aims to address new techniques to achieve superior results when negotiating with your suppliers.

INTERNET LINKS

http://www.conferences.com.sg

About Pacific Conferences
Pacific Conferences specialises in organising business conferences aimed at providing interactive, insightful information and analysis about issues facing businesses in Asia-Pacific.

CONTACT INFORMATION

• Ms. Chee Seow Hui
  Pacific Conferences Pte Ltd
  Tel: (65) 6372 2204 Fax: (65) 62271601
  E-mail: seowhui@conferences.com.sg

Technorati Tags:
Advanced Procurement Negotiations Workshop | Pacific Conferences

Hong Kong, China (July 29, 2008) /China Newswire/ — Following our highly successful conference in Europe earlier in the year, Transport Intelligence is pleased to announce our next conference, Global Distribution Strategies 2008 – Asia Pacific. The conference, which is to be held at the Langham Place Hotel, Hong Kong, 2-4 December 2008, will reveal the latest trends and developments occurring in the transport and logistics industry throughout this fast growing region.

Global Distribution Strategies 2008 - Asia Pacific will address all the main issues which shippers and logistics companies face in the region. Combining presentations by exceptional speakers from blue chip companies such as Kerry EAS Logistics, UPS, Penske, Tractus Asia, Capgemini and Crawford with those of Ti's own analysts, the conference will provide delegates with an insight into all the key markets.

According to John Manners-Bell, Ti's CEO, the new conference is a logical progression in its Global Distribution Strategies series of events. "The Asia Pacific region contains a diverse mix of markets, all at different stages of development and facing a range of challenges. This conference will examine all the major issues which manufacturers, retailers and logistics companies need to come to terms with in uncertain economic times. It will showcase world class distribution strategies providing a road map for all parties involved in the industry."

Why Attend Global Distribution Strategies – Asia Pacific:
- Discover innovations and trends in the global logistics industry
- Learn best practice from key industry executives
- Meet the Experts – exclusive access to Ti Senior Analysts at the Global Distribution Strategies Conference - Asia Pacific
- Knowledge-driven programme compiled by experts
- Top level hand picked speakers
- Blue chip manufacturers
- Great networking opportunities

An Early bird discount available to all delegates until 17 September 2008 - please go to http://www.ticonferences.com/gds_asia/register/

For details of sponsorship, exhibition and delegate packages please contact Sarah Smith, ssmith@transportintelligence.com or go to www.TiConferences.com.

Technorati Tags:
Global Distribution Strategies 2008 - Asia Pacific | Transport and Logistics Industry

Shanghai, China (March 21, 2008) /China Newswire/ — marcus evans Advanced Global Sourcing training will take place on the 7th and 8th July, at Four Points By Sheraton Hotel in Shanghai. This workshop is designed to provide participants with a proven process with which to implement global sourcing initiatives that is based on the practical experience of others involved in international buying.

China has a large, low-cost labor pool, which attracts companies with high-volume, transaction-based business processes. The domestic market has grown into the largest single market for many US and European multinationals in Asia Pacific and has also become a favored global sourcing destination. In addition, numerous large Korean and Japanese companies have aggressively integrated their China operations into their global supply chain. As a world manufacturer, China is playing a more and more important role in global supply chain, not only as the outsourcing destination for the developed countries, but also the outsourcing and insourcing center for most MNCs and big local companies in the nation.

With China's rapid developing, sourcing managers are facing new challenges, especially the continuous increase in cost. Appreciation of Renminbi, implementation of new labor law and jumps in CPI have brought more cost pressure to the companies. Cost advantage in other developing countries, such as India, Philippines, Vietnam and Thailand slowly appears. China is not the only outsourcing destination now, more and more companies in China are willing to start global sourcing to gain more competitiveness in goods or services. Global sourcing is becoming a prevalent strategy for companies in China to gain continuous competitiveness in future.

This workshop is a good opportunity for sourcing managers to discuss their global sourcing challenges and problems, and to improve their performance in international transactions. The course will be conducted in English and facilitated by international expert Mr. Robi Bendorf (Founder and President of Bendorf & Associates), who has 30 years of purchasing and sales experience, involving both domestic and international activities, for a broad range of manufacturing and service businesses.

Participants will gain real insights from the thought trainer who has overcome the obstacles being faced by best of breed organizations around the world. Join marcus evans in July in Shanghai for an extraordinary learning experience that cannot be missed.

This event is supported by media partners: ChinaSourcingNews.com, ChinaNewswire.com and China Knowledge.

INTERNET LINKS

http://www.marcusevans.com

About marcus evans
marcus evans is the world's leading provider and promoter of business summits and congresses, conferences, professional training and business intelligence. The Group's international network of offices provides a one-stop shop for all a company's business intelligence, market analysis, learning and training needs. Our Mission: To provide our clients with the information and insights they need to sustain a valuable competitive advantage.

CONTACT INFORMATION

• Amy Lim
  Marketing Assistant
  marcus evans
  Tel: +603 2723 6763
  Email: lima@marcusevanskl.com

Technorati Tags:
marcus evans Advanced Global Sourcing

The HOA identifies several elements, including the financial investment, management participation, commercial partnership and cooperation.

Details of terms identified in the HOA are subject to definitive and legally binding agreements to be discussed between, and entered into by, the parties, and are also subject to approvals by the relevant regulatory authorities and shareholders of CEA.

Strategic Investment and Partnership
Under the HOA, it is proposed that SIA will subscribe for new H-shares of CEA at a subscription price of HK$3.80 per H-share. The last closing price of CEA's H-shares was HK$3.73 per H-share as at 21 May 2007, being the last trading day prior to the suspension of trading CEA shares.

SIA proposes to subscribe for 1,235,005,263 new H-shares for a total consideration of approximately HK$4.7 billion, being an amount which is less than 5% of SIA's market capitalisation on Friday 31 August 2007, which will result in SIA holding a 15.7% stake in a recapitalised CEA following completion of the transaction.  Minority shareholder protection will be established for SIA in respect of certain major corporate actions taken by CEA.

Temasek, through Lentor, proposes to subscribe for 649,426,737 new H-shares for a total consideration of approximately HK$2.5 billion, which will result in Lentor holding a 8.3% stake in a recapitalised CEA following completion of the transaction.

SIA will be granted a right to subscribe for new shares in proportion to its shareholding in the event of a further placement of CEA shares, as well as a future right to increase its stake at a time when foreign ownership restrictions imposed by the Government of the People's Republic of China may be liberalised.  Both SIA and CEA Holding will have a right of first refusal over shares in CEA sold by the other party.

CEA Holding will also subscribe for 1,100,418,000 new H-shares for a total consideration of approximately HK$4.2 billion, which will result in CEA Holding having a 51% stake in a recapitalised CEA following completion of the transaction.

Board and Management Participation
Commensurate with its stake in CEA, SIA will be entitled to nominate two representatives to the Board of Directors of CEA.  A Board Finance Committee will be established, which will include representation from SIA.

CEA will be sending executives to SIA for attachments and training programs.  SIA will also be seconding management executives to key positions in CEA.  These proposed management exchanges will enable both organisations to share proven practices and establish closer co-operation.

Commercial Partnership and Cooperation
SIA and CEA have international route networks that complement each other, with little overlap.  CEA also has a big domestic network in China, with hubs in Shanghai, Wuhan, Kunming and Xian.

Both airlines will pursue opportunities for cooperation such as co-ordination of flight schedules and joint marketing activities.  CEA and SIA will consider jointly any question of CEA joining a global alliance.

In the spirit of this commercial partnership, CEA and CEA Holding will not issue new shares nor sell any existing shares to SIA's competitors, and SIA will not invest in other PRC-based airlines, except for Great Wall Airlines, in which it has an existing interest.

Further Announcement
A further announcement will be made when the parties enter into definitive transaction agreements relating to the proposed partnership.

In the meantime, shareholders or potential shareholders of SIA are asked to note this position, and keep it in mind in respect of any trading of SIA shares prior to any further announcement.

INTERNET LINKS

http://www.singaporeair.com

CONTACT INFORMATION

• For further information, please contact:
  Singapore Airlines Public Affairs
  Tel   : +65 6541 5880 (office hours)
  Tel   : +65 9753 2126 (after office hours) Fax  : +65 6545 6083
  E-mail:  Public_Affairs@singaporeair.com.sg

Technorati Tags:
Singapore Airlines | China Eastern Airlines

The aircraft is planned for handover by Airbus to Singapore Airlines on Monday 15 October at a ceremony in Toulouse, France.

It will be configured with 471 seats in three classes: Economy, Business and the new Singapore Airlines Suites: a class beyond First.

Within a few days of delivery, the aircraft will fly to Singapore's Changi Airport: the world's first A380 home airport.  There will be a short period set aside for crew and ground staff familiarisation.

World aviation history will be made when the Singapore Airlines A380 makes its First Flight – SQ380 – to Sydney's Kingsford Smith Airport on Thursday 25 October, and returns to Singapore on Friday 26 October.

Singapore Airlines Chief Executive Officer, Mr Chew Choon Seng, said the delivery would mark the beginning of a new chapter for the aviation industry.

"Everyone at Singapore Airlines is keenly anticipating the delivery of this new plane, and our people are working hard on final preparation for its entry into service.  The first flight promises to be one of the most exciting occasions in aviation history.

"We are overwhelmed by the support of the community – from all over the world – for the charity auction.  And I would like to thank the many partners and service providers that have followed the lead of our fuel supplier, ExxonMobil, and eBay, in donating their services for the First Flight's charitable causes.

"While occasions like this are few and far between, we hope this enthusiasm generates support for very worthwhile causes," Mr Chew said.

Seats across all three classes will be auctioned on the global online marketplace, eBay.  There will be plenty of seats put to auction, allowing many opportunities for travelers keen to be part of history to join the First Flight experience.

For the new Singapore Airlines Suites, the A380's First Flight will be the first ever occasion to fly on what will be a product that totally redefines luxury in the sky.

Entry into scheduled service will commence on the Sydney route soon after the First Flight.  A further announcement will be made on this in due course.

The auction of seats on the First Flight will commence on Monday 27 August 2007.  Seats in all three classes will be sold progressively, across both legs of the flight.  Bids will be staggered to finish at various times over a period of just over two weeks, with the auction cycle being completed on 10 September 2007.

The auction will be for single, double and multiple seats in each class.

All seats will be sold on a one-way basis, so people wanting to fly on both legs of the First Flight will need to bid twice.

To participate in the auction, a bidder will need the following:

* An eBay user ID … it's free and easy to get
* The names and passport numbers of those travelling
* For bids on packages in the premium classes (Business & Suites), or bids over USD1,000 in Economy Class, pre-qualification will be required.  This ensures bids are not artificially inflated, and gives bidders confidence they are bidding only against genuine and pre-qualified bidders

Prequalification is initiated online.  Singapore Airlines' global auction management agency, Auctionwire, has developed numerous ways for bidders to pre-qualify and lodge security deposits for bids requiring pre-qualification.

All information on packages available, bid prequalification and how to get an eBay user ID is available on the Singapore Airlines website, singaporeair.com/a380.  A summary is attached to this news release.

100% of the proceeds of the auction will be donated to charities.  They are:
* One-third to Singapore's Community Chest
* One-third split between the Sydney Children's Hospital, Randwick, and The Children's Hospital at Westmead, both in Sydney
* One-third to Médecins Sans Frontières, also known as Doctors Without Borders.

INTERNET LINKS

http://singaporeair.com/a380

CONTACT INFORMATION

• For further information, please contact: Public Affairs Department
  Tel   : (65) 6541-5880 (office hours)
  Tel   : (65) 9753-2126 (after office hours)
  E-mail:  Public_Affairs@singaporeair.com.sg
  URL: singaporeair.com
  OR   singaporeair.com/a380

Technorati Tags:
Singapore Airlines | A380 | Airbus

Seoul (June 5, 2007)

Korean Air, South Korea's largest carrier, today announced that it will launch a new low cost carrier within 3 years.  Korean Air is part of Hanjin Group, one of the world's largest transportation conglomerates including Korean Air and Hanjin Shipping.

Since 2005, Korean Air organized a special task force to study the feasibility of operating its own low cost carrier.  For the new airline, Korean Air is considering using one of its Hanjin Group affiliates, Korea Airport Service, which has charter flight operation experience, rather than setting up a new company.

With the announcement, Young-Ho Kim, President of Korean Air's Passenger Division declared, "Korean Air aims to differentiate the new low cost carrier with excellence, using the experience, world-class maintenance skills and fleet efficiency know-how accumulated for more than 35 years through Korean Air operation, in order to proactively deal with changes in the airline industry."

Korean Air's low cost carrier will operate Korea domestic routes and short and mid-haul international routes using Boeing 737 fleet that boast high-efficiency, with the now-typical low-cost low-price model.

With this new low cost carrier, Korean Air, Hanjin Group's core company, will maintain its global carrier image focusing on premium business travel demand, while the low cost carrier will concentrate on tourist routes, complementing each other in the market for a win-win relationship.

Low cost carriers make up 20% of the entire airline market in the United States and Europe, and are expanding quickly in China and Southeast Asia.  Such growth can be explained through changes of the industry.

Unlike the past when strict government regulations restricted the establishment of new airlines, deregulation and spreading open skies policies has lowered the bar for new players trying to enter the airline industry.  With this trend, low cost carriers are forming a new domain of the airline industry in all regions of the world.  Also, the air travel customer base is widening from a limited high-income bracket to include more and more family travel, overseas studies, and others, allowing much potential travel demand left to be developed.

Korean Air's decision to launch its own low cost carrier derives from its commitment to proactively deal with the evolving airline industry, providing quality transportation service at a lower price for the benefit of the traveling public, luring more customers.   This is also a display of Korean Air's will that it shall no longer remain indifferent to invasion of low cost carriers from China and Southeast Asia into the Korean market.

The South Korean flag carrier has asserted many times that dump selling and unreliable tourism packages centered around some low cost carriers, causing market disturbance and customer inconvenience, must be stopped.  Korean Air's strategy to differentiate the new low cost venture with its experience, world-class maintenance skills and fleet efficiency know-how may bring about positive alteration to the low cost carrier market.

The low cost plan also takes into strategic consideration the expected changes in Korea's domestic aviation market.  Within 2 or 3 years, when Korea's high speed railway is completely open for service, much of the domestic air traffic demand is expected to shift to the railway, inevitably calling for a restructuring of domestic route flight operations.  It is Korean Air's conclusion that it must develop new markets and business models to effectively utilize the fleet that will be freed from domestic operations.

Korean Air, the world's current top commercial air cargo carrier, has its goal set to become a top 10 global leading carrier by 2010.  The low cost plan is expected to add more momentum to reaching this goal.

http://www.koreanair.com

About Korean Air:
Korean Air was named the Best First/Business Class Airline and the Best Frequent Flyer Program in TIME Readers’ Travel Choice Awards 2006. It was voted Best Asia/Transpacific Business Class Service by Business Traveler magazine in 2006. With its excellent financial performance in 2005, Korean Air received the "Phoenix Award" from Air Transport World (ATW) for its success in overcoming challenges in the global airline industry.

Korean Air, with a fleet of 123 aircraft, is one of the world's top 20 airlines, and operates almost 400 passenger flights per day to 112 cities in 36 countries. It is a founding member of SkyTeam, the global airlines alliance - partnering Aeroflot, AeroMexico, Air France, Alitalia, CSA Czech Airlines, Continental Airlines, Delta Air Lines, KLM and Northwest Airlines to provide customers with extensive worldwide destinations, flights and services. More on Korean Air's programs, routes, frequency and partners is available at www.koreanair.com.

CONTACT INFORMATION

• Nancy Ma
  Ogilvy Public Relations
  Telephone: (+86) 83913200-766

Technorati Tags:
Korean Air | Asia | travel | air

Le Bourget, France (June 18, 2007) /China Newswire/ — Qatar Airways today confirmed a US$16 billion order for 80 Airbus A350s making the airline the single largest customer of the European aircraft manufacturer’s newest commercial jet. The airline has also increased its orders for the widebody Airbus A380s from two to five aircraft.

At a press conference held on the opening day of the Paris Air Show at Le Bourget today, Qatar Airways’ Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker confirmed the orders in the presence of Airbus President Louis Gallois.

The A350 deal replaces original plans announced two years ago by Qatar Airways to purchase 60 A350s. Qatar Airways has now opted for the redesigned ‘Extra Wide Body’  (XWB) version of the A350 in three different variants.

Qatar Airways’ commitment announced today is for 20 Airbus A350-800s, 40 A350-900s and 20 A350-1000s, the latter being a stretched version of the new aircraft. Qatar Airways is the launch customer of the A350-1000XWB variant.

The A350-XWB, depending upon variant, will have between 260 and 350 seats in a Qatar Airways’ typical two-class configuration and will be used to operate on key routes across Qatar Airways’ international network covering Europe, Africa, Far East and Indian subcontinent.

Deliveries are set to begin in August 2013 and will gradually replace the Airbus A330s, which are currently the backbone of Qatar Airways’ fleet.

Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker said the announcement finally ended months of protracted negotiations with Airbus over the design of the A350-XWB.

“This deal has been a long time coming but clearly demonstrates Qatar Airways’ commitment to this new generation aircraft,” he said, speaking at a packed press conference at Le Bourget.

“This large A350-XWB order, comprising all three variants, underlines the confidence that Qatar Airways has in Airbus’ capability to produce an outstanding, new generation twin-engine widebody aircraft for entry into service from 2013. Qatar Airways has, and will continue to, work with Airbus and Rolls Royce in the definition and optimisation of an outstanding family of aircraft.“

Qatar Airways is the largest Airbus operator in the Middle East, currently flying 58 all-Airbus aircraft, including the A319s, A320s, A321s, A330s and A340s. Qatar Airways is also a launch customer of the A380 twin-deck ‘superjumbo’ with five now on order for deliveries beginning in 2010.

Doha-based Qatar Airways is one of the fastest growing airlines in the world flying its award-winning Five Star service to 75 destinations across Europe, Middle East, Africa, Indian subcontinent and the Far East.

From June 26, Qatar Airways takes its first steps into North America with the launch of four flights a week to New York. The flights, operating via Geneva – another new destination on the airline’s rapidly growing international route map – will operate to Newark Liberty International Airport, becoming the first Middle East carrier flying to this key gateway airport in the New York area.

Just weeks later, starting on July 19, Qatar Airways will bridge the capitals of Qatar and the United States. The airline will be the only Middle East carrier flying daily non-stop services to Dulles International Airport in Washington DC.

INTERNET LINKS

http://www.qatarairways.com

MULTIMEDIA ELEMENTS

About Qatar Airways:
Qatar Airways is one of only five airlines in the world with a Five Star ranking for service and excellence awarded by Skytrax, the independent aviation industry monitoring agency. Skytrax also named Qatar Airways’ cabin crew as Best in the Middle East for the fourth year running in 2006 and second best worldwide following a survey of more than 12 million passengers.

Averaging 35 per cent growth year on year, Qatar Airways carried more than 8 million passengers during the 2006/07 financial year.

CONTACT INFORMATION

• For further information
  Salam Al Shawa
  Senior Manager Marketing & Communications, Qatar Airways
  Tel: +974 4496956, Fax: +974 4620132
  E-mail: qrmedia@qatarairways.com.qa

Technorati Tags:
Qatar Airways | Paris Air Show

Sleek and packed with powerful interactive features, singaporeair.com/a380 will provide registered users with updates on developments on the world's first commercial A380 aircraft as they unfold.

This will also contain information and regular updates on how to fly onboard the historic first Singapore Airlines A380 flight, soon after the first aircraft is delivered in October 2007.

Other enhancements include a selection of the latest Singapore Airlines A380-themed screensavers and wallpapers. Custom-designed games will also be progressively featured in the coming months.

"The delivery of the first A380 to Singapore Airlines and its subsequent first flight will be one of the most significant events in the history of commercial aviation, and Singapore Airlines is proud to invite everyone to share in the excitement," said Mr Huang Cheng Eng, Singapore Airlines' Executive Vice-President of Marketing and the Regions.

"Besides providing the latest news and information, the Singapore Airlines A380 website will also enable registered users to keep themselves informed first-hand on how they can be part of the history-making first flight."

Presenting technical, engineering and logistical information in a fun and interactive way, singaporeair.com/a380 is one of the most comprehensive online resources on the fully double-decker A380 aircraft.

New users are encouraged to register with singaporeair.com/a380 to receive updates and special promotional announcements on the Singapore Airlines A380 via email or through a custom-designed Singapore Airlines desktop agent.

Singapore Airlines has 19 A380 aircraft on firm order and another six on option. It is scheduled to take delivery of the first aircraft in October this year.

The first aircraft will be deployed on the Singapore-Sydney service shortly after delivery. Subsequent aircraft are scheduled for delivery from early 2008. 

INTERNET LINKS

http://www.singaporeair.com/a380

CONTACT INFORMATION

• For further information, Public Affairs Department
  please contact: Tel : (65) 6541-5880 (office hours)
  Tel : (65) 9753-2126 (after office hours)
  Fax : (65) 6545-6083
  E-mail: Public_Affairs@singaporeair.com.sg

Technorati Tags:
Singapore Airlines | A380

Seoul, South Korea (June 05, 2007) /China Newswire/ — Korean Air, South Korea's largest carrier, today announced that it will launch a new low cost carrier within 3 years.  Korean Air is part of Hanjin Group, one of the world's largest transportation conglomerates including Korean Air and Hanjin Shipping.

Since 2005, Korean Air organized a special task force to study the feasibility of operating its own low cost carrier.  For the new airline, Korean Air is considering using one of its Hanjin Group affiliates, Korea Airport Service, which has charter flight operation experience, rather than setting up a new company.

With the announcement, Young-Ho Kim, President of Korean Air's Passenger Division declared that “Korean Air aims to differentiate the new low cost carrier with excellence, using the experience, world-class maintenance skills and fleet efficiency know-how accumulated for more than 35 years through Korean Air operation, in order to proactively deal with changes in the airline industry.”

Korean Air's low cost carrier will operate Korea domestic routes and short and mid-haul international routes using Boeing 737 fleet that boast high-efficiency, with the now-typical low-cost low-price model.

With this new low cost carrier, Korean Air, Hanjin Group's core company, will maintain its global carrier image focusing on premium business travel demand, while the low cost carrier will concentrate on tourist routes, complementing each other in the market for a win-win relationship.

Low cost carriers make up 20% of the entire airline market in the United States and Europe, and are expanding quickly in China and Southeast Asia.  Such growth can be explained through changes of the industry.

Unlike the past when strict government regulations restricted the establishment of new airlines, deregulation and spreading open skies policies has lowered the bar for new players trying to enter the airline industry.  With this trend, low cost carriers are forming a new domain of the airline industry in all regions of the world.  Also, the air travel customer base is widening from a limited high-income bracket to include more and more family travel, overseas studies, and others, allowing much potential travel demand left to be developed.

Korean Air's decision to launch its own low cost carrier derives from its commitment to proactively deal with the evolving airline industry, providing quality transportation service at a lower price for the benefit of the traveling public, luring more customers.   This is also a display of Korean Air's will that it shall no longer remain indifferent to invasion of low cost carriers from China and Southeast Asia into the Korean market.

The South Korean flag carrier has asserted many times that dump selling and unreliable tourism packages centered around some low cost carriers, causing market disturbance and customer inconvenience, must be stopped.  Korean Air's strategy to differentiate the new low cost venture with its experience, world-class maintenance skills and fleet efficiency know-how may bring about positive alteration to the low cost carrier market.

The low cost plan also takes into strategic consideration the expected changes in Korea's domestic aviation market.  Within 2 or 3 years, when Korea's high speed railway is completely open for service, much of the domestic air traffic demand is expected to shift to the railway, inevitably calling for a restructuring of domestic route flight operations.  It is Korean Air's conclusion that it must develop new markets and business models to effectively utilize the fleet that will be freed from domestic operations.

Korean Air, the world's current top commercial air cargo carrier, has its goal set to become a top 10 global leading carrier by 2010.  The low cost plan is expected to add more momentum to reaching this goal.  

INTERNET LINKS

http://www.koreanair.com

About Korean Air :
Korean Air was named the Best First/Business Class Airline and the Best Frequent Flyer Program in TIME Readers' Travel Choice Awards 2006. It was voted Best Asia/Transpacific Business Class Service by Business Traveler magazine in 2006. With its excellent financial performance in 2005, Korean Air received the "Phoenix Award" from Air Transport World (ATW) for its success in overcoming challenges in the global airline industry.

Korean Air, with a fleet of 123 aircraft, is one of the world's top 20 airlines, and operates almost 400 passenger flights per day to 112 cities in 36 countries. It is a founding member of SkyTeam, the global airlines alliance - partnering Aeroflot, AeroMexico, Air France, Alitalia, CSA Czech Airlines, Continental Airlines, Delta Air Lines, KLM and Northwest Airlines to provide customers with extensive worldwide destinations, flights and services. More on Korean Air's programs, routes, frequency and partners is available at www.koreanair.com.

Technorati Tags:
Korean Air