Busy start for Cambodia's new airport

Cambodia's new international airport had a much livelier start than had been expected.

Techo International Airport, the Asian nation's largest aviation infrastructure project, opened last month.

With a design inspired by the nation's cultural and Angkorian heritage, the airport began operations as a modern hub for business and tourism and the first flight, operated by Air Cambodia, was welcomed with a traditional water salute.

Within its first month of operations, the airport has seen the opening of two new routes and, unexpectedly, also supported Cathay Pacific by temporarily hosting some of its fleet during Typhoon Ragasa, which ravaged Hong Kong and other regional cities.

Developed by Cambodia Airport Investment Co., Ltd. (CAIC), the Techo International Airport has capacity for 15 million passengers annually in its first phase and will strengthen tourism, expand trade flows, and enhance Cambodia's international connectivity.

The project was Cambodian built in collaboration with a consortium of local and international contractors and is located 35 kilometres south of the capital Phnom Penh..

The terminal, designed by British firm Foster + Partners, reflects Angkorian traditions through sweeping roof canopies supported by structural "trees" inspired by the rumduol - Cambodia's national flower.

It served by almost 30 airlines including Singapore Airlines, Qatar Airways and Cathay Pacific.

"Welcoming the first passengers at Techo International Airport is a defining moment," said Pung Kheav Se, Chairman of infrastructure partner OCIC and CAIC.

"It creates new opportunities for Cambodia - for visitors, businesses, and investors - and marks the beginning of a new chapter for our country."

Techo International Airport also features retail and dining offerings. Among the shops and restaurants are Malis, Paul, Starbucks, Brown Coffee, Bodia, and Artisans d'Angkor.

An official inauguration ceremony is set to be held on October 20. For those wondering, The name Techo is a title given to army commanders by the King of Cambodia.  

Airline bans passengers after seat reclining row

Yet another in-air argument over when/if to recline your seat when flying.

Some folk just slam their seats back the moment their plane is airborne. Others have the courtesy to wait until after the first meal service before reclining.

I get it. If seats recline then you are free to use that facility.

A Chinese couple disagreed and has been banned from flying Cathay Pacific after a woman said she was harassed by the couple sitting behind her after she reclined her seat, Travel Mole reports.

A post of the incident has gone viral on a Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu showing footage of the altercation.

The airline responded by banning the couple for their behaviour.

Cathay says it has a "strict zero-tolerance policy" towards threatening behaviour and harassment.

The incident happened on a London bound flight from Hong Kong earlier this month. .

The victim said she was subjected to derogatory comments and gestures.

A non-stop air trip that lasts almost 18 hours

Imagine flying non-stop for almost 18 hours in the same seat. It could get a little tiresome.

Cathay Pacific’s new non-stop New York-Hong Kong route has become the world’s longest - because of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

It is the longest flight by distance at 16,668km due to the route it has to take to avoid Russian airspace, Travel Mole reports.

The flight will travel over over the Atlantic Ocean, the UK, southern Europe and central Asia en route to Hong Kong from New York, whereas it would normally overfly Russia and the Arctic.

Cathay has just listed on its website a New York-to-Hong Kong flight for April 3 - a flight it said would stay in the air for 17 hours and 50 minutes.

It will surpass a Singapore Airlines flight travelling from the south-east Asian city-state to New York, which flies a shorter distance in a longer time: about 15,343km in 18 hours.

Many airlines have cancelled routes to Russian cities or are avoiding its airspace over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine last month.

“We are always running contingency routings for potential events or scenarios within the world of aviation,” Hong Kong’s flagship carrier said in a statement.

Pre-pandemic, Cathay operated three round trips between the Hong Kong and New York every day.

Flights to Hong Kong now face frequent cancellations due to the financial hub’s strict anti-Covid measures, as well as a lack of passengers.

Cathay blow to struggling travel agents

 

Ever thought about how travel agents make a profit?

Remember they do not charge customers for whom they book a flight or a package holiday.

It is all about commission, which is paid to an agent by an airline, hotel, cruise line, tour organiser or travel group for each booking.

This is why travel agents will often try to direct you in a specific direction when it comes to your business or holiday choices. The possibility for conflicts is huge.

Don't expect you agent to be wanting to book you onto a Cathay Pacific flight any time soon - particularly if there is a viable alternative.

Cathay commission payments to agents in Australia and New Zealand will move from 5% to just 1% - the same payout as rivals Qantas and Emirates - effective from July.

This means that if your agent books you a single return flight on Cathay for $1800, it will make just $18 in commission.

Cathay Pacific says it is committed to working closely with its “key travel partners to ensure a successful transition to a new way of working” - which is corporate-speak for "get stuffed".

Qantas and Emirates have more routes and higher visibility - and bring agents more business than Cathay, which might be digging itself a deep hole.

Cathay has described the move as “a fresh approach to trade partner engagement” as the Hong Kong carrier makes “tough but necessary decisions to see ourselves through the pandemic”.

“Our commitment to Australia and NZ remains steadfast, and we will continue to invest in this region as we work through the pandemic,” the airline said in a statement.

Flights from Australia to Hong Kong are currently banned as authorities battle to contain Covid-19.

Airline fires tardy cabin crew over failure to vaccinate

Hong Kong-based international airline Cathay Pacific has sacked cabin crew who failed to get vaccinated against Covid-19. 

The airline had set an August 31 deadline for cabin staff to provide proof of vaccination or face disciplinary action.

On September 1, it began proceedings against an estimated 80 unvaccinated cabin crew who had not presented vaccination proof or medical exemptions for not receiving the vaccine.


The airline said it let go "a small number' of cabin crew employees.


"It is clear to us all now that Covid-19 is a terrible virus and that keeping our customers, communities and families safe is of the utmost importance," the airline told The Standard newspaper.


"The pandemic has also had a huge impact on us operationally and border controls around the world have dramatically reduced our ability to operate with unvaccinated aircrew."

Bravo! 

Cathay said all its flights have been operated with fully vaccinated crews as standard since September 1.


The airline's ground crew have until October 1 to supply vaccination proof or a valid exemption.

Dark times for leading Asian airline

It is not that long ago that Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific Airways was one of the leading global carriers and a figurehead in the Asian market. 

Today, Cathay Pacific announced that it is planning to downsize again, local media reported. 

The struggling carrier has established a voluntary redundancy scheme for front-line staff - including local flight attendants and pilots - to take redundancy with compensation of up to six months' salary. 

Cathay told staff that a forecast of “no discernible improvement” in the short- to medium-term had prompted the company to ask them if they would leave voluntarily. 

The airline said it would continue to operate a skeleton passenger flight schedule for “some considerable time”.

The voluntary redundancies are tied to the near-total collapse of the passenger flight market. 

"We expect that we will continue to operate a very limited schedule in the near term," said director of people (or maybe that should be director of getting rid of people) Patricia Hwang. 

"We must continue to manage our business prudently, balancing the need to manage costs and preserve cash with the need to prepare for the eventual recovery." 

Volunteers opting to leave would be paid between two and six months' salary depending on length of service.


The airline is already a much smaller business than before the pandemic, having slashed almost 6,000 jobs last year.

Cathay Pacific was saved last June by a bailout from the Government.