AAV News in Brief 10 January 2021

HK Express announces direct service to Singapore: Despite all the travel restrictions in place between Hong Kong and Singapore, HK Express recently announced it was offering a new direct service between Hong Kong and Singapore. Debuting on 1 February 2022, the new link to Singapore will provide a more affordable choice for essential travel during the pandemic period. “Singapore truly has it all. That’s why it has long been a popular choice for travellers,” said Mandy Ng, CEO of HK Express. “Whether our customers are visiting Singapore for business or to visit family, HK Express will provide a safe and seamless experience every step of the journey. We anticipate a steady stream of demand for travel on this route once travel restrictions ease.” Customers with plans to visit Singapore must comply with local entry requirements, which may include pre- and post-travel testing, quarantine and declaration forms. Vietjet operates first international flight between Japan and Vietnam in 2022: Vietjet announced it operated 2022’s first international flight from Narita International Airport to Noi Bai International Airport. Deputy Director of the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam Dinh Viet Son and leaders of Noi Bai International Airport and Vietjet presented flowers, new-year’s lucky red envelopes as well as best wishes to passengers onboard the flight. Vietjet resumed international service connecting Tokyo (Narita) and Hanoi from 1 January with one round-trip per week. The service frequency is expected to increase in the future. The airline’s other international routes connecting Hanoi/Ho Chi Minh City and Taipei (Taiwan), Singapore, Thailand and South Korea are also available for ticket booking. All Vietjet’s passengers, who take international flights to and from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, will get free Covid-19 PCR tests. They need to also be fully vaccinated or have a certificate of recovery from Covid-19, a negative result of PCR test within 72 hours prior to the flight. Magellan CEO retires: Bill Polyi, Magellan Aviation Group president and CEO, announced he will retire. Company Chairman, Michimoto “Mitch” Asano will be taking over as interim president and CEO upon Polyi’s departure to ensure Magellan Aviation Group’s commitment to customers and partners continues to be of utmost priority. “Starting at the age of 16, I spent my first 10 years at Pratt & Whitney Canada’s Overhaul Shop (Plant #5),” said Polyi. “This not only fostered my love of aviation and engines but was the best aviation iniversity one could hope for.” CALC’s Universal Asset Management launches cabin door trainers: Universal Asset Management, Inc. (UAM), the global disassembly and distribution platform under China Aircraft Leasing Group Holdings announced that its aircraft technical team has successfully developed and manufactured an over-wing emergency exit trainer and a main entry-door trainer from the materials taken from an Airbus A320 currently undergoing disassembly. The fully functional trainers, which were designed with support from the Global Crossing Airlines (GlobalX) technical team, will serve as the official training platform for the carrier to train its flight attendants in Mi Designed for training cabin crew on the operation of the doors in all conditions, functions of these door trainers include passenger seating, crew seating, window visual simulations, overhead bins and over-wing exit, which can simulate any of the different scenarios that cabin crews may experience in actual operations. These one-of-a-kind trainers that UAM has manufactured from aftermarket materials are expected to be certified by the FAA for training all flight attendants for the GlobalX fleet.ami. APG and Blue Ribbon Bags sign global partnership: In early December, Blue Ribbon Bags (BRB), one of the fastest-growing ancillary services in travel and the world leader in airport delayed baggage retrieval services, and APG, the world’s leading airline distribution network, have formalised a global partnership. BRB provides a Delayed Baggage Protection product in which the traveller receives real-time push notifications via email, SMS, and WhatsApp regarding the status of the delayed bag for the first 96 hours of it missing. If the delayed baggage is not returned within the 96-hour service period, the traveller would receive a satisfaction guarantee payment due to BRB being unable to fulfil their service obligation. BRB’s primary distribution channels include but are not limited to airlines, online travel agencies, travel management companies, travel insurance providers, and bank/credit card providers. This partnership will allow BRB to leverage APG’s extensive network of Sales Offices that spans across 170 countries worldwide resulting in the opening of new markets and continued expansion in existing markets. Daniel Levine, president and co-founder of Blue Ribbon Bags, said “This strategic partnership extends BRB’s reach into untouched regions where APG’s local expertise and knowledge will allow for our service to be integrated quickly and efficiently. We are very excited to partner with APG as we continue to expand our global footprint.” For Editorial Inquiries Contact: Editor Matt Driskill at [email protected] For Advertising Inquiries Contact: Head of Sales Kay Rolland at [email protected]