New services, deals
Air China Air China announced on Thursday that it will open direct routes from Beijing to Astana, Kazakhstan, and Zurich, Switzerland in June, expanding its network along China’s “One Belt and One Road” routes.
On June 1, the airline will begin flying to Astana three times a week on an Airbus A320. On June 7, it will launch the route to Zurich, which will run four times a week. Honeywell Honeywell on Tuesday released its latest global satellite communications system, the Aspire 300, delivering International Civil Aviation Association- approved cockpit voice and safety services that will improve the overall safety of airline operations.
Even slight improvements in size or weight are significant in a cockpit, and the new system is 75 percent smaller with an antenna that is 90 percent smaller than those in other cockpit systems on the market today – saving airlines thousands of dollars per aircraft in fuel costs. Shareco In- flight Wi- Fi provider Shareco recently announced that it has joined the no- cash alliance proposed by Ant Financial, Alibaba Group Holding’s online payment services provider, to complete more payments online.
In March, the company officially launched onboard payments with Alipay.
It has provided payment services for several airlines including Hainan Airlines, Tianjin Airlines and Hong Kong Airlines. CCTA The China Communications and Transportation Association set up a general aviation branch on April 21 to further develop the general aviation business in China.
The increase of general aviation sales volumes amounted to 20 percent in 2013 and 2014.
But the growth trend declined to 10 percent in 2015, with an annual increase of only 200 aircraft, said Zhao Minghe, an expert from China International Engineering Consulting Corp.
Zhao also warned that China’s general aviation business is still in an early stage of development and the industry remains subject to a number of problems such as overexpansion and poor access to financing. Finnair Finnair restarted its seasonal route from Guangzhou, South China’s Guangdong Province, to Helsinki, Finland on Wednesday. The Finnish airline will keep the route open until October 27.
Finnair first opened the Helsinki to Guangzhou route in May 2016, making Guangzhou its sixth destination after Beijing, Chongqing, Shanghai, Xi’an and Hong Kong.