Juneyao Airlines announced the launch of flights to Australia as of December 19th. The carrier will operate, at press time, two regular routes to/from Shanghai Pudong, which will have a daily frequency each using Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft.

With this schedule, Juneyao will offer 2,268 seats a week on both routes, reaching nearly 10,000 monthly seats. The airline’s 787-9s have 324 seats in two seating classes (29 Business and 295 Economy).

Melbourne · December 19th

Daily

• HO 1655  Shanghai PVG 17:30 · 07:00+1 MEL Melbourne
• HO 1656  Melbourne MEL 09:00 · 16:10 PVG Shanghai

Sydney · December 19th (to be confirmed)

Daily

• HO 1669  Shanghai PVG 17:10 · 06:30+1 SYD Sydney
• HO 1670  Sydney SYD 08:30 · 16:00 PVG Shanghai

Juneyao Air currently operates from Shanghai Pudong to Athens, Bangkok, Brussels, Chiang Mai, Denpasar, Helsinki, Hong Kong, Jeju, Kaohsiung, Macau, Manchester, Nagoya, Osaka, Penang, Phuket, Sapporo, Singapore, Taipei and Tokyo (Haneda and Narita), with respect to destinations outside China.

Routes to China from Melbourne and Sydney

Melbourne

• Beijing (PEK): 4 weekly · Airbus A350-900 · Air China
• Chengdu (TFU): 3 weekly · Airbus A330-200 · Sichuan Airlines
• Guangzhou (CAN): 10 weekly · Boeing 787-9 · China Southern
• Haikou (HAK): 3 weekly · Airbus A330-300 · Hainan Airlines
• Hangzhou (HGH): 3 weekly · Airbus A330-200 · Beijing Capital
• Nanjing (NKG): 3 weekly · Airbus A330-200 · China Eastern
• Qingdao (TAO): 2 weekly · Airbus A330-300 · Beijing Capital
• Shanghai (PVG): 14 weekly · A333/A359/789 · China Eastern
• Xiamen (XMN): 4 weekly · 788/789 · Xiamen Air

Sydney

• Beijing (PEK): 4 weekly · Boeing 787-9 · Air China
• Chengdu (TFU): 3 weekly · Airbus A330-200 · Sichuan Airlines
• Guangzhou (CAN): 14 weekly · A359/789 · China Southern
• Haikou (HAK): 6 weekly · A332/789 · Hainan Airlines
• Hangzhou (HGH): 2 weekly · Airbus A330-200 · China Eastern
• Jinan (TNA): 3 weekly · Airbus A330-200 · China Eastern
• Nanjing (NKG): 3 weekly · Airbus A330-200 · China Eastern
• Qingdao (TAO): 2 weekly · Airbus A330-200 · Beijing Capital
• Shanghai (PVG): 7 weekly · Airbus A350-900 · China Eastern
• Shenzhen (SZX): 3 weekly · Airbus A330-300 · China Southern
• Wuhan (WUH): 3 weekly · Airbus A330-200 · China Eastern
• Xiamen (XMN): 6 weekly · 788/789 · Xiamen Air
• Zhengzhou (CGO): 1 weekly · Airbus A330-200 · Tianjin Airlines

Rex Express enters voluntary administration

On Tuesday, July 30th, the Australian airline entered voluntary administration, causing the cancellation of all its flights with Boeing 737-800 jets. At the time, Rex had 9 737-800s in its fleet, operating 13 scheduled routes within Australia.

The Boeing 737s had joined Rex’s fleet in December 2020, reaching 6 by mid-March 2021. In 2022 it added another 737, while other 3 during 2023.

Routes suspended

• Adelaide (ADL) – Perth (PER)
• Brisbane (BNE) – Adelaide (ADL)
• Brisbane (BNE) – Cairns (CNS)
• Melbourne (MEL) – Adelaide (ADL)
• Melbourne (MEL) – Brisbane (BNE)
• Melbourne (MEL) – Canberra (CBR)
• Melbourne (MEL) – Gold Coast (OOL)
• Melbourne (MEL) – Hobart (HBA)
• Melbourne (MEL) – Perth (PER)
• Melbourne (MEL) – Sydney (SYD)
• Sydney (SYD) – Adelaide (ADL)
• Sydney (SYD) – Brisbane (BNE)
• Sydney (SYD) – Gold Coast (OOL)

We review other highlights of the Asia and Oceania market during August

• Aeroflot adds two international routes.

• Aero Mongolia boosts international flights from Ulaanbaatar.

• AirAsia X will operate between Kuala Lumpur and Chongqing.

• Air Macau to add a new route to Taiwan.

• Air India Express began several connections.

• Aircalin increases capacity on its Noumea – Nadi – Papeete route.

• Asiana Airlines will resume its services to Sydney with Airbus A380 aircraft (during peak season).

• Cathay Pacific to extend seasonal flights between Hong Kong and Christchurch.

• Cebu Pacific increases frequencies to Melbourne.

• Donghai Airlines will fly between Nantong and Jeju.

• HK Express to have operations to Penang from Hong Kong.

• IndiGo expands flights on several international routes.

• Jeju Air will serve between Seoul Gimp and Kaohsiung.

• Jetstar Asia to launch flights to Sri Lanka.

• Qanot Sharq modified its operations in Moscow.

• Qingdao Airlines, Scoot, Shanghai Airlines, Super Air, Thai AirAsia and Vietnam Airlines add new connections.

• Virgin Australia confirms an order for 8 new Embraer E-2s.

Aeroflot

The Russian airline will resume two international routes in September, one to/from Moscow Sheremetyevo and the other from/to Yekaterinburg.

• Yekaterinburg (SVX) – Phuket (HKT): 2 weekly · September 13th · Airbus A330-300
• Moscow (SVO) – Denpasar (DPS): 3 weekly · September 17th · Airbus A350-900

Aero Mongolia

Effective December, Aero Mongolia will increase frequencies on two of its international connections. The company offers these routes with Airbus A319:

• Tokyo Narita (NRT): from 2 to 3 weekly · December 1st
• Seoul Incheon (ICN): from 3 to 4 weekly · December 5th

AirAsia

AirAsia X will resume on October 15th its operations between Kuala Lumpur and Chongqing. According to its website, the carrier will have four flights per week by Airbus A330-300s with a capacity of 377 passengers.

Tuesday/Sunday and Thursday/Saturday

• D7 808  Kuala Lumpur KUL 18:50/20:05 · 23:30/00:45+1 CKG Chongqing

Monday/Wednesday and Friday/Sunday

• D7 809  Chongqing CKG 00:45/02:00 · 05:55/07:10 KUL Kuala Lumpur

Air Astana

The company will launch services between Almatý and Phu Quoc, a route that will start with two weekly frequencies as of October 28th, increasing to 3 from December 14th.

Monday and Wednesday

• KC 161  Almatý ALA 22:45 · 08:15+1 PQC Phu Quoc

Tuesday and Thursday

• KC 162  Phu Quoc PQC 09:45 · 15:50 ALA Almatý

New flight on Saturdays from Almatý and from Phu Quoc on Sundays.

Air Astana will fly using its Airbus A321neo.

Air Macau

Macau – Taichung, Air Macau’s new route to Taiwan.

The airline will commence operations beginning November 1st, with 158-seat Airbus A320-200.

Monday and Friday

• NX 684  Macau MFM 17:15 · 18:50 RMQ Taichung
• NX 685  Taichung RMQ 19:40 · 21:20 MFM Macau

Thursday and Saturday

• NX 686  Macau MFM 07:05 · 08:50 RMQ Taichung
• NX 687  Taichung RMQ 09:40 · 11:25 MFM Macau

Starlux and Tigerair Taiwan offer flights between the two cities.

Air India Express

On August 12th, Air India Express started five new routes, to be operated by Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft, as follows:

• Chennai (MAA) – Bhubaneswar (BBI): 7 weekly
• Chennai (MAA) – Siliguri (IXB): 7 weekly
• Guwahati (GAU) – Jaipur (JAI): 7 weekly
• Kolkata (CCU) – Guwahati (GAU): 7 weekly
• Kolkata (CCU) – Varanasi (VNS): 7 weekly

Aircalin

The New Caledonian carrier will modify its Noumea – Nadi – Papeete route schedule during October, planning two flights with Airbus A330neo.

Currently, Aircalin provides one frequency a week using 168-seat Airbus A320neo planes.

Tuesday (Oct 8th and 15th)

• SB 630  Noumea NOU 10:35 · 13:30 NAN Nadi
• SB 630  Nadi NAN 14:55 · 21:20 PPT Papeete

The aircraft lands in Papeete on Monday and departs on Tuesday.

• SB 631  Papeete PPT 12:45 · 16:00+1 NAN Nadi
• SB 631  Nadi NAN 17:25+1 · 18:35+1 NOU Noumea

Armenian Airlines

Yerevan – Volgograd, Russia, new route of Armenian Airlines.

Services will begin on October 6th, and will be carried out weekly by Airbus A321-200s with a capacity of 220 passengers.

Sunday

• JI 138  Yerevan EVN 19:25 · 20:30 VOG Volgograd
• JI 139  Volgograd VOG 22:00 · 01:15+1 EVN Yerevan

Armenian Airlines offers flights from EVN to Batumi, Kazan, Mineralnye, Moscow SVO, Sochi and Ufa.

Asiana Airlines

Asiana’s Airbus A380s will be back in Sydney effective December 1st.

The airline is once again scheduling these aircraft on its route to/from Seoul Incheon, which have 495 seats (12 First, 66 Business and 417 Economy).

Daily

• OZ 601  Seoul ICN 20:00 · 08:30+1 SYD Sydney
• OZ 602  Sydney SYD 10:30 · 19:00 ICN Seoul

At present, Asiana operates daily with Airbus A350-900s seating 311 passengers.

Batik Air Malaysia

The Malaysian company will start flying on October 1st to Jakarta from Penang. Batik Air Malaysia will run, according to its website, one service per day on this route using Boeing 737-800 jets.

Daily

• OD 342  Jakarta CGK 11:10 · 14:40 PEN Penang
• OD 343  Penang PEN 15:40 · 17:10 CGK Jakarta

AirAsia, Batik Air and Indonesia AirAsia have operations by Airbus A320.

Cambodia Angkor Air

On Tuesday, August 27th at 12:10 local time, Cambodia Angkor Air’s first service is scheduled to take off from Hong Kong for Koror, Palau. These flights will be operated three weekly with 180-seat Airbus A320-200 aircraft.

Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday

• K6 680  Hong Kong HKG 12:10/12:40 · 17:00/17:30 ROR Koror
• K6 681  Koror ROR 18:00/18:30 · 20:45/21:15 HKG Hong Kong

Cathay Pacific

The airline plans to extend its seasonal flights to Christchurch through March 27th, 2025. Initially, Cathay Pacific was scheduled to serve from Hong Kong until the end of February 2025.

Operations will be conducted on Airbus A350-900s starting December 13th.

Wednesday, Friday and Sunday

• CX 123  Hong Kong HKG 21:05 · 13:20+1 CHC Christchurch

Monday, Thursday and Saturday

• CX 126  Christchurch CHC 14:50 · 21:20 HKG Hong Kong

With respect to other New Zealand cities, Cathay currently provides five flights a week to Auckland by Airbus A350-1000s.

Cebu Pacific

More operations to Melbourne.

Cebu Pacific Air intends to increase its services from/to Manila, a route it offers with three weekly frequencies using Airbus A330neo aircraft. In accordance with its website, the company will begin operating a fourth flight per week from November 23rd.

Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday

• 5J 49  Manila MNL 12:45 · 00:05+1 MEL Melbourne

Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday

• 5J 50  Melbourne MEL 01:25 · 06:40 MNL Manila

China Southern

After four and a half years, on September 21st, the company will resume services between Shenyang and Nagoya. China Southern will perform three weekly flights on Airbus A320 planes under the following schedule:

Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday

• CZ 697  Shenyang SHE 08:10 · 12:10 NGO Nagoya
• CZ 698  Nagoya NGO 13:10 · 15:15 SHE Shenyang

Donghai Airlines

On September 2nd, Donghai will commence the Nantong – Jeju route, which will be operated two times a week by 188-seat Boeing 737-800s.

Monday and Friday

• DZ 6329  Nantong NTG 13:50 · 16:30 CJU Jeju
• DZ 6330  Jeju CJU 17:30 · 18:10 NTG Nantong

Donghai Airlines will be the only carrier to serve between Nantong and Jeju.

EVA Air

The carrier will boost its flight frequency from Kaohsiung effective October 27th, reaching daily on two routes.

• Macau (MFM): from 3 to 7 weekly · October 27th
• Seoul (ICN): from 6 to 7 weekly · October 27th

Fiji Airways

For winter season, Fiji Airways will increase its operations between Nadi and Tarawa, currently performed twice weekly.

Beginning December 7th, the airline will offer three flights per week, which will be served on Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft.

Monday, Thursday and Saturday

• FJ 231  Nadi NAN 07:30 · 10:35 TRW Tarawa
• FJ 230  Tarawa TRW 11:50 · 14:55 NAN Nadi

New flight on Saturdays.

HK Express

The first HK Express service to Penang will depart from Hong Kong on November 21st. Flights will have a daily frequency with Airbus A320-200.

Daily

• UO 748  Hong Kong HKG 20:10 · 00:10+1 PEN Penang
• UO 749  Penang PEN 00:45 · 04:40 HKG Hong Kong

HK Express has 37 aircraft in its fleet (16 A320s and 21 A321s).

IndiGo

During October, IndiGo will boost frequencies on four of its international routes, which are carried by 186-seat Airbus A320neo jets.

• Chennai (MAA) – Colombo (CMB): from 14 to 21 weekly · October 15th
• Chennai (MAA) – Singapore (SIN): from 14 to 21 weekly · October 15th
• Mumbai (BOM) – Jeddah (JED): from 4 to 7 weekly · October 27th
• Mumbai (BOM) – Kuwait City (KWI): from 3 to 7 weekly · October 27th

Jazeera Airways

The Kuwaiti low cost carrier will restart two routes to India from Kuwait City, the airline’s main hub.

• Thiruvananthapuram (TRV): 1 weekly · Airbus A320 · October 28th
• Ahmedabad (AMD): 1 weekly · Airbus A320 · November 2nd

Jeju Air

According to its website, on October 17th, Jeju Air will inaugurate flights between Seoul Gimp and Kaohsiung. The company will operate three frequencies a week on Boeing 737-800 aircraft configured for 189 passengers.

Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday

• 7C 4505  Seoul GMP 09:10 · 11:10 KHH Kaohsiung
• 7C 4506  Kaohsiung KHH 12:00 · 15:50 GMP Seoul

At the time of publication, the flights are scheduled through October 27th.

Jetstar

Jetstar Asia will launch operations to Sri Lanka on November 21st. As stated on its website, the airline will conduct five weekly flights between Singapore and Colombo with Airbus A320-200s.

Thursday and Sunday

• 3K 333  Singapore SIN 08:55 · 10:30 CMB Colombo
• 3K 334  Colombo CMB 11:30 · 18:00 SIN Singapore

Monday, Wednesday and Saturday

• 3K 331  Singapore SIN 21:00 · 22:30 CMB Colombo
• 3K 332  Colombo CMB 23:30 · 06:00+1 SIN Singapore

Singapore Airlines and SriLankan Airlines provide one daily frequency each on this route, by Boeing 787s and Airbus A330s respectively.

Jetstar Asia Airways operates from Singapore, its hub, to Australia, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines and Thailand.

Qanot Sharq

The Uzbek airline changed its operations in Moscow, switching to the Russian city’s Domodedovo airport. Previously, Qanot Sharq had services to Moscow Vnukovo.

First flight to DME

• Fergana (FEG): 2 weekly · August 5th
• Tashkent (TAS): 9 weekly · August 5th
• Namangan (NMA): 2 weekly · August 6th
• Bukhara (BHK): 2 weekly · August 7th
• Samarkand (SKD): 2 weekly · August 8th

Qingdao Airlines

Jinghong – Vientiane, Qingdao Airlines’ new route.

This new connection to Laos will start on August 21st, and will have three flights per week with Airbus A320-200 aircraft of 158 seats in two classes.

Wednesday, Friday and Sunday

• QW 6081  Jinghong JHG 07:00 · 07:10 VTE Vientiane
• QW 6082  Vientiane VTE 08:10 · 10:15 JHG Jinghong

Rex

We review the Boeing 737-800s retired from Rex’s fleet, and where each is currently located.

• VH-8JS: Stored in Sydney
• VH-8KH: Stored in Melbourne
• VH-8ZL: Stored in Brisbane
• VH-MFM: Stored in Melbourne
• VH-PAG: Stored in Melbourne (since June 10th)
• VH-REX: Stored in Melbourne
• VH-RQC: Stored in Adelaide
• VH-RQP: Stored in Melbourne
• VH-RYU: Stored in Sydney

The Boeing 737 with registration VH-RQG had been retired in February.

Rex Express’ fleet now consists of 57 Saab 340s, but not all of them are operational. According to our database, 23 of the 57 are grounded for different reasons.

Scoot

The low-cost company will add two new connections between September and October.

Scoot will fly to Kertajati and Malacca from Singapore. In both cases, the carrier will use its new Embraer E190-E2s, which are configured for 112 passengers.

• Kertajati (KJT): 2 weekly · September 28th
• Malacca (MKZ): 5 weekly · October 23rd

Shanghai Airlines

As of September 1st, the airline expects to operate between Shanghai Pudong and Hong Kong. Services will have, at publication time, a weekly frequency on Boeing 737-800s.

Sunday

• FM 811  Shanghai PVG 09:40 · 12:45 HKG Hong Kong
• FM 812  Hong Kong HKG 13:55 · 16:45 PVG Shanghai

Cathay Pacific, China Eastern Airlines, Hong Kong Airlines and Juneyao Air offer flights on this route.

Super Air

Medan – Surabaya, Super Air’s new domestic route.

The Indonesian company’s first operation to Surabaya departed Medan at 08:28 local time on August 15th. Super Air will perform daily service by Airbus A320-200 aircraft, in accordance with our database.

Daily

• IU 363  Medan KNO 08:00 · 11:10 SUB Surabaya
• IU 362  Surabaya SUB 12:00 · 15:10 KNO Medan

Super Air Jet is the only airline to fly between both cities.

Thai AirAsia

The company intends to add flights to Nepal from October 2nd, with the launch of services on the Bangkok DMK – Kathmandu route.

Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday

• FD 182  Bangkok DMK 11:50 · 14:00 KTM Kathmandu
• FD 183  Kathmandu KTM 15:00 · 19:35 DMK Bangkok

Vietnam Airlines

Effective October 27th, the SkyTeam member announced the resumption of operations between Hanoi and Phnom Penh. Vietnam Airlines plans four weekly frequencies on A321 jets, as follows:

Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday

• VN 923  Hanoi HAN 17:10 · 19:05 PNH Phnom Penh
• VN 922  Phnom Penh PNH 20:00 · 21:55 HAN Hanoi

The Airbus A321s are configured for 184 passengers in two seating classes (16 Business and 168 Economy).

Virgin Australia

More and new planes for its fleet.

Virgin Australia confirmed that it has placed an order for eight Embraer E190-E2s, returning operations with Embraer aircraft after a seven-year hiatus. The Australian airline is scheduled to start service with the E190-E2s from October 2025.

At the time of publication, these jets will be focused on the charter market, which Virgin Australia Regional Airlines (VARA) operates.

Virgin Australia fleet

• Boeing 737-700: 9
• Boeing 737-800: 75
• Boeing 737 MAX 8: 7

In the short term, Virgin will add its eighth 737 MAX 8 (registration VH-8IH).

Virgin Australia Regional Airlines fleet

• Airbus A320-200: 7
• Fokker 100: 3

We review the aircraft added by airlines in the Asia and Oceania market during July and August

• AirAsia

• Air Astana (x2)

• Air China

• Air India

• Air India Express (x2)

• All Nippon Airways

• Cebu Pacific

• China Eastern Airlines

• China Southern Airlines

• EVA Air

• Hainan Airlines (x2)

• IndiGo (x7)

• Japan Airlines (x2)

• Korean Air

• QantasLink

• Qingdao Airlines

• Pegasus (x2)

• Shanghai Airlines

• Thai AirAsia

• Vietnam Airlines

• Xiamen Air

*It’s not new from the factory.

Other reports we have published

• Africa and Middle East
• United States and Canada
• Latin America
• Europe
• ANA spreads its wings in Europe
• ITA expands its Asia presence with two new routes
• Family and tourism: Royal Air Maroc launches two new routes

Cover photo: Seth Jaworski – JetPhotos (Sydney, Australia).